MED3062 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, patho-physiology, pharmacology, ethics and law. Previous learning will be extended. By the end of the semester students must be capable of undertaking history and clinical examinations of patients with straightforward conditions.
On successful completion of Year 3/B, students are expected to be able to:
Theme 1: 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: Satisfactory attendance of over 80%, log book completion, completion of online 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 unstructured learning in clinical settings and 10 hrs/week self directed learning (private study).
Must have passed an (I/W) unit in {MED3051}
MED3200; Must be enrolled in the MBBS or MBBS/LLB