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Themes and Structure

Theme I - Personal and professional development

This theme focuses on the doctor as an individual. It concentrates on the personal attributes and qualities needed by students in the curriculum, providing opportunities to gain a range of generic skills throughout the course.

Overall structure of Theme I: Personal and professional development

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Professional issues

Intro to Ethics:
Ethics and society.
Relationships and ethics.

Intro to Law:
Basis of justice.
Justice system.
Human rights.

Understanding community:
Society and community.
Roles of Doctor in Community.
'Grass-roots' health care.
Empowerment.

Ethics in practice:
Clinical research ethics.

Law in practice:
Legal responsibilities.
Reporting records.

Professional judgement:
Analysis of consequences of decisions.
Dealing with uncertainty.
Team participation.
Teaching.

Leadership:
Independent learning.
Leadership and supervision.
Responsibility of patient management.

Personal development

Transition to university:
Study skills.
Time management.
Stress Management.
Reflection.
Self care.
Team building.
Goal setting.

Attitudes to community:
Patient-centred approach.
Pain and suffering.
Teamwork in community groups.

Responsibility:
Patient advocacy.
Family and society.
Self-care and assertiveness.
Educating others.

Reflective practice:
Personal roles and role conflicts.
Stress management and coping styles.
Career choice.

Self-directed learning and practice:
Patient-centred care.
Personal learning contract.
Electives.
Remedial selectives.
Self assessment.

Key learning experiences

Observation of interactions:
Medical contact visits.
Ethics debates.
Family study.
Group debriefing and mentoring

Community service:
Ethics debates.
Group de-briefing and mentoring.

Clinical rotations:
Group debriefing and mentoring.
Clerking patients.
Self appraisal.

Teamwork:
Group debriefing and mentoring.
Simulation with feedback.
Teaching Year 1 in skills lab.

Leadership and independent learning:
Group debriefing and mentoring.
Clerking patients.
Self appraisal.

Theme II Society, population, health and illness

The main purposes of this theme are to develop the ability to deal with broader society and population issues, as compared with issues concerning the individual. Students learn about the history and philosophy of the scientific approach to medicine, extending this to approaches to knowledge and information, and an understanding of evidence-based medicine.

Overall structure of Theme II: Population, Society, Health and Illness

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Health and Society

The whole person.
Gender.
Consumer movement.

Inequalities in health.
Indigenous health.

  

Healthcare services.
Health policy.

Public health elective.

Health and Information

Epistemology:
Concepts of science and knowledge.
Critical thinking.
Basic IT skills.

Exploring databases and information sources.

Quality and evaluation of healthcare information.

Health economics.
Evidence-based medicine.

Medical informatics in practice.

Health and Population

Population health.
Introduction to research methods.

Health promotion.
Global view of health.

Preventive medicine.
Occupational health.

  

Public health electives.

Theme III Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice

Much of the knowledge and concepts that underpin medicine, both in the basic medical sciences and in the clinical sciences, are delivered within this theme. In the early semesters, a system-based structure has been adopted in which the basic sciences of anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology and physiology of each system are taught in an integrated manner and from a relevant clinical perspective.

Overall structure of Theme III: Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Molecular and cellular defence.
Integration and movement.

Cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and haematology.
Hormones, sex growth and Nutrition.

Multi-system disease.
Integrated medicine and surgery.

Women and children's health.
General practice and psychological health.

Student Internship.
Selectives.
Electives.

Theme IV Clinical skills

In the early years of the course, this theme includes GP and rural visits, and an introduction to community clinics and hospitals. Multi-professional education is promoted by exploring the possibilities for educational interactions with nurses, paramedics, radiographers and other health care professionals. The rural health activities in the early years of the course provide opportunities for our students to interact with a range of health care professionals. The later years will include advanced elective experience in diverse medical work places, both within and outside the hospital environment.

Overall structure of Theme IV:Clinical Skills

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Community visits.
First Aid course including CPR.
Clinical skills laboratory.
Clinical and communication skills.

Clinical and communication skills linked with systems teaching.
Rural rotations.
Clinical skills laboratory.
Teamwork experiences.

Medicine and Surgery.

Skills in Clinical rotations.
Women's and children's health.
Psychiatry and general practice medicine.
Medical teamwork experiences.

Patient's safety module.
Student internship.
Rural rotations.
Teamwork.
Leadership.

Teaching location

The majority of teaching in the early years of the course is conducted at the Clayton campus. Students then spend most of the next three years in major teaching hospitals. The teaching hospitals associated with Monash University are located in a number of the Metropolitan Health Services (Bayside Health, Peninsula Health, Eastern Health, Southern Health). They include the Alfred Health Care Group, Box Hill, Maroondah, Monash Medical Centre at Clayton and Moorabbin, Dandenong, Frankston and Latrobe Regional Hospitals. Many other hospitals and clinics, such as The Epworth and Cabrini Hospitals, are also venues for specific teaching experiences. Monash also provides a range of opportunities for Rural Medicine, both as compulsory and elective rotations. Locations include Traralgon, Sale, Bairnsdale, Warragul, Bendigo and Mildura.

Extended Rural Cohort

The first two years of the course, which cover basic medical and behavioural science, will be undertaken at the Monash Clayton campus.

In years 3 (medicine and surgery), 4 (women's and children's health, general practice and psychological medicine) and 5 (electives and selectives), students will be placed in a variety of hospital and primary care settings within the Northern Victoria Regional Medical Education Network. At least one semester out of 6 in years 3 to 5 will be undertaken in a metropolitan hospital setting.