Monash Medical School

This course is designed with an integrated structure incorporating four themes, including interdisciplinary units taught by staff from across the faculty. The basic medical and behavioural sciences (anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, psychology and sociology) are introduced within interdisciplinary units. There is a strong focus on clinical issues through clinical case studies. The four themes are: Theme I - personal and professional development; Theme II - population, society, health and illness; Theme III - scientific basis of clinical practice; Theme IV - clinical skills. Theme I deals with the personal attributes and qualities needed by medical students, for example communication skills, information technology, medical informatics and computing skills, ethics and legal issues and clinical effectiveness. Theme II helps develop abilities to deal with society and issues. Students learn to consider the social, environmental and behavioural backgrounds of illness and the practice of medicine, especially in rural and remote Australia. Theme III covers much of the system-based teaching in the course. In the first two years, blocks of units are presented with a mix of basic medical science, case-based presentations and discussions in small groups. Theme IV is presented in a range of settings, including hospitals and ambulatory clinics, where students develop expertise in clinical practice. The first two years of the course are largely campus-based, with an opportunity for clinical placements in metropolitan and rural Victoria. The third to fifth years are conducted in clinical settings, generally hospitals and practices across metropolitan and rural Victoria. The fifth year gives students the chance for elective and selective studies. Students may interrupt their studies after third year to study in an area of medical science focused on medical research.

Career opportunities

Graduates initially work within the hospital system. After several years, they can choose to undertake further training and become general practitioners or specialists in a range of areas, eg in obstetrics, paediatrics or psychiatry. Graduates are eligible for professional registration with the Medical Practioners Board of Victoria. After serving a compulsory internship year of residence in an approved hospital, the graduate is eligible for final registration in Victoria and other Australian states.

                                             Print PDF