A masters level course offered by the ANU Medical School as part of the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD).
Medicine 3 is the third year of the ANU Medical program. Medicine 3 is delivered in two semester long blocks over the course of the third year of the program: Integrated Child and Community Health (ICCH) and Foundations of Internal Medicine and Surgery (FIMS).
The Year 3 blocks are designed to immerse students in a clinical environment and to introduce them to the practice of Medicine, Surgery, Community Medicine and Child Health. It builds upon the biomedical foundations of these disciplines and the clinical skills developed in the first two years of the course.
The emphasis throughout each term is on self-directed, experiential learning and deep involvement in the day-to-day care of their patients. Students will have clear requirements for attendance, patient clerking and unit involvement. Prior to commencing Year 3, students will be expected to be proficient in the basic skills of history taking and clinical examination. The prolonged attachments will allow them practise in the synthesis of information and the development of concise management plans for their patients. Elements of Population Health, Professionalism and Leadership, Evidence Based Practice and Clinical Skills will be integrated into all parts of each term.
Rural stream: (students can apply to undertake Year 3 in a parallel curriculum)
Students will have a total of 39 weeks of clinical attachment in a single rural location to allow them to build relationships with the medical, nursing and allied health staff, as well as the wider community to which they are allocated. The rural placement for the year is an opportunity to observe and participate in the provision of health through general practice, specialist care, hospital car and community care. The focus of the curriculum is on general practice, medical and surgical care, paediatric, geriatric, sexual health and Indigenous health. Students will have the opportunity to follow patients with multiple health needs and this experience and learning will contribute to meeting the curriculum requirements of both the Integrated Community and Child Health (ICCH) and Foundations of Internal Medicine and Surgery (FIMS) terms. Throughout Year 3, rural students are required to attend a number of compulsory formal teaching blocks, and will not be expected to attend clinical activities during these periods.
Course Structure
Two curriculum blocks comprised of a series of clinical rotations:
Foundations of Internal Medicine and Surgery
Integrated Community and Child Health
Each student will have an individual timetable and unique placement sequence.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Learning Outcomes
Foundations of Internal Medicine and Surgery
By the completion of the FIMS Block, a student must demonstrate knowledge, comprehension and application of the fundamental principles and skills of internal medicine and surgery in a clinical setting, including:
a. Examine the system/s relevant to patient’s medical/surgical complaint, elicit physical signs and integrate the physical findings in relation to the history and likely underlying pathophysiology of the patient’s illness.
b. Develop competency in basic procedures for patients presenting with conditions managed in a hospital setting.
c. Recognise the appropriate indications for undertaking a diagnostic test, and interpret common diagnostic test results undertaken in the hospital setting.
d. Outline the management options for medical/surgical conditions commonly presenting in hospital settings, including pharmacological and surgical treatments.
e. Explain and elicit informed consent for investigations, surgical and interventional medical and pharmacological therapies.
f. Discuss palliative strategies in end-of-life care for the patient, including avoidance of unnecessary tests and invasive treatments, instituting pain relief, and counseling.
g. Formulate a management plan for the patient's major problems in the short, medium and long term, integrating aspects of acute and chronic disease management, and recognise the value of palliative strategies in end-of-life care for the patient.
Integrated Community and Child Health
At the end of the ICCH Block you will be able to:
a. Discuss healthcare delivery within Australian communities, in particular access to healthcare for vulnerable and hard to reach populations, effective use of resources and partnerships with allied health providers in the community, and the value of holistic care and longitudinal relationships between patients and health care professionals.
b. Demonstrate inclusion of the patient’s concern and agenda in clinical decision-making, with an understanding of the importance of family, support systems, culture and community.
c. Take an appropriate history and conduct relevant examination for patients presenting with common conditions managed in community healthcare settings.
d. Describe and apply Murtagh’s framework for undifferentiated presentations, be able to identify appropriate investigations and identify any need for referral.
e. Outline management approaches for acute, chronic and co-morbid conditions in the community.
f. Develop competence in procedural skills that are commonly applied in the community setting
g. Discuss current guidelines for prevention, early detection and health maintenance in the community.
h. Describe the common and complex issues facing Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples in community health settings, and be able to identify health services and support systems specific for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Other Information
The Medicine 3 course is split into MEDI8030A and MEDI8030B for administration purposes only. The ANU Medical School views Medicine 3 as the course for year 3, particularly in regards to learning outcomes and assessment.Indicative Assessment
During Medicine 3 students will undertake periodic formative assessments and are required to fulfill the requirements of the year 3 clinical skills and experiential learning portfolio. An Academic Supervisor is assigned to each student to assist the student to develop their Learning Plan for the blocks and to formally review and sign off on the portfolio. The end of semester summative assessments comprised of a written examination and OSCE contribute 100% to the final Medicine 3 mark.
The summative examination will include the following assessment types:
- Written Examination (60% - Hurdle requirement): Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) & Case-based Modified Essay Questions (Minicase)
- Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) (40%: Hurdle requirement)
Coursework requirements
- Must meet minimum attendance requirements (85%) at Clinical Skills and Fixed Resource Sessions
- Must be in good standing with the Professional Behaviours Committee
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The general expectation in Year 3 is a minimum of 6 clinical sessions (4 hour sessions) per week in addition to the structured teaching commitments eg. all day Wednesday. Sometimes attendance of 7-8 sessions a week may be required, in addition to formal teaching. Clinical learning and teaching is different to your more structured experiences in Years 1 and 2. The clinicians you are attached to expect you to be there when they are seeing patients - this may be at an 8 am teaching ward round, or it may be attendance with your rural GP when they are on call at the local hospital.
Rural rotations include 7-8 sessions per week in addition to the Wednesday teaching. The rural placement is an immersion in rural practice and where the General Practitioners (GP's) have hospital and after hours commitments. Students will be expected to do after hours work. During Northern Territory placements, students are expected to be involved full-time.
Prescribed Texts
Please refer to http://medicalschool.anu.edu.au/students/Assumed Knowledge
To enrol in this course you must have successfully completed Medicine 1A, Medicine 1B, Medicine 2 and the Student Research Project.You will need to contact the ANU Medical School to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 24 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 24.00 | 0.50000 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $27048 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $34512 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8978 | 20 Jun 2016 | 29 Jul 2016 | 31 Aug 2016 | 11 Nov 2016 | In Person | N/A |
