Specialist Certificate in Rural Paediatric Practice

The course has been developed to provide multidisciplinary postgraduate education for health professionals within a rural context in the area of infant, child and adolescent health (paediatrics).

The course aims to have academically excellent graduates who will be competent and confident advocates for families in rural and community paediatrics in multidisciplinary settings. It will enhance their knowledge and clinical management skills as a means of improving professional practice in rural general paediatrics in medical and other appropriate health professions. The graduates will understand the roles of different health professionals. The course will expand and deepen knowledge of the development of the typical infant, child and adolescent and explore its application in the disability and education sectors, screening, and health promotion. Graduates will be encouraged to be future leaders in their rural communities through improved communication skills and increased understanding of the rural health sector and its context in paediatric practice. They will have increased understanding of family centred practice, indigenous Australians’ knowledge, culture and values, and gain insight into the diversity of culture in families displaced from their countries and the effect on all of these to good health and well-being of infants, children and adolescents.

To satisfy the requirements of the Specialist Certificate in Rural Paediatric Practice students must successfully complete the following two subjects (each 12.5 credit points) for a total of 25 points.

Core Subjects

1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• an undergraduate degree in a health profession, science or social science, and at least two years of documented relevant work and/or professional experience.
Meeting this requirement does not guarantee selection.

2. In ranking and/or assessing applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic qualification and performance; and
• the professional experience.

3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Student Application and Selection Procedure.

4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for postgraduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.

The Specialist Certificate in Rural Paediatric Practice welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and degree policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the degree.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

• Academic excellence.
• Knowledgeable across disciplines.
• Leaders in communities.
• Attuned to cultural diversity.
• Active global citizens.

Please refer to the subjects offered in this course.