The University of Sydney

Program

The new Sydney MD curriculum and course structure was launched in 2020 to enhance learning opportunities through earlier clinical exposure, added personalization options, new research opportunities, and immersive clinical placements in the last year of the program, preparing you for practice as a doctor.

Key benefits of the new program:

• Earlier clinical exposure: The program increases clinical exposure and immersion throughout the degree. You will gain hands-on experience from as early as your second week.
• Personalized pathways: You will have the opportunity to develop skills in specific areas through elective and selective studies.
• Research opportunities: The program integrates a substantial research project in year three over a 14-week period with access to some of the world’s leading researchers, institutes and networks.
• Pre-internship year: The entire fourth year of the program acts as a pre-internship, giving students full clinical immersion.

Year 1: Foundational Knowledge
During Year 1 of study, you will build a strong scientific foundation working through several blocks that cover all body systems. Areas of study include cardiovascular sciences, respiratory sciences, musculoskeletal/immunology, endocrine nutrition, renal urology, gastroenterology, sexual health and reproduction, and neurosciences.

During your first year, you will spend three to four days per week on the main university campus, with one day per week in clinical schools.

Year 2: Core Clinical and Research
In Year 2, you will be introduced to clinical medicine in the hospital and in a community setting with three days per week spent in hospital and one day per week in general practice. You will also have training in research methods during a block which is based on a lifespan approach with weeks dedicated to pediatrics, adolescence, acute and chronic disease presentations, drugs and alcohol, ageing, hematology, and oncology.

Year 3: Specialty Blocks and Research
The focus of Year 3 is on clinical immersion in specialty blocks including child and adolescent health; perinatal and women’s health; psychiatry and addiction medicine; as well as emergency, intensive care, and anesthesia. Following this, you will complete a dedicated 14-week block for your research project.

Year 4: Clinical Practice
The main emphasis in Year 4 is on preparation for practice. This means you will now complete a full-time, extended clinical placement across three different rotations in medicine, surgery, and general practice. You will work as part of the clinical multidisciplinary team under supervision, cementing and integrating the knowledge, skills, and professional attributes you have developed over the course of the program. Increased clinical exposure will prepare you for practice as an intern.

Clinical Placements
While practical clinical experience forms the basis for all learning in the latter two years of the Sydney Doctor of Medicine program, it is accompanied by a structured teaching program. The balance between clerkship-based activities and scheduled sessions varies.

In general, formal teaching sessions reduce in number and frequency as you move through Year 3 and the main emphasis in Year 4 is on preparation for practice. This entails a full-time, extended clinical placement in a hospital medical, surgical, or general practice settings. You will work as part of the clinical multidisciplinary team under supervision, cementing and integrating the knowledge, skills and professional attributes you have developed over the course of the program.

Personalized Pathways

There are several opportunities for you if you wish to extend yourself in areas beyond the program’s main curriculum. The new Sydney MD (from 2020) offers elective extension activities in a range of different disciplines, including anatomy, pathology, radiology, and pediatrics. These placements are offered throughout the program and will help you gain a competitive edge as you position yourself for a specialist role.

Extended Research Opportunities

The medicine program structure has been changed to incorporate a dedicated period in Year 3 to complete a research project. This research block will span 14 weeks during Semester 2 and will allow you to produce a substantial body of work.