Medicine at Sydney
Sydney Medical School offers two entry pathways for students for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program:
Options may be available for combining MD studies with other postgraduate study programs:
Graduate-entry Medicine
The Sydney MD Program is a graduate-entry course leading to the award of a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. The MD Program is accredited by the Medical Board of Australia, and graduates are eligible for registration with the Board as medical practitioners at intern level.
The main features of the MD Program are as follows:
- an integrated curriculum in which clinical knowledge, reasoning and skills are built on a foundation of biomedical sciences, with an emphasis on the mechanisms of human structure and function in health and disease
- team-based, problem-focused learning with online support
- early introduction of clinical learning
- training in research methods and the principles of evidence-based medicine, and hands-on research experience through a research or capstone project
- opportunities to undertake international electives
- opportunities for exposure to rural clinical practice.
When applicants are offered a place in the MD Program, they are allocated to one of Sydney Medical School’s six metropolitan Clinical Schools: Central Clinical School (at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown), Concord Clinical School (at Concord Hospital), Westmead Clinical School (at Westmead Hospital), Nepean Clinical School (at Nepean Hospital, Penrith), the Sydney Adventist Hospital Clinical School (Wahroonga) or Northern Clinical School (at Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards). There is an opportunity to express preferences at the time of application. Candidates are based at their allocated Clinical Schools throughout the MD Program, but undertake placements at other sites, including in community practice.
The MD Program is organised into four main curriculum themes that provide the framework for the goals of the curriculum, assessment, and the attainment of stipulated graduate outcomes.
The four themes are:
- Basic and Clinical sciences
- Patient and Doctor
- Population Medicine
- Personal and Professional Development.
Duration: four years full-time (through Sydney Medical School).
Double degree Medicine pathway (Undergraduate entry)
The Double Degree Medicine pathway is designed for school leavers who perform exceptionally well in their final high school assessments. Successful applicants enter a bachelor’s degree program at the University of Sydney.
The following medicine and undergraduate degree options are available:
- Music Studies-Medicine
- Science (Advanced)-Medicine
- Medical Science-Medicine
- Commerce-Medicine
- Economics-Medicine
Provided that these candidates complete their bachelor’s course with a credit average, they are admitted to Medicine without further assessment.
Duration: approved undergraduate degree duration (through the relevant faculty) plus four years full-time graduate-entry medicine (through Sydney Medical School). The undergraduate degree program may be of three years’ duration (bachelor’s degree) or four years’ duration (bachelor’s degree with honours).
Further information about the Double Degree programs is available at:
sydney.edu.au/medicine/future-students/medical-program/combined/index.php
Medicine and a Master's degree by research
In addition to the research component of the MD Program, MD candidates wishing to pursue or continue an interest in research may be able to enrol in a parallel Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree.
In order to be permitted to enrol in a parallel MPhil, students must perform well in the first year of the MD Program.
Entry into the MPhil usually occurs in the second year of the MD Program. Students may also opt to suspend their candidature in the MD Program for one year to undertake MPhil research. This is most often done after completion of the second year.
Those interested in concurrent enrolment in the MD and a HDR are required to discuss their aspirations with the Sub-Dean (MD Research), currently Associate Professor Rebekah Jenkin, or her nominee, before submitting an application for concurrent enrolment in HDR and the MD.
The concurrent degree local provisions can be found on the University of Sydney's Policy Register.
For further details see:
http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/study/md/md-and-postgraduate-degree.php
Further information about the MPhil program can also be found under the Research tab and information about research at Sydney Medical School: http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/research/index.php
Medicine and other postgraduate coursework programs
MD candidates have the opportunity to complete a Master of Public Health, a Master of International Public Health or a Master of Medicine (Clinical Epidemiology) course in parallel with the MD Program.
Students may take a maximum of 12 credit points per semester in addition to their enrolment in the MD.
In order to be permitted to enrol in a parallel coursework master’s degree, students must perform well in the first year of the MD Program.
Entry into the master’s degree course usually occurs in the second year of the MD Program. Students may also opt to suspend their candidature in the MD Program for one year to undertake the other course. This is most often done after completion of the second year.
Those interested in concurrent enrolment in the MD and a coursework degree are required to discuss their aspirations with the Sub-Dean (MD Research), currently Associate Professor Rebekah Jenkin, or her nominee, before submitting an application for concurrent enrolment.
The concurrent degree local provisions can be found on the University of Sydney's Policy Register.
Further information about these courses can be found in the relevant postgraduate coursework area of study sections in this Handbook, or at:http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/study/md/md-and-postgraduate-degree.php