Doctor of Medicine
2027 Deakin University Handbook
| Year | 2027 course information |
|---|---|
| Award granted | Doctor of Medicine |
| Deakin course code | H911 |
| Course credit points | 32 |
| Course version | 1 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health |
| Course information | For students who commenced from 2019 onwards |
| Campus | For General Entry students: a blended learning offering of online and on-campus based at Waurn Ponds (Geelong) Rural Training Stream (RTS) students. A blended learning offering of online and campus, held at Warrnambool Campus or East Grampians Health Service Ararat. |
| Online | No |
| Duration | 4 years full-time. The course is only available to students on a full-time basis. This is a four-year graduate entry program for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree. |
| Course map - enrolment planning tool | This course map is for new students commencing from Trimester 1 2027 Course maps for commencement in previous years are available on the Course Maps webpage or please contact a Student Adviser in Student Central. |
| CRICOS code | 096842G Waurn Ponds (Geelong) |
| Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) recognition | The award conferred upon completion is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework at Level 9 |
Course sub-headings
- Course overview
- Indicative student workload
- Professional recognition
- Career opportunities
- Participation requirements
- Mandatory student checks
- Alternative exits
- Course learning outcomes
- Course rules
- Course structure
- Fees and charges
Course overview
Study medicine in a program designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve, by focussing on excellence, innovation and developing work readiness in our graduates. Deakin’s Doctor of Medicine has a distinctive focus on rural and regional medicine, Indigenous health, patient-centred care and service to marginalised communities, preparing you to make a meaningful difference through your future medical career.
From your first year, you will engage with a full-time study load to develop foundational knowledge in medical sciences, clinical practice, public health, ethics and Indigenous health while building the communication, clinical reasoning and professional skills essential for contemporary medical practice. In Years 1 and 2, through problem-based learning, interactive sessions and immersive hands-on laboratory and clinical experiences, you will learn to apply your knowledge on campus and in real healthcare settings and develop confidence working with patients, families and multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
In Years 3 and 4, students experience full-time clinical placements across hospitals, general practices and community health settings that provide opportunities to experience medicine across diverse populations and environments. In your final years, you will undertake full-time clinical training through one of Deakin’s medical school sites across Victoria, gaining hands-on experience that prepares you for professional practice, lifelong learning and a wide range of medical career pathways.
Indicative student workload
As a student in the Doctor of Medicine program, you can expect to participate in a range of teaching activities each week. This could include lectures, small group learning activities, interactive sessions and clinical placements. You can refer to the individual unit details in the course structure for more information. You will also need to study and complete assessment tasks in your own time.
All four years of the Doctor of Medicine require a full-time study commitment, including located learning activities and personal study time. The School endeavours to provide timetables in advance of each semester to enable students to coordinate any work, caring, health or other requirements around course commitments.
Professional recognition
The Doctor of Medicine Program is accredited with the Australian Medical Council. Graduates of the Doctor of Medicine are granted provisional registration as a Medical Practitioner in Australia and New Zealand, and are eligible to undertake paid work as an Intern to become eligible for full registration. Domestic graduates are guaranteed an Internship position in Victoria.
Career opportunities
Doctor of Medicine graduates are highly sought-after for internship positions with healthcare providers in Australia and abroad. Deakin’s Doctor of Medicine program allows you to develop a deep understanding of the challenges and nuances of rural medicine, putting you in a strong position to address the shortfall of doctors in regional and rural areas.
In order to qualify as Registered Medical Practitioners with the Medical Board of Australia, our graduates are currently undertaking accredited internships at a number of prominent Victorian hospitals.
After successfully completing an intern year, graduates can apply for entry to specialty training programs that lead to a broad range of medical careers including in the specialty of General Practice or the emerging Rural Generalist program.
Participation requirements
There are extensive located learning sessions and clinical placements throughout the course – see individual unit descriptions for full details. Years three and four require students to undertake placements most days of the week for the full year.
The School of Medicine encourages potential applicants who have a disability or ongoing health condition to reach out for a confidential and constructive discussion regarding the requirements of the course and the potential for any reasonable accommodations. Please contact the School of Medicine
Students who accept a position in the Doctor of Medicine through the Rural Training Stream make a commitment to undertake the first two years of their course at either our Warrnambool Campus or the East Grampians Health Service in Ararat. Years three and four of their course will then be conducted through one of our 3 rural Deakin Medical School Sites.
Mandatory student checks
All students are required to undertake a Police Record Check and Working with Children Check at the commencement of their course. Students who fail to do so prior to the commencement of clinical placement will not be able to undertake clinical placement and this will impede progress in the course.
Students are also required to declare their immunisation status to satisfy the requirements of health organisations where they will be undertaking their placement/ clinical learning experience. A health organisation may refuse to accept a student for placement if the student’s immunisation status is not satisfactory to the health organisation.
The School will provide commencing students with specific information on their compliance requirements.
Alternative exits
| Master of Health and Medical Sciences (H720) |
Course learning outcomes
| Course Learning Outcomes |
|---|
| Diagnose and manage clinical conditions, and carry out practical procedures to provide safe patient care. |
| Select appropriate communication modes to share complex knowledge and concepts with patients, carers, colleagues and communities. |
| Use digital technology responsibly to enhance medical practice. |
| Critically appraise and apply knowledge to problem solve and make sound professional and patient care decisions. |
| Formulate healthcare solutions using research skills to evaluate, interpret and implement evidence-based practice. |
| Demonstrate professional obligation and responsibility to patients, the profession and self as work ready doctors; and show a life-long commitment to reflective learning through practice, research and teaching. |
| Demonstrate collaborative practice within a health care team to provide safe, high quality medical care. |
| Prioritise prevention and implement holistic approaches to enhance the health and well-being of individuals, communities and populations; advocate for public health and demonstrate a commitment to advancing the health and well-being of rural, remote, Indigenous and marginalised individuals and communities. |
Note – From 2026, Deakin commenced introducing Graduate Attributes (GAs), which define the distinctive characteristics of a Deakin graduate. You may notice some courses still refer to Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) during this transition period.
Course rules
To complete the Doctor of Medicine you must pass 32 credit points. This includes:
- DAI001 Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0-credit-point compulsory unit) in your first study period
- 32 credit points of core units
Most units are equal to one credit point. As a full-time student you will study four credit points per trimester and usually undertake two trimesters per year.
Students are required to meet the University's academic progress and conduct requirements.
Course structure
Units
Year 1 - Semester 1
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points) |
| HME911 | Medicine 1A |
Year 1 - Semester 2
| HME912 | Medicine 1B |
Year 2 - Semester 1
| HME921 | Medicine 2A |
Year 2 - Semester 2
| HME922 | Medicine 2B |
Year 3 - Semester 1
| HME931 | Medicine 3A |
Year 3 - Semester 2
| HME932 | Medicine 3B |
Year 4 - Semester 1
| HME941 | Medicine 4A |
Year 4 - Semester 2
| HME942 | Medicine 4B |
Optional Elective Unit
| HME090 | MD Extracurricular Research Program ^ (0 credit points) |
^Corequisite unit: HME911
12 credit point RPL (IMU Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Honours))
Year 1 - Semester 2
| DAI001 | Academic Integrity and Respect at Deakin (0 credit points) |
| HME922X | IMU Medical Student Transition |
Year 2 - Semester 1
| HME931 | Medicine 3A |
Year 2 - Semester 2
| HME932 | Medicine 3B |
Year 3 - Semester 1
| HME941 | Medicine 4A |
Year 3 - Semester 2
| HME942 | Medicine 4B |
Optional elective unit
| HME090 | MD Extracurricular Research Program ^ (0 credit points) |
^Corequisite unit: HME911
Fees and charges
Tuition fees will vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study, your study load and/or unit discipline.
Your tuition fees will increase annually at the start of each calendar year. All fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD) and do not include additional costs such as textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment, mandatory checks, travel, stationery, or other required items.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current students website.
If you are an international student it is important that you are aware the Australian Government caps Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) for the Doctor of Medicine. This means if you are enrolled in this course past your first study period and transfer from an international student visa or other temporary visa to a permanent visa, you are unlikely to receive a CSP place. You would however be eligible for a domestic full fee-paying place. Additionally, any scholarship or bursary held as an international student will not be transferred if you move from an international student to a domestic student.
Further information
Contact Student Central for assistance in course planning, choosing the right units and explaining course rules and requirements. Student Central can also provide information for a wide range of services at Deakin. To help you understand the University vocabulary, please refer to our Enrolment codes and terminology page.