Graduate Certificate in Surgical Science (GC-SURGSC)

Graduate CertificateYear: 2019 Delivered: On Campus

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Overview

Award titleGraduate Certificate in Surgical Science
Year & campus2019
Fees informationSubject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date
Study level & typeGraduate Coursework
AQF level 8
Credit points50 credit points
Duration12 months part-time

The Graduate Certificate of Surgical Science is designed for prevocational doctors who plan a career in surgery or a proceduralist speciality. The content is based on the JDocs Framework from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)(2014). Students in this course will receive formal and structured learning in the nine competencies the RACS expect of surgeons: medical expertise, judgment (clinical decision-making), technical expertise, professionalism and ethics, health advocacy, communication, collaboration and teamwork, management and leadership and, scholarship and teaching (RACS, 2012). However, the course does not confer the status/privileges of a surgeon nor does it guarantee entry to surgical training programs.

This 1-year, part-time course will provide students with foundational knowledge and some skills relevant for entering surgical training. In particular, the course orients students to the theoretical background essential for practice in the designated surgical competencies. The course has been designed for students who are not on a surgical training program. Students will benefit from working while they are studying. Some subjects require clinical experience.

Graduates may find the formal and structured theoretical foundation in surgical competencies relevant for entering higher training in other medical specialities that are procedurally-oriented.

Subjects require attendance at up to two study days and up to two webinars each semester.

Most teaching staff are practicing surgeons from the Department of Surgery. Content experts will also contribute to the program from the disciplines of psychology, sociology, ethics, human factors, leadership and education.

Entry requirements

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:

  • MD or MBBS or eligible for registration as doctors
  • Personal statement

Meeting this requirement does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:

  • The personal statement including current clinical experience in Australia or New Zealand; and,
  • Prior academic performance

Given the anticipated competitive entry, the Selection Committee will judge applications on relevance of clinical experience and prior academic performance.

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 test approved by the Academic Board, performance band 7.0 (http://about.unimelb.edu.au/academicboard/resolutions) is required.

Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Attendance at study days is a requirement of the course.

Intended learning outcomes

The subjects in year 1 have learning outcomes at AQF level 8.



Surgical knowledge:


  • Outline fundamental principles of surgery drawing on biomedical and clinical sciences
  • Describe a range of surgical presentations representing examples of trauma, sepsis, hemorrhage, malignancy and tissue ischemia and luminal obstruction
  • Describe the fundamentals of wound healing and care


Surgical skills:


  • Demonstrate a range of basic surgical skills including handling instruments, incisions, handling tissue, local anaesthetic techniques and tying sutures etc.


Surgical practice knowledge:


  • Describe core approaches to surgery – open, endoscopic/endoluminal and laparoscopic/natural orifice – and their general indications
  • Apply basic biomedical science knowledge to clinical surgical scenarios
  • Discuss the application and interpretation of imaging techniques
  • Describe features of contemporary surgical practice from a socio-politico-economic perspective
  • Outline the nine surgical competencies and their relationship to levels of surgical training
  • Discuss the role of professionalism in surgical practice

Generic skills

The generic skills will be addressed through educational methods, course work, formative and, summative assessments. These generic skills are fundamental skills at entry level for participants so they will be extended through the Master of Surgical Science.

  • Initiative, autonomy, organization
  • Adaptability and responsibility as a learner
  • Problem-solving
  • Analyse critically, reflect on and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories
  • Research and apply established theories to practice
  • Oral communication
  • Finding, evaluating and using relevant information
  • Written communication
  • Working with others and in teams

Graduate attributes

Graduates of the Master of Surgical Science will demonstrate the University of Melbourne graduate attributes. These attributes are embedded in the values of the course. The attributes will be manifested through educational methods, formative and summative assessment, role modelling, mentoring and participation in a community of practice. The attributes reflect the characteristics of those in or developing professional practice, which aligns with our participant cohort, that is, those seeking a career in surgery or another procedural speciality. On graduation participants will reflect the following attributes as set out by the University of Melbourne:

  • Academically excellent:
    • Have a strong sense of intellectual integrity and the ethics of scholarship
    • Have in-depth foundational knowledge to enter a surgical or other procedural speciality
    • Reach a high level of achievement in writing, generic research activities, problem-solving and communication
    • Be critical and creative thinkers, with an aptitude for continued self-directed learning
    • Be adept at learning in a range of ways, including through information and communication technologies
  • Knowledgeable across disciplines:
    • Examine critically, synthesise and evaluate knowledge
    • Expand their analytical and cognitive skills through learning experiences in diverse cases/scenarios
    • Have the capacity to participate fully in collaborative learning and to confront unfamiliar problems
  • Leaders in communities:
    • Initiate and implement constructive change in their profession
    • Have excellent interpersonal and decision-making skills, including an awareness of personal strengths and limitations
    • Mentor future generations of learners
    • Engage in meaningful public discourse, with a profound awareness of community needs
  • Attuned to cultural diversity:
    • Value different cultures
    • Be well-informed citizens able to contribute to their communities wherever they choose to live and work
    • Have an understanding of the social and cultural diversity in our community
    • Respect indigenous knowledge, cultures and values
  • Active global citizens:
    • Accept social and civic responsibilities
    • Be advocates for improving the sustainability of the environment
    • Have a broad global understanding, with a high regard for human rights, equity and ethics

Course structure

See below for subjects

Subject options

Code Name Study period Credit Points
SURG90021 Contemporary Surgical Practice
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
SURG90023 Fundamentals of Surgery I
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
SURG90024 Fundamentals of Surgery II
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5
SURG90028 Basic Surgical Skills I
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
 12.5

Last updated: 31 October 2023