Unit Code: MED705

Unit Name: Psychiatry

Description: The purpose of this course is summarised below: 1. To improve knowledge and develop an understanding of mental health, the manifestation of psychiatric illnesses, and methods of management and prevention of disease. 2. To improve or acquire proficiency in basic clinical skills. In particular, to acquire the ability to: - Conduct Psychiatric Interviews - Elicit data for psychiatric histories - Perform a Mental Status Examination - Perform a neurological examination in psychiatry - recognise indications for laboratory data - recognise major categories of mental illness - Develop psychiatric formulations - Develop psychiatric treatment plans 3. To develop the ability to recognise common psychiatric emergencies and manage them appropriately in the initial phase. 4. To develop attitudes to achieve a high standard of psychiatric practice in relation to the care of patients and the population. 5. To develop attitudes, characteristics and attributes relevant for ongoing professional development. 6. To improve skills in accessing current medical knowledge or literature and search for the evidence for best practice. 7. To develop interpersonal and inter-professional communication skills including counselling skills.

Learning Target Outcomes: On successful completion of this course students should be able to: 1. Demonstrate some advanced and some specialised communication skills and proficiency in taking an accurate and relevant history and in conducting a complete physical examination on patients. 2. Demonstrate competence in undertaking and interpreting appropriate investigations as a critical thinker. 3. Use critical thinking to generate and synthesise provisional and/or differential diagnoses. 4. Demonstrate competence in performing expected essential practical procedures. 5. Be proficient in recognising common medical conditions, emergencies and their severity as well as key related public health issues; and discuss the management principles as a critical thinker and leader. 6. Exercise initiative and independence in the demonstration of compassion and attributes for ongoing professional development and for ethical evidence-based practice.

Prerequisite: MED601 or MED602

Prerequisite Sentence: N/A

Credit Point: 30

Offered In: Semester 1,2