Doctor of Medicine (MC-DMED) // Entry and participation requirements

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• either
– an undergraduate degree in any discipline, with studies to have been completed within 10 years of commencing the Doctor of Medicine, or
– for applicants whose most recently completed undergraduate degree was completed 10 or more years before 1 January of the year in which the applicant intends to commence the Doctor of Medicine, a Graduate Diploma, Master or PhD degree or equivalent completed within 10 years before 1 January of the year in which the applicant intends to commence the Doctor of Medicine; and
• prerequisite studies in anatomy, physiology and biochemistry consisting of at least one subject at second-year level of each, with prerequisite subjects to have been completed within 10 years of commencing the Doctor of Medicine; and
• the Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Test (GAMSAT) or for international students who are located overseas only, either the GAMSAT or the North American Medical Colleges Admission Test (MCAT); and
• a Multi Mini Interview.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic performance; and
• the GAMSAT or MCAT score; and
• the interview.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the University’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7 is required.

See Notes below for further details.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

The curriculum of The University of Melbourne Doctor of Medicine (MD) course has been developed using 67 graduate attribute statements in six domains (self, knowledge, patient, medical profession, systems of health care and society). In order to make informed decisions regarding their study, students should carefully consider the attributes set out below (the Core Participation Requirements).

The Core Participation Requirements are categorised under specific skill areas and are based on the “Inherent Requirements for studying medicine in Australia and New Zealand”. This document has been endorsed by Representatives of Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand (8 October 2015). Additional information from the publication “Higher Education Occupational Physicians (HEOPS) Practitioners: medical students – fitness to train”, has also been incorporated.

The University of Melbourne welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University policy to take reasonable and proportionate measures to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study.

With appropriate support and reasonable adjustments where possible, students must be able to meet the Core Participation Requirements in order to graduate from the MD course.

In determining whether an adjustment is reasonable, the University will consider:

• The nature of the disability;
• The effect of the adjustment on the student’s ability to demonstrate the required learning outcomes and participate in the MD course;
• The effect of the adjustment on any other person, including other students, staff and patients; and
• The cost and logistical impact of the adjustment.

Students should note that a reasonable adjustment may include modification to assessment and providing additional support services, but the University cannot make an adjustment which would affect the academic integrity of the MD course or patient safety. Similarly, part of the MD course takes place at clinical sites off-campus where it may not be reasonable for the University to make the same adjustments that are possible on campus. This means that having a disability which prevents training in a particular context may have implications for completion of course requirements and future practice.

Once enrolled in the MD course, students with a disability are encouraged to register with the Student Equity and Disability Service as early as possible. The role of this Service is to determine reasonable adjustments, following consultations with students and the School, and to provide information and advice to students in this context.

Vision
Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective medical care. A medical student is expected to demonstrate: Sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills, including reading small print on ampoules or similar, reading a monitor across a bed and responding to visual alarms.

Visual acuity with maximal correction of N8 and/or 6/18 (or better) is required for the practice of medicine. Students whose vision is insufficient to meet these criteria or who have significant other visual problems (such as visual field defects, nystagmus, etc.) may require assessment by an ophthalmologist.

Hearing
Adequate auditory ability is required to provide effective and safe medical care. A medical student is expected to demonstrate: Sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of tasks including the ability to work effectively in the emergency situation.

A student, wearing functioning hearing aids (if required), should demonstrate the ability to understand the human voice at 1 metre with less than 40db loss across speech frequencies.

Touch
Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform competent and safe medical care. A medical student is expected to demonstrate sufficient fine touch to undertake the required range of skills and clinical assessments, such as palpation of vessels and organs, and to estimate the size of skin lesions.

Mobility and gross motor skills
Mobility and gross motor skills are required in medicine to undertake appropriate clinical care. A medical student is expected to demonstrate the ability to perform gross motor skills to undertake a full physical examination, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and to function within scope of practice including independent mobility in order to attend medical emergencies when required. A student must demonstrate the ability to undertake a full physical examination avoiding injury to patients, colleagues and self, and possess one fully functional arm and the other capable of providing support.

Fine motor skills
Medicine is a profession that requires manual dexterity, and possession of fine motor skills is fundamental in providing adequate clinical care. A medical student is expected to demonstrate the ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe, effective diagnosis, treatment and clinical care and the ability to undertake a full physical examination without harming patient or self, including having one fully functioning arm and the other capable of providing support. Medical students, by the end of their training should be able to carry out the following: venepuncture, wound suture and intravenous cannulation.

Interruptions to consciousness
Medical practice requires the student to be conscious and aware at all times when interacting with patients. Unexpected interruptions to consciousness place patients at risk. A medical student is expected to demonstrate that there must be no risk of interruptions of consciousness that would present a risk to patients. Uncontrolled epilepsy in a medical student will put patients at significant risk. Narcolepsy and repetitive fainting will require careful assessment and treatment.

Verbal communication
Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of care during medical training. A medical student is expected to demonstrate the ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner and the ability to provide clear and timely instructions in the context of the situation.

IELTS 7.0 (or other standard as promulgated) is required by AHPRA for international students at the point of commencing an internship. A medical student must have the ability to be understood at 3 metres in a quiet room.

Written communication
Effective written communication is a fundamental medical responsibility with professional and legal ramifications. A medical student is expected to demonstrate capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.

Numeracy
Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective patient care. A medical student is expected to interpret and correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria, and to prescribe safely and effectively including calculating drug dosages.

Sustainable performance
Medical training requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level to meet the MD course requirements over time. MD subjects are typically integrated over the course of a year and are structured to ensure progressive development of attributes. Fragmentation of the course, for example through prolonged absences during parts of the year or during parts of a day, hinders such learning. A medical student will be expected to attend for 30–40 hours per week for up to 40 weeks a year. A medical student will be required to undertake the MD course in a full-time, continuous fashion.

Monitor and manage own health
A medical student is expected to monitor their own mental and physical health and their behaviour, and to seek help when required.

Clinical examination
It is a requirement of the course that students will be expected to physically examine their peers (of all genders) in classroom settings, and patients (of all genders) in clinics and hospital wards.

Last updated: 18 December 2020