The postgraduate degrees have been developed under the Melbourne Model following significant consultation with healthcare practitioners, students, consumers and leaders in the health and research sectors. The degrees draw on best practice tertiary education from around the world but have a uniquely Australian context, for instance the medicine course will have a strong focus on Indigenous health and primary healthcare in the Asia Pacific region.

Dean of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Professor James Angus said the new degrees will help address the current and future challenges facing Australia’s healthcare industry and workforce.

“These degrees have been designed to directly respond to the changing nature of healthcare in the 21st century,” he said.

“They have a strong focus on skills in research and clinical practice and a greater number of student places means more doctors, dentists and physiotherapists to meet Australia’s increasing healthcare needs.”

The new degrees are: the Doctor of Medicine Degree (MD), the Doctor of Dental Surgery Degree (DDS) and the Doctor of Physiotherapy Degree (DPhysio).

The Doctor of Medicine will offer 15% more Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) to a total of 270 places while the Doctor of Dental Surgery will offer up to 40% more CSPs to provide a total of 90 places for CSP and full fee paying domestic and international students. 

In medicine, a further 60 places will be offered to high-achieving Australian and international full fee paying students.  The Doctor of Physiotherapy will offer 80 places, including 70 Commonwealth Supported Places.

At least 20% of all CSPs will be offered to students through the Graduate Access program at the University of Melbourne which provides access to applicants whose personal circumstances have had an adverse effect on their academic achievement or who are members of specific groups that are underrepresented in higher education.

“These courses are the only courses specifically designed for postgraduate students,” Professor Angus said.

“They rely on students having prerequisite knowledge in core disciplines such as anatomy, biochemistry and physiology and provide a campus experience in one of the premier health and research precincts in the world with leading teaching hospitals and research institutes such as the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute and the exciting new developments such as the Peter Doherty Institute and the Parkville Comprehensive Cancer Centre right on the doorstep.

“The MD differs from existing graduate entry courses in medicine, which are undergraduate courses completed after an undergraduate degree in another discipline. The MD at the University of Melbourne is actually at a masters level.”