A Doctor of Medicine (MD) is now on offer at The University of Notre Dame Australia, commencing in 2017, replacing the existing Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). The four-year postgraduate course will have its first intake of Doctor of Medicine students in Semester 1, 2017.
“The move to the MD provides an opportunity to build on the excellent foundations of our medical degree, with a new emphasis on research throughout the entire four years of the degree,” Dean of the School of Medicine on Notre Dame’s Fremantle Campus, Professor Shirley Bowen, said.
Both the MBBS and MD programs are primary medical degrees, subject to AMC approval, and leading to medical practitioner registration. Graduates of either qualification will be eligible for an internship in Australia.
One of the ways in which the MD course differs from the MBBS course is that a pure research or professionally focused project will need to be completed in the final year.
Students will complete a new research skills and preparation unit in third year which will enable them to undertake the final year project. They will also undertake a core Bioethics unit in the first year of the course.
During the first two years of the MD course, the curriculum builds a solid foundation in the basic and clinical sciences and provides an introduction to the knowledge, skills and attributes required for clinical work as a medical professional.
Clinical skills are taught from the first week and the course has a special focus on respect for human life, dignity and social justice. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and the importance of rural medical practices are areas of focus across the program.
In the final two years of the course, students apply and consolidate their clinical skills and knowledge in the care of patients. Clinical placements in years three and four take place in a variety of hospital and community settings, including participation in Rural Clinical School of Western Australia.
For more information about Notre Dame’s Doctor of Medicine, contact the Prospective Students Office on 08 9433 0533 or future@nd.edu.au.