UWA Handbook 2025

Extended Major Overview

Description

This Extended Major provides the foundation of studies for direct entry in to the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) degree for entry into professional practice as a podiatrist. This course prepares graduates with the clinical and professional attributes required for successful entry to practice. The Major will encompass a wide range of disciplines within the health and medical sciences. It will provide students the background knowledge across all the biomedical scientific disciplines including, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, haematology, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology and public health. These disciplines will be integrated throughout course. Clinical and professional content will be presented in level 3, built around the core clinical conditions and presentations. Clinical communication, professional content and research skills will be presented throughout the Major. The Major will also include studies in Australian society and culture, Aboriginal health, migrant and refugee health. The Podiatric Heath specialisation will be taught across two 18 week semesters in Level 3. This Major is only available to students on direct pathways to the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine and those offered specific entry at time of admission. The aim of this extended major is to make better use of the student's time in the third year of the major by including relevant clinically-oriented content and outcomes as part of the assured pathway to the doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM) degree. Targeted teaching of podiatry specific units will also begin in the third year alongside biomedical content. By rearranging current content this enables assured pathway students to be better prepared for clinical practice in the second year of the DPM. This will also allow vertical and horizontal integration within the curriculum. The overall content of the course will not change except to remove some of the more generic material from third year and to replace it with more podiatry-specific material, thus creating an 'extended major' rather than a single major. This major involves detailed study of the life and health sciences, particularly podiatric health science, lower limb anatomy and physiology. Students will begin to develop their practical clinical skills by working in both simulated clinical laboratory environments in and functioning clinical spaces to learn and practice various podiatric clinical skills. There is an strong emphasis on professional identity and engaging in professionalism in practice – which is threaded longitudinally through level three of the major. Discipline specific units in level three of this extended major include – body systems, anatomy and cutaneous science, biomechanics, research and evidence in practice, clinical podiatric practice and pharmacotherapeutics for podiatrists. It also contains foundational learning about the role of a podiatrist and introduces the student to pre-clinical practical podiatry training.The proposed changes also involve a revision of the order in which content is presented, partly by returning some clinical content back into the third year. These changes will improve the student experience for both assured pathway (Y3 of the PHMSC) and graduate entry students (DPM Y1), replacing the current overloaded curriculum that is not well integrated horizontally or vertically and has received negative feedback. Improving content integration while reducing the overall workload at this level of the articulated degree and removing content not particularly relevant to Podiatry will enhance learning and create a better student experience and professional identity. This extended major which comproises of mostly podiatry specific units in the third year encompasses the proposal to have a “conversion year” where both sets of students (assured poathway year 3 and post graduate pathway year 1) undertake the same (and specifically podiatry-oriented) units. This will provide many advantages for the students as well as for the staff as one group will not have to “catch up” to the other group. This conversion year will allow for the DPM to re-sequence content in first and second year of DPM to improve coherence, re-introduce clinical and professional skills development and small group teaching in the first year, re-­introduce orientation to podiatric medicine sessions that signpost milestones in becoming a podiatric medicine student and future podiatrist, re-establish a strong program in professional identity development at an early stage in the course for both assured pathway and graduate entry students and review and update assured pathway degree and major structure to ensure podiatric medicine and clinical practice is incorporated in final year of the 'podiatric health' major.

Students should be aware that this major does not provide a pathway to an Honours.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

1. explain basic body plan, organisation, histology, physiology, cell communication and cell biology
2. explain basic chemistry, biochemistry, genetics and human heredity
3. integrate knowledge on metabolic function and nutrition, cell cycle and signalling and disregulation causing cancer
4. discuss aspects of public and population health, epidemiology, Aboriginal, migrant and refugee health, healthcare systems and resource allocation in Australia
5. explain basic body defences, including immune system structure and function, microbials and infection
6. integrate knowledge on blood and blood pathologies, drug delivery and metabolism and associated pharmacological aspects
7. discuss the importance of appropriate communication in the health profession,
8. demonstrate an understanding of religious, social and cultural differences within Australia
9. demonstrate basic research skills, including medical research design, evidence and association and statistical analyses; (10) demonstrate knowledge of human embryology and development, the human genome and aetiology of disorders associated with genetic abnormalities; (11) explain normal human structure, function, behaviour and development of the sensory organs and the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, neurological, skin and musculoskeletal; nervous and neurological; cardiovascular; respiratory; gastrointestinal; endocrine, haematological and immunological systems; (12) explain the common disorders of the sensory organs and the cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, neurological, skin and musculoskeletal; nervous and neurological; cardiovascular; respiratory; gastrointestinal; endocrine, haematological and immunological systems; (13) explain the principles of cell injury, inflammation, the healing process, neoplasia, genetics and genetic diseases; (14) describe common human pathogenic organisms, the sources of infection, their associated diseases and treatments; (15) describe and explain the anatomy, histology, physiology, development, embryology and function of the tissues of the lower limb; (16) explain the principles of drug delivery, drug metabolism and associated pharmacological aspects of the common medications used in podiatric practice; (17) discuss aspects of public and population health, epidemiology, and primary health care and explain strategies for health maintenance, promotion, screening and disease prevention; (18) develop manual and psychomotor skills in pre-clinical simulation exercises; (19) demonstrate professionalism, ergonomics, ethics, diversity, cultural awareness and communication skills in clinical podiatric practice; (20) demonstrate principles of safe practice, risk assessment, clinical record keeping, infection prevention and control protocols in clinical podiatric practice; (21) outline the principles of research design and evidence-based podiatric practice; (22) describe the role of the podiatrist within the health care system; (23) demonstrate foundational practical podiatric clinical skills in evidence based primary podiatric practice, basic foot assessments and routine care provision; (24) describe fundamentals of lower limb biomechanics for podiatric medicine; and (25) apply medical and podiatric history taking skills and physical lower limb assessment, understanding of the patient's perspective and quality patient-centred care to undertake practical podiatric skills in a clinical environment.

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is a student's opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape their degree to suit their own aspirations and interests. Many students will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and students are encouraged to do so if this suits their aspirations. While many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from the Allocated Student Advising Office.

Prerequisites

(1A) Mathematics Applications ATAR or equivalent or higher;

or

(1B) MATH1720 as a bridging unit

and

(2A) Chemistry ATAR or equivalent;

or

(2B) CHEM1003 as a bridging unit

and

(3) Prior to commencing level 3, students must:

(A) comply with the UWA School of Allied Health's Infection Control Requirements; and

(B) show first aid competence equivalent to assessment requirements for HLTAID003 provision of first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), valid for no more than three years

and

(C) provide a Australian National Police Clearance (annually) or equivalent certification

and

(D) provide a valid and current Working with children's check card or equivalent certification

Courses

Podiatric Health and Medical Sciences can only be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

• BP056 Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised)
• BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Units