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Course Coordinator: Dr Tiana Della-Putta
Phone: +61 8 8313 6221

Further details of the timetable structure will be made available at the start of the course. 

In Semester 1 medical ethics the aim is that you will:

•    Develop your abilities to locate, synthesise and integrate information relevant to an ethical issue;
•    Develop your ability to independently gain an understanding of arguments and topics in medical ethics, to identify the issues at stake, and to locate these within a broader theoretical framework;
•    Gain skills in the critical evaluation of arguments and the justification of ethical conclusions, using ethical principles and concepts;
•    Gain confidence in the resolution of difficult ethical problems;
•    Develop your ability to work productively with others in the evaluation and resolution of difficult ethical issues.


The objectives for Semester 2 are as follows:

1.    Professional Communication skills: Year 2

Doctor-Patient Communication
•    Understand and develop core doctor-patient communication skills
•    Demonstrate doctor-patient communication skill competencies appropriate to Year 2
•    Knowledge and understanding of the phases and components of the medical interview
•    Understand what is meant by the patient-centred approach to the medical interview
•    Demonstrate patient-centered skills appropriate to Year 2
•    Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the basic principles of ‘giving information’ and ‘explanation and planning’ in the medical interview appropriate to Year 2 level
•    Demonstrate ‘giving information’ and ‘explanation and planning’ skills
•    Knowledge and understanding of how to manage complex patient interviews e.g ‘angry patient’, breaking bad news, distressed patient, differences of opinion and treatment adherence issues
•    Demonstrate capacity to manage complex patient interviews appropriate for Year 2
•    Demonstrate capacity to maintain appropriate ‘confidentiality’ in the context of patient care  and in relation to working with peers
•    Demonstrate capacity to discuss ‘informed consent’ appropriate to Year 2
•    Understand and demonstrate what is meant by an ethical approach to patient care
•    Demonstrate an ethical approach in simulated patient interviews
•    Understand the principles of conducting interviews with patients from a variety of psychosocial and cultural backgrounds and with patients of varying abilities
•    Knowledge and understanding of the  principles of giving lifestyle advice and behaviour  modification and demonstrate capacity to give lifestyle advice  appropriate to Year 2 level.

Academic Writing
•    Complete an assignment using appropriate research; referencing and writing skills.

Communication with peers/tutors
•    Continue to develop capacity to work in small groups
•    Develop oral presentations skills
•    Demonstrate appropriate peer feedback skills


2.    Ethical Basis and Social Responsibilities of Medical Practice: Year 2

Medical Ethics Year 2
(Please see Semester 1 Medical Ethics Year 2 Handbook for more details.)
•    Develop higher order thinking skills to help resolve ethical problems
•    Gain skills in the identification, analysis and resolution of ethical problems
•    Develop the ability to work productively with others to make informed decisions about ethical problems 

Population Health/Public Health
•    Understand the importance of epidemiological information (incidence, prevalence,
•    demographics, risk factors) in understanding individual patients’ problems
•    Understand some basic principles of public health and preventive medicine
•    Understand basic statistical principles to allow informed reading of medical literature


3.    Professional and Personal Development for Medical Practice: Year 2
•    Continue to develop capacity for working in small groups/teams
•    Continue developing skills and strategies for information management, time management and  stress management
•    Develop an understanding of issues faced by professionals who work with chronically ill or  terminally ill people.

In addition there are MPPD case objectives as part of Case Based Learning.

There are no required resources for this course.

Recommended Texts

Lloyd, Margaret & Robert Bor (2009) Communication Skills for Medicine, Churchill Livingston
(Please note: many of the tutorial  readings are set from this text.)


Reference texts

Silverman, Kurtz & Draper, (2005) Skills for Communicating with Patients, Radcliff Publishing

Tierney, Lawrence & Mark Henderson  (2005) The Patient History, Lange Medical Books

MPPD Bulletin Board
Updated information on lectures and tutorials will be provided on the timetable and also via the Bulletin Board.
Please ensure you  check the bulletin board daily.

Year 2 Curriculum  Website
Tutorial information will be posted on the website prior to the tutorial.
Please ensure you read all the relevant material prior to the tutorial.

Introductory Lecture
This lecture will provide an overview of the semester and the learning objectives. It will introduce you to the focus skills and the resources including the e-learning program.
The written assignment will be set and the marking criteria and referencing system discussed.

Lectures in general
MPPD related lectures are scheduled throughout the year. Lectures, seminars and set readings aim to give key background or conceptual information on a topic. These will often be scheduled at the beginning of a semester or topic. Lectures are not compulsory but missing them may mean that you miss out on important orientation and foundation information.
Although not compulsory the content of the lectures is examinable.

Medical Practice Tutorials
In MPPD2 Medical Practice tutorials you will further develop the skills you gained in MPPD1 to enable you to manage more complex doctor-patient interactions. These more challenging interactions will include breaking bad news; interviews with patients from different cultural backgrounds; patients who are distressed or angry; patients who have different views and opinions from your own.

The focus skills for this year will be ‘patient-centred interview’ skills; information giving skills and skills for the ‘explanation and planning’ phase and closing phases of the medical interview.

As for Year 1, most of the tutorials will have simulated patients (SPs) to assist you in your learning. A reminder that for tutorials with SPs dress code standards apply.

Active participation is an assessment criteria and strongly encouraged.

Medical Practice Tutorial Session notes
Session notes will be available on the Year 2 website timetable attached to the relevant MPPD tutorial of the approximately one week before each tutorial. Please ensure you read the session notes prior to the tutorial and do any pre-reading or preparation requested.

MPPD Online Learning: Effective Clinical Communication
You will use the online clinical communication program to develop your knowledge and
understanding of clinical communication skills and the tasks and phases of the medical interview. Further details will be provided at the introductory lecture .

Learning by doing
Learning is more effective with active strategies such as ‘practice doing’. To be a competent doctor you will need to learn and appropriately use a complex set of skills. You cannot learn these skills by simply reading a book or going to a lecture. You will need repeated practice , constructive feedback and then practice again. Many of the teaching and learning methods used in MPPD will require you to actively participate and actively practice skills. MPPD closely links to activities in case-based learning and in clinical skills.

Attendance at tutorials is compulsory. While lectures are not compulsory, the material presented in a lecture will assist your ability to participate in tutorials and will provide examinable material. The development of time management skills is important for future medical practice. Students are expected to develop study skills and allocate time to self-directed learning. In Years 1-3, the standard total student workload for 24 units is 48 hours a week.

Students will be required to attend small group tutorials, as well as lectures and workshops and undertake directed and self-directed study. Students are expected to translate this learning to weekly tutorials and required assignments. Students will also be expected to assimilate learning from the CBL and Clinical Skills tutorials and spend considerable time in practicing skills. Completion of an on-line tutorial program in communication is also required.

It was an MBBS entry requirement to obtain a police check as set out in letter of offer to prospective students. You may be required to update these depending on the clinical activities or other activities in which you participate. As a medical student you will be registered with the Medical Board of Australia. Any other requirements will be advised.

The predominant learning method for the MBBS Program is small group discovery learning.

Students are advised to read in detail the information in the Year Level Assessment Document - Part A and Part B. Students will be expected to be aware of the contents of these documents and to abide by the requirements as stated. Students should note that requirements for professional behaviour standards are set out in the year level assessment documents. As medical students, you are registered with the Medical Board of Australia. The implications of this is that there are expectations that you behave in a professional manner.

Students should note that in addition to integrated exams as set out in the year level assessment documents, there are formative and summative tasks which must be completed.

Assessment and the assessment methods used for the medical program will be based on the objectives for: Case Based Learning (CBL) cases (supplied after each case), Clinical Skills (supplied in handbook and as posted online on the Bulletin Board), lectures (supplied in lecture material), MPPD (supplied in handbook), Resource sessions (supplied with resource session notes).

Complete assessment requirements for the MBBS Program are set out in the year level assessment documents distributed at the start of each year.

There are attendance requirements which must be met. Students should also note that requirements for professional behaviour standards which are set out in the year level assessment documents. Students should note that in addition to integrated exams as set out in the year level assessment documents, there are formative and summative tasks which must be completed.

Complete assessment requirements for the MBBS Program are set out in the year level assessment documents distributed at the start of each year.

Students may be required to submit assessments via Turnitin.

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme: GS4 Non-graded pass.

For the purpose of feedback to students a banded result will be provided for each course and examination. This result will not appear on students’ academic transcripts.

Bands of achievement are:
A Above expected competency for year level
B Clearly at expected competency for year level
C Just reaches expected competency for year level
D Below expected competency for year level
E Far below expected competency for year level

Students should familarise themselves with the University Policy on Additional Assessment/Replacement Assessment.

The MBBS Program has a regular program of evaluation. In addition, student representatives are appointed to MBBS committees and are encouraged to report on issues of importance to students.

The MBBS Program website has details on Student well-being resources which can be accessed.

Students may access the University Health Practice:
61+ 08 83135050

Please read the MMBBS Program Code of Conduct