Participation, attendance and engagement guidelines
The Medical Program Participation Guidelines have been developed to support you to engage optimally with your learning in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) Program with your wellbeing in mind. The guidelines aim to:
- Clarify the expectations of you as a medical student in relation to participating optimally in the MD Program while preparing for future professional practice.
- Outline the flexible approaches available to you to prioritise your health.
- Inform you about the processes in place to enable you to manage absences.
The Medical School expects you to read these guidelines carefully, and that you will take responsibility to look after your health and manage your learning in accordance with these guidelines. The School encourages you to inform relevant personnel and to seek support early as outlined in these guidelines.
1. Overview
The MD Program at The University of Queensland (UQ) is a full-time (on average 40 hours per week), professional degree program that prepares students for safe and effective clinical practice.
You are responsible for maintaining continuous enrolment over the course of this program. The program emphasises the need for you to take responsibility for your own learning while managing a busy schedule while also attending to your own wellbeing.
In all years of the MD program, you are expected to participate in scheduled learning experiences and devote time to preparing for interactive sessions, studying, reflecting, and proactively gaining clinical experience and skills. Not all of this work will be onsitThese guidelines are designed to outline expectations of participation in accordance with the following:
- Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand (MDANZ) Inclusive Medical Education guidance document
- Medical Board of Australia - Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia
- UQ Student Code of Conduct
- Medical Student Code of Professional Conduct
- Requirements of the Australian Medical Council
- Workplace expectations and obligations
- College training expectations and requirements
- Broader obligation to healthcare in society
- Site-specific requirements. Various learning environments will require mandatory induction training. You will need to complete these site-specific inductions, in order to subsequently attend and meet participation requirements.
It is recognised there will be times when you are unable to attend Learning Experiences during your medical studies. For example, it is important for you not to attend when you are unwell. However, being absent from a Learning Experience may be an early sign that you are having difficulties with your studies. As the Medical School is committed to early intervention and supporting you to succeed in your studies, attendance and participation in Learning Experiences is noted.
You must use the Absence Notification Form to notify the Medical School if you are absent or plan to be absent from any/all learning activities.
Complete the Absence Notification Form
Student attendance and participation is observed and may be recorded to complement the self-reporting of absences.