The MBBS Program at the University of Adelaide provides students with state of the art education and training to enable them, as graduates, to practise medicine in the 21st Century. Over the last 15 years, the Faculty has devoted considerable time to reviewing the requirements of graduates to ensure that they will become effective modern medical practitioners and to develop and evaluate styles of learning and teaching that are best suited to producing such graduates. The outcome is a state of the art, integrated educational program. In addition to producing graduates who are fully competent to undertake an internship, a major aim of the curriculum is to make learning enjoyable and stimulating.It has been important and pleasing to see students so obviously enjoying themselves as they learn.
Program Emphases and Structure
The three major "streams" of the course are the core elements of medical practice: the Scientific Basis of Medicine, Clinical Skills and Medical Personal and Professional Development.These three streams are woven into and form the basis for each PBL case in Years 1-3.Throughout Years 4-6, students will expand their knowledge, experience and practise within these three streams as they undertake placements within the teaching hospitals and in the broader medical community.Student-directed, contextual, clinically-oriented problem based learning (PBL) has been adopted as the dominant learning mode during the early years of the curriculum. The curriculum begins with an introduction to problem-based learning (PBL) processes and continues in small groups, using cases with the most common and important diseases as the basis for study. Lectures are carefully staged throughout each PBL case to provide key information to assist the students as they progress through the case. Resource (or practical) sessions relating to the case are introduced throughout the week at appropriate times. These sessions allow students to work with physiological problems and introduce them to anatomical specimens that demonstrate normal features, often in conjunction with diseased specimens. These sessions are designed to have practical application. The emphasis throughout is on the students understanding, and being able to explain, mechanisms and principles rather than on memorising unnecessary detail.Many students may need help with some of the basic concepts of biology and chemistry in order to study medicine effectively and efficiently. In Year 1, students undertake two semesters of biology: Molecules, Genes and Cells in semester 1 and Human Perspectives in semester 2. (International and tertiary transfer students with extensive science background may apply to receive credit for Year 1 biology.) Throughout the PBL program, learning in medical disciplines such as pathology, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology are taught in the context of the PBL case under study.Students are then able to bring this core learning to their later placements within the public teaching hospitals and the broader medical and health community.Training in clinical skills begins in week one. In Years 1 and 2 this is done by senior clinicians in small groups in a dedicated clinical skills laboratory.The clinical study program is linked to the system of the PBL case under study.In Year 3, clinical skills training is located primarily in the public teaching hospitals.In years 4-6 students will advance their clinical skills competencies throughout a range of clinical attachments. Because clinical skills training begins in Year 1, the traditional divide between "pre-clinical and clinical" teaching has been eliminated.A major emphasis is placed on developing effective communication and decision-making skills, the practice of evidence-based and preventative medicine and on becoming competent users of information and information technology. The Medical Professional and Personal Development stream aims to introduce students to the complex communication, ethical, psycho-social, and preventative medicine competencies required by a medical practitioner.Preventative medicine is increasingly being recognised as one of the most important elements of a modern health system.The University of Adelaide MBBS program places a special emphasis on evidence based medicine and the principles of public health that inform the practise of preventive medicine.
Community-Based Learning
Changes in health care arrangements in the community and pressures on the way in which the major teaching hospitals deliver health care have required changes to the traditional approaches to medical training. These changes have resulted in increased opportunities for students to be trained in placements within the community. In addition to these community electives, all Yr 2 studentsundertake a pregnancy attachment wherein each student will be introduced to a consenting pregnant woman, and they will follow this person during her pre-natal visits, labour, delivery and subsequent follow-up.
The University of Adelaide Rural Clinical School
The Spencer Gulf Rural Health School (SGRHS) is a regional multi-disciplinary school of health science created as a joint initiative of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia http://sgrhs.unisa.edu.au/SGRHS is supported by the Australian federal government’s Department of Health and Ageing through the Rural Clinical Schools program (RCS), the University Department of Rural Health program (UDRH), the Rural Undergraduate Support and Coordination program (RUSC) and the Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development program (PHC_RED). Each of these programs provides funds to the universities for rural student placement and rural research.The SGRHS is based in Whyalla at the University of South Australia’s campus in Nicholson Avenue. The School also has campuses throughout the region including Pt Augusta, Pt Lincoln, Pt Pirie, Minlaton, Maitland, Clare, Kadina and Booleroo Centre.These campuses are equipped with dedicated student facilities including student accommodation, study areas, libraries and up-to-date information technology (computers and video-conferencing equipment.The SGRHS academic and professional staff comprises a multidisciplinary team of highly trained and experienced health professionals and key support staff. SGRHS provides opportunities for students to be trained in a range of clinical specialties in rural South Australia. All medical students attend a rural week in the Eyre or Yorke Peninsula as part of the Year 2 curriculum, and rural opportunities also exist in Year 3 to spend further time in these areas. Rural Placements offer students a unique learning environment, often with more clinical and hands-on experience.Enrolment in the Undergraduate Degree of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at The University of Adelaide, requires students to undertake rural clinical placements.Commonwealth Supported Students (in both bonded and unbonded places) need to complete 4 weeks of rural placements before graduation and 25% of them need to complete one year of clinical training in a rural site. All rural programs are provided by Spencer Gulf Rural Health School.
Electives
A key feature of Years 2 and 3 is an elective program. Students are required to take 12 points of electives (equivalent to 4 x 3 point courses) by the end of Year 3.Of the four possible electives, at least three must be chosen from course offerings in the Faculties of Sciences and Health Sciences. One of the four may be selected from courses in other faculties within the University of Adelaide.In the later years of the program, there are further opportunities to take electives in medical disciplines. In Year 4 and 5, students choose from a range of medical and scientific attachments. The Year 6 program offers a semester of hospital-based placements and a semester of four 4-week elective placements in community and ambulatory locations. At least one of these 4-week attachments must be located in a rural environment, but a student may elect to do all 16 weeks in rural placements.
Support Structures
Many students entering the medicine program at the University of Adelaide are from rural, interstate or international locations, and some students experience problems adjusting to life in Adelaide. As well, students may experience stress in adjusting to university life and self-directed study. We provide support to students through this time of transition. Structures are in place to provide students with both informal counselling by staff members and access to more formal counselling arrangements. There are also student led organisations that provide support and assistance to students with particular backgrounds and interests, such as the Rural Club and an Indigenous students group.
Academic Language and Learning in Medicine Program
This program is an integrated skills development program. In conjunction with the curriculum, this further develops the communication skills needed for talking with others (including patients), as well as tertiary learning skills (especially those needed for successful participation in problem-based learning groups). The delivery mode is both in small groups and individual sessions. Small groups operate in years 1-3, and individual sessions are also available as needed. Students in Years 4-6 can have individual sessions for specific purposes.In the first instance all international students enter this Program for orientation to tertiary studies in Australia and PBL skills development. In Year 2, international students participate in a module on academic writing skills. Other students may be selected or referred to the program, based on a written assessment in Orientation Week or ongoing tutor reports. Students can also self-select to join an ongoing group in Years 1-3 or for individual assistance.
Honours
The Honours degree of Bachelor of Medical Science is a program of study available only to students who have passed the Third Year Examination in the MBBS. There are two study options for obtaining an Honours degree of B.Med.Sc. – full-time study with intermission from the MBBS program, or part-time study concurrent with the MBBS program. The recommended option is for MBBS students to intermit for a year and enrol in the Honours degree of B.Med.Sc. on a full-time basis.
Registration
Registration with the Medical Board of South AustraliaFrom 2006 all medical students will be registered with the Medical Board of South Australia, which has the responsibility of ensuring that all persons permitted to practise medicine in the State should be fit and proper persons who maintain appropriate professional standards.
Careers
Before being admitted to full registration as a medical practitioner in Australia, a medical graduate must serve at least twelve months as an intern in an approved hospital. After successfully completing the internship and obtaining full registration to practice, graduates have to make a career decision regarding postgraduate specialty (including general practice) training programs offered by a professional college. There is a wide range of medical career paths and options become apparent as students progress through the program.
Related Programs
Applicants for Medicine are encouraged to
consider listing the Bachelor of Health Sciences program as their second SATAC
preference. If they are unsuccessful in gaining entry to Medicine, consideration
might be given to completing the Health Science degree and competing for entry
to a graduate program at a later date.
You must not hold a tertiary record at any higher education institution. You must have gained a 'Recorded Achievement' in four SACE Stage 2 HESS (Higher Education Selection Subjects) General subjects (or interstate/International Baccalaureate equivalents). For a full list of SACE subjects and their HESS status please refer to the SATAC Tertiary Entrance Booklet. A Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) of 90 or above must be achieved. You must sit the Undergraduate Medicine & Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) and top UMAT performers must also attend a structured oral assessment. Applications will be ranked on the basis of all 3 components: the UMAT, oral assessment and TER.
TERTIARY TRANSFER ENTRY (USE SATAC CODE 324221): must be enrolled in the current year in any University of Adelaide undergraduate degree program. You must have completed at least one year full time equivalent (24 units) but not more than two years full time equivalent university study, achieving at least a credit average (a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.0 or more). You must sit the Undergraduate Medicine & Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) and attend an oral assessment. Applications will be ranked on the basis of all 3 components: the UMAT, interview and GPA.
You must meet the following criteria: you must be 21 years or over on January 1st of the year that you will be studying*, and you must never have been enrolled in a course leading to a higher education level award. If you meet this criteria, you will be eligible to compete using your result in the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT). You must attain a STAT score within the top decile. Your STAT result is not weighted between verbal and quantitative components. Personal Competencies (PC) and Employment Experience (EE) statements are not considered.You must sit the Undergraduate Medicine & Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) and top UMAT performers must also attend an oral assessment. Applications will be ranked on the basis of all 3 components: the UMAT, oral assessment and STAT. *The age restriction is 19 years or over if you have completed either the Flinders Foundation course or the UniSA Foundation Studies program or the UniSA Program for Adult Learners. Indigenous applicants may be eligible for entry through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Scheme. See Wilto Yerlo for further information.
All applicants must sit the Undergraduate Medicine & Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT). Top UMAT performers will also be required to attend a structured oral assessment. See the Faculty of Health Sciences for further information
Additional entry requirements include performance in the Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA) and, if selected, a Structure Oral Assessment. Refer to the International Selection Document for more information.
Before being admitted to full registration as a medical
practitioner in Australia, a medical graduate must serve at least twelve months
as an intern in an approved hospital. After successfully completing the internship
and obtaining full registration to practice, graduates have to make a career decision
with respect to entering a postgraduate specialty (including general practice)
training program offered by a professional college. There is a wide range of medical
career paths and the options becomes apparent as students progress through the
program.
Potential careers
Doctor / Medical Practitioner
Graduate Attributes
Our undergraduate program at the University of Adelaide Medical School seeks to produce an undifferentiated doctor with the abilities and skills appropriate for both the seamless transition to post-graduate training, and to continue into advanced training
programs for the full spectrum of career paths.
The University of Adelaide Medical graduates will be distinguished by:
Being thoroughly versed in the skills and application of adult learning.
Deriving enjoyment for the process of learning and the pursuit of knowledge and understanding (where knowledge is defined as information that can be used effectively in familiar and unknown situations).
Having a superior ability to integrate knowledge across disciplines.
The ability to apply basic scientific knowledge to facilitate understanding and management in clinical practice.
A highly developed sense of their ‘duty of care’ for their patients.
At the end of the program of undergraduate medical education the student will have acquired through the Scientific Basis of Medicine, Medical Personal and Professional Development, and Clinical Practice streams the attitudes, knowledge and understanding, and skills essential to the practice of medicine, including:
Medical Personal and Development
Respect for patients and colleagues that encompasses, without prejudice, diversity of background and opportunity, language, culture and way of life.
Recognition of patients’ rights in all respects, and particularly in regard to privacy, confidentiality and informed consent.
Ability to cope with uncertainty and adapt to change.
Awareness of the moral and ethical responsibilities involved in individual patient care and in the provision of care to populations of patients.
Development of the capacity of self-audit and for participation in the peer-review process.
Capacity to recognise and accept limitations in one’s knowledge, understanding and clinical skills.
Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
Willingness to use his or her professional capabilities to contribute to community welfare as well as to individual patient welfare by the practice of preventive medicine and the encouragement of health promotion.
Acceptance and practice of the theories and principles that govern ethical decision making, and of the major ethical dilemmas in medicine, particularly those that arise at the beginning and end of life and those that arise from the rapid expansion of the knowledge of genetics.
Ability to retrieve (from electronic databases and other resources), manage, and utilise biomedical information for solving problems and making decisions that are relevant to the care of individuals and populations.
Acceptance of the responsibility to contribute as far as possible to the advancement of medical knowledge and research in order to benefit medical practice and further improve the quality of patient care.
Willingness to contribute to teaching and the professional development of others.
Ability to communicate effectively in writing with patients, colleagues and others in carrying out their responsibilities.
The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
Last updated:
Monday, 22 Dec 2008
Program Talks
Medicine: I’ve done the UMAT – now what?
Listen to the Open Day Talk
Make sure you have JavaScript enabled and get
the Flash Player to see this media content.
This session will provide valuable information about the next stages in the Admission process for the MBBS program at the University of Adelaide.
equivalent)
