Special Topics in Psychiatry (PSYT90094)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 18.75Online and On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
August
Academic Contact: mahesh.jayaram@unimelb.edu.au
Overview
| Availability | August - Online August - On Campus |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This is one of two capstone subject options, taught in the final semester of the Master of Psychiatry course. As such, it aims to help students integrate the diverse knowledge and skills acquired in the previous five semesters to prepare them for their transition to professional practice.
Psychiatrists have diverse professional roles apart from their core clinical role. They require up-to-date knowledge and skills in, amongst other areas:
- the evaluation and conduct of research
- mental health services policy, economics and service provision
- administration and team and service leadership
- teaching of medical students, psychiatry trainees and students of other disciplines, including the skills of supervision and mentorship
- psychiatric ethics
- the medicolegal dimensions of psychiatry, including mental health legislation
- community engagement, e.g., advocacy for mental health care; involvement in public education and debate about mental health issues; the mental health needs of diverse social and cultural groups; the public communication of psychiatric knowledge
- working constructively with other disciplines engaged in mental health care
- promotion of the health and well-being of themselves, their colleagues and co-workers
This subject aims to address these needs by building on and revisiting the material of the previous five semesters (and on the students’ developing clinical experience); and by using diverse teaching methods to promote integration of this knowledge, a more sophisticated understanding and greater competence.
The teaching period itself consists of 12-half day attendances, each half day consisting of two sessions. The 24 sessions will address the diverse topics listed above, will do so in a variety of ways and will involve invited experts relevant to each topic. For some sessions, small groups of students will be assigned to prepare and contribute, every student having one opportunity to do so during the semester.
A variety of formats are used, including: debates; expert panels; mock trials; updates of several fields and subspecialties by relevant experts; presentations by leading researchers about their own research career in psychiatry, but also discussing how to get published and how to advance one’s own career; registrars presenting their own experience of research. History, social sciences, literature and film will be employed selectively to help develop perspectives on the achievements as well as the errors and abuses of psychiatry, and the challenges and opportunities facing the profession.
Psychiatric research will be addressed in several ways. For some students, the Master of Psychiatry (342AA) is a prelude to a research higher degree and this subject will facilitate their transition. For all students, staying abreast of research is fundamental to good professional practice, and this subject will address the critical evaluation of research, literature searches and topic reviews.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this unit students will:
1. Understand more fully the diverse roles of the psychiatrist
2. Know the range of skills needed to competently fulfil these roles.
3. Know how they can further develop those competencies in their forthcoming professional lives. Students will have greater clarity about what profile – or mix - of particular roles they wish to emphasise in their own early career (eg, clinician vs researcher vs administrator), and will have gained useful knowledge of ways to acquire skills relevant to those roles (e.g., relevant people who can guide them, courses, training opportunities etc.)
These objectives and the course content directly address all five course level outcomes:
They will facilitate the professional development of students by providing opportunities to engage in critical discussion of the scientific literature or clinical psychiatry with their colleagues and with lecturers who are experts in the field.
- They will encourage students to become critical thinkers and pursue lifelong learning and self-directed professional development.
- They will provide education about the specific attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to effectively work in the area of mental health.
- They promote research and critical evaluation in clinical practice.
- They will provide students with a broad understanding of the cultural differences that exist in our community and their relationship to its individuals and mental illness
Generic skills
On completion of this unit students will have the knowledge and skill to:
1. Describe and discuss the diverse roles of the psychiatrist
2. Discuss the role of the profession within the arena of mental health care (and health care more generally), including having core knowledge of the history of the profession , of its interrelationships with other professions, disciplines and organisations and of challenges and opportunities facing the profession at present and in the near future
3. Further develop the competencies required for professional practice once they become psychiatrists
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSYT90093 | Psychiatric Research Project |
August (Online)
August (On Campus - Parkville)
|
18.75 |
Recommended background knowledge
It is recommended that students take this subject as their final unit in the Master of Psychiatry (342AA), having already undertaken 131.25 Credit Points.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Additional details
- Oral presentation as part of a series of related presentations and discussion that totals 25 minutes, during semester [50%]
- Written Assessment 2500 words, end of semester [50%]
- Fieldwork - either 2 x Workplace Based Assessments (WBAs) by workplace supervisors (approx 90mins each or longer depending on competency) OR 2 x Workplace Practical Activity Log Sheets (WPALs) to be taken away and then checked by the subject coordinator after submission [Hurdle requirement]
- 75% attendance at sessions (for face to face students) OR 75% completion of online modules (for online students) [Hurdle requirement]
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- August - Online
Principal coordinator Mahesh Jayaram Mode of delivery Online Contact hours 12 weekly modules - about 42 hours Total time commitment 250 hours Pre teaching start date 31 July 2019 Pre teaching requirements During the pre-teaching period, students should familiarise themselves with the online platform and may like to take the opportunity to read through preliminary information about the subject and the services and support that is available to them. Students are encouraged to use this time to also introduce themselves to peers and teaching staff and to learn about those they will be studying with throughout the term. Teaching period 7 August 2019 to 23 October 2019 Last self-enrol date 1 August 2019 Census date 23 August 2019 Last date to withdraw without fail 11 October 2019 Assessment period ends 15 November 2019 August contact information
Melbourne School of Professional and Continuing EducationPhone: + 61 3 8344 0149Monday to Friday 8am to 9pm AEST/AEDT. Weekends and University of Melbourne observed Public Holidays 10am to 5pm AEST/AEDT.Academic Contact: mahesh.jayaram@unimelb.edu.au
- August - On Campus
Principal coordinator Mahesh Jayaram Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 42 hours Total time commitment 250 hours Pre teaching start date 31 July 2019 Pre teaching requirements During the pre-teaching period, students should familiarise themselves with LMS and may like to take the opportunity to read through preliminary information about the subject and the services and support that is available to them. Teaching period 7 August 2019 to 23 October 2019 Last self-enrol date 1 August 2019 Census date 23 August 2019 Last date to withdraw without fail 11 October 2019 Assessment period ends 15 November 2019
Time commitment details
250 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
- Tom Burns ‘Our Necessary Shadow: The Nature And Meaning Of Psychiatry’ Allen Lane 2013
- AIHW 2013. Mental health services in brief 2013. Cat. no. HSE 141. Canberra: AIHW.
- Kate Richards ‘Madness: a memoir’ Penguin 2013
- Nikolas Rose, Joelle M. Abi-Rached (2013) ‘Neuro: The New Brain Sciences and the Management of the Mind.’ Princeton University Press
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Psychiatry Course Master of Psychiatry - Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
Additional information for this subject
Students applying to do this subject under the Community Access Program must meet the course entry requirements to be eligible. Please refer to the Master of Psychiatry Handbook Entry
Last updated: 3 November 2022