Hear from Kellie Britt discuss Clinical Practice training for Years 1 and 2.
kellie.britt@deakin.edu.au

Hear from Malik Mahmood talk about facilitating Problem Based Learning.
malik.mahmood@deakin.edu.au

Hear from Debbie Baldi about tips for delivering clinical lectures to students in Year 1 and 2 of the MD course

The Year 1 and 2 curriculum in Deakin’s Doctor of Medicine program is structured around integrated blocks that combine medical sciences, clinical practice, public health, Indigenous health, and ethics, law and professionalism. Semester 1 of Year 1 introduces foundational knowledge through the Human Biology (HB) and Infection, Defence and Repair (IDR) blocks. These blocks also serve to bring together students from diverse backgrounds, ensuring they are equipped to progress into the systems-based blocks, which begin in Semester 2 of Year 1. The first systems block is Cardiovascular and Respiratory (CR), followed by Renal and Gastrointestinal (RG). In Year 2, students build on this foundation through the Endocrine and Lifecycle (ELC), Musculoskeletal and Metabolism (MM), and Brain and Behaviour (BB) blocks. The final block, Transition to Clinical Practice (TCP), consolidates learning across all themes with a strong focus on clinical readiness, preparing students for the professional practice years. Teaching in the foundation years is delivered across our three sites (Waurn Ponds, Ararat, and Warrnambool) through lectures, seminars, workshops, Practical Experiences (Clinical Skills) , and problem-based learning (PBL), with a strong emphasis on cultural safety and real-world application. PBL is a core component of the Deakin MD and is introduced in more detail by Dr Malik Mahmood in the accompanying video. You can also hear tips on how to make your clinical lectures more engaging by viewing Dr Debbie Baldi’s video on this page.

Assessment in Years 1 and 2 is designed to evaluate both theoretical knowledge and practical competencies. Throughout the Deakin MD, an ungraded pass philosophy underpins the approach to assessment. Students complete a range of tasks including written exams, practical station-based assessments, reflective writing, team-based learning exercises, and clinical interviews. Each block includes multiple summative assessments, and students must pass each block to progress to the next semester. Formative assessments, such as quizzes and workshop activities, provide ongoing feedback and support student learning throughout the semester. The assessment framework ensures students develop discipline-specific knowledge, communication skills, clinical reasoning, and professional behaviours aligned with Deakin’s Graduate Learning Outcomes and Australian Medical Council (AMC) standards. 

Clinical placements are a core component of the MD program at Deakin from the very beginning of Year 1, and are coordinated by the Clinical Practice theme. You can hear more about placements from Kellie Britt, Clinical Practice Theme Lead in the accompanying video. Placements provide students with early exposure to real-world healthcare environments, allowing them to observe patient care, interprofessional collaboration, and the broader social context of medicine. In Year 1, placements are designed to help students appreciate the patient experience and the nature of healthcare delivery, while developing foundational clinical communication and procedural skills. By Year 2, placements become more immersive, including visits to clinical schools and general practice settings, and are closely aligned with the curriculum blocks such as Brain and Behaviour and Transition to Clinical Practice. The placement experiences during the foundation years are designed to prepare students for the clinical rotations they will undertake in later years, and to support learners in developing their professional identity as culturally safe, patient-centred practitioners.