Detailed information regarding the assessment of the Macquarie MD and unit-specific assessment is available on the MQMDAssess Macquarie MD Assessment 2020 Intake iLearn site. 

Grading

In this unit two types of grading will be used and a supervision recommendation will be given where a clinical assessment relates to a Stage 1 Entrustable Professional Activity (EPA). The written examination will be graded numerically with a standardised mark out of 100, while the OSCE will be coarse graded. Coarse grades (P+, P, P-, F) will be assigned to the focused and generic MD Capability Aspects as well as overall task performance. The numeric marks for the examinations and overall coarse grade for the assessment task, weighted according to their contribution, will be used to calculate the overall  Unit aggregate. Unit outcomes based on the Unit aggregate will be reported to the University using the standard Macquarie grades (High Distinction, Distinction, Credit, Pass, Fail). As most assessment tasks in the program are coarse graded, a single standardised numerical grade (SNG) equivalent will be reported for each University grade. Both the numeric equivalents for the coarse grades used in the calculation of the unit aggregate and the conversion of the aggregate to a single SNG are available on the iLearn Macquarie MD Year Noticeboard 2020 Intake site. 

All final grades in the Macquarie MD are reviewed by the MD Course Board and Faculty Assessment Committee and ratified by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Faculty Board. Therefore, they are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor.

To pass this unit, students must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, attempt all assessment tasks, and meet any ungraded requirements which include professionalism, submission of sufficient number and satisfactory performance in Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) and Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-Cex), and  achieve a unit aggregate of 50% or better.

Extensions for Assessment tasks

Applications for assessment task extensions must be submitted via https://ask.mq.edu.au/. For further details please refer to the Special Consideration Policy avaialble at https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration

Professional Expectations

Professionalism is a key capability embedded in the Macquarie MD. Professional Behaviour Notifications (PBN) which can be a breach (PBNB) or a commendation (PBNC) may be awarded. PBNs will be recorded in the student's portfolio. As part of developing professionalism, Macquarie MD students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including clinical, practical, laboratory and team-based learning activities. If attendance is deemed to be of concern, the student will be referred to the Lead (Student Professionalism) for remediation, subsequent monitoring, and recording in the portfolio. Similarly, as part of developing professionalism, Macquarie MD students are expected to submit all work by the due date. Late submission without prior approved extension will result in a professional behaviour notification- breach (PBNB) in the portfolio.

Textbooks and Readings

The following text is compulsory. Students will be required to have a copy of this text to complete the unit.

Talley, N., O'Connor, S. (2017) Clinical examination. A systematic guide to physical diagnosis (8th ed.) Elsevier. 

Other useful texts include:

Ralston et al. (2018) Davidson's Principles and Practice in Medicine. 23rd Ed. Elsevier Saunders

Silverman JD, Kurtz SM, Draper J (1998) Skills for Communicating with Patients. 3rd Ed (Sept 2013) Radcliffe Medical Press (Oxford)

Dehn, R & Asprey, D. (2013). Essential Clinical Procedures (3rd ed.) Elsevier Saunders

Technology and equipment

MQ is a BYOD environment where students are encouraged to bring their personally owned devices (laptops, tablets, etc.) to class and to use these devices to access information and study. 

On-campus

Teaching rooms are equipped with state of art audio-visual and ICT equipment including iPads, internet connection and multiple LCD screens. Students will use a range of specific equipment typically used in the assessment and management of people with a range of health conditions.

Off-campus

To study optimally when off campus you will need to have access to a reliable internet connection to retrieve unit information, and at times to submit assessment tasks via iLearn.

Consultation with staff 

Staff will be available for individual consultations, please see iLearn site for information on staff availability for consultation.

Teaching and Learning Strategy

This unit will have a 2 hour masterclass, 2 hour tutorial and 2 hour core skills tutorial every week. Masterclass tutorials will provide foundation knowledge and also use large and small group demonstrations and discussion with clinical specialists. Core skills tutorials will enable students to practice clinical skills covered during the masterclass and other tutorials.  

iLearn

This unit's iLearn site will provide weekly resources for students, including:

• tutorial notes
• tutorial worksheets
• preparation and consolidation material
• videos
• other teaching resources
• assessment details

The body systems covered are the same as the previous offering (previously MEDI911). Based on positive student feedback a similar structure has been retained for this offering.