units

SON4020

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

18 September 2017 22 December 2024
Monash University

Postgraduate - 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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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

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

LevelPostgraduate
FacultyFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational UnitDepartment of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences
OfferedClayton First semester 2015 (Online)
Clayton Second semester 2015 (Online)
Coordinator(s)Mr Paul Lombardo

Synopsis

The initial component introduces key principles of medicolegal practice, medical ethics and professional communication. In the second part of the unit, the breast and thyroid are used as exemplars to relate these principles to the practice of medical ultrasound. Sonographic scanning methods and techniques for examinations of the breast and thyroid will be introduced, information gathering techniques and the elements of a clinical history will be discussed, interpretational skills in respect to the recognition of the sonographic appearances of normal anatomy, anatomical variants and disease processes affecting the breast and the thyroid will be developed.

Outcomes

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

  1. demonstrate an understanding of key principles of medical law and medical ethics;
  2. identify potential medico-legal and ethical situations arising from sonographic practice and the communication of sonographic findings to patients, radiologists or sonologists and referring medical practitioners;
  3. apply information gathering techniques and take a clinical history;
  4. perform routine sonographic examinations of the breast and thyroid safely and to a standard and ethical conduct expected of a competent sonographer;
  5. recognise and describe normal and abnormal sonographic appearances of the breast and thyroid and related artefacts;
  6. appreciate when modifications to routine scanning approaches are required as well as the limitations of ultrasound in respect to imaging the breast and thyroid.

Fieldwork

Students must be actively engaged in supervised ultrasound clinical practice in the workplace for at least three days a week (or equivalent). It is the student's responsibility to secure a supervised ultrasound clinical placement in the workplace.

Assessment

Compulsory attainment of a requisite number of ultrasound examinations (Hurdle)
Clinical skills assessment (Hurdle)
2 x Assignments (1,500 words each) (20%)
Written examination (2 hours) (40%)
Image recognition examination (1 hour) (20%)
Reflective journal (20%)

Requirement to obtain a pass: Students must obtain at least 50% of available marks overall and at least 50% of available marks in each of the written examination, and image recognition examination and reflective journal. Hurdle requirements must be met.

Chief examiner(s)

Mr Paul Lombardo

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

Medical ultrasound

Prerequisites

SON4000, SON4010.