UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

In this unit, science, clinical and professional content will be presented longitudinally, built around core clinical conditions and presentations that illustrate the foundational concepts of the biomedical sciences and the cardiovascular system.

Students will cover the foundational concepts of the biomedical sciences of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, haematology, microbiology, anatomical pathology and pharmacology. Case-based learning built around the core conditions and presentations will illustrate clinically relevant aspects of bioscience and introduce principles of clinical reasoning. Communication skills and clinical skills of medical history-taking and physical examination are introduced in a structured manner, allowing development of professional behaviours, understanding of patient perspectives and requirements of patient-centred care. The concepts of epidemiology, medical research and evidence-based practice are reinforced along with the opportunity to discuss social determinants of health, global health, mental health, healthcare systems and health economics in the clinical context. Students have opportunities to develop their information literacy skills as applied to medicine. Students will continue to develop professional aspects of medical practice including professional behaviours, medical law and ethics, leadership and teamwork, collaborative practice, educational theory and practice, diversity within medicine, and Aboriginal health.

Credit

24 points

Offering

Availability	Location	Mode
Not available in 2025	UWA (Perth)	Face to face

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) display professional behaviour in the educational and clinical settings and outline some challenges to professionalism; outline the principles of reflective practice, recognise personal abilities and difficulties and access support services when necessary; and comply with medicolegal responsibilities and outline some bioethical issues in the doctor-patient relationship; (2) outline the factors affecting team and group roles, structure, function and goals; and work effectively in a learning group; outline the benefits of interprofessional practice; and outline the organisation of the health care system and its delivery in Australia including the roles of doctors and medical students; (3) explain the impact of historical, geographical and socio-cultural factors on the health and health care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Maori and First Nations people and communities, and the elements of cultural security for Aboriginal people; (4) outline the basic principles of health advocacy and their application to special and specific needs of individuals, groups, communities and populations; outline the factors contributing to the health and health disparities of individuals, groups and communities including diverse and vulnerable groups, and underserved populations; and outline principles, strategies and controversies in health maintenance, promotion, screening and disease prevention; (5) explain generic principles of clinically relevant normal and abnormal human structure, function, behaviour, development, responses and compensatory mechanisms to illness and injury, and outline the classification, epidemiology, aetiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, common clinical and pathological manifestations, natural history, diagnostic principles and therapeutic principles for some specified organ systems and medical conditions; (6) explain the elements of the medical consultation and physical examination and demonstrate an organised approach to taking a medical history and performing physical examination, explain the principles of clinical reasoning; explain generic principles of patient management including pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies, and explain the use of therapies for specified organ system medical conditions; (7) demonstrate adherence to infection control and safe patient handling; outline the issues related to the patient's perspectives of health, illness and healthcare experiences; demonstrate appropriate bioscientific vocabulary and display professional, concise and accurate oral, written and electronic biomedical communication skills; and define the elements of quality care (safety, efficacy, efficiency, timeliness, patient-centeredness, equity) and medical error; (8) outline principles of learning, identify personal learning needs, implement a personal learning plan and effectively use appropriate educational resources; outline effective approaches to developing mentoring relationships from the mentee perspective; outline principles of patient health literacy and sources of health information available to patients; explain adult learning educational principles; and outline the principles of educational assessment and evaluation and effectively respond to constructive feedback; and (9) outline the principles of the scientific method, research study designs, and biostatistics; outline the principles of evidence-based practice and evidence-based processes, tools and systems; and evaluate and select reliable, efficient and authoritative sources of medical information to support learning.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) end of semester assessment; (2) in-semester assessments; and (3) professional behaviour and attendance assessment. Further information is available in the unit outline.

To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the professional behaviour and attendance assessment component.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Global MD staff member (TBC) and Mr Tom Wilson and Dr Kellie Bennett

Unit rules

Prerequisites

Enrolment in

92850 Doctor of Medicine (Global)

Co-requisites

GMED4202 Primary Care 2

Incompatibility

IMED3111 Integrated Medical Systems 1

Approved quota: 105—selection for the Global MD will be overseen with the Medical School's Medicine and Dentistry Admission and Selection Committee, and be consistent with the approved and advertised selection processes for the standard UWA MD (course code 91850).

Contact hours

Approximately 24 hours per week, including, lectures 6-8 hrs, seminars 4 hrs, clinical skills workshops 2 hrs, Team-Based Learning workshops 2 hrs, Pathology eLearning and bottles tutorials 2 hrs, labs 2 hrs, online learning 4 hrs.