units

MED3051

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Monash University

Undergraduate - Unit

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2015 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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12 points, SCA Band 3, 0.250 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

LevelUndergraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
OfferedClayton First semester (extended) 2015 (Day)
Malaysia First semester (extended) 2015 (Day)
Coordinator(s)Associate Professor Christopher Wright

Synopsis

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.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

Theme I: Personal and Professional Development

  1. Apply the legal requirements and protocols to clinical practice including documentation, patient care and safety
  2. Respect and maintain privacy and confidentiality (peers, university & health care staff, external stakeholders, patients, clients)
  3. Recognise issues related to justice and the role of advocacy that are evident within the health system
  4. Practice and discuss ethical decision making and consultation in clinical environments
  5. Display a respectful, non-judgemental and empathic approach to others
  6. Maintain an appropriate standard of professional behaviour including demeanour, appearance and meeting commitments.
  7. Communicate clearly, effectively and appropriately in oral, written and electronic formats
  8. 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
  9. Identify the activities in clinical settings that contribute to research and quality improvement in healthcare
  10. Review and critically reflect upon judgements and health care practices relating to patient outcomes
  11. Recognise peers experiencing difficulty and identify support strategies
  12. 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)
  13. Identify the roles and responsibilities of patient centred health care team members and their professions and opportunities to assist the health care team
  14. Engage in learning opportunities and participate in peer learning, leadership and teaching activities
  15. Articulate own strengths, acknowledge own limitations which impact upon performance, seek support and self-advocate for improvement.
  16. Take responsibility for own self-care and health issues.

Theme II: Population, Society, Health and Illness

  1. Discuss occupational and environmental factors that affect health, well-being and safety and the capacity to perform work
  2. Explain medical, behavioural and socio-environmental approaches to health promotion
  3. Explain the rationale for a health intervention/screening program
  4. Critique appropriate strategies for disease prevention and health promotion for patients
  5. Source and interpret biostatistical information relevant to health and disease in populations across a range of contexts (e.g. rural, indigenous, vulnerable/'at-risk' populations)
  6. Identify study designs used in population health and clinical research publications/reports/projects
  7. Describe the delivery of health care and the essential roles of systems to the individual across a range of contexts (e.g. rural, indigenous, vulnerable/'at-risk' populations)
  8. Discuss the rationale, methodology and application of clinical decision making processes and strategies
  9. Recognise and describe human and organisational factors relevant to risk management in health care settings
  10. Effectively communicate observations and analysis in written and oral formats
  11. Formulate and conduct an effective search for information relevant to the clinical care of a patient
  12. Organise, manage, interpret and apply information sourced from medical research publications and popular information sources
  13. Critique data and information sourced in medical literature
  14. Define and describe a rationale for levels of evidence.

Theme III: Scientific basis of clinical practice

History/examination and Differential Diagnosis:

  1. Identify and apply the scientific bases that underpin the rational approach to eliciting a history and examining a patient in common diseases
  2. Formulate a differential diagnosis and problem list relevant to the patient.

Clinical Features, Natural history, Pathogenesis and Pathology of disease

  1. 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:

  1. 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:

  1. Determine and describe the scientific rationale that underpins the selection of appropriate investigations to confirm the diagnosis and guide the management of the patient
  2. Interpret the results of investigations and relate these to the diagnosis and/or management of the patient's condition.

General Principles of Management

  1. Outline the scientific basis for the range of therapeutic approaches available to manage a patient's problem
  2. Analyse the scientific rationale that underpins medical and surgical therapies (the scientific basis of therapies and their implementation)
  3. Select appropriate management options for patients, medical (including pharmacological) and interventional (particularly surgical).

Surgical Management

  1. 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
  2. Describe the key principles of common operations and procedures important to the effective surgical management of patients' problems.

Pharmacotherapeutics

  1. 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:

  1. Identify and criticise how research contributes to the body of scientific knowledge available to medical practitioners.

Theme IV: Clinical skills

  1. Conduct a structured patient centred interview
  2. Elicit a structured, comprehensive and logical history
  3. Perform an appropriate examination (relevant to practice in medical and surgical units)
  4. Perform specified clinical procedures and tasks in clinical environments under direct, structured supervision
  5. Justify selection of investigations for the patient's presenting problems or conditions
  6. Request/order relevant investigations correctly under structured supervision
  7. Interpret results of investigations and use data to guide patient management under structured supervision
  8. Distinguishes priority of patient care based upon urgency
  9. Generate a ranked problem list
  10. Develop a differential diagnosis (list) and select the most likely options relevant for the patient
  11. Develop management plans for common problems and conditions
  12. Select most appropriate medication, dose and mode of administration for the patient
  13. Monitor the patient, identifies common complications and plans an immediate response under structured supervision
  14. Develop and implement an individualised patient management plan for fluid, electrolyte and blood product use under structured supervision
  15. Outline procedures and documentation for admissions, discharges and referrals.
  16. Provide structured and effective case presentations
  17. Accurately record case details and clinical activities in appropriate formats under structured supervision.

Fieldwork

This unit 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.

Assessment

Mini Case Records (MCRs) (70%) - note that the on-time submission of MCRs is a hurdle task
Integrated clinical appraisal activity (30%)

Hurdle:
On time submission of MCRs
Satisfactory attendance of over 80%, log book completion, completion of on-line tasks, satisfactory participation and performance in clinical skills activities and submission of complete portfolio.

Workload requirements

Approximately 13 hours/week of structured teaching and learning, 10 hours/week of unstructured learning in clinical settings and 10 hours/week self directed learning (private study).

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Prerequisites

Co-requisites

MED3062 and MED3200. Must be enrolled in course 0040, 1074, 3856, 3952, 4531, 4533 or 4532.