UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

This is the first stand-alone unit in the Global MD primary care longitudinal stream which extends over the first 2 years of the GMD program. This Unit progresses student knowledge about the philosophy and foundational principles of Primary Care building on content from GMED4101 Global Health for Medical Practice. There is a focus on AMC Domain 2: Clinical Practice, Domain 3: Health and Society, Domain 4: Professionalism & Leadership?.

In Primary Care 1, students will consolidate understanding and practice of professional behaviour, communication and consultation skills, systems-specific history taking, physical examination and clinical reasoning covered in the concurrent Integrated Medicine unit from a primary care perspective. This is achieved via observership in primary care (four clinical placements per semester) and small group learning and seminars.

Students will present cases from their primary care visits and discuss standardised clinical scenarios with a clinician tutor in clinical discussion tutorials which focus on the clinical application of learnings from Integrated Medical Systems1 (insert unit number). Topics selected for all teaching sessions aim to prepare students for Global MD clinical placements and assist with USMLE Step 1 preparation.

Credit

0 points

Offering

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

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) define and demonstrate professional behaviour in the educational and clinical settings; (2) demonstrate the principles of reflective practice, and recognise personal abilities, challenges and health needs; (3) work effectively in a learning group; (4) outline the classification, epidemiology, aetiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, common clinical and pathological manifestations, natural history, diagnostic principles and therapeutic principles for specified medical conditions relevant to primary care; (5) demonstrate an organised approach to taking a medical history and physical examination, and integrate findings into clinical reasoning; (6) explain the influence of behaviour, lifestyle, environment, psychological, cultural and spiritual factors on human behaviours, relationships, health, and outline the benefits of shared decision- making with patients; (7) describe the organisation of primary health care systems and their delivery, including the clinical roles of health professionals and some health teams; (8) identify personal learning needs, and implement a personal learning plan.; and (9) merge clinical and scientific knowledge in preparation for USMLE step 1.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) in-semester assessment; (2) end of semester assessment; and (3) professional behaviour 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 assessment component.

This unit is assessed on an ungraded pass/ungraded failed basis. All assessment items must be successfully completed.

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

Unit Coordinator(s)

Dr Lucy Gilkes

Unit rules

Prerequisites

Enrolment in

92850 Doctor of Medicine (Global)

and Successful completion of

GMED4101 Global Medicine

Co-requisites

GMED4201 Integrated Medicine 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

2-3 hours per week average