Last Updated: 21 May 2025

Direct Entry Medicine Course Structure

The first two years are largely campus-based, and years three to five of the course are conducted in clinical settings in hospitals and practices across metropolitan Melbourne and rural Victoria. Please note, there is only one intake per year, which is in February.

The focus of each year level

In Years 1 and 2 basic professional, biomedical, social and behavioural concepts are introduced. Basic sciences physiology, biochemistry, anatomy and pharmacology are taught and there is a particular emphasis on clinical issues as illustrated through the cases presented in the problem-based learning sessions. Clinical and communication skills are developed and students undertake early clinical placements in hospitals. Students will also commence the Community-based Practice program and participate in learning activities in Indigenous health.

In Year 3B students are placed within Monash University teaching hospitals. The emphasis moves towards multi-system disease representations that will form the core of the learning in integrated medicine and surgery.

In Year 4C clinical teaching builds upon and reinforces this strong foundation through the core clinical rotations of women’s and children’s health, general practice and medicine of the mind (psychiatry).

In Year 5D students undertake clinical placements (or rotations). These rotations in medicine, surgery, aged care, emergency and specialty areas take place in both community and hospital settings. One of the rotations is an elective placement, where students will choose to complete their degree by gaining wider experience in chosen disciplines and specific areas of interest.

Curriculum themes

The course develops through theme studies, all of which come together in professional practice demonstrated in the clinical placement units. These themes are configured vertically across the five years of the course. They are also horizontally integrated with the year, bound together by the core focus on the doctor/patient interaction.

• Theme I: Personal and Professional Development focuses on the personal and professional attributes and qualities needed by students in the medical curriculum and as future medical practitioners. This theme covers elements of professionalism, communication skills, ethics and legal issues, clinical effectiveness, and health and behavioural self-management.
• Theme II: Society, Population, Health and Illness focuses on population health, epidemiology and the social, environmental and behavioural contexts of illness and the practice of medicine, including an emphasis on rural and remote Australia. Other elements are built around health promotion, epidemiology, public health, community diversity, population and global health, and a range of other social issues. The history and philosophy of the scientific approach to medicine is included, as are approaches to knowledge and information, and an understanding of evidence-based clinical practice.
• Theme III: Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice the knowledge and concepts of the basic medical sciences and clinical sciences as they underpin medicine. The basic medical sciences of anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, histology, pathology, immunology, pharmacology, physiology and psychology are taught in an integrated manner and from a relevant clinical perspective. In Years 3B, 4C and 5D, learning occurs in a more overt clinical context, building on existing knowledge and encompassing pathology, diagnostic and therapeutic skills, with a particular focus on common and important conditions and presentations.
• Theme IV: Clinical Skills encompasses the whole range of clinical skills from the earliest to the later parts of the course. Practice in clinical skills is emphasised early and often, and includes procedural and clinical skills. The approach in clinical skills teaching and learning will be to develop defined clinical competencies. This will begin with clinical aspects of communication skills and move through history taking and physical examination to the more advanced clinical and procedural skills.

Clinical and community-based placements

Clinical placements are a vital part of your medical education across Years 3B, 4C and 5D. If you accept a place in the Monash medicine program, you should expect to complete clinical placements in both metropolitan and rural settings. While you can submit location preferences, these are not guaranteed. See our list of clinical sites for more information. Acceptance of the offer of a place in the Monash medical course indicates acceptance of the subsequent clinical placement allocation.

Student registration and other requirements

All Medicine students must be registered with the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria in order to have access to clinical placements. The Faculty will advise students on the procedure as part of the enrolment process.

On enrolment, a medical certificate specifying the student’s current health and immunisation status is required. Students must satisfy the immunisation requirements specified by the Faculty before undertaking clinical placements. Students will also be asked to obtain a National Police Certificate (annual requirement) and a Working with Children check on enrolment in the program. It is highly recommended that students hold or attain a current registered Level 2 or Senior First Aid Certificate by the end of first semester.

For more information, please visit our Mandatory Compliance page.

More information

The course handbook provides further details of the course.