Doctor of Medicine
The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a four-year professional postgraduate medical degree encompassing basic and clinical sciences, clinical knowledge and skills, research, and elective opportunities.
Students are allocated to one of six Clinical Schools when their candidature is initially confirmed, and they are based at their allocated Clinical Schools for the duration of the MD Program. They undertake clinical studies within their Clinical Schools as well as placements at affiliated sites, including community centres, private practice and other clinical schools. A list of Clinical Schools may be found here.
Each of the four academic years of the MD Program is longer than the University of Sydney academic year. Students must be available to commence and complete each year of the Program at the designated time.
Course resolutions
Sydney Medical School resolutions and the printed handbook are the official statement of faculty policy. If a conflict is perceived between the content of the printed handbook and information available elsewhere, Sydney Medical School resolutions and the information available in the handbook online shall always take precedence.
See the Policy Online website: sydney.edu.au/policy, for copies of University policies.
Doctor of Medicine
These resolutions must be read in conjunction with applicable University By-laws, Rules and policies including (but not limited to) the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2014 (the 'Coursework Rule'), the Coursework Policy 2014, the Resolutions of the Faculty, the University of Sydney (Student Appeals against Academic Decisions) Rule 2006 (as amended), the Academic Honesty in Coursework Policy 2015 and the Academic Honesty Procedures 2016. Up to date versions of all such documents are available from the Policy Register: http://www.sydney.edu.au/policies.
Course resolutions
1 Course codes
| Code | Course and stream title |
|---|---|
| MAMEDICI-03 | Doctor of Medicine |
2 Attendance pattern
(2)
Subject to subclause (3) the attendance pattern in Stage 3 of the Doctor of Medicine is full-time only.
(3)
In exceptional circumstances, and with the permission of the Director(s) of the Sydney Medical Program, students may defer a Stage 3 unit of study.
3 Admission to candidature
(1)
Subject to subclause 3(14) below, available places will be offered to qualified applicants based on merit, according to the following admission criteria.
(a)
completion of a bachelor degree comprising at least three full-time equivalent years of study which will be either:
(i)
a bachelor degree (pass) accredited at Level 7 under the Australian Qualifications Framework or a bachelor degree (with honours) accredited at Level 8 under the Australian Qualifications Framework, from an Australian university or self-accrediting higher education institution; or
(ii)
a bachelor degree from an overseas university listed in the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition Guide, provided that the degree is equivalent to an Australian bachelor degree (pass or with honours); and
(b)
a demonstrated sustained academic performance to a standard considered satisfactory by the Dean or Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. In assessing sustained academic performance the Dean or Deputy Dean may, at his or her discretion, consider performance in the Bachelor's degree(s) and/or performance in any graduate diploma, master or doctoral degree (or equivalent); and
(c)
performance in an admissions test approved by the Dean or Deputy Dean to a standard considered satisfactory by the Dean or Deputy Dean; and
(3)
If the bachelor degree was completed more than 10 years before 1 January of the year for which the applicant is seeking enrolment, the applicant must, in addition:
(a)
have completed within this 10 year period, or complete prior to 1 January of the year in which the applicant intends to commence the Doctor of Medicine, a postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma (or equivalent), which will be either:
(i)
a postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma accredited at Level 8, 9, or 10 under the Australian Qualifications Framework, from an Australian university or self-accrediting higher education institution; or
(ii)
a postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma at an overseas university listed in the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition Guide, provided that the postgraduate degree or postgraduate diploma is equivalent to an Australian postgraduate degree or diploma accredited at Level 8, 9, or 10; or
(b)
have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Dean sustained research productivity in a relevant discipline within this 10 year period.
(4)
An applicant will not be admitted to candidature for the Doctor of Medicine unless he or she has completed a bachelor degree prior to 1 January of the year in which the applicant intends to commence the Doctor of Medicine.
(5)
The official results listed on an applicant’s transcript, and his or her admission test results, will be taken as the awarding and testing authorities’ assessment of the academic standards reached by the applicant, taking due account of disability, illness and misadventure according to the authorities’ policies.
(6)
A person who has commenced the Doctor of Medicine in a fee-paying or bonded place at the University will not be eligible for admission or transfer to a Commonwealth supported or non-bonded place in the Doctor of Medicine. For this purpose, students are considered to have commenced the course at the time of their first enrolment.
(7)
The Dean may, in exceptional circumstances, admit to the Doctor of Medicine an applicant who has commenced studies in postgraduate medicine at another University, provided that the applicant:
(a)
has not previously applied unsuccessfully for admission to the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery or the Doctor of Medicine at the University of Sydney;
(b)
would have met the requirements for admission to the Doctor of Medicine that were in place at the time the applicant was admitted to his or her previous course in medicine; and
(8)
Prior to admitting an applicant to the Doctor of Medicine in accordance with subclause 3(7), the Dean will consider:
(b)
whether the curriculum undertaken by the applicant in his or her previous course in medicine is comparable to the Doctor of Medicine;
(9)
The Dean may, prior to admitting an applicant to the Doctor of Medicine in accordance with subclause 3(7), require the applicant to undertake a barrier examination that permits entry into the relevant year.
(10)
Subject to the approval of the Academic Board, the Faculty of Medicine may establish special admission schemes for defined classes of applicant, including:
(11)
The Registrar, on the recommendation of the Dean, may establish a maximum quota for the number of applicants for admission as candidates for the Doctor of Medicine within a special admission scheme.
(12)
The Faculty of Medicine will publish details of any special admission schemes approved by the Academic Board.
(13)
A committee consisting of the Dean, Deputy Deans and Director(s) of the Sydney Medical Program may confirm or withdraw an offer which has been made to an applicant but which is not in accordance with the admission criteria.
(a)
applicants must be able to demonstrate that they are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian as required by the Confirmation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Identity Policy 2015; and
(b)
applicants must have completed a postgraduate degree within three years before 1 January of the year in which the applicant is seeking admission, which is either:
(i)
a postgraduate degree accredited at level 9, or 10 under the Australian Qualifications Framework, from an Australian university or self-accrediting higher education institution; or
(ii)
a postgraduate degree at an overseas university listed in the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition Guide, provided that the postgraduate degree is equivalent to an Australian postgraduate degree accredited at Level 9, or 10.
(15)
The Registrar, on the recommendation of the Dean, may establish a maximum quota for the number of applicants admitted as candidates through the Indigenous Entry Pathway.
4 Deferral
(1)
Applications for deferral of enrolment following an offer of a place in the Doctor of Medicine will only be considered under exceptional circumstances, and require the approval of the Dean.
5 Course structure and units of study
(1)
The Doctor of Medicine is an integrated program of study framed by four Themes that run across all four years. These themes are:
(2)
All students must complete requirements for an MD Project including Research Methods and all related units of study.
(5)
Students attend their allocated Clinical Schools for at least one day each week and classes on the University’s main Camperdown campus for the rest of the week.
(a)
the first block in Stage 1 is designed to provide orientation and a foundation for the subsequent blocks.
(b)
eight of the blocks focus on a particular organ system from both basic science and clinical perspectives, with an emphasis on the scientific foundations of clinical reasoning and clinical practice.
(7)
Content relating to each of the four Themes is delivered across and within each block. The blocks are as follows:
(c)
The Haematology Block in Stage 1 and the Oncology and Palliative Care Block in Stage 2 are delivered mainly at the Clinical Schools. During these blocks, students attend their allocated Clinical Schools for four days, visiting the Camperdown campus to attend teaching sessions for one day each week, thus equating to full-time attendance during these blocks.
(a)
The units of study that may be taken for the course are set out in the Table of Units of Study: Doctor of Medicine
(c)
Stage 1 contains Research Methods, delivered during the Musculoskeletal, Respiratory and Cardiovascular Blocks.
(d)
Students are allocated to and begin work on their MD Projects in Semester 2, Year 1, and finish them by the end of Year 3.
(12)
Year 4 begins in January and ends in October-November, depending on individual students' progression.
(13)
Between December of Year 3 and March of Year 4, students undertake a compulsory eight-week Elective Term.
(14)
The Stage 3 curriculum comprises eight by eight week clinical blocks, four themes, the Elective term, Pre-Internship term (PRINT) and MD Project work.
(16)
Students undertake the eight clinical blocks in four different sequences known as streams. This ensures that students are evenly distributed across the available clinical teaching facilities.
(17)
Students express preferences for one of the four streams and are allocated during Year 2, in anticipation of the commencement of Stage 3.
(18)
Content relating to each of the four Themes is delivered across and within each Core and Specialty Block.
(20)
The Elective Term consists of either one eight-week placement, or two four-week placements, at approved sites within or outside Australia.
(21)
Most elective term placements are clinical but students may undertake a research placement if they are not simultaneously enrolled in a concurrent research higher degree.
(22)
PRINT is completed after students have completed all Core and Specialty Blocks, Elective Term requirements and the MD Project.
(23)
Three sequential PRINT terms are offered, each of four weeks duration; students must successfully complete one of these to graduate.
(25)
Students in Stage 3 enrol each semester in units of study corresponding to the Core and Specialty Blocks that they will undertake during that semester.
6 Assessment
(1)
The Doctor of Medicine is an integrated program and assessment occurs throughout each year, not exclusively in the designated University of Sydney examinations periods.
(3)
Details of assessment requirements in each Stage, including the structure, content and overall contribution to Unit of Study results for each examination, are available for enrolled students on the Learning Management System.
(i)
A final integrated Stage 3 Barrier Examination for Year 3 and Year 4 that includes summative assessments for core and specialty blocks;
(iii)
Clinical Placement assessments in the Core Medicine 3, Medicine 4, Surgery and Critical Care blocks
(v)
Specialty Block in-semester assessments and skill-based assessments and assignments (where applicable) for each Specialty Block undertaken;
7 Requirements for Award
(1)
All units of study in the Doctor of Medicine are prescribed and must be taken in the Stage of enrolment to which they correspond. They are set out in the Table of Units of Study: Doctor of Medicine.
(2)
To qualify for the award of Doctor of Medicine, a candidate must successfully complete 192 credit points across the four years, made up of:
8 Progression rules
(1)
Candidates for the Doctor of Medicine degree must enrol in all the prescribed units of study in each Stage and Year of the Doctor of Medicine.
(2)
Candidates must pass all Themes and all prescribed units of study in order to progress to the next Stage.
(3)
Candidates who do not meet the attendance requirements of each Stage, as detailed in the Faculty local provisions (http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2015/399&RendNum=0), will need approval from the Director of the Sydney Medical Program and/or the relevant Examination Committee to continue their candidature and/or to take the examinations.
(4)
In accordance with Faculty local provisions (http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2013/336&RendNum=0 and http://sydney.edu.au/policies/showdoc.aspx?recnum=PDOC2013/335&RendNum=0), candidates who demonstrate serious or repeated unprofessional behaviour may be required to show cause as to why their enrolment should be continued. Failure to show cause may result in exclusion from the course.
(5)
Candidates who fail theme or unit of study may be offered a supplementary assessment by the responsible Examination Committee, taking into account the candidate’s performance level compared to the set passing standard, the candidate’s attendance record, performance in other assessments, past academic history and adherence to the professionalism standards detailed in Faculty local provisions.
(6)
Candidates who fail a supplementary assessment for a theme or the MD Project unit(s)of study will repeat the applicable Year in its entirety, unless, in accordance with Part 15 of the University of Sydney Coursework Policy 2014, they are required to show cause as to why their enrolment should be continued. Failure to show cause may result in exclusion from the course.
(7)
Subject to Clause 10 (Time limits), candidates may only repeat one of Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3 (Year 3) or Stage 3 (Year 4) once.
(8)
Candidates who are required to repeat a Stage or Year must repeat the entire Stage or Year, including all Themes and all prescribed units of study. No credit is given for any unit of study or Theme in the repeat Stage or Year.
(9)
Candidates must complete both Semester 1 and Semester 2 in the same calendar year in order to progress to the next Stage. This Clause may be waived in exceptional circumstances, as determined by the Director(s) of the Sydney Medical Program.
(10)
Candidates who withdraw in Stage 1 or Stage 2 will be required to repeat all of the applicable year subject to Clause 8(9).
(11)
Candidates who achieve a mark of two or more standard errors of measurement (SEM) below the pass mark in the in-semester assessments during Stage 1 or Stage 2 will not be permitted to continue their candidature in that Stage in that academic year. They will be permitted to withdraw and to return the following academic year to repeat the Stage in its entirety.
(12)
Clause 8(11) does not apply to the in-semester assessment at the end of Foundation Block in Stage 1 unless the candidate has failed to meet the attendance requirements and/or has demonstrated unprofessional behaviour as defined in Clause 8(4).
(13)
A supplementary assessment for theStage 1 or 2 BCS Theme will not be granted to candidates who achieve a mark of two or more SEM below the pass mark.
(14)
Candidates who sat a supplementary assessment in Stage 1 will not be eligible for a supplementary assessment in the same theme in Stage 2.
(15)
Candidates must pass both Core Blocks in each Year of Stage 3 in order to be permitted to take the integrated Stage 3 Barrier Examination.
(16)
Candidates in Stage 3 who fail more than one of a Core or Specialty Block or an MD Project unit of study will not be permitted to continue the year.
(17)
Candidates who fail a Core Block will repeat that Core Block in its entirety in the same academic year. The Specialty Block that has been displaced by the repeat Core Block will be completed in the final academic term of Year 4.
(18)
Candidates who fail one Specialty Block in Stage 3 may repeat it in the final academic term of Year 4 only if they have not failed any other block, unit of study, Theme, Long Case Examination or the integrated Stage 3 Barrier Examination on the first attempt.
(19)
Subject to subclause (20),candidates who fail a single Specialty Block or the integrated Stage 3 Barrier Examination or the Long Case Examination may be granted a supplementary assessment. Eligibility for a supplementary assessment will be determined by the Examination Committee, taking into account the candidate’s performance level compared to the set passing standard, the candidate’s attendance record, performance in other assessments, past academic history and adherence to the professionalism standards detailed in the Faculty local provisions.
(20)
A supplementary assessment for the integrated Stage 3 Barrier Examination or a Specialty Block in-term assessment will not be granted to candidates who achieve a mark of two or more SEM below the pass mark.
(21)
Candidates who are eligible for the integrated Stage 3 Supplementary Examination will be provided with remediation and will not be permitted to continue to their last scheduled clinical Block in Year 3 or Year 4.
(22)
Candidates who fail the integrated Stage 3 Supplementary Examination or the Supplementary Long Case Examination will repeat the applicable Stage or Year in its entirety, unless, in accordance with Part 15 of the University of Sydney Coursework Policy 2014, they are required to show cause as to why their enrolment should be continued. Failure to show cause may result in exclusion from the course.
0.0
will repeat the applicable Year unless, in accordance with Part 15 of the University of Sydney Coursework Policy 2014, they are required to show cause as to why their enrolment should be continued. Failure to show cause may result in exclusion from the course.
(24)
Candidates who fail the Year 4 MD Project unit of study will be required to undertake a repeat eight week MD Project.
(25)
Candidates who fail the repeat MD Project block will repeat Year 4 in its entirety, unless, in accordance with Part 15 of the University of Sydney Coursework Policy 2014, they are required to show good cause as to why their enrolment should be continued. Failure to show cause may result in exclusion from the course.
(26)
Candidates must pass the Year 3 Core Blocks, and the integrated Stage 3 Year 3 Barrier Examination (or the Supplementary Examination), in order to be eligible to take the Elective Term unit of study.
(27)
A candidate who is repeating Year 3 is required to successfully complete 40 weeks of clinical placement (two Core, three Specialty Blocks, each of eight weeks' duration) and the MD Project units of study.
(28)
Only candidates who have satisfied all of the academic requirements of Stage 3 Year 3 and Year 4 will be permitted to enrol in the PRINT term.
(29)
Students who fail their PRINT term will repeat it in the next available PRINT term, which may be in the following academic year if a candidate has failed the last of the available PRINT terms in that academic year.
(30)
A candidate who is repeating Year 4 is required to successfully complete 32 weeks of clinical placement (four Core/Specialty Blocks, in total, each of eight weeks' duration), an eight week MD Project and a four-week PRINT term.
9 Medicine weighted average mark (MWAM)
MWAM = |
sum(Wc x Mc) | |
| sum(Wc) |
0.
where Wc is the unit of study credit points x the unit weighting and Mc is the mark achieved for the unit. The mark used for units with a grade AF is zero. Only Stage 3 units are used for the purpose of the calculation.
10 Time Limits
(1)
Subject to sub-clause 10(2), a candidate for the Doctor of Medicine must complete the requirements for the degree within five calendar years.
(2)
The Dean may, in exceptional circumstances, extend the time limit for completing the requirements for the Doctor of Medicine to a maximum of 10 years.