Deakin University Doctor of Medicine (MD) Overview

Deakin University’s Doctor of Medicine course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the practice of medicine. There is an emphasis on the early development of clinical, communication and procedural skills, diagnosis and management of chronic diseases, and multidisciplinary teamwork, as well as an emphasis on rural and regional medicine with in the Deakin MD program.

Deakin University’s Medical School is Victoria’s first rural and regional medical school and has a mission to train work ready graduates to help reduce the chronic shortage of doctors in rural and regional Australia. The MD program aims to introduce medical students to rural and regional medical practice through a range of high quality experiences in rural locations during the course.

Some of these experiences are:

• All MD students will undertake a week long Inter-Professional Learning placement at a rural location
• Approximately one third of the MD student cohort will be placed in one of our Rural Clinical Schools based in a regional hospital for the clinical component of the course in Years 3 and 4
• A further 20 MD students will undertake their Year 3 attached to a regional general practice where they will also interact with the local hospital
• The Deakin University Medical School is moving to a course model where all MD students will undertake at least 4 weeks in a rural placement. In the short term these placements will be mainly for the General Practice (GP) rotation. However we are seeking further opportunities to expand rural experiences so that MD students may be able to select the type and location of their rural placement

The Deakin University MD is Distinctive and Innovative

The goal of the Doctor of Medicine program at Deakin University is to contribute to the improvement of the health and well-being of Australians by creating a cohort of new doctors who are skilled and motivated to pursue a career in medicine in rural and regional areas either as specialists or general practitioners.

Deakin University Medical Schools aim is to educate our students to become doctors who are:

1. Knowledgeable, experienced and committed to pursue a medical career in rural and regional Australia
2. Oriented towards health promotion, prevention, early intervention and chronic disease management
3. Committed to work with and empower all members of the community and to demonstrate a strong set of values focused on social justice and professional integrity
4. Evidence-based, committed to interdisciplinary and team work, and equipped to continue as life-long learners
5. Able to advance their careers in the medical profession through practice, research, teaching and specialization

Four Themes throughout the Deakin MD program

1. Knowledge of Health and Illness – the biological and behavioural sciences underpinning the practice of medicine
2. Doctor and Patient – the clinical skills required to practice medicine
3. Public Health Medicine – a broad theme which includes biostatistics and epidemiology, population and public health, health systems and the effect of culture on health, particularly Indigenous health
4. Ethics, Law and Professional Development – the ethical, professional and legal basis of medical practice

Course Structure

Problem-based learning is the predominant learning method in years one and two of the MD while years three and four will focus on learning as part of health teams in clinical sites.

Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery Years 1 and 2

MD students are based at Deakin University’s Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds for the first two years. Problem-based learning is the predominant learning method supplemented by lectures, practical classes and clinical experience in clinical skills laboratories, hospitals and other health services in the Geelong region. Clinical placements commence early in year one of the MD. At the end of year two clinical skills will be consolidated by a ‘Transition to Clinical Practice’ rotation in preparation for years three and four.

Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery Year 3

During year three most MD students will undergo intensive clinical training within health services attached to one of three Clinical Schools in Western Victoria: Greater Green Triangle Rural Clinical School (Warrnambool area), Grampians Rural Clinical School (Ballarat area), Greater Geelong Regional Clinical School and Eastern Health Clinical School (Box Hill). Clinical education will be coordinated through a series of placements in hospitals, health services and ambulatory settings, including general practices. Online delivery of most curriculum materials will ensure that MD students working away from major centres are well supported.

A cohort of MD students will spend all of third year attached to a regional general practice where they will complete a ‘parallel rural community curriculum’. There students will complete the same curriculum and will sit the same assessment as those studying in hospital settings.

Year 4

In the first half of Year 4, MD students rotate through rotations in Emergency Medicine; Aged Care, Rehabilitation and Palliative Care; General Practice; and Critical Care (Intensive care and Anaesthetics). The major exit exam is conducted in the middle of the year, followed by a pre-internship ‘selective’ in a regional hospital, a ‘selective’ in an ambulatory setting and an elective which can be taken in Australia or overseas.

Location and facilities

The Deakin Medical School is located in an extensively renovated building which has been purpose designed to deliver the Doctor of Medicine program.

The first two pre-clinical years of the MD are based at the Geelong Campus at Waurn Ponds. Waurn Ponds, one of Geelong’s western suburbs, is eight kilometres from the city centre and is only a short distance to famous surf beaches and the Great Ocean Road.

Geelong is well served by a local bus network, a new highway, a fast train service to Melbourne and an airport at Avalon. Travel between the Waurn Ponds campus and the city’s main hospital is a short journey by car or bus.

Student accommodation is available at the Waurn Ponds Campus. The residences are set in a picturesque landscape close to all of the University’s main facilities.

Entry requirements

2023 entry information: 

• Completed Bachelor degree with final weighted GPA 5.0 or greater  (2.7/4.0 based on final 3 years of most recent bachelor degree)
• MCAT score of 125 (or greater) in each of the four sections obtained within the two years of your application application 
• CV/Resume optional but suggest including
• Only complete applications will be assessed (ie: complete GPA  AND  MCAT score)
• Invitations to interview will be made to applicants based on a combination of their GAMSAT/MCAT and GPA scores (50:50).  Applications must be lodged four weeks prior to an interview round.  If application meets entry requirements it will be included in a pool of eligible candidates for consideration in next available interview round.
• Meeting minimum entry requirements does not guarantee selection

Interview and offer rounds will be as follows:

• Round 1 – Week of March 20, 2023
• Round 2 – Week of June 19, 2023
• Round 3 – Week of October 16, 2023

Interviews are conducted by a panel, using a structured format.

Professional Recognition in Canada

The Doctor of Medicine at Deakin University is accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC).

In Canada, provincial and territorial medical regulatory authorities have the responsibility to confer licences to physicians. The Medical Council of Canada plays an important role in the assessment of potential physicians in Canada. This assessment includes national qualifying examinations and satisfactory completion of acceptable postgraduate training. It is the responsibility of the medical school graduate to contact the provincial body for regulations and requirements.

What Canadians Like About Deakin University in Australia

• Deakin University is proud to have been awarded a QS 5 Star Rating for Excellence in 2013.
• 2013 Australian Graduate Survey results reveal that Deakin University has the highest overall student satisfaction rate amongst Victorian universities for the fourth consecutive year.
• Deakin University has an International focus welcoming students from a diversity of backgrounds and celebrate this with many on-campus events and an online international student community.
• Deakin is proudly the highest ranked of the new Australian institutions, establishing our medical degree in 2008.