Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Tony Eyers
Contact via tony.eyers@mq.edu.au
Sonia Allan
Contact via sonia.allan@mq.edu.au
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Credit points |
Credit points
4
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MSurg or MASurg or MAMed or MMedPrac or DAdvSurg or PGCertAdvSurg
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
The practice of medicine requires high levels of ethical and professional awareness to support effective and responsible practice. Whatever the area of your practice, there will always be ethical challenges and moments when you ask yourself, "What is the right thing to do here?"
The practice-based approach to ethics in this unit uses common clinical situations as triggers to explore and analyse ethical dilemmas encountered in practice. Scholars learn to critique arguments, use moral theory, perform relevant research and develop a structured approach to analysing practical ethical challenges. The study of professionalism encompasses medical duties and obligations, team work, relations with industry, reflective practice and the goals of medicine. The unit is co-taught by surgeons and philosophers.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Name | Weighting | Due |
---|---|---|
Seminar 1 | 5% | 23/09/14 |
Seminar 2 | 5% | 07/10/14 |
Seminar 3 | 5% | 21/10/14 |
Assignment 1 | 25% | 10/10/14 |
Seminar 4 | 5% | 11/11/14 |
Seminar 5 | 5% | 25/11/14 |
Assignment 2 | 25% | 14/11/14 |
Seminar 6 | 5% | 09/12/14 |
Assignment 3 | 20% | 12/12/14 |
Assignment 4 | 0% | 19/12/14 |
Due: 23/09/14
Weighting: 5%
Assessment for this element is based upon participation in the seminar. We will expect you to demonstrate competence by describing, during the discussion, one or more of the issues that arose at the Memorial in ethical language, and by listing the duties and responsibilities of one staff member.
Due: 07/10/14
Weighting: 5%
Assessment for this element is based upon participation in the seminar. We will expect you to demonstrate competence by posting a description of a case from your own practice as an explicit ethical argument, and by contributing examples to the seminar discussion.
Due: 21/10/14
Weighting: 5%
Assessment for this element is based upon participation in the seminar. We will expect you to demonstrate competence in the performance elements by giving a 10 minute presentation of your research report (assignment 1). In your presentation, focus on the main points that you wish us to understand about the issue.
Due: 10/10/14
Weighting: 25%
Assessment for this element is based upon your identifying a clinical ethics topic that is significant for your own practice and/or of interest. Using relevant databases and other bibliographic resources, you find appropriate literature on your chosen topic. From the search results, you select five relevant articles or chapters (using the criteria for critically reviewing literature to help guide your selection). For your review, write a 1500 word narrative account of the ethical issue. In your account, synthesise the main points from your chosen literature, identify the main ethical positions, and provide your own reasons for preferring one position or conclusion on your chosen topic (eg for or against euthanasia).
Relevant Performance elements
3.1
Identifies elements of ethical arguments (premises, conclusions)
3. 2
Makes relevant distinctions and comparisons between concepts
3.3
Critically evaluates arguments
4.2
Justifies decisions using explicit ethical reasoning
5.1
Performs a competent literature search of ethics databases
5.2
Identifies articles suitable for investigating a specific ethics topic
5.3
Evaluates the ethical reasoning and arguments within the identified literature
Due: 11/11/14
Weighting: 5%
Assessment for this element is based upon performance in the seminar. We will expect you to demonstrate competence by identifying, discussing and justifying your chosen list of goals of medicine, using appropriate ethical language and reasoning.
Due: 25/11/14
Weighting: 5%
Assessment for this element is based upon performance in the seminar. We will expect you to demonstrate competence by presenting a draft of your clinical ethics case analysis (assignment 2) in which you have described a clinical situation that raises ethical issues, using appropriate concepts and language, analysed the case using a formal framework, and justified your chosen conclusion.
Due: 14/11/14
Weighting: 25%
Assessment for this element is based on your performing a clinical ethics case analysis (3000 words), using one of the frameworks available from the readings. In writing your analysis, you muust use appropriate ethical concepts and terminology to describe the issue, and be systematic in the use of your chosen framework, providing reasons to support your chosen conclusion. It is important that the case you select raises sufficient ethical issues to sustain a detailed analysis. See relevant references from the required and recommended readings and from your own research.
Relevant Performance elements
1.1
Identifies situations that raise ethical issues
1.2
Articulates ethical issue/s clearly
1.3
Identifies values relevant to specific situations
1.4
Identifies relevant responsibilities of health care professionals
2.1
Uses relevant ethical concepts
2.2
Uses ethical language (terminology) in appropriate ways
4.1
Uses an appropriate conceptual framework to analyse ethical issues arising in health care
4.2
Justifies decisions using explicit ethical reasoning
Due: 09/12/14
Weighting: 5%
Assessment for this element is based upon performance in the seminar. We will expect you to demonstrate competence by discussing a draft of your reflective work (assignment 3) in which you demonstrate evidence of reviewing your earlier views, identifying and discussing any challenges to these, and describing the likely impact upon your future practice.
Due: 12/12/14
Weighting: 20%
Assessment of this element is based on a written reflection (1000 words), on whether, and if so, how, the material that we have considered in the course to date has challenged or altered your initial responses to “The deadly choices at the Memorial” as discussed in the first seminar .
To do this you will need to reread your notes on your initial response, and take account of the discussion about the goals of medicine from seminar 5. Consider questions such as:
Relevant Performance elements
6.1
Provides a reflective review of initial response to the Deadly Choices at the Memorial, taking account of the goals of medicine
6.2
Identifies and explains challenges to initial views
6.3
Describes likely impact on future practice
6.4
Reflection: written note shows evidence of reflection, not just reporting
Due: 19/12/14
Weighting: 0%
Assessment for this element is based on your submitting a confidential Evaluation Report on your experience of the Unit.
Relevant Performance elements
7.1
Submits evaluation report
7.2
Report presented professionally
The learning activities involved, and the resouces required for the Unit of Study, are detailed on the iLearn site.
Topic One (weeks 1 - 3) 1 September - 19 September 2014
(Seminar 23 September 2014 7-9am)
Topic Two (weeks 4 --5) 22 September- 3 October 2014
(Seminar 7 October 2014 7-9am)
Topic Three (weeks 6-7) 6 October- 17 October 2014
(Seminar 21 October 2014 7-9am)
Topic Four (weeks 8 - 10) 20 October - 7 November 2014
(Seminar 11 November 2014 7-9am)
Topic Five (weeks 11- 12) 10 November - 21 November 2014
(Seminar 25 November 2014 7-9am)
Topic Six (weeks 13-15) 24 November - 12 December 2014
(Seminar 9 December 2014 7-9am)
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Academic Honesty Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html
Assessment Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html
Grading Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html
Grade Appeal Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html
Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html
Disruption to Studies Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/disruption_studies/policy.html The Disruption to Studies Policy is effective from March 3 2014 and replaces the Special Consideration Policy.
In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/support/student_conduct/
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.
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Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.
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