MED3051 is an integrated medicine/surgery curriculum based on the four themes of the medical curriculum: Personal and professional development; population, society, health and illness; foundations of medicine; and clinical skills. Evidence-based educational approaches support students in acquiring appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills in medicine, surgery, clinical skills, evidence-based clinical practice, occupational and environmental medicine, pathophysiology, pharmacology, ethics and law. Previous learning will be extended.
On successful completion of Year 3/B, students are expected to be able to:
Theme I: Personal and Professional Development
- Apply the legal requirements and protocols to clinical practice including documentation, patient care and safety
- Respect and maintain privacy and confidentiality (peers, university & health care staff, external stakeholders, patients, clients)
- Recognise issues related to justice and the role of advocacy that are evident within the health system
- Practice and discuss ethical decision making and consultation in clinical environments
- Display a respectful, non-judgemental and empathic approach to others
- Maintain an appropriate standard of professional behaviour including demeanour, appearance and meeting commitments.
- Communicate clearly, effectively and appropriately in oral, written and electronic formats
- Describe factors that contribute to risks and errors in health care settings and the responsibilities of health care professionals in ensuring the quality of patient care
- Identify the activities in clinical settings that contribute to research and quality improvement in healthcare
- Review and critically reflect upon judgements and health care practices relating to patient outcomes
- Recognise peers experiencing difficulty and identify support strategies
- Use appropriate environments and strategies for sensitive and effective communication and interaction with others in clinical environments (patients and carers, peers and health care professionals)
- Identify the roles and responsibilities of patient centred health care team members and their professions and opportunities to assist the health care team
- Engage in learning opportunities and participate in peer learning, leadership and teaching activities.
- Articulate own strengths, acknowledge own limitations which impact upon performance, seek support and self-advocate for improvement.
- Take responsibility for own self-care and health issues.
Theme II: Population, Society, Health and Illness
- correctly apply principles and key steps in evidence based clinical practice;
- demonstrate application of the principles of evidence-based medicine to the diagnosis, management and prevention of occupational and environmental disease;
- elicit an accurate occupational and environmental history;
- describe how to certify a patient's fitness for work;
- effectively advise patients on the cause and prevention of the better-known occupational and environmental diseases;
- recognise human and institutional factors relevant to risk management in health care settings;
Theme III: Scientific basis of clinical practice
History/examination and Differential Diagnosis:
- Identify and apply the scientific bases that underpin the rational approach to eliciting a history and examining a patient in common diseases;
- Formulate a differential diagnosis and problem list relevant to the patient;
Clinical Features, Natural history, Pathogenesis and Pathology of disease
- Describe the natural history, pathogenesis and morphology of pathological processes related to specific diseases and conditions. Relate these to their clinical manifestations;
Recognition of Complexity in Patients' Health and Disease:
- Recognize that patients can present with problems due to multiple causes and contributing factors, including psychosocial factors, which impact upon their management, care and outcomes;
Investigating Health Problems:
- Determine and describe the scientific rationale that underpins the selection of appropriate investigations to confirm the diagnosis and guide the management of the patient;
- Interpret the results of investigations and relate these to the diagnosis and/or management of the patient's condition;
General Principles of Management
- Outline the scientific basis for the range of therapeutic approaches available to manage a patient's problem;
- Analyse the scientific rationale that underpins medical and surgical therapies (the scientific basis of therapies and their implementation);
- Select appropriate management options for patients, medical (including pharmacological) and interventional (particularly surgical);
Surgical Management
- Explain the key features of processes undertaken to provide surgical care for a patient, including preoperative assessment, operating room processes, anaesthetic management and postoperative care;
- Describe the key principles of common operations and procedures important to the effective surgical management of patients' problems;
Pharmacotherapeutics
- Use a rational approach, incorporating knowledge about safety, to select appropriate therapeutic drugs. Describe the basis of their mechanism of action, important aspects of their pharmacokinetics, adverse effects and drug interactions;
The Role of Research in Advancing Medical Knowledge:
- Identify and criticise how research contributes to the body of scientific knowledge available to medical practitioners;
Theme IV: Clinical skills
- Conduct a structured patient centred interview.
- Elicit a structured, comprehensive and logical history
- Perform an appropriate examination (relevant to practice in medical and surgical units).
- Perform specified clinical procedures and tasks in clinical environments under direct, structured supervision.
- Justify selection of investigations for the patient's presenting problems or conditions.
- Request/order relevant investigations correctly under structured supervision.
- Interpret results of investigations and use data to guide patient management under structured supervision.
- Distinguishes priority of patient care based upon urgency.
- Generate a ranked problem list.
- Develop a differential diagnosis (list) and select the most likely options relevant for the patient.
- Develop management plans for common problems and conditions.
- Select most appropriate medication, dose and mode of administration for the patient.
- Monitor the patient, identifies common complications and plans an immediate response under structured supervision.
- Develop and implement an individualised patient management plan for fluid, electrolyte and blood product use under structured supervision.
- Outline procedures and documentation for admissions, discharges and referrals.
- Provide structured and effective case presentations.
- Accurately record case details and clinical activities in appropriate formats under structured supervision.
Mini Case Records (MCRs) ( 70%)
Integrated clinical appraisal activity (30%)
Hurdle requirements: satisfactory attendance of over 80%, log book completion, completion of on-line tasks, satisfactory participation and performance in clinical skills activities and portfolio submission.
A/Prof Peter Barton (Clayton), Prof Parasakthi Navaratnam (Malaysia)
Approximately 13 hrs/week of structured teaching and learning, 10 hrs/week of unstructured learning in clinical settings and 10 hrs/week self directed learning (private study).
MED3062 and MED3200; Must be enrolled in the MBBS or MBBS/LLB