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University of Sydney Medical Program

There is nothing more magical than seeing a baby born and hearing its first cry. To be witness to the creation of a family, the joy in a mother’s first sight of the baby she has felt moving inside her is a very special experience and one which students cherish. The disciplines of obstetrics, gynaecology and neonatology encompassed by this department are rich in such emotionally charged experiences. They also expose students many exciting areas of practice and research as well as the whole spectrum of life from before birth to the gynaecological problems of the later years.
The problem based medical curriculum for graduates which began at Sydney in 1997 exposes students to women’s health issues throughout the four years if the course. The main study of women’s health however occurs during the nine week Perinatal and Women’s Health Rotation in fourth year.

Students have clinical attachments in one of 4 Sydney sites or at the Canberra Hospital where the course content is delivered in a variety of ways designed to maximize in depth learning. Student led problem based tutorials, SCORPIO (Structured, Clinical, Objective, Referenced, Problem Orientated, Integrated and organised) sessions for teaching skills, small group workshops give variety to a content rich program where the student participation is encouraged. Web-based materials support the structured learning and self-directed learning is timetabled into the program.

Clinical placements at ante-natal clinics and wards, post-natal wards, labour ward, operating theatre, neonatal nurseries, NICU and in doctors’ rooms form a major part of the rotation. Students have the opportunity to practice history taking, examination, procedures and giving information to patients in a supervised setting with constructive feedback and support from staff. Underpinning the entire course is a commitment to evidence-based medicine and patient-centered practice

Summative assessment takes place during week nine in Basic and Clinical Sciences and in Patient Doctor Themes by written paper of modified essay questions and Objective Structured Clinical Examination respectively. During the rotation students are required to submit an assignment addressing issues pertinent to Community Doctor Theme or to Personal and Professional Development Theme. The high standard of the majority of these essays reflects the depth of interest which most students have and the degree to which their teachers have been able to facilitate exploration of women’s health issues.

Feedback from students indicates that the Perinatal and Women’s Health Rotation is an enjoyable one. The knowledge and skills learned during this term will be useful whichever area of medicine they enter and the department strives to ensure that the term remains as relevant and up to date as possible.