You are here: Home / Future students / Medicine / Overview / Course structure and delivery

Course structure and progression

Themes

How does the program change from year to year?

Course completion - internship and professional registration

Themes

students with x-ray

Four main themes run through Sydney Medical Program:


  • Basic and Clinical Sciences
    Ensures that you have the science knowledge appropriate for the Medical Program.
    BCS (Basic and Clinical Sciences) sessions typically include laboratory work where you gain hands-on practical experience.

  • Patient and Doctor
    You will be taught clinical skills, diagnostic methods, ‘bedside manner’ and informed about patient safety.
    This theme is taught in the clinical schools.

  • Population Medicine
    Introduces students to subjects such as public health, evidence-based medicine, statistics, and health economics.
    It is taught in interactive tutorial sessions.

  • Personal and Professional Development
    In your professional development sessions you will become familiar with topics such as medical ethics, medico-legal issues and doctors’ health. These sessions are taught in an interactive tutorial environment.


Students are required to demonstrate satisfactory performance in all four themes in order to progress.

How does the Medical Program change from year to year?

sample timetable stage 1

The Medical Program is divided into three stages. The focus of each year will change and develop your understanding as you are introduced to each new field of medicine. At present, the Medical Program is organised into ‘blocks’ of study as follows:

Stage One (Year 1)
Block one: Foundation Studies
Block two: Drug and Alcohol/Musculoskeletal
Block three: Respiratory Sciences
Block four: Haematology
Block five: Cardiovascular Sciences


In Year 1 you will spend one day per week based at your Hospital Clinical School:                            Download a sample timetable for stage 1 (PDF)
typically Monday or Wednesday, this may be subject to change.
Once you are enrolled you will be provided with a detailed timetable.

Stage Two (Year 2)
Block six: Neurosciences/Vison/Behaviour
Block seven: Endocrine system/Nutrition/Sexual Health
Block eight: Renal/Urology
Block nine: Gastroenterology/Nutrition
Block ten: Oncology and Palliative care

In Year 2 you will spend 1 day per week based at your Hospital Clinical School.


Stage Three (Years 3 and 4)
A series of eight-week terms through both years, organised into four streams of students, completing the following blocks:
Medicine
Surgery
Community
Critical Care
Paediatrics
Perinatal & Women’s Health
Psychological and Addiction Medicine
Child and Adolescent Health

Year 4 will commence with an elective term or honours research project and finish with the Pre-Intern term. We encourage you to spend your elective term overseas or at another location in Australia.
In Years 3 and 4 you will spend the majority of your time at your clinical school.

Back to top

Course completion - internship and professional registration

Registering to practice in Australia

Following the successful completion of the Medical Program, graduates will be awarded a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from the University of Sydney.
Graduates then enter the medical workforce, primarily in the major public teaching hospitals, and complete a 1 year internship program.
Upon successful completion of this internship junior doctors are eligible to receive full registration with the State Medical Board or Council.
In general, registration in one state of Australia entitles the doctor to registration in other states.

Most junior doctors undertake an additional year of hospital training before commencing postgraduate medical training leading to specialisation. Specialist medical training is carried out by the relevant specialty medical college in conjunction with the state public health system. This training is not conducted by universities.
Contact details of the specialist medical colleges are available from the AMC website

In Australia, State Health Departments are responsible for the funding of, and placement of students for, internships. Internships are therefore determined by the relevant State Health Departments, not universities. These Departments have made it clear that no student is guaranteed an internship upon graduation from a medical program. Please visit the NSW Institute of Medical Education and Training's website for any updates

Australian-trained international medical graduates may stay on and work as interns in public hospitals and access vocational medical training. This policy however is subject to change. Australian-trained international students should check the current situation at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship > Permanent Visa Options for Doctors or contact the department for details.

• Letter from the Dean of Medicine (PDF) regarding internships for international students.

Registering to practice in countries other than Australia

Graduates intending to practise medicine in a country other than Australia must satisfy the particular requirements of that country.

These requirements are different in each country and students must contact the relevant professional medical association of their intended country of practise. Sydney Medical School (University of Sydney faculty of Medicine) is listed on the World Health Organisation directory of international medical schools and the Famier International Medical Education Directory, and Sydney Medical Program is a well-regarded and very widely accepted degree.
In addition to your degree, some countries will have other requirements, such as registration exams.

To find out more, contact the relevant medical association, some of which are listed below: