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Doctor of Medicine

MEDN19DRV1

Faculty:
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Award:
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Admission Requirement:
• Australian level 7 bachelor's qualification or recognised equivalent in a relevant field
• GPA of 5.00 out of 7.00 or recognised equivalents
• Graduate Medical School Admission Test (GAMSAT) score of 50 overall and 50 in each section
• Recent successful completion of specified prerequisite units at tertiary level
English Language Proficiency:
Academic IELTS of 7.0 overall with minimum 7.0 in each band, or equivalent
Study Mode:
Full-time
Attendance Mode:
Internal
Candidature Length:
Full-time: 4 years
Commencement:
North Ryde — Session 1 (25 February 2019)
Volume of Learning:
Equivalent to 4 years
General requirements:
Minimum number of credit points 128
Minimum number of credit points at 800 level or above 128
Completion of other specific minimum requirements as set out below

In order to graduate students must ensure that they have satisfied all of the general requirements of the award.

Specific minimum requirements:

Credit points

800 level

Required
8
Applied Medical Science 1 (8)
 
Required
4
Clinical Practice 1 (4)
 
Required
4
Evidence-Based Inter-Professional Health Care 1 (4)
 
Required
8
Applied Medical Science 2 (8)
 
Required
4
Clinical Practice 2 (4)
 
Required
4
Evidence-Based Inter-Professional Health Care 2 (4)
 
Required
8
Primary Care, Wellbeing and Cancer (8)
 
Required
8
Musculoskeletal, Neurosciences and Ageing (8)
 
Required
8
Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Gastroenterology, Surgery and Metabolism (8)
 
Required
4
Critical Care, Patient Safety and Quality, and Research (4)
 
Required
4
Reflective Medical Practice 1 (4)
 
Required
4
Research Project 1 (4)
 
Required
12
Core Clinical Placements A (12)
 
Required
16
Core Clinical Placements B (16)
 
Required
4
Research Project 2 (4)
 
Required
12
Advanced Clinical Placements A (12)
 
Required
12
Advanced Clinical Placements B (12)
 
Required
4
Reflective Medical Practice 2 (4)
 

TOTAL CREDIT POINTS REQUIRED FOR THIS PROGRAM

128
AQF Level Level 9 Masters by Coursework Degree (Extended)
CRICOS Code 095798D
Overview and Aims of the Program The Macquarie University Doctor of Medicine (Macquarie MD) is a new program embedded within an established University that has a culture of transformative learning, and within MQ Health – an academic health sciences centre that integrates patient-centred clinical care, teaching and research. We aim to prepare our graduates for the predicted environments in which they will practice: as future leaders in healthcare, who are patient-centred and safety-focused, culturally responsive, globally aware and equipped to work within increasingly digital health systems.

The Macquarie MD:
• Educates medical students in an environment where learning is fully integrated with outstanding patient-centred clinical care and active health and medical research. This environment is MQ Health, Australia’s first university-led and operated teaching hospital and academic health sciences centre.
• Provides medical students with a quality-assured international education, which recognises the value of international study abroad for learners, society and the healthcare system.
• Aims to graduate culturally responsive, engaged, globally aware medical professionals, who understand the health systems they work within; have respect for, and sensitivity towards, the cultural needs of diverse populations, including Indigenous Australians; and are aware of the impact of their own culture and values on their medical practice.

The program integrates four graduate capabilities – Scientist and Scholar, Clinical Practitioner, Engaged Global Citizen, and Professional – across the program. It aims to build within students the capacity to be ethical and reflective practitioners who are public health and systems-aware and are socially and culturally versatile; team workers who are patient-centred and safety-focused and are effective personal and digital communicators. The Macquarie MD also builds the capacity for graduates to become scholars, research-informed practitioners and applied medical scientists.
Graduate Capabilities

The Graduate Capabilities Framework articulates the fundamentals that underpin all of Macquarie’s academic programs. It expresses these as follows:

Cognitive capabilities
(K) discipline specific knowledge and skills
(T) critical, analytical and integrative thinking
(P) problem solving and research capability
(I) creative and innovative


Interpersonal or social capabilities
(C) effective communication
(E) engaged and ethical local and global citizens
(A) socially and environmentally active and responsible

Personal capabilities
(J) capable of professional and personal judgement and initiative
(L) commitment to continuous learning

Program Learning Outcomes By the end of this program it is anticipated you should be able to:

1. Explain the principles and concepts of the biological, clinical, epidemiological, social and behavioural sciences and apply this knowledge to the diagnosis and management of common and important clinical presentations. (K) (T)

2. Design research questions, and critically evaluate and interpret medical and scientific literature and evidence to inform and improve medical practice. (T) (P) (L)


3. Demonstrate the ability to produce new knowledge by planning, executing and communicating a substantial research project to enhance medical practice or population health or healthcare delivery. (T) (P) (L)

4. Demonstrate effective communication skills as they apply to patient-centred care and effective participation in diverse health care teams and in face-to-face and online settings. (C) (E) (A) (J) (I)

5. Demonstrate safe, effective and patient-centred clinical reasoning and practice at a standard that meets the requirements of the Medical Board of Australia for registration as a doctor. (K) (I) (T) (E) (A)

6. Critically evaluate the social determinants of health of diverse populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and provide culturally respectful care. (K) (P) (C) ( E) (A) (J)

7. Analyse health care systems and policies, use this analysis to enhance patient care and to recognise and respond appropriately to adverse events to improve healthcare and/or health systems. (K) (T) (P) (I) (E) (A) (J)

8. Synthesise and apply epidemiological concepts and current knowledge of major public health issues to identify and care for individuals at risk, and promote health. (K) (T) (I) (E) (A) (J)

9. Collaborate professionally in medical and inter-professional teams as colleague and/or leader. (I) (C) (E) (A) (J) (L)

10. Adhere to all ethical and legal standards and demonstrate a reflective approach to medical practice and learning. (E) (A) (J) (L)
The number of PLOs that a program should have is not specified. As a guide, between eight and twelve PLOs would be a reasonable number.
PLOs are made publicly available and so will be read by a wide audience. When writing PLOs it is useful to ask "is this written in a way which would be intelligible, accessible and meaningful to our students and prospective students?". Generally speaking, learning outcomes should be expressed in a form that includes action verbs, describing something your students can actually do, and can be assessed to have successfully done, like "identify", "describe" or "differentiate".

The AQF asks that PLOs should address the areas of Knowledge and Understanding, Skills and Capabilities, and the Application of Knowledge and Skills. It isn't necessary for each PLO to be classified under one of these headings. However it is important for the overall collection of PLOs for a program to clearly address all of these factors.
Each program learning outcome should be mapped to the graduate capabilities it fosters, using the standard letter codes given.
Learning and Teaching Methods Learning and teaching is integrated around authentic contexts (weekly scenarios and case exemplars ) and professional experiences, and incorporates evidence-based practice, technology-enhanced blended learning and clinical practice. Thoughtful reflective practice is embedded into the teaching and assessment process by placing ongoing expectations on students to reflect on their assessment outcomes, and on their progress towards achieving standards of performance that meet or exceed the Australian Medical Council’s expectations, in preparation for their next stage of training as hospital interns. Two units of study in year 1 will be co-taught to students in the medical program and students in the Doctor of Physiotherapy program, providing an initial experience of interprofessional education. The global concept of the program will be realised through a strong focus on comparative clinical learning across the local and global clinical settings.
The program will utilise a variety of teaching and learning methods to support learning and professional development in both pre-clinical placement sessions and during the clinical placements. Teaching will include:
o Real-time face-to-face contact though small-group lectures, case-based and case-method learning, research projects, group work, electronically simulated clinical situations.
o Online teaching and learning using quality video demonstrations, video animations, online quizzes and interactive lessons adapted from the BEST Network, and other sources.
o The use of asynchronous and synchronous online discussions, reflective learning activities and personal and professional development review opportunities using an e-portfolio system.

Learning and teaching methods in the clinical settings will include:
o Role modelling
o Supervised clinical skills development in clinical teaching sites in Australian and global settings
o Embedding students in teams in a range of roles which progressively increase in complexity and responsibility
o Emphasis on enhancing workplace learning in clinical settings through formal and informal workplace-based peer groups.
Assessment The assessment framework for the program ensures a high degree of constructive alignment between the main program elements (teaching and learning activities and methods, assessments, unit and program learning outcomes).

Assessment in the program is outcomes based. The program learning outcomes have been translated into an operational form: as four high level Capabilities, each with two key Aspects. Each Aspect has associated and detailed expectation statements that provide a clear and functional guide to both students and staff on the range and scope of the types of integrated performances graduates are expected to be able to undertake. In relevant areas directly related to clinical work, these performances are further described through the Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA) framework now becoming common in medical educational curricula. The EPAs form a focus of teaching and assessment in those areas of the program that directly relate to the main activities of hospital interns, the next stage of training for our graduates. Expectation statements and EPAs have been developed for both the mid-program (end of Year 2) and graduation (end of Year 4) points. Students demonstrate their achievement of the capability expectations, and of required levels of trust in the EPAs, at mid-point and in order to graduate from the program. By expressing our learning outcomes as capabilities and aspects, and by focusing clinical assessments on the EPAs, the program prepares graduates for the next stage of their medical training, while at the same time giving them the critical, communication and reflective skills to sustain lifelong learning in medicine.

Assessment in the program will also be programmatic. In all years, there will be a mixture of unit and trans-unit/programmatic assessments, with the results from both being brought forward into a portfolio assessment that will form an assessment hurdle at the end of years 2 and 4. Informal portfolio reviews will be held in years 1 and 3 to help identify students at risk of failing the formal assessments and who may need additional support.
Recognition of Prior Learning

Macquarie University may recognise prior formal, informal and non-formal learning for the purpose of granting credit towards, or admission into, a program. The recognition of these forms of learning is enabled by the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy (see www.mq.edu.au/policy) and its associated Procedures and Guidelines. The RPL pages contain information on how to apply, links to registers, and the approval processes for recognising prior learning for entry or credit.


Information can be found at: https://mq.edu.au/rpl

Support for Learning

Macquarie University aspires to be an inclusive and supportive community of learners where all students are given the opportunity to meet their academic and personal goals. The University offers a comprehensive range of free and accessible student support services which include academic advice, counselling and psychological services, advocacy services and welfare advice, careers and employment, disability services and academic skills workshops amongst others. There is also a bulk billing medical service located on campus.

Further information can be found at www.students.mq.edu.au/support/

Campus Wellbeing contact details:
Phone: +61 2 9850 7497
Email: campuswellbeing@mq.edu.au
www.students.mq.edu.au/support/wellbeing

Program Standards and Quality

The program is subject to an ongoing comprehensive process of quality review in accordance with a pre-determined schedule that complies with the Higher Education Standards Framework. The review is overseen by Macquarie University's peak academic governance body, the Academic Senate and takes into account feedback received from students, staff and external stakeholders.

Further, the program is subject to reaccreditation cycles with the Australian Medical Council (AMC) which will ensure its compliance with the Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Primary Medical Programs (2012).
Graduate Destinations and Employability The program will graduate students who have the appropriate knowledge, skills and professional attributes to function effectively as interns in Australian hospitals and will be positioned to undergo further training in any of the Australasian specialty colleges. In Australia, one year of internship is required prior to registration. Most junior doctors make their career choice during their second postgraduate year. Clinical training under the supervision of one of the specialist colleges (e.g. Royal Australian College of Surgeons, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) generally takes between three and six years.

Further, and unique to Australia, it is anticipated that graduates will also be prepared to capably practice quality medicine in diverse global communities.

Other careers for graduates of the program include medical research, teaching, medical administration, consulting and overseas aid work.
Assessment Regulations

This program is subject to Macquarie University regulations, including but not limited to those specified in the Assessment Policy, Academic Honesty Policy, the Final Examination Policy and relevant University Rules. For all approved University policies, procedures, guidelines and schedules visit www.mq.edu.au/policy.

Students in the program will need to meet the assessment requirements of each unit and achieve the expected standard articulated for the mid-program (end of Year 2) and graduation (end of Year 4) progression points.

Due to the professional nature of the program, and the associated accreditation requirements of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and registration requirements of the Medical Board of Australia, students in the program will be subject to progression rules similar to those in place at equivalent medical schools in Australia. These rules will primarily relate to the number of times a unit may be failed and retaken, and will impose a minimum time requirement for completion of the program and/or to meet the mid-program (end of year 2) programmatic assessment hurdles. Assessment and progression rules specific to the Program will be communicated to students.

Students in the program will be registered as Medical Students with the Medical Board of Australia and are expected to act at all times in accordance with the standards outlined in the Good Medical Practice: a Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia published by the Board (http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/Code-of-conduct.aspx). Behaviour that is seriously unprofessional or unethical, or repeated minor lapses in professional behaviour, may be considered by the University to constitute serious misconduct and may result in suspension or exclusion from the Program. Students should refer to the University’s Fitness to Practice Procedure.

Practitioners, employers and education providers are all mandated by law to report (mandatory notification) medical students to the Medical Board, when they have a reasonable belief that the medical student has an impairment, which may place the public at ‘substantial risk of harm’, while undertaking clinical training. The Board may impose conditions on a medical student seeking registration with the Board upon graduation from the program.

Due to the professional nature of the program, and the associated accreditation requirements of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and registration requirements of the Medical Board of Australia, students in the program will be subject to progression rules similar to those in place at equivalent medical schools in Australia. These rules will primarily relate to the number of times a unit may be failed and retaken, and will impose a minimum time requirement for completion of the program and/or to meet the mid-program (end of year 2) programmatic assessment hurdles.

The programmatic assessments will be embedded within relevant units and are hurdle assessments for these units.

Students in the program will be registered as Medical Students with the Medical Board of Australia and are expected to act at all times in accordance with the standards outlined in the ‘Good Medical Practice: a Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia’ published by the Board (http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/Code-of-conduct.aspx). Behaviour that is seriously unprofessional or unethical, or repeated minor lapses in professional behaviour, may be considered by the University to constitute serious misconduct and may result in suspension or exclusion from the Medicine program. It is anticipated that this aspect will be covered by the University’s Fitness to Practice Policy (currently under development).

Practitioners, employers and education providers are all mandated by law to report (mandatory notification) medical students to the Medical Board, when they have a reasonable belief that the medical student has an impairment, which may place the public at “substantial risk of harm”, while undertaking clinical training. The Board may impose conditions on a medical student seeking registration with the Board upon graduation from the program.
Fitness to Practice Requirements Students undertaking this program and its associated placements are required to demonstrate that they are fit to practice and compliant with these requirements. Students need to demonstrate that they are able to practice safely and properly throughout their program and placements to meet core learning outcomes.

Students identified at risk of not meeting Fitness to Practice Requirements will be notified, provided with support and monitored to assist them in achieving the program and/or placement requirements.

Students who fail to meet Fitness to Practice requirements will be permanently excluded from the program.
Accreditation This is an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) accredited qualification.



Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course or program necessary for a student to successfully achieve the core learning outcomes of a course or program. Students must meet the inherent requirements to complete their Macquarie University course or program.


Inherent requirements specific to this program are set out below. For more information about inherent requirements see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/inherent-requirements


 

Physical

The physical inherent requirement is to have the physical capabilities to safely and effectively perform the activities necessary to undertake the learning activities and achieve the learning outcomes of an award.

  • Demonstrate no risk of interruptions to consciousness that would place patients at risk
  • Hear 40 db loss across speech frequencies
  • Hear and understand the human voice at 1 m
  • Gather and interpret information through touch: e.g. clinical assessments, such as palpation of vessels and organs, and to estimate the size of skin lesions
  • Maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of duty
  • Move independently to attend medical emergencies when required
  • Read a monitor across a bed
  • Read small print on ampoules or similar: e.g. visual acuity with maximal correction of N8 and/or 6/18 or better (HEOPS criteria) is required for medicine practice. Students with visual field defects, nystagmus etc may require assessment by an ophthalmologist.
  • Respond to visual alarms
  • Perform fine motor skills to provide safe and effective diagnosis, treatment and clinical care: e.g. washing hands before touching patients, venepuncture, wound suture, intravenous cannulation and other practical procedures as determined by the Medical School
  • Perform gross motor skills to undertake a full physical exam without hurting the patient, colleagues and self (HEOPS); perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and function within full scope of practice
Cognition

The inherent requirement for cognition is possessing the intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative capabilities to undertake the learning activities and achieve the learning outcomes of an award.

  • Accurately undertake arithmetic calculations: e.g. use calculations to safely prescribe drugs
  • Develop options and assess and compare their respective merits: e.g. use evidence-based practice knowledge to prioritise treatment options for a patient with cystic fibrosis
  • Maintain a sufficient level of concentration to focus on an activity to completion: e.g. plan and implement long term goals and treatment for a patient with an acquired brain injury over the course of 3 months
  • Integrate theory and knowledge from various sources: e.g. formulate a provisional diagnosis and a treatment plan based on a history and physical examination
  • Accurately recall information without reference: e.g. perform a patient handover to a senior colleague
  • Complete clinical tasks in a safe and reasonable time frame: e.g. plan treatment objectives for a client in a consultation setting
Communication

The inherent requirement for communication is the capacity to communicate information, thoughts and ideas through a variety of mediums and with a range of audiences.

  • Understand and implement academic conventions and construct written text in a scholarly manner: e.g. produce research and other scholarly work using correct referencing without plagiarism
  • Communicate clearly, audibly, and intelligibly in English and provide timely instructions in the context of the situation: e.g. ability to be understood at 3m in a quiet room (HEOPS criterion)
  • Complete medical records, reports and letters in a timely manner
  • Perceive non-verbal communication from others and respond appropriately (in context): e.g. recognise and respond to patient facial expressions and emotional states when experiencing pain or distress
  • Read and comprehend information presented in a variety of standard formats in a reasonable time frame in the context of clinical consultations: e.g. hand written and electronic medical records, scientific articles, pathology reports
  • Understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner: e.g. respond appropriately to a patients question while walking them along a noisy hospital corridor
Behavioural

The behavioural inherent requirement is the capacity to sustain appropriate behaviour over the duration of units of study to engage in activities necessary to undertake the learning activities and achieve the learning outcomes of an award.

  • Accept and fulfill responsibilities you are given for patient/client care: e.g. assess a new patient and report findings to the clinical supervisor prior to commencing treatment
  • Work effectively in the face of uncertainty and adapt to changing environments: e.g. demonstrate resilience and competence when randomly allocated a patient case during a viva examination
  • Demonstrate sufficient behavioural stability in order to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and clinical environment
  • Respect and adhere to personal and professional boundaries: e.g students are assessed on their knowledge of professional practice as applied to complex clinical situations and in their dealings with colleagues and staff
  • Control the expression of your own emotions: e.g. maintain a professional empathy and objectivity in the context of a death of an infant or child or a dying patient
  • Dress appropriately and safely for the clinical workplace: e.g. students will be required to wear protective gowns and masks when treating patients with infectious diseases or low immunity
  • Manage your own physical and mental health effectively: e.g. seek professional help as required
  • Display the resilience and flexibility to satisfactorily deal with the demands of being a medical student
  • Self-reflect and improve own performance and to accept feedback from peers and educators in all settings
  • Demonstrate an understanding of global health issues and determinants of health and disease including their relevance to health care delivery in Australia: e.g. self-reflection and health advocacy

2019 Unit Information

When offered:
S1 Day
Prerequisites:
Permission of Executive Dean of Faculty
Corequisites:
None
NCCWs:
HSC Chinese, CHN113, CHN148