UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

This unit consolidates clinical practice in podiatry in preparation for the student to enter independent practice upon graduation and registration as a podiatrist. All aspects of the assessment and treatment of common foot conditions, performing minor surgery and the administration and prescription of scheduled medications are covered. Students should demonstrate critical thinking ability, reflective practice, engage in peer mentorship and learning, and research skills to promote themselves as lifelong learners. Students engage in critical clinical reasoning skills, communication skills, cultural awareness and the ethical principles of patient centered care in practice. Students will also build on essential skills such as a self-directed approach to learning and the ability to work as part of a team, becoming the life long learner, the ethical professional, the educator, the researcher and the patient advocate. Students apply the principles of evidenced-based practice and research in the management of podiatric pathologies, understand and implement strategies for health maintenance, promotion and disease prevention in a range of population sub-groups and demonstrate a professional approach to the management of ethical and legal responsibilities and challenges in podiatric practice. Students will also select and prescribe appropriate scheduled medicines in general and specialist podiatric practice for specified conditions within professional guidelines.

Credit

6 points

Offering
(see Timetable)

Availability	Location	Mode
Non-standard teaching period	UWA (Perth)	Face to face

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) display professional behaviour in the educational and clinical setting; (2) formulate entry level practitioner critical clinical reasoning skills; (3) apply communication skills, cultural awareness and ethical principles of practice patient centered care at entry level practitioner standard

; (4) demonstrate skills of a reflective practitioner in seeking to identify and address gaps in knowledge and practice at entry level practitioner standard; (5) appraise the results of medical imaging tests employed in the diagnosis and management of lower limb pathology; (6) formulate evidence based management of podpopulations in conservative and minor surgical procedures; (7) understand and implement strategies for health maintenance, promotion and disease prevention in a range of population sub-groups; (8) safely formulate and perform minor podiatric surgery under local anaesthesia for a range of common conditions; and (9) formulate and apply learning and application of therapeutic management of patients using WIL experiences at expected graduate entry level inclusive of ESM, National Health Strategies, Health Frameworks and International guidelines.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) assignment(s); (2) examination(s); (3) clinical assessment(s); and (4) 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 examination(s), clinical assessment(s), and professional behaviour assessment components.

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

Unit Coordinator(s)

Dr Catherine Crabb and Dr Kim Holmes

Unit rules

Prerequisites

(a)
Enrolment in

Doctor of Podiatric Medicine 91870, and (b)

successful completion of

PODI5331 Podiatric Populations 3.
PODI5332 Clinical Podiatric Practice 5.
PODI5333 Extended Placement 1.
PODI5334 Research Project 1

Co-requisites

PODI5335 Podiatric Populations 4 (ID 7850) PODI5337 Extended Placements 2 (ID 7853) PODI5338 Research Project 2 (ID 7854)

Incidental fees

Incidental student fees and charges are costs incurred by students as part of their studies at UWA that are in addition to their tuition fees (further information is available "
Participation in this unit will incur the following incidental fee(s):
(1) Replacement costs for borrowed equipment (estimated cost - $20 - $5000)
(2) Transport costs associated with attending field trips and placements (estimated cost - Up to $500).

Contact hours

Approximately 6 hours per week, including lectures 2-3 hours per week and a combination of: seminars, clinical skills workshops, team and case based learning workshops, e-learning sessions, tutorials, and self-directed online learning.