MED4302 - Medical science honours research project - 2017

This unit allows students to undertake a supervised research project aimed at identifying and addressing a gap in medical research knowledge. It is designed to give students a strong foundation in the principles and practice of research. It will also enable students to develop a wide variety of skills including data analysis and communication of medical and scientific ideas in oral presentations and a written thesis. Students will be able to select from a wide range of project proposals that will enable them to pursue a specific area of interest working with their chosen supervisor.

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

1. Develop and implement research methodology.
2. Collect data in accordance with the moral, ethical and legal responsibilities of clinical and scientific investigation.
3. Organise and analyse data, using appropriate statistical tests where appropriate.
4. Synthesise the relevant literature in relation to the research question.
5. Present and interpret the data collected and its significance in relation to the existing literature.
6. Generate defensible conclusions based upon the significance of the research findings.
7. Demonstrate writing skills that meet the academic standards associated with a thesis.
8. Communicate research findings to a wider professional audience.
9. Develop confidence in their ability to develop into a practitioner of evidence-based medicine.

• Department oral presentation (5%)
• Minor thesis (12,000 - 15,000 words) (80%) (Hurdle)
• Faculty presentations: Oral presentation (5 minutes) (7.5%) and poster presentation (10 minutes) (7.5%)

Average weekly workload of 36 hours per week comprised of library searches, reading, preparation of presentations writing research thesis and practical research activities (eg data collection and collation, laboratory work, data analysis and review). The student may require training in technical skills by members of their research group or collaborators, but should then be largely self-directed to collect and analyze their data. The student will interact with and seek feedback from their supervisor about the overall structure of the Thesis, Departmental Oral and Faculty Presentations but the student will largely be self-directed.

Please note: The teaching dates for this unit may vary from the standard teaching datesstandard teaching dates (http://www.monash.edu/enrolments/dates/census) for this teaching period.

Unit discontinuation and penalty dates for these units may be different to other units taught in the same teaching period.

Please refer to the information available on the Faculty's non-standard teaching datesFaculty's non-standard teaching dates (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/enrolments/non-standard-dates.html) page to avoid academic and financial penaltiesacademic and financial penalties (http://www.monash.edu/enrolments/processes/change/add-or-discontinue-units#penalties).

See also Unit timetable information

Dr Megan Wallace

Medicine and surgery

Must be enrolled in Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) degree.

http://www.med.monash.edu.au/bmedsci/