MED6002 - General practice

Leader: Dr Carol Lawson

Offered

Not offered in 2007

Synopsis

The program is designed to provide the student with a general perspective of what is common and relevant in community-based health care. A high level of active student participation in tutorials, role-plays, workshops and clinical attachments is encouraged. The goals of the unit are to broaden student experience by participating in general practice teaching situations, to emphasise important features of community-based medical practice and to enhance the students' ability to diagnose and manage common general practice problems.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this course the student will be able to

1. Understand and apply the concept of 'whole person' medical care to patients and their families
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the illness content and the processes of general practice
3. Demonstrate the knowledge of the management plans used and distinguish these from those seen in hospital practice
4. Recognise the difficulty of dealing with cases presenting at an early stage, those with mixed physical, psychological and social nature, and those which have an undifferentiated presentation
5. Understand the role of the general practitioner, their relationship to specialists and other health professionals, the wide range of community resources which can assist in general practice and the constraints which exist
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of the doctor-patient relationship and the role of the doctor as a 'therapeutic instrument' who may have both positive and negative influences on the outcomes of illness
7. Understand and apply the concepts of health education, illness prevention and rehabilitation in general practice
8. Demonstrate proficiency in performing common practical skills required in general practice

Assessment

OSCE: 60%
Written Exam: 40%
Satisfactory performance in all aspects of the rotation including tutorials and clinical placements is also a requirement.

Prohibitions

This unit is not available to students in the 5 year structure of the MBBS program.