Undergraduate - Course1074 - Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Laws

This combined program is a recognition by the faculties of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences and Law that the burgeoning area of medical law requires a pool of graduates with an academic grounding in both professions. Monash is the only university in Australia that offers this joint degree.

For full details of the patient-centred learning activities and themes of the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) component of this course, refer to course 0040 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

The Monash University Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery program will strive to graduate doctors who:

• are knowledgeable, skilful, reflective and compassionate
• are innovative in their approach to and solution of problems
• are skilled at accessing, appraising, and applying the best available evidence to their everyday practice
• demonstrate awareness of the social, ethical, economic and environmental context of health and illness and psychological wellbeing and delivery of care
• are committed to the health of populations as well as individuals
• are concerned with issues of equity, quality and humanity in health care and act as advocates for the disadvantaged and dispossessed
• maintain high standards throughout their professional life by a commitment to life-long learning and teaching
• have the skill to address the key questions relevant to the community and to medicine
• are capable of leadership and yet are comfortable working as a team member
• uphold the community's trust and expectations of the role of a doctor
• are advocates for health by practising preventative medicine and health promotion
• recognise the essential role of research in underpinning medical practice.

The objectives of the LLB program at Monash are to enable students to gain an understanding of basic legal concepts and legal institutions and of the historical, social, political and economic factors influencing their development. Upon completion of the LLB, students will be able to identify, use and evaluate the concepts, principles, rules and methods used in legal argument and will have developed oral and written skills, especially of legal argument, legal research and critical analysis. Students will have gained an understanding of concepts of justice, a concern to promote justice and an appreciation of their professional responsibilities.

Special requirements

Students must refer to the information available on the special requirements outlined below. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have the correct documentation.

Police checks

Students must have a current Police check regarding their suitability to undertake placements. Information available at http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/police-checks.html.

Working with Children checks

Students must have a current Working with Children check regarding their suitability to undertake placements. Information available at http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/wwc-check.html.

Health requirements

For the protection of other students, patients and themselves, students in the MBBS course should comply with certain precautionary procedures.

This policy is in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council advice that educational institutions training students in health sciences should ensure that such students are protected as far as possible by vaccination against risks of infection.

The faculty's own policy requires that all students accept responsibility for having a satisfactory immunisation status at the commencement of the MBBS course. Immunisations include diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B.

Prospective students should note that, prior to enrolment, they are provided with detailed written information about the effect that HIV, hepatitis B or other infections may have on the ability of health care workers to practice their profession. During the early weeks of first year, arrangements will be made by the faculty for students to have consultations with medical practitioners, to check that their immunisation status is satisfactory and to receive advice about additional vaccination requirements. It should be noted that students will be responsible for covering the costs incurred with this process.

First Aid Certificates

It is highly recommended that students hold or attain by the end of first semester, a current registered Level 2 or Senior First Aid Certificate.

Student registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

In keeping with a student's professional responsibilities, all MBBS students must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and must keep the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences informed of any matters that would impact on that registration.

Admission to law practice: disciplinary reports

Warning to students of consequences of cheating or general misconduct

Students should note that a domestic applicant applying for admission to practise law in Victoria is required by the Admission Rules 2008 to provide to the Board of Examiners:

(1.) a report from the University disclosing any disciplinary action taken against the student during the course (including any finding under the University Discipline Statute that the student has cheated in an assessment); and

(2.) an affidavit stating that the applicant has made full written disclosure of "every matter which a reasonable applicant would consider that the Board of Examiners might regard as not being favourable to the applicant". This may include an incident of academic or general misconduct, even if it did not lead to disciplinary action.

The Board of Examiners will consider these matters in assessing whether the applicant is a "fit and proper person to be admitted to the legal profession".

Clinical practice units

This course requires students to undertake off-campus clinical placements. In the clinical setting students will have an opportunity to apply theory to practice under supervision. Attendance is mandatory for the clinical component of each unit.

Where a student's skill or knowledge is found to be inadequate, access to the clinical component of the unit will be denied. A student may be withdrawn from a clinical practicum if required skills and knowledge are deemed inadequate, or on other grounds deemed appropriate by the Deputy Dean (MBBS Curriculum).

Clinical expenses

Students are responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses during clinical placements.

Law component

The law component requires that students must complete 144 points of study, including 18 compulsory units and a further 36 points of elective law units. Refer also to 'Bachelor of Laws - basic course structure' at http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2010handbooks/undergrad/law-08.html.

MBBS component

The MBBS component requires that students must complete 240 points of study, comprising 48 points in each year, except fourth and sixth year which are comprised entirely of law units.

Prior to the commencement of the course, students will attend a compulsory transition program, designed to focus on transition to university life, personal ethics, healthy lifestyle, group support and introduction to communication skills.

Years one and two

Throughout the first two years, blocks of systems-based sub-units will be presented with a mix of basic medical science content, patient-based presentations and discussions in small groups. These sub-units combine basic content with generic skills and are set in appropriate clinical contexts, largely through the use of patient-oriented learning. Topics include:

• cardiovascular
• endocrinology
• gastrointestinal
• genomics
• human behaviour
• human development and growth
• immunology and infection
• metabolism
• molecules, cells and tissues
• musculo-skeletal
• neurosciences
• nutrition
• renal
• reproduction
• respiratory.

Years three and four

In the third and fourth years, the clinical content is delivered in blocks of clinical rotations, with a mix of advanced and applied medical science, patient-oriented presentations, and discussions in small tutorial groups. A diversity of clinical settings is used, including a range of hospitals, ambulatory clinics and the rural environment. The emphasis will be on students gaining real clinical experience, participating in patient care and understanding how health care teams work.

In the third year, students will study 'Integrated medicine and surgery' which will be taught together with a series of problem-based and core-based learning sessions. The fourth year will be largely taken up with the core clinical rotations* of 'Women's and children's health' and 'General practice and psychological medicine'.

Year five

The fifth year of the course is focused on facilitating the transition of students into the medical workplace as trainee interns and will be structured as a series of clinical rotations*. Students will participate in a range of learning experiences designed to substantially enhance their clinical reasoning, diagnostic and case management skills. Students will consolidate and enhance their knowledge, clinical skills and professional behaviours in five clinically orientated rotations:

• aged care
• emergency medicine
• medical
• surgical
• specialty.

In addition, students will undertake a student elective rotation in a clinical area of personal interest, subject to faculty approval.

* Students choose from a range of placements offered by the faculty.

The structure as outlined below would allow a student to complete the double-degree program within seven years.

First year

• MED1011 Medicine 1
• MED1022 Medicine 2

(48 points)

Second year

• LAW1101 Introduction to legal reasoning
• LAW1104 Research and writing
• MED2000 Year 1 and 2 final grade
• MED2031 Medicine 3
• MED2042 Medicine 4

(60 points)

Third year

• LAW2101 Contract A
• LAW2102 Contract B
• MED3051 Medicine and surgery 1
• MED3062 Medicine and surgery 2
• MED3200 Introductory clinical studies

(60 points)

Fourth year

• LAW2201 Torts A
• LAW2202 Torts B
• LAW3301 Criminal law and procedure A
• LAW3302 Criminal law B
• LAW3401 Property A
• LAW3402 Property B
• 18 points of law electives

(54 points)

Fifth year

• LAW3201 Constitutional law
• MED4000 Year 3 and 4 final grade
• MED4171 Specialty clinical practices 1
• MED4182 Specialty clinical practices 2
• MED4200 Integrated clinical studies

(54 points)

Sixth year

• LAW3101 Administration law
• LAW4169 Equity
• LAW4170 Trusts
• LAW4171 Corporations law
• LAW5104 Civil procedure
• LAW5125 Lawyers, ethics and society
• LAW5159 Evidence
• 12 points of law electives

(54 points)

Seventh year

• MED5091 Advanced clinical practice 1
• MED5092 Advanced clinical practice 2
• MED5100 Final MBBS grade
• MED5102 Contemporary developments in clinical practice: Patient safety
• 6 points of law electives

(54 points)

Eligible students may chose to intermit their studies in this course and undertake course 0041 Honours degree of Bachelor of Medical Science.

Bachelor of Laws
Bachelor of Laws (with Honours)
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (with Honours)

Where more than one award is listed for one or both components of the double degree the actual award(s) conferred may depend on units/majors/streams/specialisations studied, the level of academic merit achieved, or other factors relevant to the individual student's program of study.