BACKGROUND

THE MBBS program as revised in June 1998, provides the following profile of a medical graduate.

A medical graduate will:

1. meet the health needs of the community by being able to:

1.1 define those health needs
1.2 determine priorities of health needs
1.3 identify and apply methods to meet those needs
1.4 evaluate available resources and work effectively within those constraints
1.5 identify and utilise opportunities for health promotion

2. meet the health needs of the individual by applying an understanding of the mechanisms of disease to:

2.1 the prevention and diagnosis of illness and
2.2 the management of the patient.

3. be sensitive to cultural diversity and continue to develop professional and personal qualities and skills including those required for:

3.1 good doctor/patient relationships.
3.2 an holistic approach to the patient
3.3 working effectively in teams
3.4 fulfilling a leadership role where appropriate
3.5 recognising one's own limitations including appropriate referral behaviour
3.6 ethical practice
3.7 practice according to legal guidelines and requirements

4. be able to access, critically analyse and manage information relevant to individual and community health problems, both nationally and internationally, including the use of appropriate technology.

5. have the understanding and abilities to:

5.1 identify and fulfil personal educational needs
5.2 contribute to appropriate education for colleagues and the community
5.3 identify and enquire into health issues

The Curriculum

To achieve the MBBS program objective as stated above, the curriculum is problem-based, integrated and community-oriented, with an emphasis on independent learning. The curriculum is organized into five "domains of learning", based on defined program objectives, and assessment is based on these Domains. The Domains are based on the five "clusters" of personal qualities, skills and understanding defined under the medical graduate profile. Details of each of the five domains are listed below.