Course coordinator
Associate Professor Thangeswaran Rudra
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (06/01/2025 - 07/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- Herston
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Herston
- Coordinating unit
- UQ Medical School
By the end of the Obstetrics and Gynaecology course, you will have developed your knowledge, skills, personal attributes and acquired further clinical skills in women's health. During the course, you will be assigned to an Obstetrics and Gynaecology unit in a hospital within a Clinical School for six weeks of work-integrated learning. You will be an active participant of the medical team involved in the patient's care during this period, and will be expected to discuss problems and management plans using critical reasoning. You will receive instruction on how to take a patient's history and perform a physical examination. You will learn about progress in labour and the technique of a normal delivery. It is expected that you will achieve a solid foundation to critically evaluate issues in women's health and reproductive health care.
Welcome to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology course. During this course, and in particular through your six week clinical placement, you are expected to achieve a sound foundation in Obstetrics and Gynaecology on which to build further expertise to become a competent hospital intern.
Course requirements
Assumed background
Pre-requisites, expected to be derived from the previous years of the MDﾠProgram:
- Anatomy and physiology of female reproductive system, including menstrual cycle, sexual development and menopause
- Symptoms and signs of early pregnancy and its complications
- Principles of antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care
- Sexually transmitted infections
- Cervical and breast screening
- Contraception and family planning
- Surgical principles
- Principles of resuscitation
More generally, this course builds on knowledge obtained from courses in years 1 and 2, in particular from courses in Clinical Science and Clinical Practice. The knowledge we expect you to have gained from these courses includes, but is not limited to, human structure and function, disease processes and pathophysiologyﾠand approaches to clinical assessment. You are urged to review notes and learning materials from earlier courses in the program as appropriate during this course.
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
MEDI7212, MEDI7222, MEDI7232 and MEDI7202
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
MEDI7401 and MEDI7421
Restrictions
MD & MD (Ochsner) students only
Course contact
School enquiries
Mayne Academy of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Student & Academic Administration Team
Course staff
Lecturer
Professor Sailesh Kumar
Associate Professor Akwasi Amoako
Dr Pranali Patel
Head of mayne academy
Professor Sailesh Kumar
Timetable
Additional timetable information
Clinical Unit specific timetables are available on Learn.UQ (Blackboard)
Participation and Attendance
You should be aware of theﾠMedicalﾠProgramﾠParticipation Guidelines. Non-compliance may result in failure in this course.
- It is expected that students will attend all rostered sessions. Some of these sessions (e.g. Birth Suite shifts) may take place out of normal working hours.
- Participation will be assessed by the Clinical Participation Assessment (CPA).ﾠ
Aims and outcomes
- To equip medical graduates with core knowledge and skills in Obstetrics andﾠGynaecology to enable them to function as safe and competent interns and medical officers with sound knowledge of the Australian health care system.
- To provide graduates with a strong academic and clinical foundation to enable them to undertake postgraduate training and research in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Explain the basic and clinical sciences relevant to obstetrics and gynaecology and demonstrate an ability to deliver safe and quality healthcare.
LO2.
Demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to identify and manage common and serious illness in obstetrics and gynaecology.
LO3.
Demonstrate the application of key principles and evidence based care relevant to obstetrics and gynaecology to manage the health of women and their communities.
LO4.
Understand the importance of research and audit into clinical practice and delivery of healthcare
LO5.
Understand the critical importance of maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards in the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology specifically, and medicine more broadly
LO6.
Demonstrate professional behaviour in the clinical, tutorial and online learning environments
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination |
Structured Clinical Examination
|
Week 6,
Generally held on the final Friday of the placement block |
|
| Examination |
MCQ Exam
|
2/06/2025 - 7/06/2025
Details regarding the exam will be provided by the Medical School |
|
| Performance |
WBA - Part A (Obstetrics) & Part B (Gynaecology)
|
WBA Part A - Obstetrics Week 6, Fri 5:00 pm WBA Part B - Gynaecology Week 6, Fri 5:00 pm
Two (2) WBA's to be completed and submitted. (1 x Obstetrics WBA and 1 x Gynaecology WBA) |
|
| Notebook/ Logbook |
O&G Clinical Immersion Diary
|
Week 1 Mon - Week 6 Fri
Must be fully completed and submitted by 5pm, Week 6 Friday |
|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Placement |
CPA - Part A (Obstetrics) & Part B (Gynaecology)
|
Week 6, Fri 5:00 pm Week 6, Fri 5:00 pm
Two (2) CPA's to be completed and submitted. (1 x Obstetrics CPA and 1 x Gynaecology CPA) |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Structured Clinical Examination
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Examination
- Due date
Week 6,
Generally held on the final Friday of the placement block
Task description
The Structured Clinical Examination (SCE) tests clinical competence and reasoning and is based on patient care in three standardised stations (one obstetrics station, one gynaecology station and one station assessing a variety of clinical scenarios) of 10 minutes each. The examination is conducted by trained clinicians/teachers.
The format of the examination will be three minutes preparation and seven minutes examination with the examiner. However, there will be NO role players in the stations, so a clinical case scenario will be presented. There are five (5) standardised prompts that the examiner will give during the examination.
The examination will generally be held on the final Friday of the clinical placement.
- All students based at Brisbane Metro Clinical Sites will be required to attend a centralised location to complete the SCE exam.*
- Students based at Rural Clinical School or Ochsner Clinical School will complete the SCE exam at their local clinical sites.*
Criteria & Marking:
This is a three station Structured Clinical Examination (SCE) based on a variety of clinical scenarios.
Each station will be marked on five areas of task orientated performance. The total marks for each station is 50 marks (i.e., 150 marks for all three stations).
The Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Medicine has waived the requirement for this assessment item to be recorded. Performance of students in the management of each key task arising from the clinical scenario will be assessed using the rubric scoring as follows:
- Well above expectations – 10 marks
- Above expectations - 8 marks
- Meets expectations - 6 marks
- Below expectations - 4 marks
- Well below expectations - 2 marks
To obtain a PASS in the SCE - you must achieve the passing standard in at least two out of the three stations. The passing standard for each station is set at 60%, however this may be modified in accordance with standard setting methods.
*Please note the following for extenuating circumstances that may arise;
- You may be requested to attend a different clinical site to complete your SCE due to examiner availability
- Your exam may be held on zoom (ONLY in extenuating circumstances)
Hurdle requirements
Performance Hurdle: You must complete and meet the passing standard to pass the courseExam details
| Planning time | no planning time minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 30 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Other |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
There may be exceptional circumstances beyond your control that prevent you from sitting the original exam at its scheduled date and time. Information on deferring an exam can be found on myUQ.
MCQ Exam
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Due date
2/06/2025 - 7/06/2025
Details regarding the exam will be provided by the Medical School
Task description
The End Semester MCQ Exam paper assesses scientific and applied knowledge and is based on the entire curriculum as well other learning resources such as lectures, case studies and clinical attachments to clinics and birth suites. The format requires a choice of the single best answer from five options.
The overall duration of the End Semester MCQ examination is 90 mins. An approximate time allowance for the Obstetrics questions is therefore 45 minutes, with approximately 45 minutes time allowance for the Gynaecology questions.
All multiple-choice questions will be equally weighted. 30 questions will be obstetrics based MCQ's, 30 questions will be gynaecology based MCQ's.
Criteria & Marking:
The pass mark for the MCQ is set at 60% and it may be modified in accordance with standard setting methods.
Hurdle requirements
Performance Hurdle: You must complete and meet the passing standard to pass the courseExam details
| Planning time | no planning time minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Materials | 1 x Multiple Choice Answer Sheet |
| Exam platform | ExamSoft |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
There may be exceptional circumstances beyond your control that prevent you from sitting the original exam at its scheduled date and time. Information on deferring an exam can be found on myUQ.
WBA - Part A (Obstetrics) & Part B (Gynaecology)
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Performance
- Due date
WBA Part A - Obstetrics Week 6, Fri 5:00 pm
WBA Part B - Gynaecology Week 6, Fri 5:00 pm
Two (2) WBA's to be completed and submitted. (1 x Obstetrics WBA and 1 x Gynaecology WBA)
Task description
The Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA) - Part A (Obstetrics) assesses your ability to obtain a relevant obstetric history, perform an appropriate obstetric examination and clinical reasoning skills.
The Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA) - Part B (Gynaecology) assesses your ability to obtain a relevant gynaecologial history, perform an appropriate gynaecological examination (which may include speculum or vaginal examination) and clinical reasoning skills.
Criteria & Marking:
Performance will be assessed in each of the following six categories:
- History taking technique
- Clinical reasoning during history taking
- Examination technique (only if patient consents)
- Clinical reasoning during examination
- Communication and manner with patient
- Global Rating
To pass this assessment, you must achieve a minimum grading of 'competent' on all domains, including the global rating. If you fail this assessment, the local site lead or student coordinator will be notified of this directly so they can review the assessment and put in place further assessments as required. There is no limit to the number of times this assessment may be attempted to obtain a passing standard.
Hurdle requirements
Performance Hurdle: You must complete and meet the passing standard to pass the courseSubmission guidelines
You must submit 1 x obstetrics WBA and 1 x gynaecology WBA to the Workplace based assessment platform by 5pm (AEST) on the last working day of the final week of clinical placement.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any Workplace Based Assessment(s) without an approved extension, it will be considered as a lapse in professional conduct. The penalty will be a deduction of 10% relative percentage per day. Late submission longer than 7 calendar days will be considered as not meeting the passing standard for this assessment, in addition to being considered a lapse in professional conduct.
O&G Clinical Immersion Diary
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Notebook/ Logbook
- Due date
Week 1 Mon - Week 6 Fri
Must be fully completed and submitted by 5pm, Week 6 Friday
Task description
To help you track and align your clinical experience with the learning outcomes of the Obstetrics & Gynaecology course, you are required to complete an electronic clinical immersion diary on a daily basis, whenever you are rostered to a clinical session (e.g. Gynaecology & Antenatal clinics, Theatres, Pregnancy Assessment Centre etc).
- Entries should include the type of activity/procedures undertaken in clinical sessions
- For procedures/complaints/diagnoses that you discuss/action/observe or perform, make a short entry about the key points.
At the beginning of your clinical placement, please refer to the workplace-based assessment platform for detailed instructions on how to submit your clinical immersion diary. Further details can also be found on Blackboard.
Hurdle requirements
Compliance hurdle: You must complete this requirement to pass the courseSubmission guidelines
The Clinical Immersion Diary is designed to be completed as a daily submission task, however you will also have the option of retrospectively completing the diary, if you have sufficient details to do so. Submission is made via the workplace based assessment platform. By the end of the six week placement, the record should be fully completed.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
If you fail to meet the submission deadline for the Clinical Immersion Diary without an approved extension, it will be considered as a lapse in professional conduct.
Late submission longer than 7 calendar days will be considered as not meeting the passing standard for this assessment, in addition to being considered a lapse in professional conduct.
CPA - Part A (Obstetrics) & Part B (Gynaecology)
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Placement
- Due date
Week 6, Fri 5:00 pm
Week 6, Fri 5:00 pm
Two (2) CPA's to be completed and submitted. (1 x Obstetrics CPA and 1 x Gynaecology CPA)
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
Task description
The Medical School considers that participation and engagement at clinical placements are fundamental aspects of the MD program, consistent with the framework of self-directed and life-long learning and indicative of the need for clinical competence and professional conduct in addition to theoretical knowledge.
In all courses during Years 3 and 4 of the MD program, you are assessed on your professional conduct and clinical skills and the extent to which you have contributed and engaged in your clinical placement and clinical learning activities. The nature of these activities will vary according to the placement, but may include admitting/clerking patients, assessing patients at outpatient clinics, presenting at ward rounds and demonstrating initiative in attending other activities such as grand rounds.
Scoring in the Clinical Participation Assessment (CPA) is based on conduct and contribution during ward rounds and case discussions, initiative in seeking learning opportunities, behaviour towards peers and medical (and all other) colleagues, patient assessment, ability to succinctly present a patient case including differential diagnosis, and awareness of social and ethical issues including risk assessment.
The CPA components are:
- Clinical Communication
- History Taking
- Examination Skills
- Clinical Reasoning
- Engagement in Practice
- Professional Practice
- Reflective Practice
- Social/Cultural Competence and Safety
There is also a Student Flag component which allows a supervisor to report a student with concerning unprofessional or unsafe behaviour. The Student Flag component also provides a mechanism for notifying exemplary performance to the School.
To maximise your learning, you are encouraged to actively seek feedback from your clinical teacher/s during your clinical placement. This will assist in identifying any areas requiring further improvement before your final Clinical Participation Assessment is completed. Active engagement in the clinical setting is a requirement to pass this assessment task.
Criteria & Marking:
The CPA is a global assessment of professional and clinical practice and contributes to your overall performance in the following ways:
- If you are enrolled concurrently in the WLP course, four components contribute to this [course code] course (Clinical Communication, History Taking, Examination Skills, Clinical Reasoning) and the remaining components (Engagement in Practice, Professional Practice, Reflective Practice, Social/Cultural Competence and Safety and Student Flag) contribute to the WLP course.
- If you are not enrolled concurrently in the WLP course all components contribute to this MEDI7411 course.
Additional information may be received by staff from clinical placement site/s where you completed this course. This will be reviewed by the Course Coordinator and ratings completed by your supervisor in the CPA may be revised. For example, if your supervisor rated you as satisfactory related to professional conduct but the Medical School has other information available, the supervisor’s ratings may be moderated based on this additional information.
Your performance will also be reviewed at the End of Semester Examiner’s meeting and following discussion you may receive a non-graded fail for the course, if:
• There are any unsatisfactory results recorded in any of the CPA components contributing to this course (including moderations made by the Course Coordinator)
• There are four or more borderline results recorded in any of the CPA components contributing to this course (including moderations made by the Course Coordinator)
• The required number of CPAs have not been submitted to your supervisor for completion by the due date.
Factors that will be taken into account during the review undertaken at the End of Semester Examiner’s meeting include:
• Evidence of temporal improvement in performance across the course (if applicable)
• Completion and content of the WLP Task Review in response to unsatisfactory or borderline ratings
• Relative opportunity available across the semester
• Other factors relevant to your performance
Hurdle requirements
Performance hurdle: You must meet the passing standard to pass the courseSubmission guidelines
A function of the CPA discussion and form completion is to consider information from the whole placement. Therefore, you are expected to complete your CPA discussion and submit your CPA form during the final week of placement. Given clinician availability, there may be times when this is not always possible. If you complete your CPA discussion and submit your CPA form before the final week of placement for placements of 3 weeks or less, or before the penultimate week of placement for placements longer than 3 weeks, additional information obtained by your supervisor or Course Coordinator maybe considered to add to that discussed and submitted. Therefore, you are discouraged from completing the CPA discussion and form submission early.
You are expected to engage in discussions about your performance with your supervisor or their delegate throughout the course, preferably face-to-face. To ensure you receive synchronous feedback from your supervisor or their delegate, you are encouraged to request your supervisor to complete the assessment in real-time before the end of your placement. However, if your supervisor is unable to assess in real-time, you have the option to submit your CPA to your supervisor or their delegate, on or before the due date specified in the Assessment Section of this Course Profile, using the Email for later option in MyProgress. CPAs submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be accepted and may result in a course failure.
If your supervisor has not assessed your CPA within 7 days after submission, you are encouraged to send a gentle reminder email to your supervisor via MyProgress. If there are problems contacting your supervisor or if your CPA remains unassessed, please contact your local Student Coordinator.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any Clinical Participation Assessment without an approved extension, it will not be accepted and may result in course failure regardless of whether the supervisor has rated your participation at a satisfactory or proficient level in the related course components.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Pass/Fails | Cut off % | Description |
|---|---|---|
| P | <p>0</p> - |
Course grade description: Demonstrated evidence of competency in meeting learning objectives. See Additional Course Grading information below. |
| F | <p>0</p> - |
Course grade description: Insufficient evidence of competency in meeting course learning objectives. See Additional Course Grading information below. |
Additional course grading information
PASS: Awarded when you achieve ALL of the following:
- Meet criteria for CPA detailed in Assessment detail
AND
- Achieve the passing standard for at least two out of the three SCE stations.
AND
- Achieve passing standard for the MCQ exam
AND
- Achieve passing standard for the WBAs
AND
- Complete the Clinical Immersion Diary
Marginal Fail: You will be considered a Marginal Fail and may be eligible for a Supplementary Assessment, if you:
- Meet criteria for the CPA and have completed and submitted all assessment tasks by the due date to a passing standard (WBAs, Clinical Immersion Diary)
AND
- Fail to achieve the passing standard for the MCQ Exam AND for one of the three SCE stations
OR
- Fail to achieve the passing standard for the MCQ Exam.
OR
- Fail to achieve the passing standard for two or more of the SCE stations
FAIL: You will receive a Fail grade if you:
- Do not meet criteria for CPA or submit all assessment tasks by the due date to a passing standard (WBA's and Clinical Immersion Diary)
OR
- fail to achieve the passing standard for two or more of the three SCE stations
AND
- fail to achieve the passing standard for the MCQ exam
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.
If you fail the Clinical Participation Assessment (CPA), you will not be eligible for a supplementary assessment/examination. These assessments are based on the successful development and demonstration of professional competencies over the entire clinical placement and a record of attendance at all clinical placement days throughout the entire clinical placement, as required in the Medical Program Participation Guidelines.
Supplementary assessment will only be awarded where, in the judgement of the Associate Dean (Academic), you have marginally failed to attain the level of competence required for a passing grade in this course as per Assessment Procedures.
If you are eligible for a supplementary assessment, you will generally be required to complete the assessment task or tasks where you did not meet the expected standard.
Additional assessment information
Remark of assessment
The Clinical Participation Assessment (CPA) is not eligible for requests for re-mark. This assessment comprises expert evaluation over an extended period within an authentic clinical learning environment which cannot be duplicated. This assessment therefore cannot be re-marked, and it cannot be cross-marked by another examiner.
Previous academic difficulties
If you have experienced academic difficulties in previous years of the Program or during clinical placement, you are encouraged to reflect on the nature of these difficulties and discuss any need for extra assistance with your Course Coordinator/s and clinical unit / Learning Community at the beginning of the course.
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Assessments
At UQ, the use of AI outputs without attribution, and contrary to any direction by teaching staff, is a form of plagiarism and constitutes academic misconduct.
If you use AI in your assessment without permission or appropriate acknowledgment it may be considered misconduct. If you have questions, you should ask your course coordinator.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks |
Placement |
Clinical Immersion Diary The Clinical Immersion Diary is an electronic document that confirms your learning in the clinical environment. A supervisor / clinician signature should be sought daily at the end of each clinical session confirming the learning outcomes and activities of that session. |
Placement |
Birthing suite You are expected to learn about progress in labour and the technique of a normal vaginal delivery; 1. Viewing a video of a normal vaginal delivery simulation and completing a short quiz (Not an assessment item) 2. Small group tutorials with a registrar (Not an assessment item) |
|
Placement |
Outpatient clinics You are expected to be an active participant in the medical team involved in the patientﾒs care by knowing the patientﾒs clinical information (history, clinical examination). You will discuss the problems and management plan using clinical reasoning with your supervisor (Consultant or Registrar). You are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the problems under discussion.Learning must be supplemented using the recommended resources. |
|
Tutorial |
Centrally delivered tutorials This series of tutorials is designed to cover the principles and practice of how to use clinical information effectively in an Obstetrics and Gynaecology context. You will also be taken through several clinical scenarios in interactive sessions to test your skills in management planning. Learning must be supplemented using the recommended resources. |
|
Lecture |
Introductory week activities
|
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
- Working with Children Policy
- Occupational Health and Safety in the Laboratory Guideline
- Fitness to Practise Policy
- Vaccinations and Immunisation Procedure
- Work Integrated Learning and Work Experience Policy
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: