Caution
Copyright © Monash University 1996
ISBN 1037-0919
Authorised by Academic Registrar, April 1996
`At the time of being admitted as a Member of the Medical Profession, I solemnly pledge myself to consecrate my life to the service of humanity. I will give to my teachers the respect and gratitude which is their due. I will practise my profession with conscience and dignity.
The health of my patient will be my first consideration. I will respect the secrets which are confided in me even after the patient has died; I will maintain by all the means in my power the honour and the noble traditions of the medical profession; my colleagues will be my brothers.
I will not permit considerations of religion, nationality, race, party politics or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patients; I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from its beginning even under threat and I will not use my medical knowledge contrary to the laws of humanity.
I make these promises solemnly, freely and upon my honour.'
Professional ethical codes are not immutable and slowly change with time as the morals and structure of a society change. New moral and ethical issues arising from modern biotechnological advances were among the subjects debated by the World Medical Association at its meeting in Venice during October 1983 and the assembly changed the sentence in its version of the oath which then read
`I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from the time of conception É' to read: `I will maintain the utmost respect for human life from its beginning É'
The Australian Medical Association has paraphrased the ethical requirements of both the Hippocratic Oath and the Declaration of Geneva as follows:
(a) to live a pure and moral life and to pay due respect to his teachers, to share a knowledge of medicine with the rest of the profession and to have no secret remedies or processes;
(b) to do no man any harm by the misapplication or criminal application of a knowledge of medicine;
(c) to undertake only such things as are within the competence of the individual practitioner;
(d) to keep secret anything learned as the outcome of professional relationship with a patient which should not be divulged;
(e) to avoid abuse of the doctor-patient relationship.
The `Code of Ethics' of the Australian Medical Association is reproduced in full as Appendix II of the second edition (1991) of the textbook Ethics, legal medicine and forensic pathology by V D Plueckhahn and S M Cordner.
On the presumption that students have embarked upon the MB BS degree with the intention of practising as a doctor, it is important to be alerted to the role of the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria and, well ahead of time, to the legislation which pertains to medical registration in Victoria. The prime purpose of the Medical Practice Act is to protect the public. The Act stipulates that the board is to refuse to register as doctors persons:
+ who are not of good character;
+ who have been convicted of a serious crime;
+ who are ill in a manner which may put the community at risk; or
+ who are not able to complete the training and clinical experience required under provisional registration (ie internship).
After you complete the final year of your course and graduate with the degree MB BS, you will be required to apply for provisional registration with the Medical Practitioners Board. You will be asked to sign a statutory declaration attesting (1) that you have never been convicted of a serious crime and (2) that you are not presently under treatment for, or suffer from, any condition or illness which may impair your ability to practice and which may put the community at risk. This statement is provided to you to:
+ remind you of the vocational nature of your course and the strict requirements laid down for registration of medical practitioners by the Parliament of Victoria, and
+ give you the opportunity to consider your position, and seek appropriate advice, if you suffer from an illness or condition which could prevent you from being granted provisional registration or if you have been convicted of a serious crime.
Further information or advice can be obtained from the dean of the faculty.
This policy is in accord with the National Health and Medical Research Council advice that educational institutions training students in health sciences should ensure that such students are protected as far as possible by vaccination against risks of infection.
The faculty recommends that all students accept responsibility for having up-to-date immunisations before commencing the medical course. Immunisations recommended are diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, tuberculosis and hepatitis B.
Prospective students should note that on enrolment, students are provided with detailed written information and, as appropriate, counselling about the effect that HIV or hepatitis B infection may have on the ability of health care workers to practice their profession. In addition, arrangements will be made by the faculty for every student to have a personal consultation, early in the first year, with an infectious diseases physician. At this time, a check for each student's immunity to diseases such as tuberculosis will be conducted and students will be offered personal advice and counselling about infectious diseases and their personal health.
Students experiencing general problems which are affecting their academic performance may seek advice from the faculty office. The assistant dean, faculty manager and the administrative officers (campus and teaching hospitals) are available to provide assistance. The University Counselling Service should be consulted for problems of a general nature.
In special circumstances a student may wish to make an appointment to see the dean.
The board of examiners for each year level considers all results from examination and other assessment procedures at the end of each semester and/or year.
Students must obtain a passing grade in all subjects attempted in a given calendar year in order to proceed to the subsequent academic year of the course.
The board of examiners may, at its discretion, grant repeat or supplementary examinations to students who have not satisfactorily completed all required assessment procedures.
In years 1-3 at the end of first semester, the board of examiners may grant a repeat examination in any subject where a student has an unsatisfactory performance. The results of the repeat examination are considered at the second semester board of examiners when supplementary examinations may be granted.
In years 4-6, boards of examiners may, at their discretion, grant supplementary assessments where students have an unsatisfactory performance in components of the course.
Repeat examinations are generally held during the second semester and supplementary examinations are generally held in December or January.
The faculty informs students of the assessment procedures at the commencement of each semester/year. Students who are required to complete repeat or supplementary examinations are notified on the posted publication of results or individually by letter from the faculty office.
The Faculty of Medicine uses the grades fail, pass, credit, distinction and high distinction and reports marks for some components of the course.
All Monash University students have a responsibility to make every effort to maintain satisfactory progress in their courses.
Academic staff have the responsibilities of preparing and presenting material at an appropriate standard with the resources available; assessing students' work fairly, objectively and consistently across the candidature for the subject.
+ that the student be allowed to repeat the year of the course;
+ that the student be recommended for possible exclusion from the course.
Where a student has been recommended for exclusion, a faculty exclusions committee will review the case and determine whether the student should be excluded or be allowed to repeat the year. The faculty office will in writing inform the student of the procedures to be followed including documentation required and the student's opportunity to present their case before the committee. An excluded student may appeal to the university's Appeals Committee.
Plagiarism is an attempt to obtain undeserved academic advantage. Students should note that essays, assignments and other work are generally understood to be the student's own work. This does not mean that students may not make use of the work of others. However in quoting or paraphrasing material from other sources, those sources must be acknowledged in full. Where submitted work is identical with, or similar to another student's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. Where students wish to undertake work in conjunction with other students, it is suggested that the matter be discussed with the lecturer concerned.
All applications for deferment must be made in writing to the dean who is the only person who may grant a deferment, and decisions will normally be made following an interview with the dean.
In considering applications the dean will take account of any medical, financial, social, emotional or psychological problems that could potentially be remedied by deferment. The deferment must therefore be used to assist the student to satisfactorily progress through the medical course.
Deferments are not granted automatically. However, students seeking deferral for one calendar year between school and the commencement of first year will be treated sympathetically. Application for the deferment of first year must be made in writing following receipt of an offer of a place in the medical course and must be lodged by the date of enrolment specified at the time of offer.
Because of the regulation requiring students to satisfy all the requirements of each year of the medical course within one calendar academic year, any student granted a deferment at any time through the year will be required to return to studies at the start of the following year and repeat work already completed, unless specific exemptions from parts of work (eg practical classes) are granted by course conveners. Returning students will be required to enrol as full-time students, with HECS and other fee liabilities.
The application must be accompanied by appropriate evidence and must be made not later than forty-eight hours after the last examination scheduled for the candidate. The faculty manager, where satisfied that the student was unable to make application by the required date, may accept a late application.
The board of examiners may allow a student to sit for a special examination or deferred examination where:
(1) the student has been prevented by illness or other serious cause from presenting for all or part of an examination; or
(2) the student's work during the academic year or performance in the examination has been gravely affected by illness or other serious cause.
Further details are available from the faculty office.
If a student is unable to resolve a grievance by other means, he or she should contact the dean of Medicine or the faculty manager and explain in writing the basis of the grievance.
The dean or faculty manager will attempt to negotiate a successful resolution to the grievance. If required, a complaint will be heard and resolved by the faculty's grievance committee.
The details of the formal procedures relating to grievances are available from the faculty office.
Several laboratories are equipped with computers for student use. All students now have the right to obtain a Novell network account which will allow them access to IBM-style PCs around the campus. This facility gives students access to electronic mail (e-mail) for easy communication with fellow students and staff. Students wishing to register for an account will need to report to the Computer Centre with their student ID card and obtain a copy of Computer Centre regulations from the reception counter before attempting to access the network computers.
The Biomedical Library is one of five major branch libraries of the Monash University Library, and supports the teaching and research activities of the medical, biological sciences and psychology departments of the university. Online public access catalogues (OPACs) provide information concerning the materials held in the library, and a local area network (LAN) and stand-alone computers provide access to numerous CD-ROM databases, including Medline, PsycLIT and Biological Abstracts. Library tutorials are provided for all first-year medical students to familiarise them with the library, and provide instruction in the organisation and retrieval of scientific information. The tutorials include a CD-ROM component.
The Biomedical Library is located near the Anatomy department of the Faculty of Medicine, and is open seven days a week during term.
Students who are located at the Alfred Hospital, Box Hill Hospital or Monash Medical Centre have access to Biomedical Library materials located in libraries in these hospitals. These Monash University materials are listed on the OPACs, and are available to students at the Clayton campus through a `hospital loans' system.
The association aims to represent the education and welfare rights of Monash University international medical students and to ensure that the views and opinions of these students are sufficiently represented within the faculty and international student movements. IMSA also aims to increase interaction between international and local students through social activities, working with and alongside MUMUS.
IMSA organises orientation activities, a first-year study support system, information sessions, barbecues, an Asian lunch, an annual dinner and dance and also a sports day with Melbourne University's medical students. Other activities including seminars, talks and forums touching on international medical student issues are also held from time to time.
It is understood that (i) interstate hospitals accepted by their medical boards for the purposes of a preregistration year will be recognised for accreditation; (ii) graduates in their preregistration year will not be able to prescribe outside their accredited hospital; (iii) emergency treatment may be given by a graduate in his or her preregistration year but only as a person with expert knowledge and not as a medical practitioner (this provides protection against any complaint of malpractice); (iv) graduates spending their preregistration year overseas should inquire from the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria whether they will receive Victorian registration.
It is anticipated that the accepting hospitals affiliated or associated with the university and other appropriate hospitals in the State of Victoria whether or not associated with Monash would offer, at the end of 1996 for a period of one year, an internship for all graduates who seek such appointments, with the exception of full-fee paying international students.