Students

MEDI8202 – Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Gastroenterology, Surgery and Metabolism

2026 – MD2A, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Veronica Preda
veronica.preda@mqhealth.org.au
John Turchini
john.turchini@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
20
Prerequisites Prerequisites
(MEDI8100 or MEDI910) and (MEDI8101 or MEDI911) and (MEDI8102 or MEDI912) and (MEDI8103 or MEDI913) and (MEDI8104 or MEDI914) and (MEDI8105 or MEDI915)
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit expands on your clinical knowledge and advances your understanding of the clinical disciplines of cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism. Over a 10-week period, you will build your understanding of a range of clinical disciplines integrated with applied medical sciences and the social sciences relevant to health and disease. The unit uses a weekly thematic structure, common across all units in the session to provide a central focus for your learning. These themes represent conceptual understanding of the complexity of health; major mechanisms of diseases and important challenges of modern health care delivery. The unit incorporates an experiential learning component contextually focused on patient-centred health care  delivered in the clinical disciplines of cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism. The unit includes weekly lectures/seminars, case based learning sessions, clinical bedside tutorials, procedural skills sessions, as well as clinical placements. You are expected to use these learning opportunities to demonstrate significant progress toward the development of the 4 Macquarie MD Graduate Capabilities: Scientist and Scholar, Clinical Practitioner, Engaged Global Citizen and Professional, and Entrustable Professional Activities, at a standard appropriate to end of Stage 1 of the Macquarie MD.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply knowledge of relevant medical sciences, clinical presentations, scientific principles and mechanisms of disease to explain a variety of common or clinically-significant disease states, as well as how drugs and other treatments are used to manage or prevent disease in various population sub-groups (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • ULO2: Identify questions and learning needs arising from clinical cases, and work individually or as part of a group to create appropriate responses to clinical scenarios relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism by evaluating evidence from a range of sources, including medical scientific literature (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • ULO3: Elicit a concise and accurate medical history with real patients with common medical or surgical conditions. Identify relevant symptoms, recent and past medical history, medication, allergies and social history, and accurate physical examination identifying relevant abnormal signs (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • ULO4: Summarise history and physical examination findings concisely and accurately in verbal or written form to peers or colleagues (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • ULO5: Use sound clinical reasoning skills to derive diagnoses, investigations and basic management plans for common medical and surgical conditions, as relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism.(Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • ULO6: Demonstrate basic procedural skills in a simulated or clinical environment (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • ULO7: Identify and discuss, social, cultural and economic factors as well as the healthcare team and health system factors which may impact on healthcare and population health relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism. ((Capability 3: Engaged Global Citizen)
  • ULO8: Participate as an effective team player in tutorial groups and clinical environment with peers and clinical staff (Capability 4: Professional).
  • ULO9: Use feedback from teachers, clinicians, peers and patients, to inform self-evaluation and critical reflection (Capability 4: Professional).

General Assessment Information

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

Grading

In this unit the written examination will be numerically graded with a standardised mark out of 100. The numeric marks for the assessment examinations are weighted according to their contribution, and used to calculate the overall Unit aggregate. The viva and case reports assessments will be coarse graded, with grades (P+, P, P-, F) assigned to the focused and generic MD Capability Aspects as well as overall task performance. Only the coarse grade for the overall performance of assessment tasks 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). A single numerical grade (SNG) will be reported for each University grade. The conversion of the aggregate to SNG are available in the Macquarie MD Rules of Assessment and Progression document posted in the Policies and Guidelines section of the MDCU Doctor of Medicine Community iLearn 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, Health and Human 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.

Extensions for Assessment tasks

Please refer to the Special Consideration Policy if you require an extension for an assessment task

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  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 Stage 1 Lead 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.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension
Written examination 40% No Week 10 Individual No
Mini-CEX 0% No Week 10 Individual No
Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) 0% No Week 10 Individual No
Clinical Viva 40% No Week 10 Individual No
Clinical Case Report 20% No Week 8 Individual No

Written examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension: No

The written examination consists of multiple choice and short answer questions which will be mapped to capability aspects. Overall performance and specific capability aspects will be assessed and recorded in your Macquarie Assessment Portfolio.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply knowledge of relevant medical sciences, clinical presentations, scientific principles and mechanisms of disease to explain a variety of common or clinically-significant disease states, as well as how drugs and other treatments are used to manage or prevent disease in various population sub-groups (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Identify questions and learning needs arising from clinical cases, and work individually or as part of a group to create appropriate responses to clinical scenarios relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism by evaluating evidence from a range of sources, including medical scientific literature (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Use sound clinical reasoning skills to derive diagnoses, investigations and basic management plans for common medical and surgical conditions, as relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism.(Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Identify and discuss, social, cultural and economic factors as well as the healthcare team and health system factors which may impact on healthcare and population health relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism. ((Capability 3: Engaged Global Citizen)

Mini-CEX

Assessment Type 1: Clinical performance evaluation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 6 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 0%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension: No

Mini-CEX assessments are formative and are designed to provide you with personalised feedback to improve your clinical skills. Overall performance, capability aspects and Stage 1 Entrustable Professional Activities will be assessed and recorded in your Macquarie Assessment Portfolio.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply knowledge of relevant medical sciences, clinical presentations, scientific principles and mechanisms of disease to explain a variety of common or clinically-significant disease states, as well as how drugs and other treatments are used to manage or prevent disease in various population sub-groups (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Identify questions and learning needs arising from clinical cases, and work individually or as part of a group to create appropriate responses to clinical scenarios relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism by evaluating evidence from a range of sources, including medical scientific literature (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Elicit a concise and accurate medical history with real patients with common medical or surgical conditions. Identify relevant symptoms, recent and past medical history, medication, allergies and social history, and accurate physical examination identifying relevant abnormal signs (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Summarise history and physical examination findings concisely and accurately in verbal or written form to peers or colleagues (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Use sound clinical reasoning skills to derive diagnoses, investigations and basic management plans for common medical and surgical conditions, as relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism.(Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Identify and discuss, social, cultural and economic factors as well as the healthcare team and health system factors which may impact on healthcare and population health relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism. ((Capability 3: Engaged Global Citizen)
  • Participate as an effective team player in tutorial groups and clinical environment with peers and clinical staff (Capability 4: Professional).
  • Use feedback from teachers, clinicians, peers and patients, to inform self-evaluation and critical reflection (Capability 4: Professional).

Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS)

Assessment Type 1: Clinical performance evaluation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 6 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 0%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension: No

DOPS assessments are formative and are designed to provide you with personalised feedback to improve your clinical skills. Overall performance, capability aspects and Stage 1 Entrustable Professional Activities will be assessed and recorded in your Macquarie Assessment Portfolio.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply knowledge of relevant medical sciences, clinical presentations, scientific principles and mechanisms of disease to explain a variety of common or clinically-significant disease states, as well as how drugs and other treatments are used to manage or prevent disease in various population sub-groups (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Elicit a concise and accurate medical history with real patients with common medical or surgical conditions. Identify relevant symptoms, recent and past medical history, medication, allergies and social history, and accurate physical examination identifying relevant abnormal signs (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Summarise history and physical examination findings concisely and accurately in verbal or written form to peers or colleagues (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Use sound clinical reasoning skills to derive diagnoses, investigations and basic management plans for common medical and surgical conditions, as relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism.(Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Demonstrate basic procedural skills in a simulated or clinical environment (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Participate as an effective team player in tutorial groups and clinical environment with peers and clinical staff (Capability 4: Professional).
  • Use feedback from teachers, clinicians, peers and patients, to inform self-evaluation and critical reflection (Capability 4: Professional).

Clinical Viva

Assessment Type 1: Viva/oral examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 6 hours
Due: Week 10
Weighting: 40%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension: No

The viva will involve an oral presentation of the case presented in your Case Report and will involve answering questions relevant to the case. Your overall performance, capability aspects and Stage 1 Entrustable Professional Activities will be assessed and recorded in your Macquarie Assessment Portfolio.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply knowledge of relevant medical sciences, clinical presentations, scientific principles and mechanisms of disease to explain a variety of common or clinically-significant disease states, as well as how drugs and other treatments are used to manage or prevent disease in various population sub-groups (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Identify questions and learning needs arising from clinical cases, and work individually or as part of a group to create appropriate responses to clinical scenarios relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism by evaluating evidence from a range of sources, including medical scientific literature (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Elicit a concise and accurate medical history with real patients with common medical or surgical conditions. Identify relevant symptoms, recent and past medical history, medication, allergies and social history, and accurate physical examination identifying relevant abnormal signs (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Summarise history and physical examination findings concisely and accurately in verbal or written form to peers or colleagues (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Use sound clinical reasoning skills to derive diagnoses, investigations and basic management plans for common medical and surgical conditions, as relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism.(Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Identify and discuss, social, cultural and economic factors as well as the healthcare team and health system factors which may impact on healthcare and population health relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism. ((Capability 3: Engaged Global Citizen)

Clinical Case Report

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 16 hours
Due: Week 8
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension: No

The clinical case report is a written assignment about a patient of whom you have conducted a comprehensive history and physical examination. Your overall performance, capability aspects and Stage 1 Entrustable Professional Activities will be assessed and recorded in your Macquarie Assessment Portfolio.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply knowledge of relevant medical sciences, clinical presentations, scientific principles and mechanisms of disease to explain a variety of common or clinically-significant disease states, as well as how drugs and other treatments are used to manage or prevent disease in various population sub-groups (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Identify questions and learning needs arising from clinical cases, and work individually or as part of a group to create appropriate responses to clinical scenarios relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism by evaluating evidence from a range of sources, including medical scientific literature (Capability 1: Scientist and Scholar).
  • Elicit a concise and accurate medical history with real patients with common medical or surgical conditions. Identify relevant symptoms, recent and past medical history, medication, allergies and social history, and accurate physical examination identifying relevant abnormal signs (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Summarise history and physical examination findings concisely and accurately in verbal or written form to peers or colleagues (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Use sound clinical reasoning skills to derive diagnoses, investigations and basic management plans for common medical and surgical conditions, as relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism.(Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Demonstrate basic procedural skills in a simulated or clinical environment (Capability 2: Clinical Practitioner).
  • Identify and discuss, social, cultural and economic factors as well as the healthcare team and health system factors which may impact on healthcare and population health relevant to cardiovascular, respiratory, gastroenterology, surgery and metabolism. ((Capability 3: Engaged Global Citizen)

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Outline of teaching and learning strategy

The unit is delivered by a variety of methods that include:

  • Case based tutorials

  • Unit specific learning sessions

  • Clinical placements

  • Group workshops

  • Online mini lectures

  • Self-directed online learning resources

Assumed knowledge

This unit assumes that you have a comprehensive knowledge of human anatomy and human physiology.

iLearn

The unit iLearn site will provide weekly resources, including:

  • lecture notes and recordings
  • practical lesson pre-reading and worksheets (where applicable)
  • preparation and consolidation learning material
  • assessment details
  • self directed test-your-understanding quizzes
  • self directed online mini lectures

Technology and equipment

MQ is a BYOD environment. Students are encouraged to bring their personally owned devices (laptops, tablets, etc.) to class and to use these devices to access information and study. To study optimally when off campus you will need to have access to a reliable internet connection to retrieve unit information and engage with online resources.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Inclusion and Diversity

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.

Professionalism

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.

As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including clinical, practical, laboratory, work-integrated learning, and team-based learning activities. Some learning activities are recorded, however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session.

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know.

Unit information based on version 2026.01R of the Handbook