Thursday, 6 August 2009

As you are all aware the University is about to undergo the most significant change of degree structure in its almost 100-year history. This will mean enormous changes for the Faculty and how it delivers its teaching.

The University is now awaiting the VC’s official announcement in August as to the exact timetable for implementation.

In the meantime preparation has been underway in our Faculty for these momentous changes. In February, a retreat was held to discuss the future of the MBBS. A large number of academic staff involved in teaching within the medical degree from the Science faculties were involved in the discussions and as a result a number of key decisions were made.

The new medical degree will be a four-year postgraduate degree, a Doctorate of Medicine (MD), which will be fully integrated and have clinical contact throughout. Working parties with broad representation will be formed later this year to commence work on the new curriculum.

Similarly a Dental Retreat has been held and was attended by the new Head of School designate, Prof. Andrew Smith, and the newly appointed Professor of Undergraduate Programs, Prof. Paul Ichim, as well as all academic staff from the School of Dentistry, who engaged in resolving many of the major issues. The new Dental degree will also be a four-year post graduate degree, a Doctorate of Dental Medicine (DMD) and representative working parties will be formed very soon.

The discipline of Podiatric Medicine will advise on their deliberations on the new degree structure shortly.

In addition to changes to the undergraduate courses, there will also be changes to how a number of schools deliver their undergraduate units. Many schools are now developing outlines of majors that will be delivered within the new BSc and these outlines will be submitted to the new Interim Board of Course Work Studies (BSc) in November. The submission process will be announced once these committees have convened in the coming weeks. Regular updates about the course restructure will be included in the Education Centre Newsletter.

For further information on the upcoming changes, please email me .

A/Prof. Naomi Trengove

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