UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

The Global MD program is based around six themes of professional, leader, advocate, clinician, educator and scholar. This Unit provides teaching in all of these themes within the clinical attachments and related teaching in Year 2 of the course. This includes a clinical preparation phase, completing the integrated teaching on the core body systems that was commenced in year 1 of the Global MD and preparing students for transition to the clinical placement environment. Subsequently, students undertake 6-week clinical placements throughout the year in Indigenous Health (Indian Health Service), Internal Medicine, Family & Community Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Surgery, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine and Ambulatory Medicine – geriatrics and Palliative Care. In this unit, students will undertake their clerkships in Internal Medicine, Family and Community Medicine, Paediatrics, and Indigenous Health (Indian Health Service). Students undertake clinical care of patients under the supervision of experienced clinicians in a clinical environment, including ward rounds, operating theatre experience, outpatient clinics, community practices and other clinical encounters. Students engage in small group learning sessions to discuss evidence-based practice in related clinical disciplines in hospital and community health contexts. In addition, students are introduced to concepts and supports relevant to the Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum which prepares them for GMED5602 (Semester 6). Students are expected to apply the knowledge, skills and professional attitudes gained in context within these clinical rotations.

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, outline challenges to professionalism, and reflect on own and others' professional behaviours; (2) demonstrate objective self-reflection and insight to recognise effects of own personal values, well-being and difficulties on professional performance and access support services when necessary; and comply with medicolegal responsibilities and recognise and discuss common ethical and legal issues in medical practice; (3) display team skills by respecting, valuing and utilising the expertise, opinions and skills of other health professionals and participate in interprofessional teams. Outline the requirements of team leadership, followership and the shared leadership model of care; and explain the roles and functioning of hospital and community health care settings and staff; and outline career pathways in medicine; (4) outline the role of the doctor and priority issues in supporting and advocating for individual patients, the local community and society; display the ability to obtain and record a culturally secure, accurate and comprehensive history, physical examination and diagnostic plan; and display a culturally secure clinical approach and explain contributing factors and consequences of health inequalities; outline health maintenance, promotion and disease prevention strategies with patients and colleagues; (5) discuss the classification, epidemiology, aetiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, clinical and pathological manifestations, natural history, diagnostic principles and therapeutic principles for specified core body systems and medical conditions; perform an accurate, systematic and timely clinical assessment for the specified core presentations and derive a relevant differential diagnosis or problem list; and select or perform and interpret specified investigations under direct supervision; outline the management principles for the specified core medical conditions; and perform specified procedural skills under direct supervision; assess and respect the patient's values, preferences, context, and perspectives, and explain the effects of these on shared decision-making, diagnosis and management; display professional, concise and accurate oral, written and electronic clinical communication skills with colleagues and respectful, courteous and effective communication with patients/carers/families; and explain elements of the quality care and clinical audit processes in hospital and community settings and their role in improving health outcome; (6) explain and apply principles of life-long learning, identify personal learning needs, implement and evaluate a personal learning plan and effectively use appropriate educational resources; apply effective approaches to mentoring relationships from the mentee perspective and discuss the importance and effects of role-modelling; assess patient understanding of their health and health problems and effectively respond to questions from patients/carers/families; demonstrate skills to facilitate teaching and learning in one to one, small and large group sessions, including clinical teaching with patients; and display effective self-assessment skills, seek and effectively respond to constructive feedback, and provide constructive feedback; and (7) apply knowledge of research and biostatistical methods to inform clinical learning; apply evidence-based-practice strategies and tools to specified core medical conditions and presentations; and use clinical information and support systems and resources in a relevant, effective and professional manner.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) in-semester assessments; (2) end of semester assessments; 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.

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

Unit Coordinator(s)

UWA TBC and Dr George Fantry and Dr Carlos Gonzales

Unit rules

Prerequisites

Enrolment in

92850 Doctor of Medicine (Global)

and Successful completion of

GMED5403 Preparation for Medical Practice

and Successful completion of

USMLE Step 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).