MBBS Overview

The UOW MBBS aims to lead development and implementation of strategies that effectively address the shortage of medical practitioners in regional, rural and remote Australia, achieving national and international status as a leader in medical education.

The MBBS curriculum reflects the current approaches to medical education and incorporates extensive use of existing and emerging medical education and information technologies. The four-year graduate entry programme has been based on the best educational evidence from medical schools around the world, with an innovative, integrated, spiral curriculum based around a Case-Based Learning (CBL) core.

Clinical exposure occurs early in the programme, with students exposed to hospitals, primary care settings, community health centres and patient volunteers from their first semester of study.

The GSM is fortunate to benefit from dedicated purpose built facilities with excellent resources and information technology support. The GSM also features Clinical Skills Laboratories where the students use a combination of state-of-the-art technology and traditional bedside clinical teaching to develop their skills in diagnosis and management of a wide variety of diseases and conditions. GSM students learn to be comfortable working in modern electronic medical environments, which include accessing the extensive medical information and other resources available on the Internet.

The Graduate School of Medicine is initially based at two UOW campuses — Wollongong (Regional) and Shoalhaven (Rural). Students undertake Phase 1 of the course based at either the Wollongong or Shoalhaven Campuses. Phase 2 is hospital based and rotations occur in Wollongong, Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands (Bowral). In Phase 3 students will be based in one of 10 hubs throughout NSW. In Phase 4 students have the opportunity to undertake international and national elective placements, as well as a Pre-Internship (PRINT) in NSW.

Students spend significant time during their training undertaking both short and long term clinical placements in many regional and rural communities. These attachments allow students to gain insight into life in regional, rural and remote communities, and appreciate the kind of medicine practiced there. Students will receive a broad-based education with a focus on rural medicine, with the skills and ability to practice in any geographic setting and to commence training in any specialty.

Students gain experience in a wide range of medical facilities including large hospitals and specialist clinics, community medical facilities and traditional doctors’ surgeries – making it an ideal location to provide medical students with a range of clinical experiences