• Offered by School of Medicine and Psychology
  • ANU College ANU Joint Colleges of Science
  • Course subject Medicine
  • Areas of interest Medicine
  • Work Integrated Learning Projects
  • Academic career PGRD
  • Course convener
    • Dr Lillian Smyth
  • Mode of delivery In Person
  • Offered in First Semester 2024
    Second Semester 2024
    See Future Offerings

The ANU Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD) program draws on the research strengths of the ANU and other ACT and Commonwealth organisations by requiring all medical students to conduct a research project during years 1 and 2 of their 4-year degree.


Doctors must be able to evaluate new information and integrate this into their understanding of complex systems and clinical practice. Graduates of the ANU medical program are also expected to be able to contribute to the knowledge underpinning their profession. Learning about research and how to conduct it, is a curriculum framework within the ANU Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. In this curriculum students are introduced to research methods used in medical and health research, research ethics and study design, critical analysis of data and information, and apply these learnings in both an individual major research project and minor group research projects.


The Research Project (Advanced) course is designed for students seeking to undertake a more substantive Phase 1 research project, usually with a view to commencing a PhD or MPhil after completing year 2 of the ANU Doctor of Medicine and Surgery. As such the Research Project (Advanced) is an alternative program option for students to the standard Research Project. Students seeking approval to enrol in the Research Project (Advanced) will be required to have the support of a nominated supervisor (who must be an established researcher at the ANU with a track record of supervision of successful timely HDR completions) and must submit a detailed research plan in the form of a grant proposal outlining the proposed project spanning both the Research Project (Advanced) course and, where relevant, the subsequent HDR program. Prospective students must also have completed all required ethics applications by November 30 of the year preceding enrolment in the Research Project (Advanced).


MEDI8011, MEDI8012, MEDI8015, MEDI8020, MEDI8025 and either MEDI8022 or MEDI8023 form part of Phase 1 of the MCHD program.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

  1. Identify research questions, and design and implement a research plan;
  2. Perform sophisticated, critical analysis of the literature;
  3. Analyse and summarise research data sets;
  4. Synthesise meaning from data and observations and present coherent arguments;
  5. Produce written research outputs (grant applications, reports, publications) to publication standards;
  6. Develop project management skills commensurate with the planning and undertaking of an extended research plan including setting goals, meeting deadlines and communicating progress against agreed milestones;
  7. Develop persuasive written communication skills based on the judicious use of evidence to support a comprehensive research plan as outlined in a grant proposal sufficient to cover the minimum requirements to successfully undertake the research;
  8. Develop capacity to provide constructive feedback through peer review of the work of others, and to respond to constructive feedback form peers, their supervisor and their research mentor.

Work Integrated Learning

Projects

Students may engage with WIL partners (internal/external) as a component of the course

Other Information

This course is restricted to enrolled students undertaking the ANU Doctor of Medicine and Surgery.

Students must have submitted a Research Project Planning Form in order to enrol in this course. Details about how the form is obtained and completed will be disseminated during the first year of enrolment in the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery program.

Indicative Assessment

  1. Research Project (Advanced) Development Form (10) [LO 1,7,8]
  2. Research Project (90) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]

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

This course must be enrolled in twice over two consecutive semesters (3 units + 3 units).

Students undertaking MEDI8023 Research Project (Advanced) will be expected to undertake approximately 240 hours of research activities over a 24 week period, including but not limited to conducting research, attending meetings, participating in a student journal club, attending workshops and seminars and preparing the written assessment piece.

Inherent Requirements

Communication skills – verbal, non-verbal and written

  • Medical students will be expected to communicate effectively and sensitively with a range of different people to establish rapport, involve patients and carers in decision making, and practise in a culturally safe way to deliver high quality, safe care. This applies to listening, speaking, reading, writing, and the capability to use these different modes to elicit information from people, often under pressure and in difficult situations.

Professionalism

  • Medical students will be expected to demonstrate capabilities consistent with those of a medical professional, including a commitment to making the care of patients their priority, and to practise safely and effectively, treat people with dignity and respect, and be aware of the limits of their own knowledge, skills and health. They will also be required to comply with the law, regulations and any other university codes or policies.

Insight into their own health and behaviour

  • Medical students will be expected to demonstrate an ability to recognise when they experience poor health and put in place effective processes to ensure their own health or behaviours do not pose a risk to others.

Requisite and Incompatibility

To enrol in this course you must be active in the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (8950XMCHD) and have submitted a Research Project Planning Form. Incompatible with MEDI8022 In order to be eligible to enrol in this course, students must have: Completed MEDI8011 and MEDI8012 Attended a minimum of 80% of the Research Framework classes in MEDI8011 and MEDI8012 Completed a minimum of 80% of the Research Framework online lessons in MEDI8011 and MEDI8012 Submitted for assessment the formative Research Framework assessment tasks in MEDI8011 (Key papers presentation) and MEDI8012 (Draft Introduction) Secured commitment from a research supervisor for supervision of the 240-hour project and (where working toward the HDR pathway) a continued commitment for supervision in a HDR degree.

You will need to contact the School of Medicine and Psychology to request a permission code to enrol in this course.

Prescribed Texts

Refer to the course WATTLE site

Assumed Knowledge

Prior successful completion of an AQF level 8 Honours program in a cognate area or AQF level 9 Master (Research Thesis) or a competitive publication record will be advantageous. Students without the above may be less competitive for HDR scholarships to enable them to undertake a conjoint PhD following completion of the Research Project (Advanced). This will not preclude a student undertaking a conjoint MPhil.

Fees

Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.  

Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you 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). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees

Student Contribution Band:
3
Unit value:
3 units

If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.

Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.

Units EFTSL
3.00 0.06250
Domestic fee paying students
Year Fee
2024 $2640
International fee paying students
Year Fee
2024 $5634
Note: Please note that fee information is for current year only.

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.

The list of offerings for future years is indicative only.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.

First Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
3518 19 Feb 2024 26 Feb 2024 05 Apr 2024 24 May 2024 In Person View

Second Semester

Class number Class start date Last day to enrol Census date Class end date Mode Of Delivery Class Summary
7849 22 Jul 2024 29 Jul 2024 31 Aug 2024 25 Oct 2024 In Person N/A

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