Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
1
Foundation Medical Studies
Enrolment code: CAM100
Offered: Hbt, sem 2
Unit description: Comprises two sub-units, Foundations of Medical
Chemistry and Foundations of Clinical and Evidence Based Medicine. The
overall aim of this unit is to provide a base for future study in the medical
curriculum. This includes an introduction to Evidence Based Medicine and a
first exposure to clinical medicine. Foundations of Medical Chemistry provides
a scientific basis for understanding of structure and function from the cell to the
whole human and incorporates those parts of Biological Chemistry required to
equip medical students adequately to understand chemically orientated
material presented in later units, particularly (but not only) in Biochemistry.
Foundations of Clinical and Evidence Based Medicine will introduce students
to concepts of clinical medicine. These include communicating with patients,
problem identification and solving, literature review and interpretation, data
analysis, statistical methods, concepts of Evidence Based Medicine and
presentation skills.
Staff: Dr BF Yates (Chemistry) Dr R Wood-Baker (Medicine), Dr CA
Sherrington (Paediatrics and child Health) (Coordinators); and other staff
of the School of Medicine.
Unit weight: 12.5%
Teaching: 7 hrs weekly: Foundation Medical Chemistry: 2x1-hr lectures weekly,
13 tutorials. Foundations of Clinical and Evidence Based Medicine: 5 hrs
weekly, case presentations and tutorials, approximately 14 hrs family
visits.
Prereq: admission to Medicine
Assess: Foundations of Medical Chemistry (50% of unit marks): 2-hr exam in
Nov (85%), assignments (5%) and mid-sem test (10%) Foundations of
Clinical and Evidence Based Medicine (50% of unit marks): 15-min exam
(50%), in-course (oral presentations/assignments) (50%)
Required texts, etc:
Atkins PW and Jones LL, Chemistry, Molecules, Matter and Change, ISBN
071672832X
McMurry J, Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry, ISBN 0534352162 [p/b]
Clements A (ed), Infant and Family Health in Australia, ISBN 0443047707
Illingworth R, The Normal Child, ISBN 0443044554
Illingworth R, The Development of the Infant, ISBN 0443038406 [p/b]
Recommended reading:
Sackett DL, Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach, ISBN 0443062404
Courses: M3A M3B M4B
Community Health and Medicine I
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
2
Enrolment code: CAM105
Offered: Hbt, sem 1
Unit description: Seeks an understanding of modern medicine in the
Australian community. Studies include: a brief history of disease, death,
population, and medicine; alternative models of national health care, and the
current nature of the Australian health care system; basic principles of disease
prevention and health promotion; biomedical ethics fundamental to an
informed understanding of key ethical dilemmas in medicine; a consideration
of the various forms of ‘health’ and ‘ill-health’, and of the distribution of
morbidity and mortality in contemporary Australia; psychosocial and
behavioural factors affecting quality of health and acceptance of and response
to treatment; biomedical statistics; child development, with particular reference
to pregnancy, delivery, and the first six months of life; drug and alcohol studies.
Staff: Mr S Lockwood (Coordinator)
Unit weight: 12.5%
Teaching: 42 hrs of lectures and 42 hrs of practicals and tutorials
Prereq: admission to Medicine
Mutual excl: HGE105
Assess: a written exam at the end of sem 1 (60%), essays and written reports
(40%)
Required texts, etc:
in addition to prescribed journal articles and specially extracted material which
will be reserved for students’ use, the following texts are recommended or
prescribed:
St John’s Ambulance Association, First Aid, Ruskin Press
Lovat TJ and Mitchell KR, Bioethics for Medical and Health Professionals, Social
Science Press, Wentworth Falls, NSW 1991
Clements A (ed), Infant and Family Health in Australia, 2nd edn, Churchill
Livingstone, Melb, 1992.
Recommended reading:
Australian Resuscitation Council, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, 1980
Illingworth R, The Normal Child, 10th edn, Churchill Livingstone, 1991
Illingworth R, The Development of the Infant, 9th edn, Churchill Livingstone,
1987.
Courses: M3A M3B M4B R3A R3K
Community Health and Medicine
Enrolment code: CAM205
Offered: Hbt, sem 1&2
Unit description: Builds on CAM105, encouraging students to see health,
illness, and medical care in terms of the individual being treated, building on
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
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their interpersonal and communication skills; and developing a hierarchical
concept of health and health care. Studies include: the role of the behavioural
sciences in medicine; verbal and nonverbal communication, including contact
with people with special needs, and the principles of health promotion and
patient education; stress, coping strategies, and social support in relation to
specific diseases and illnesses; the theory and practice of counselling;
demographic risk factors in vulnerability to disease; an introduction to clinical
epidemiology; the historical development and current role of ‘public health’;
and a more detailed examination of morbidity in the community. Students
continue contact with families encountered in the first year through the ‘Kids
and Families’ program; and are given: further opportunities to develop skills in
communicating with patients with special needs; a forum to debate current
ethical dilemmas in modern medicine; a detailed study of psychosocial
problems in contemporary Australia; and practical experience in the work of a
general practitioner and of a dispensing pharmacist.
Staff: Mr S Lockwood (Coordinator)
Unit weight: 25%
Teaching: 84 hrs of lectures, and 84 hrs of practical, tutorials, and experiential
learning in the community
Mutual excl: HGE207/307
Assess: work assigned during the year (40%), and assessment early in sem 2
(20%) formal end-of-year exam (40%)
Required texts, etc:
prescribed journal articles and specially extracted material will be reserved for
students’ use and reference will be made to material on the World Wide
Web.
Majors: Social Ecology
Courses: M3A M3B M4B R3A
Introduction to Clinical Studies
Enrolment code: CAM300
Offered: Hbt, sem 1
Unit description: Semester 1: Introduction to Clinical Studies (Medicine,
Surgery, Paediatrics and Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and
Psychiatry combined teaching) teaches techniques of history taking, physical
examination and topics related to the ethical and operational activities of
hospitals. The aims are to ensure that all students are competent in history
taking and examination techniques as well as having an understanding of
issues related to their interaction with patients, before independent ward work
in Semester 2. Students are introduced to medical terminology and basic topics
relevant to history taking and physical examination (including related ethics)
by a series of clinical demonstrations, lectures and ward teaching. In addition, a
series of clinico-pathological sessions involving Pathology demonstrate the
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
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relationship between the pathological and clinical disciplines. There will also be
an introduction to drugs in the clinical setting and relationships to the drug
industry. An introduction to maintaining the health of medical practitioners
will be included. The ‘Kids and Families’ program continues within this unit.
Staff: Dr R Wood-Baker (Coordinator), members of the Disciplines of Medicine,
Surgery, Paediatrics and Child Health, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and
Psychiatry.
Unit weight: 22.5%
Teaching: Lectures, clinical demonstrations, clinico-pathological sessions, ward
teaching sessions, clinical problem-solving sessions.
Prereq: 2nd year Medicine
Assess: Clinical assessment in Medicine and Surgery
Required texts, etc:
Boyd GW, Clinical Method: A Guide for Medical Students, ISBN 0859015181
Talley N and O’Connor S, Clinical Examination, ISBN 0864331029
Courses: M3A M3B M4B
Clinical Specialties
Enrolment code: CAM310
Offered: Hbt, sem 2
Unit description: Consists of four components with a combined weight of
10%. See CAM410 for descriptions of the components. For details of assessment
and texts, contact the School of Medicine.
Unit weight: 10%
Courses: M3A M3B
Advanced Study/Research/Additional Study
Enrolment code: CAM400/420/440
Offered: Hbt, sem 2
Special note: Students enrol in CAM400 for Advanced Study, CAM420 for
Research, CAM440 for Additional Study; each is weighted at 50%. There are
quotas on most advanced study programs, but students will normally be able to
enrol in their first choice. Students wishing to participate in one of the research
programs will first need to consult the specific project supervisor. Inquiries
about this unit should be directed to the program coordinator, Dr G Woods.
Unit description: Most of semester 2 in Year 4 of the MBBS course is devoted
to this unit whereby students may select from a wide variety of advanced study
or research programs offered by clinical and preclinical disciplines. Individual
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
5
programs may be of either 9 or 18 weeks duration, and occupy 2 or 4 days per
week. Students are required to select a combination of programs totalling 4
days per week for 18 weeks. Details of program offerings will vary from year to
year and Year 3 students will be provided with a handbook outlining the
current programs. This information is also available on line from the Faculty of
Health Science home page (WWW address
http://www.healthsci.utas.edu.au/). As an alternative to advanced study or
research, some students may be required to undertake additional study.
Unit weight: 50%
Courses: M3A M4A M3B M4B
Advanced Study
Enrolment code: CAM400
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Offered: Hbt, sem 2
Unit description:
Unit weight: 50%
Clinical Specialties
Enrolment code: CAM410
Offered: Hbt, sem 1
Unit description: Consists of four components with a combined weight of
10% as described below:
Unit weight: 10%
Courses: M3A M3B M4B
Clinical Specialties (a)
Enrolment code: CAM410
Community and Rural Health
Offered: Hbt, sem 2
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
6
Unit description: Provides students with primary health care experience in
rural communities by: gaining a greater understanding of health and health
care issues; developing and carrying out mini-research projects; developing
skills for effective research, project management and use of information and
telecommunications technologies. Students undertake a Rural Health lecture
series, a rural-based primary health care project and a short course in
epidemiology. The rural project involves one week of activity in a rural
teaching site in rotation groups.
Staff: Dr J Walker, Dr R Climie and various guest lecturers and on-site
supervisors
Teaching: 12 wks lecture series; sem 2(1998) and sem 1(1999): 9 wks rotation
block for rural project with 2 wks seminars include epidemiology course
and a residential wk at a rural teaching site
Prereq: 2nd year Medicine
Assess: lecture series assignment (30%), critical assignment (30%), rural project
group report (30%), epidemiology test (10%)
Courses: M3A M3B M4B
Clinical Specialties (b)
Enrolment code: CAM410
Paediatrics and Child Health
Offered: Hbt, sem 1&2
Unit description: Provides an understanding of normal and abnormal growth
and development of children; providing an understanding of and a clinical
approach to children and adolescents; teaching communication and history
taking skills and how to conduct the physical examination and developmental
screening of children; introducing the common conditions of paediatrics and
child health, and the prevention of disease and disability in childhood; studying
the influence of family and social factors on child health; and providing a
knowledge of the services available for the support of children and adolescents.
The unit includes the ‘Kids and Families’ program.
Staff: Prof A Carmichael, Drs AL Tulloch, AJ Larson, CA Sherrington
(Coordinator)
Teaching: clinical history taking, examination of children, tutorials, videotapes,
lectures
Prereq: 3rd year Medicine
Assess: clinical and a written component conducted at the end of each rotation
(40%), written end-of-year exam (60%)
Required texts, etc:
Lewis IC, Oates RK and Robinson MJ, Consulting with Children, WB Saunders,
1989;
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
7
and/or Gill D and O’Brien N, Paediatric Clinical Examination, Churchill
Livingstone, 1993
Robinson HJ and Roberton DM, Practical Paediatrics, 4th edn, Churchill
Livingstone, 1998.
These texts may be obtained on loan from the Discipline for the 2-week clinical
attachment at a cost of $2 each.
Courses: M3A M3B M4B
Clinical Specialties (c)
Enrolment code: CAM410
Psychiatry
Offered: Hbt
Unit description: Teaches students to recognise psychiatric phenomena and
syndromes; alerting them to the relevance of emotional processes to the practice
of medicine; teaching the biological and psychological foundations of
psychiatry; enabling students to appreciate the extent of psychiatric
phenomena, both in the study of psychiatry and in medicine, surgery, and other
medical disciplines.
Staff: Prof K Kirkby, Dr CA Clifford, Dr B Daniels, Dr A Jager, LJ Gilroy,
Clinical University teachers, Clinical Prof S Pridmore, Dr P Fernando, Dr D
McLean, Dr IP Burges Watson, Dr W Ashley, Dr M McArthur, Dr R
Parton, Dr N Husain, S Fernandez, Dr D Weidmann, Dr L Woo, G Larsen,
Dr M Crowley, Dr D Carter
Teaching: 2-wk half-time clinical attachment including seminars and case
presentations, in addition to a systematic course of lectures throughout the
year
Prereq: 3rd year Medicine
Assess: written exam at the end of the lecture program
Required texts, etc:
Kaplan HI and Sadock BJ, Synopsis of Psychiatry – Behavioral Sciences Clinical
Psychiatry, ISBN 0683303309
Bloch S and Singh B, Foundations of Clinical Psychiatry, ISBN 0522845312
Tomb D, Case Studies in Psychiatry for the House Officer, ISBN 0683083392
Weeding D, Behavior and Medicine, ISBN 0815191421
Courses: M3A M3B M4B
Clinical Specialties (d)
Enrolment code: CAM410
Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
8
Offered: Hbt, sem 1&2
Unit description: Introduces students to: gynaecological history taking and
examination; obstetric history taking and examination; the physiological and
pathological bases of common gynaecological and obstetric problems; current
controversies, including place of birth, abortion, hysterectomy, and sterilisation.
Staff: Dr G Dudgeon, Dr D Humphrey
Teaching: tutorial sessions, guided clinical experience, clinicopathological &
case discussions, and clinic and operating theatre exposure
Prereq: 3rd year Medicine
Assess: written essay testing attitudes to obstetric and gynaecological problems
Required texts, etc:
Hacker NF and Moore JG, Essentials of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 3rd edn, WB
Saunders, 1998.
Courses: M3A M3B M4B
Research
Enrolment code: CAM420
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Offered: Hbt, sem 2
Special note: Inquiries about this unit should be directed to the program
coordinator, Dr G Woods; (see CAM400).
Unit description: See CAM400 Advanced Study/Research/Additional Study
Unit weight: 50%
Courses:
Additional Study
Enrolment code: CAM440
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Offered: Hbt, sem 2
Special note: Inquiries about this unit should be directed to the program
coordinator, Dr G Woods; (see CAM400).
Unit description: See CAM400 Advanced Study/Research/Additional Study
Unit weight: 50%
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
9
Rural Clinical Program
Enrolment code: CAM500
Offered: NWC, sem 1&2
Unit description: The Year 5 Rural Clinical Program is an integrated rural
hospital based program providing experience for students in Medicine,
Surgery, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology. It provides an excellent
grounding for the final year of the course and future practice in any branch of
medicine. Educational support is provided by on-site and visiting staff
augmented by a comprehensive seminar program, access to the resources of
local and statewide medical libraries and use of Information Technology and
Telecommunications. Feedback about learning progress is provided to students
through regular ward based and integrated assessments. Financial support for
accommodation costs is available and accommodation is available in close
proximity to the hospital. A maximum of 12 places are available in this stream.
The program comprises a series of overall educational objectives and essential
competencies which are supplemented by a list of presentations in which
students should be able to demonstrate basic clinical competence. The
teaching/learning activities for the Rural Clinical Program comprise three
components: 1. Discipline based teaching. By way of introduction at the start
of the year, each student rotates through each of the four disciplines for one
week each. Following this introductory month, each student completes a three
week hospital based rotation in each of the four disciplines of Medicine,
Surgery, Paediatrics, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology to complete the first
semester. The second semester consists of a second four week hospital based
rotation in each of the four disciplines. During this time students gain skills in
assessing and examining patients and an understanding of the common clinical
conditions seen in that discipline. Rotations include rostered on-call with long
distance pagers provided for each discipline. In addition, students are rostered
for evening sessions in the Accident and Emergency Department. 2. An
integrated seminar program. A seminar program provides support for student
learning about the range of issues and presentations with which students are
expected to become familiar. This program is time-tabled week by week around
other activities to avoid overlap of learning opportunities. 3. Hospital /
community interface studies. In each discipline students work with specialists
in their rooms or out-patient clinics, and follow some patients into the
community after their discharge from hospital. In addition, there is an
integrated community experience program which gives student exposure to:
district hospitals; acute care at home; community nursing services; community
child and adolescent psychology and psychiatric services; ambulance services;
community renal services; occupational therapy; and the education system
through early special education services to health promotion in primary and
high schools. Student Support. Clinical specialists working within the
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
10
North-West Regional Hospital provide daily support for student learning
needs, as do community based specialist and general practitioners as
appropriate. The full time staff of the School of Medicine, and other clinical
specialists from Hobart and Launceston, also provide support through regular
visits to the North-West Regional Hospital, through conference facilities and to
individuals by telephone and by electronic mail. The Rural Clinical Program
Coordinator provides weekly support to students through a student case
presentation seminar and a meeting to discuss any course problems or issues.
In addition, each student is allocated one of the specialist consultant staff as a
mentor. Study Support. The North-West Regional Hospital Library contains
several copies of the required texts for each discipline. In addition, on-line
textbooks are available through the University Rural Health Website. The
library currently has one computer available for internet study and also each
ward has an internet connected computer. Students are given 24 hour access
cards to the University North-West Centre computer rooms located 10 minutes
walk from the hospital. The hospital has a new dedicated study area for
students with 2 on-line computers, scanner and printer.
Staff: Dr K Edwards (Coordinator), on-site and visiting staff at the North-West
Regional Hospital
Unit weight: 100%
Prereq: 4th-year Medicine
Assess: The assessment program has been designed specifically for the Rural
Clinical Program to help students reach their educational goals.
Assessment occurs in two environments:Continuous assessment. This
occurs in the discipline based rotations and is designed to provide
feedback on progress. Logbooks are used to record competencies in history
taking and examination skills for basic case presentations as well as for
basic procedures in the four disciplines. Long and short case presentation
supervision is provided. Regular integrated clinical assessment. At the
end of academic weeks 5, 14, 23 and 36 there is an assessment which
involves all the disciplines of the year and assesses the skills students are
expected to have acquired by that time. It comprises clinical (OSCE format)
and written (MCQ paper) components. Each of these four assessments
contributes to the final grades. Students are assessed by a team comprising
clinical staff from the North West Regional Hospital and staff from Hobart
and Launceston. The design of the assessment is such that students get
regular feedback on their progress in all discipline areas.
Courses: M3B M4B
Integrated Examination
Enrolment code: CAM600
CPR and Well Woman Assessments
Offered: Hbt, sem 2
Unit details (Course and Unit Handbook 2002)
11
Special note: This unit is taken after completion of the discipline-based
semester 2 examinations
Unit description: At the completion of the MBBS course, a series of three
multidisciplinary examinations must be passed by aggregate mark prior to
acceptance for graduation and registration by the Medical Council of Tasmania.
These examinations are formulated to assess competence in important aspects
covered in the clinical years of the undergraduate course, particularly areas
which have not been examined in a similar fashion or not covered at all during
the final year of study. Students are required to pass the Integrated
Examination Series and the CPR and Well Woman Assessments to exit the
MBBS Course.
Staff: Discipline year coordinators and other academic and clinical tutors
Unit weight: 0%
Teaching: no specific teaching program for this unit however the structure of
the papers, contribution of examination questions and marking are
multidisciplinary.
Prereq: satisfactory results in at least two disciplines in the Sixth Year Course
Assess: 3 separate components are held as exit examinations: 3-hr short answer
paper (35%), 3-hr multiple choice question paper (single, correct answer
format and no negative marking (35%), observed structured clinical
examination [OSCE] (30%).
Required texts, etc:
According to discipline reading lists
Courses: M3B M4B