Surgical Specialties (MEDI7416)

Course overview

The primary goal of this Surgery Specialties course is to allow you to gain exposure to patients with common and serious Orthopaedic & Ophthalmologic Surgical problems; to learn how patients with these conditions present clinically, to develop history taking and physical examination skills in these particular patient populations, to learn the role of investigations for these patients and to develop an understanding of the treatment principles, both operative and non-operative, for patients with these conditions. To gain the relevant clinical exposure, as much time as possible should be spent in the clinics, on the wards and where feasible, in the operating room. The aim is have you intern ready with respect to diagnosis, investigation, and management including appropriate time for referral with respect to orthopaedic and ophthalmologic conditions.

The Surgical Specialties block consists of the Orthopaedic SurgeryﾠPlacement (3 weeks) and the Ophthalmology Placement (2 weeks). You will be allocated to surgical specialty units, to participate in the daily activities of those units, and to participate in all that happens during their patients' episode of care. In addition, you should attend outpatients, ward rounds, operating theatre, and other unit meetings. This placement structure and the day to day activities will vary amongst the Clinical Units but content coverage will be similar.

This course isﾠsemester long - forming one of the three courses that make up the Advanced Hospital Practice Semester. While each of the courses in AHP has a discipline focus and a related clinical placement, it is important to recognise thatﾠlearning opportunities will arise for all course in each one of the clinical placements. For instance,ﾠseeingﾠa dislocation reduced during their ED term is an opportunity for youﾠto read up about dislocations and principles of reduction,ﾠwhile clerking anﾠelderly person with typical OA of the hands during a medical term is an opportunity to revise the topic of osteoarthritis. In this way, you will be able to acquire knowledge on individual placementsﾠthat will help them do well in the final exams for other courses in the semester.ﾠYou are therefore strongly encouraged toﾠtake every opportunity during the whole AHP semester to acquire discipline-specific knowledge when the opportunityﾠpresents, 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.

Course requirements

Assumed background

This course builds on learnings from courses offered in Years 1 and 2 of the MD Program, and in particular from courses in Clinical Science and Clinical Practice. It also builds on knowledge and experience gained in Year 3, particularly in the Surgery course. The knowledge we expect you to have gained from these courses includes but is not limited to teaching and learning in human structure and function, disease processes and pathophysiology, and approaches to clinical assessment. Students 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, MEDI7242 OR MEDI7202 and MEDI7301 OR MEDI7311

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

MEDI7405

Restrictions

MD & MD (Ochsner) Students Only

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

Additional timetable information

Timetabling

You should consult theﾠMEDI7416ﾠLearn.UQ (Blackboard) site and their clinical unit student coordinators.

Participation

You should be aware of theﾠMedicine Program Participation Guidelines. Non-compliance may result in failure in this course.

Participation will be assessed by the Clinical Participation Assessment (CPA). Students who do not meet the participation requirements will FAIL the Clinical Participation Assessment and the course.

Aims and outcomes

Orthopaedic Surgery

It has been estimated that more than 20% of consultations in primary care relate to musculo-skeletal pathology. The aim of the Orthopaedic Surgery clinical placementﾠis to familiarise you with common and serious orthopaedic conditions, how they present clinically, how they are investigated and principles of management. The Orthopaedic Surgery component provides the basic foundation in Orthopaedics with the following specific aims:

1. To reinforce and extend a core knowledge base in musculoskeletal anatomy, physiology and function;
2. To reinforce and extendﾠan understanding of the pathology and pathophysiology of musculoskeletal disorders and trauma;
3. To develop proficiency in musculoskeletal examination; and
4. To learn to recognise the signs and symptoms and understand the basic management principles for common and serious orthopaedic conditions including orthopaedic trauma.

Ophthalmology

The need to understand primary disorders of the eye and vision; and the relationship between ophthalmologic pathology and other conditions, is an essential component of medicine and primary care. The Ophthalmology Surgery clinical placement provides the basic foundation in Ophthalmology with the following specific aims:

1. To reinforce and extendﾠa core knowledge base in ocular anatomy and physiology;
2. To develop proficiency in basic ophthalmological examination skills; and
3. To understand the signs,ﾠsymptoms and basic management principles of common as well as potentially vision and life-threatening ocular conditions.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

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

AoCC - Part A Orthopaedics & Part B Ophthalmology

• Hurdle
• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Practical/ Demonstration

Due date

Ophthalmology AoCC Week 2, Fri 5:00 pm

Orthopaedics AoCC Week 3, Fri 5:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Submission guidelines

The AoCC must be submitted electronically to the UQ electronic WBA platform; by the end of the Orthopaedic / Ophthalmology Placement.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

There may be exceptional circumstances beyond your control that prevent you from submitting an assessment item by the due date. Information on how to apply for an extension can be found on myUQ. This application must be received prior to the submission deadline.

You should refer to the General Assessment Guidelines - MD Program for further information on matters related to assessment. 

Late submission

All submission dates for Assessment are Brisbane time - Australian Eastern Standard time (AEST).

You are required to submit assessable items on time.

Late penalties apply where the following assessments are submitted after the deadline without an approved extension:

1. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for the Orthopaedic AoCC 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. 
2. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for the Ophthalmology AoCC 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. 

Clinical Participation Assessment - Orthopaedics

• Hurdle
• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance

Category

Participation/ Student contribution, Placement

Due date

Week 3, Fri 5:00 pm

One (1) to be completed and submitted on the last day of the Orthopaedic Clinical Placement.

Other conditions

Work integrated learning.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

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.

There may be exceptional circumstances beyond your control that prevent you from submitting an assessment item by the due date. Information on how to apply for an extension can be found on myUQ. This application must be received prior to the submission deadline.

You should refer to the General Assessment Guidelines - MD Program for further information on matters related to assessment. 

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. 

Ophthalmology MCQ Exam

• Hurdle
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Due date

The MCQ examination will take place after the conclusion of TP2.

Details regarding the exam will be provided by the Medical School.

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Orthopaedics MCQ Exam

• Hurdle
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Due date

The MCQ examination will take place after the conclusion of TP2.

Details regarding the exam will be provided by the Medical School.

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

PASS: Awarded where you achieve ALL of the following: 

• Meet the criteria for the CPA detailed in the Assessment detail section

AND

• Complete and submit all assessment tasks, including the Orthopaedics and Ophthalmology AoCC, to the expected standard

AND

• Meet the passing standard in both the Orthopaedics & Ophthalmology MCQ exams

MARGINAL FAIL: If you meet the following criteria, you will be considered a Marginal Fail and may be eligible for a Supplementary Assessment:

• Meet the criteria for the CPA detailed in the Assessment Detail section

AND

• You do not meet the passing standard in the Orthopaedics and / or Ophthalmology AoCC tasks

OR

• You do not meet the passing standard in the Orthopaedics MCQ exam

OR

• You do not meet the passing standard in the Ophthalmology MCQ exam

FAIL: You will Fail the course overall when:

• You do not meet the criteria for the CPA detailed in the Assessment detail section

OR

• You do not meet the passing standard in BOTH the Orthopaedics MCQ and the Ophthalmology MCQ

OR

• You do not meet the passing standard in EITHER the Orthopaedics MCQ or the Ophthalmology MCQ AND do not meet the passing standard in one of the AoCCs

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

• Assessments of Clinical Competency are clinical examinations which are not eligible for requests for remark. Such assessment comprise expert evaluation by experienced, trained specialist clinician examiners which cannot be replicated or duplicated.
• The Clinical Participation Assessment 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.

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.

School guidelines

Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course:

• MD General Assessment Guidelines
• Medical Program Participation Guidelines