International alert
This program is not available to international students who intend to apply for a student visa to undertake this program.
Subjects
The Bachelor of Medical Studies and The Doctor of Medicine are integrated case based learning programs built around four themes:
| Theme | Title | Content |
| 1 | Scientist and Scholar | Basic and clinically applied science, critical appraisal, research and teaching. |
| 2 | Clinical Practice | Communication, consultation, physical examination, procedural skills from simulation to clinical practice. |
| 3 | Health and Society | Develop knowledge of planetary health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, health inequity, health systems to enhance advocacy. |
| 4 | Professionalism and Leadership | Applying in practice the principles of professionalism, ethics, medico-legal and self care. |
These four themes are integrated throughout the programs, but with a particular emphasis at different points in the curriculum. Throughout the course, training in clinical and communication skills is provided to ensure students can communicate clearly with patients.
The Bachelor of Medical Studies (BMedSt)
-
Years 1 – 3 “The Preclinical Years”
In the first two years (5 semesters) of the Bachelor of Medical Studies (BMedSt), learning and teaching occurs mainly in small group sessions comprised of interactive cases through case based learning, as well as clinical skills laboratories, simulation activities, community and clinical placements and a cultural immersion experience.
The program extensively uses a problem-based learning (PBL) approach, where each week introduces a clinical case around which the learning is integrated.
In the third year, students are located at the Bond University Clinical Education and Research Centre at Robina Hospital. This enables students to have a full additional year immersed in the clinical environment and acts as an excellent transition from the campus based learning to the full immersion in the workplace in the Bond Doctor of Medicine (MD) program.
-
Year 1 (2 semesters)
Year 1 commences with the molecular and cellular foundations of life and then guides learning through the first cycle of the body systems, arranged in generations.
This cycle focuses on:
- Introducing the structure and function of discrete organs
- Psychological basis of normal human behaviour
- Sociological basis of the behaviours of populations
The foundations of an effective practitioner are explored through an introduction to conducting effective observations of people both healthy and ill. This involves the beginning of the development of the understanding of and the skills involved in effective interpersonal communication, group work and collaborative learning.
Collectively, integrated learning opportunities provide the foundations of:
- Awareness of the roles of the doctor and healthcare system
- The impact of illness on the patient, their family and society
- The ethical basis of patient-centred health care
Year 1 also includes an Indigenous focus, with a cultural immersion experience occurring in Semester 2 as part of Bond University’s innovative Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health curriculum.
-
Year 2 (3 semesters)
Year 2 is framed around a second cycle through the body systems and focuses on:
- Relationships between structure and function, building complexity into an integrative systems focus
- Mechanisms of disease and infectious organisms
- Normal compensatory mechanisms for restoring normal function
Knowledge of psychosocial frameworks is deepened and broadened to explore the varied responses of individuals, groups, populations and cultures to disease as well as the exploration of psychosocial factors that contribute to disease and impact on patient healthcare, highlighting the complexities of health inequities.
The foundation knowledge and skills of a competent practitioner continue with a focus on history taking and physical examination of discrete systems. The ethical complexities of health care are then further explored inclusive of the legal framework for provision of health care and placements in health care settings will provide the context for introducing healthcare systems.
-
Year 3 (3 semesters)
In Year 3, the format of learning changes from facilitator guided, problem-based learning to clinician lead, case-based learning. Bond has developed the Bond Virtual Hospital© which is a virtual clinical learning environment where students work in small groups to diagnose and manage a range of clinical cases. During Year 3, students are primarily located at the Bond University Clinical Education and Research Centre at Robina Hospital. This is an advanced simulation facility that provides an authentic context to the procedural and clinical skills that students acquire in preparation for their clinical work in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program.
Over the course of the year, students complete clinical rotations which mirror where they will be placed in the final two years of the curriculum. The rotations include General Practice, Medicine, Surgery, Mental Health, Child Health, Women’s Health, Emergency and Critical Care. Students are also exposed to the clinical sciences of pathology and pharmacology and learn the principles of medical imaging.
Bond University also has a leading research centre, the Centre for Research in Evidence-Based Practice. In Year 3, students will have the opportunity to complete a course through this centre. Research activity is focused on understanding the gaps between research evidence and its application to practice. They will learn from academics of international standing, and gain first class skills in assessing evidence in medical practice. In addition, students complete research modules and written assessments that provide them with the foundation skills they need to complete their project requirements for the MD.
Please be aware that due to placement opportunities, the length of semesters may vary compared to the standard Bond academic calendar.
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
-
Years 4 – 5 “The Clinical Years”
The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is an Extended Masters Level 9 program and is undertaken through clinical rotations in hospital and community healthcare settings, as well as face-to-face teaching at timetabled education sessions. During this time, students undertake a research or professional project, or a capstone experience and prepare a portfolio of their work.
-
Year 4 (3 semesters)
Year 4 includes rotations through the following clinical disciplines:
- Child Health
- Medicine
- Mental Health
- Surgery
- Women’s Health
In Training Assessment (ITA) is conducted throughout the year as well as end of year Written Assessment and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Students also collect the outcomes of their work in a portfolio.
Students will also plan their MD project, which will be undertaken in Year 5. The project involves a program of structured learning with independent or group research and practice based learning.
Students will be able to select one of three options:
- A research-based project
- A capstone experience
- A professionally focused project.
Please be aware that due to placement opportunities, the length of semesters may vary compared to the standard Bond academic calendar.
-
Year 5 (3 semesters)
Year 5 includes rotations through the following clinical disciplines:
- Emergency Medicine
- General Practice
- Critical Care / Anaesthetics / Orthopedics
- Selective (Students have the opportunity to select an area of sub-specialty interest )
- Elective/ pre-internship rotation (Students have another opportunity to undertake further clinical placements either in Australia or overseas, which can be their final capstone experience).
In Training Assessment (ITA) is conducted throughout the year as well as end-of-year Written Assessment and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Students also submit their final portfolio at the end-of-year for points accrual.
Students will also complete their MD project during their elective or selective, which is either a research or professional project, or a capstone experience. The project will culminate in the submission of a final report and presentation at the end-of-year conference.
Please be aware that due to placement opportunities, the length of semesters may vary compared to the standard Bond University academic calendar.
*Subject names and structure may change.
Compliance
As a student in the Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine, as part of your chosen program you may be required to attend clinical placements, which can be scheduled in a range of health facilities in Australia. To be eligible to attend placements, students must satisfy what is referred to as compulsory compliance requirements such as police checks, vaccinations and induction processes. It is therefore essential that students meet the compliance requirements particularly for placement in health facilities in QLD and NSW.
The compliance requirements schedule outlines the requirements for each Health Sciences & Medicine program.
Your compliance requirements are due in Orientation Week (O-Week) of your first semester to assess your Compulsory Compliance Requirements and associated forms and evidence. Once you have received a letter of offer to the program, you will receive an email from the compliance officer with further details regarding your compulsory compliance requirements. Detailed information including all forms and documentation can be found in the here.
Students who are unable to provide documented evidence of compliance or who have not otherwise met the requirements by specified deadlines will risk their ability to undertake placements and therefore could be at risk of progressing in the program. There is a significant amount of paperwork to complete and evidence of compliance to gather, thus it is imperative that you begin working through these requirements as soon as possible.
For a list of approximate associated costs, please see additional compulsory costs.
If you require clarification or have any question in relation to the information provided or have any compliance questions, please contact the HSM Compliance Officer on [email protected] or +61 7 5595 5825.
Frequently asked questions
All students must complete both the Bachelor of Medical Studies (BMedSt) and the Doctor of Medicine (MD) at Bond University to be eligible for registration as a medical practitioner in any state or territory in Australia or New Zealand. Both degrees are awarded at the completion of the MD program. Please view our frequently asked questions page for more detailed information.
Learn more
Learn more
Connect
Speak to a current Bond student