How are Macquarie Bachelor of Chiropractic Science students assessed?

The Bachelor of Chiropractic Science at Macquarie University is a three-year, full-time degree program, which covers a range of chiropractic diagnostic and manipulative skills on a background of anatomical, physiological and biomedical science studies. It is a prescribed program which provides a strong scientific foundation and includes units in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, histology and pathology.
Assessment in the Bachelor of Chiropractic Science program has a number of purposes. For you, the student, it is fundamentally about helping you with your learning. This includes helping you to learn what is required in each individual subject (unit), but also in the bachelor program as a whole. By successfully completing the various assessment tasks you will have satisfied the requirements of the course.

Graduates will have attained a wide variety of skills based on Macquarie’s assessment process. There are two major assessment processes: formative assessment and summative assessment.
Formative assessment aims to improve your learning, determining where you are having problems, and generally how to fix them. Examples of this type of assessment used in the program include quizzes, homework activities, assignments, etc. The assessments in the course serve two functions:
1. they facilitate your learning; and
2. after the successful completion assessments represent evidence that you have learnt the course content.
Summative assessment allows the teaching staff—and ultimately you—to determine if you have achieved the learning outcomes for each unit. It assesses whether learning has taken place. Final written and practical examinations are one type of summative assessment that the chiropractic department uses.
The chiropractic program utilises a wide variety of assessment methodologies. Apart from the usual types such as written assignments, class tests, laboratory reports and final examinations, there is also special attention given to tasks which assess your chiropractic technique. These tasks are distributed throughout each session, with different weighting assigned to them depending on whether they are used for formative or summative purposes. In anatomy, you will be given “spot tests,” which require you to identify structures on bones, models and cadavers.
Feedback is a fundamental part of the assessment process, where you are given information about your performance in your assessment tasks, and highlights topic areas on which you need to improve. It aims to help you achieve the competencies required in your studies. Feedback may be formal or informal, written or oral, individual or group based.
As you progress through the program, assessment tasks require you to demonstrate progressive levels of competency. They are devised so staff can determine how well you can apply your knowledge, analyse clinical scenarios, and demonstrate the acquisition of psycho-motor skills which can be used in the appropriate clinical context in future years.

Bachelor of Chiropractic

The Bachelor of Chiropractic Science is a three-year, full-time degree program, which covers a range of chiropractic diagnostic and manipulative skills on a background of anatomical, physiological and biomedical science studies. It is a prescribed program which provides a strong scientific foundation and includes units in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, histology and pathology.
Program: Bachelor of Chiropractic Science
Location: North Ryde, Sydney, New South Wales
Semester intake: February
Duration: 3 years
Application deadline: Rolling admissions. Candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible.
Entry requirements: High school diploma with a minimum of 65% average or higher.
Grade 12 Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology and Physics are recommended studies for Chiropractic units although introductory units and bridging courses are available for students without this background. Students without Grade 12 Chemistry or Chemistry below Grade 12 will be required to take at least one additional unit at first-year level which will enable them to acquire the above recommended knowledge. Other units taken as part of a degree may require assumed knowledge, prerequisites or recommended studies.

Apply to the Macquarie University Chiropractic School!

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Find out more about studying chiropractic science at Macquarie University! Contact OzTREKK’s Australian Chiropractic Schools Admissions Officer Krista McVeigh at krista@oztrekk.com.