Objective

Teaching Format

Urogenital System Block

Physical examination related to O&G is introduced in a Clinical Skills Session.

Clinical Foundation Block

The Clinical Foundation Block serves as a transition from the system-based blocks and Enrichment Year to the clinically oriented clerkships. The first eleven weeks of the first semester of the fourth year of the MBBS curriculum is Clinical Foundation Block. The knowledge and skills learnt by the students in the first two years of the curriculum will be reinforced. A “life cycle” approach is adopted, during which students are expected to learn common clinical problems in a multidisciplinary manner – with contributions from social sciences, psychology, psychiatry and other clinical disciplines.

Junior Clerkship (Multidisciplinary Block)

Teaching consists of 9 Whole Class Sessions (lectures) and 4 Theme Cases Sessions: Antenatal Screening, Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding, Abdominal Mass, Urinary Incontinence. Case material are written around a theme with more than one problem to be solved and are illustrated with clinical photos, pathology specimens or investigation results. Case scenario and questions are available for students to study and complete before the session. In Junior Clerkship, students are able to consolidate history taking skills and practice communication skills during ward attachment. In addition, one out of the five PBL cases in the Junior Clerkship is O&G related.

Senior Clerkship (Multidisciplinary Block)

Teaching consists of a Whole Class Session on "Briefing on Antenatal & Intrapartum Care", and small group tutorials on Emergency O&G and Labour Ward Visit.

Specialty Clerkship

Students attach to the O&G department in various hospitals including QMH, TYH, QEH, KWH, PYNEH, UCH during an 7-week period. During the Clerkship, emphasis is put on the clinical management of patients and students are directly involved in the day-to-day care of patients. Students are expected to understand the basic concepts that underlie their patients' problems and apply the knowledge they have gained in earlier parts of the course. Teaching includes bedside teaching, ward rounds, labour ward attachment, clinic attendance, whole group sessions and 2 workshops. Students are required to keep a logbook, submit short case summaries to the tutor.

Assessment

During Specialty Clerkship, there is continuous assessment of students on their performance in clinical teaching activities and tutorials. There is also clinical competence assessment (CCA) at the end of the clerkship which include:

1. Physical Examination on obstetrics and gynaecology patients held at students' last clinical teaching sessions.
2. OSCE type assessment held at the last day of the clerkship to assess history taking, counselling and primary care in O&G.

At the Final MBBS Examination, there is a written examination consisting of (a) One Best Answer Format MCQs, (b) Extended Matching Format Questions, (c) Short Essay Questions and (d) Clinical Scenario Questions. There is also an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) with a total of 8 stations with structured clinical questions.

Those who fail the CCA will have to be re-examined at the Final MBBS Examination.

Student Evaluation

Students are asked to evaluate the course and the teachers after each clerkship. During Specialty Clerkship, students are encouraged to evaluate teachers after each core clinical activity on a form to be returned at the end of the clerkship. There is also Student-Staff Consultative Meeting held twice during the clerkship where students are encouraged to voice their opinions.