Course coordinator
Dr Gabriela Mena Ribadeneira
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (17/06/2024 - 16/11/2024)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- Herston
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- Herston
- Coordinating unit
- UQ Medical School
The Personalised Learning Course allows final year medical students to undertake study in the medical field that is of interest to them. It also provides an opportunity to further develop experience and skills that are relevant for their transition to their role as future health professional. While a semester in length, the period of clinical/community work-integrated learning placement will be the equivalent of 30 days of placement either over a five week duration (Summer Semester delivery) or six weeks duration (Semester 1 and 2 delivery). The course may be used to enhance clinical skills in hospital or general practice settings, or may be used to undertake a research project or community based projects broadly related to medicine. The activities of the course may be located locally, or at any place within Australia or internationally (subject to University, Federal and State travel restrictions at the time). The location and activities are also subject to agreement from a project supervisor, and approval from the Course Coordinator. Students are expected to plan and report back on goals and outcomes of the course, including presentation of those outcomes in a multimedia report.
This semester-long course, is one of three courses that make up the Primary Care Plus OR Women’s and Children’s Health Semester. While each of the courses in PCP OR WCH has a discipline focus and a related clinical placement, it is important to recognise that learning opportunities may arise for all courses in each one of the clinical placements. You are strongly encouraged to take every opportunity during the whole PCP OR WCH semester to acquire discipline-specific knowledge when the opportunity presents, to reflect on the ways that different disciplines view the same clinical problem, and to recognise how each discipline can contribute in different ways to the management of that problem.
The Personalised Learning (Elective) course is intended to allow you to undertake a focussed period of work of your choosing that allows you to advance your education, experience or future career options. Broadly, we expect you will choose a clinical elective or research activity, but community-based activities and other projects are also possible. While the elective course is semester-long, it includes a single continuous six week placement period that serves to achieve the stated goal of the elective. That stated goal is summarised in the learning plan, which is prepared by you, and must be approved by your supervisor. Electives may be taken at any site worldwide, subject to the establishment of appropriate supervisory arrangements and subject to University, State and Federal travel restrictions at the time. A number of elective placements are also available within UQ clinical units. While the placement period is six weeks in duration, it may contain specific activities of shorter duration within it, including clinical attachments or other activities.
Course requirements
Restrictions
MD & MD (Ochsner) Students Only
Course contact
School enquiries
Medical School Student and Academic Administration Team
Timetable
Additional timetable information
Participation
You should be aware of theﾠMedicalﾠProgramﾠParticipation Guidelines. Non-compliance may result in failure in this course.
Aims and outcomes
The primary aim of the Personalised Learning Course ("Elective Course") is to provide students with the autonomy to undertake a discrete period of work and study that is of direct benefit to their future medical career, orﾠthat provides them with exposure to health-related work contexts that are of interest to them, but not available within the core courses of the MD program at UQ.ﾠ
Additional aims of the course include the:
- development of skills in planning, execution and evaluation of a self-directed learning activity, in order toﾠfurther develop skills in life-long learning essential for sustained effective medical practice
- opportunity to communicate effectively with peers regarding the outcomes of the elective placement.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Actively engage with activities that will assist in the development of skills and knowledge in an area relevant to future practice
LO2.
Demonstrate the organisational and negotiation skills required to successfully establish a collaborative activity in a relevant professional field
LO3.
Demonstrate a capacity to reflect on personal achievement against stated goals, to identify factors that have limited that achievement, and describe future approaches to improve performance
LO4.
Use digital media to communicate effectively with peers in an engaging, informative and professional manner
LO5.
Pursue opportunities to develop skills that facilitate the transition to internship
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay/ Critique, Placement |
Learning Plan
|
5pm, Friday (AEST): Week 1 of PLC Block |
|
| Presentation, Project |
Multimedia Presentation
|
Block 4 & 5: 5pm (AEST), Friday of the week after PLC Block Block 6: 1pm (AEST), Monday of Exam week |
|
| Essay/ Critique, Reflection |
Reflective essay
|
Block 4 & 5: 5pm (AEST), Friday of the week after PLC Block Block 6: 1pm (AEST), Monday of Exam week |
|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Placement |
Clinical Participation Assessment
|
5pm, Friday (AEST): Last week of PLC Block |
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
Learning Plan
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Placement
- Due date
5pm, Friday (AEST): Week 1 of PLC Block
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
You must complete and submit a 350-550 word learning plan using the template proforma available on the course Blackboard course site.
The plan must describe:
- The learning opportunity proposed for the elective (100-150 words)
- The specific expected learning outcomes (100-150 words)
- Learning methods or activities (100-150 words)
- Proposed method of appraisal (50-100 words)
The Learning Plan must be agreed to by the supervisor, and approved by the Course Coordinator. Submission of a revised plan might be required if there is significant change in the placement/planned work.
Additional requirement for non-UQ elective placements
To gain provisional approval for a non-UQ elective, you must supply the details of the intended elective, including dates, type of elective, supervisor details and a ~200 word statement around the elective goals. This should indicate what you are aiming to get out of the elective. Documentation that indicates supervisor approval (if available), or in the case of placements organised through an agency, correspondence from that agency confirming the placement needs to be uploaded at this time also. If the elective is to be split into several clinical attachments with different supervisors, then a separate application for each should be put into the portal. If the elective is to be mainly spent in one place but with the remainder of the time spent in a self-directed activity, then this can all be put into one application, but this should form a single cohesive proposal. Note that the student placement agreement (SPA) needs to be received by the placements team from the elective destination institution in order to finalise the approval. It is recommended that travel plans are not finalised until the SPA is received.
Criteria & Marking:
The Learning plan will be approved by the Course Coordinator. Where a Learning plan is considered to be unsatisfactory, you must make changes to the plan as suggested, and resubmit.
Failure to gain approval of a Learning Plan will result in a FAIL grade for the Personalised Learning Course. You will pass this assessment task where their Learning Plan has been approved by the Course Coordinator.
Hurdle requirements
Performance Hurdle: You must complete and meet the passing standard to pass the course.Submission guidelines
Instructions and proformas for the submission of a Learning Plan are available on the course Blackboard site.
Significant penalties apply for failure to gain approval by the final approval date.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
If you fail to meet the submission deadline for the Learning Plan 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. The penalty may be a grade of N (Fail) for the course, regardless of performance in each task.
Multimedia Presentation
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation, Project
- Due date
Block 4 & 5: 5pm (AEST), Friday of the week after PLC Block
Block 6: 1pm (AEST), Monday of Exam week
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
- Learning outcomes
- L03, L04
Task description
Following completion of your elective placement, you are required to provide a fully viewable/readable, by an interested third party, and informative multimedia presentation within three minutes regarding your experience during the placement.
- Audience: Other medical students considering available elective opportunities, or interested in learning about the experience of their colleagues.
- Format: An electronic presentation in a form that is amenable to storage.
- The display tool used is at your discretion, but the presentation should include suitable graphic elements (photos, diagrams, multimedia) as well as text. File types may include but not be limited to PDF, PowerPoint, video formats etc - but must be able to be stored with Blackboard and made available to others.
Your presentation may be stored in a searchable repository, and is intended to be available to future students as a resource to help decide on elective options.
Criteria & Marking:
This is intended to be independent work and does not need review or approval by your elective supervisor or the course coordinator. At the same time, as a public artefact, the presentation must not be used to criticise any aspect of the elective experience other than valid self-reflection. Such criticisms (if any) should be reserved for the private reflective essay.
This assessment will be marked and you will pass if you submit it as described under the Task Description by the due date.
Hurdle requirements
Performance Hurdle: You must complete and meet the passing standard to pass the course.Submission guidelines
Instructions for submission of the Multimedia Presentation will be provided on the course Blackboard site.
Presentations must be submitted by the date and time indicated for this task. Late penalties will be applied for failure to submit by the due date specified.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
If you fail to meet the submission deadline for the Multimedia Presentation 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. The penalty may be a grade of N (Fail) for the course, regardless of performance in each task.
Reflective essay
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Reflection
- Due date
Block 4 & 5: 5pm (AEST), Friday of the week after PLC Block
Block 6: 1pm (AEST), Monday of Exam week
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
- Learning outcomes
- L03
Task description
You must submit a reflective essay that describes the extent to which the outcomes of their Elective placement reflect the original learning plans. You must describe the reasons for variation of outcome, with a focus on those variables under your control. You must also indicate changes to your practice behaviours or attitudes that are informed by that reflection, and that are relevant to your future medical practice.
A template will be available on the Blackboard course site.
Report Length: 500-750 words. Penalties will apply for under- or over-length essays
Format: Microsoft Word document, 12 point font, 1.5 line spacing.
Criteria & Marking:
The essay will be graded (pass/fail) taking into account each of the following two criteria
- Reflects effectively on reasons for discrepancies between planned and actual outcomes, with a focus on factors that could be influenced by you.
- Identifies areas of change in skills, behaviours or attitudes that may have led to better outcomes, and proposes practical approaches to improvement in those areas.
Where you fail either of the criteria in the Reflective essay, you may fail the Personalised Learning Course overall.
Hurdle requirements
Performance Hurdle: You must complete and meet the passing standard to pass the course.Submission guidelines
Instructions for submission of the Multimedia Presentation will be provided on the course Blackboard site.
Presentations must be submitted by the date and time indicated for this task. Late penalties will be applied for failure to submit by the due date specified.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
If you fail to meet the submission deadline for the Reflective Essay 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. The penalty may be a grade of N (Fail) for the course, regardless of performance in each task.
Clinical Participation Assessment
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Placement
- Due date
5pm, Friday (AEST): Last week of PLC Block
- Other conditions
- Work integrated learning.
- Learning outcomes
- L02, L03
Task description
The Medical School considers that participation and engagement at clinical or research 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 or research competence and professional conduct in addition to theoretical knowledge.
In all clinical or research courses during Years 3 and 4 of the MD program, you are assessed on your professional and clinical or research skills and the extent to which you have contributed and engaged in your clinical or research placement and related 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, contributing to research projects, and demonstrating initiative in attending other activities such as grand rounds or research seminars.
Scoring in the Clinical Participation Assessment (CPA) is based on conduct and contribution during research, ward rounds and case discussions, initiative in seeking learning opportunities, patient or research subject assessment, ability to succinctly present a patient case or research methods and findings, commitment to the research process, proactive engagement in research activities, behaviour towards peers and medical (and all other) colleagues, and awareness of social and ethical issues including risk assessment.
The CPA for the PLC course has components which assess:
- 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 or research supervisor during your placement. This will assist in identifying any areas requiring further improvement before your Clinical Participation Assessment is completed. Active engagement in the clinical or research setting is a requirement to pass this assessment task.
The CPA rubric can be found in the Blackboard Course Site for guidance so that you are familiar with marking criteria for each component.
Criteria & Marking:
The CPA is a global assessment of professional and clinical practice and contribute to your overall performance in the following ways:
- If you are enrolled concurrently in the WLP course, all 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 PLC course.
Additional information may be received by staff from clinical placement site/s or research staff 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 be reviewed at the End of Semester Examiner’s meeting and following discussion may receive a fail in the WLP course (for condition 1 above) or the PLC course (for condition 2 above) if:
- There are any unsatisfactory results recorded in any of the CPA components
- There are four or more borderline results recorded in any of the CPA components
- 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 complete and meet the passing standard to pass the course.Submission 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 | Description |
|---|---|
| P |
Course grade description: Demonstrated evidence of competency in meeting course learning objectives. See Additional Course Grading Information below |
| F |
Course grade description: Insufficient evidence of competency in meeting course learning objectives. See Additional Course Grading Information below |
Additional course grading information
Non-graded pass: Demonstrated evidence of competency in meeting course learning objectives:
You will receive a PASS grade for this course if you:
- Complete and submit all assessment tasks outlined in section 5.1
- Meet the passing standard for the Learning Plan AND
- Meet the passing standard for the Reflective Essay AND
- Meet the passing standard for the Multimedia Presentation AND
- Meet the criteria for the CPA detailed in Assessment detail section
Non-graded fail: Insufficient evidence of competency in meeting course learning objectives:
You will receive a FAIL grade for this course if you:
- Do not meet the passing standard for the Learning Plan OR
- Do not meet the passing standard for the Reflective Essay OR
- Do not meet the passing standard for the Multimedia Presentation OR
- Do not meet the criteria for the CPA detailed in Assessment detail section
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
Assessment evaluates your abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). You are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
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.
Additional learning resources information
Listings of available electives at UQ clinical sites are available via the Year 4 preferencing and allocationsﾠsection of the MD program 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 |
|---|---|---|
O-week |
Workshop |
Introductory week Introductory week for the Women's and Children's Health semester and for the Primary Care Plus Semester. You are expected to attend the introductory week unless you have an approved international placement in Clinical Placement Block 4. |
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 6 |
Not Timetabled |
Development of Elective Learning Plan You will develop a learning plan for your elective. This is due on the first Friday of the block that you are doing the placement in. Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Not Timetabled |
Reflective essay You will write a reflective essay to reflect on your elective. This is due on the Friday one week after the block in which the placement took place. Learning outcomes: L03 |
|
Not Timetabled |
Multimedia presentation You are expected to create and share reports of your Elective experience with colleagues, and to review reports of others, as part of the activities of this course. Details are outlined in the assessment section. Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
|
Not Timetabled |
Elective placement A period of 6 weeks in which you can pursue approved activities relevant to your future medical career. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Policies and guidelines
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.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: