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Surgery, Society and Professionalism (SURG90030)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
The aim of this subject is to locate the role of surgery in the broader community.
The concept of professionalism is explored from a sociological perspective. Ways in which patients’ voices are heard will be considered. Contemporary challenges in professionalism will be identified together with the role of professional associations (in this instance the RACS) in maintaining their social contract with society and with the members of the association (and vice versa).
Examples of lapses in professionalism will be discussed with a view to future prevention. Individual responsibility in identifying and reporting lapses will be covered. Approaches to supporting the highest standards of surgical care are a feature of the subject. The subject also provides students with an opportunity to plan their surgical training pathway.
The rich and varied opportunities of surgical careers will be explored. Strands of professional life will be considered including public and private practice, research and education roles. Students will also consider leadership theory and its role in surgical teams. Self-care will be explored as an acknowledgement of the demands of a surgical career.
Finally, students will be oriented to basic educational theory and practice in relation to their surgical competency of scholar and teacher.
Intended learning outcomes
Students completing this subject should be able to:
- Define professionalism from a sociological perspective and apply to the role of a surgeon
- Identify the role of the RACS (and other professional associations) in its contract with society
- Describe common lapses in professionalism and their origins
- Outline strategies for identifying and reporting on lapses in professionalism
- Apply assessment measures of professionalism in the context of surgical practice
- Describe the breadth of surgical careers including specialization, research and education roles
- Plan their own surgical training pathway
- Outline leadership theory and its application in surgical practice
- Develop self-care strategies to meet the demands of a surgical career
Generic skills
- Initiative, autonomy, organization
- Problem-solving
- Oral communication
- Finding, evaluating and using relevant information
- Written communication
- Working with others and in teams
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
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
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Essay; Students will be expected to write an essay on a topic of professionalism in response to one of three vignettes raising issues of professionalism in contemporary surgical practice
| Week 6 | 50% |
Essay; Students can choose between writing an essay on leadership in surgical practice drawing on theoretical notions of leadership; or, write a career plan in surgery drawing on their strengths and areas for development, expected challenges and strategies to deal with them
| Week 12 | 50% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Debra Nestel Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 3 August 2020 to 1 November 2020 Last self-enrol date 14 August 2020 Census date 21 September 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 16 October 2020 Assessment period ends 27 November 2020
Time commitment details
170
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Required readings will be available electronically via the subject's LMS site prior to the commencement of semester.
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Type Name Course Master of Surgical Science
Last updated: 3 November 2022