1300 85 66 95
Overview
The Master of Medicine (Skin Cancer) is a 16 unit Master's degree program which comprises:
- Six 2-unit courses
- One 4-Unit course
- One compulsory 2-day Surgical workshop
The program, abbreviated to MMed (Skin Cancer) is only offered externally and is delivered online. Five of the seven courses have end of semester exams and these will be taken by students on-line during the university exam period.
The program can be studied in a full time capacity over 12 months or the part-time equivalent. The majority of students tend to complete the course over 2 years.
APPLICATIONS FOR 2012 SEMESTER 1 INTAKE CLOSE 30 JANUARY 2012
Entry Requirements
Students in the program must have a medical degree (MBBS or equivalent) and a minimum 2 years of post-graduate clinical experience in skin cancer practice.
It is expected students will be actively practicing in skin cancer medicine during their study.
Mission
To improve outcomes for patients with skin cancer.
Objectives
On completion, doctors should be skilled in the diagnosis and management of skin cancer. Specifically, they will:
- Have a detailed understanding of the structure and function of the skin
- Understand the epidemiology of skin cancer and regional human anatomy
- Be able to undertake a consultation (history and examination) for a skin check
- Demonstrate an ability to assess skin lesions through dermoscopy and dermal imaging and be competent in differential diagnosis
- Confidently advise and manage most patients with skin cancer using appropriate medical and / or surgical therapeutic modalities in partnership with the patient
- Possess a sound understanding of how to minimise indemnity risk in their practice
- Know when to refer a patient for further opinion or more advanced treatment
Courses
All seven courses will be taken throughout the Master's program.
IMED7001 and IMED7002 are foundation subjects which must be completed prior to, or concurrently with other courses.
Students who wish to complete the degree within a 12 month time frame must enrol in IMED 7001, IMED 7002, IMED 7003, IMED 7006 and IMED 7008 in semester one. This is a large workload and is only suitable to students who are not working full time in clinical practice.
IMED7006 and IMED7008 are run over 2 semesters, whereas the other 5 courses are 1 semester in length.
IMED7001: Core Knowledge and Professional Practice
Course Coordinator: Dr John Pyne
Course Units: 2. Teaching Mode: “Web Based”.
Core Knowledge and Professional Practice is a foundation course for the Masters degree. You are required to complete this subject, and IMED7002 prior proceeding to further treatment courses within the Masters program.
Areas of Study:
- The biology of non-lymphoid primary cutaneous malignancy and other relevant non malignant entities. Terminology, current concepts in dermatology and dermatohistopathology relevant to skin cancer practice.
- Relevant epidemiology of melanoma and non-melanocytic skin cancer.
- Histopathology of normal skin and the dermatohistopathology of malignancy.
- Skin anatomy relevant to managing skin cancer.
Non-Assessed Activities:
There are teaching hospital attachments available to view sentinel lymph node biopsy and anatomical pathology processing of specimens. Cadavers to learn anatomy are available at UQ. Visits to Histopathology Labs can be arranged.
Assessment:
- Mid-semester Assignment: (30% of final mark) Short answer questions.
- Discussion Board: (10% of final mark) Student discussion board participation each week.
- Final Exam: (60% of final mark)
MCQ and True / False, Duration: 120 minutes.end of semester examination.
IMED7002
Course Coordinator: Dr Timothy Hackett
Course Units: 2
Teaching Mode: “Web Based”.
This is a foundation subject. You are required to complete this subject, and IMED7001 prior proceeding to any further courses within the Master's program.
Introduction:
Clinical Problems in Skin Cancer Medicine covers a large number of skin lesions, but concentrates on clinically problematic lesions. You will learn in detail, the main clinical features, differential diagnosis, and approaches to diagnosis of all common benign, pre- malignant and malignant skin lesions, and a number of rare, but important malignant skin lesions. Also covered are a number of uncommon benign, pre-malignant and malignant skin lesions that may present from time to time.
Participation:
During the semester, participation in the spot diagnosis cases, and completion of the weekly cases and required reading and research, means that most of the required learning materials that are ultimately examined in the final exam are covered. Any materials not covered, but present in the learning materials, are still assessed in the final exam, but to a lesser degree.
Key Topics Areas:
- Benign Skin Lesions
- Premalignant Lesions
- Malignant Non-Melanocytic Lesions
- Naevi and Lentigines
- Melanoma
Non-Assessed Activities:
A number of spot diagnosis cases are presented for your consideration. These are given to test your clinical skills and should then be followed on the discussion board. These are not examined, can help gauge your progress in the subject and help cover other lesions not covered in the formal cases.
Assessment:
- Case Submissions: 20% of final mark. Short answer questions or essays based on weekly case studies
- Discussion Board: 10% of final mark. Student discussion board participation each week.
- Final Exam: 70% of final mark.
MCQ and True / False, Duration: 120 minutes.
IMED7003
Course Coordinator: Dr Jim Muir
Course Units: 2.
Teaching Mode: “Web Based”
In Assessment and Diagnosis, students will quickly move through a review of clinical history and examination relevant for skin cancer assessment and diagnosis before studying detailed modules on dermoscopy. These modules will begin with a discussion of the dermoscopy background, equipment and epidemiology, and then cover basic dermoscopy (the 3-point checklist) and finally advanced methods of assessment and diagnosis of skin cancer, particularly melanoma. Additional modules follow, augmenting the use of dermoscopy in clinical skin cancer medicine including simple clinical photography, teledermatology and interpretation of dermatohistopathology results.
Key Topic Areas:
- Introduction
- The 3-Point Checklist
- The First Step
- The Second Step
- Melanoma Family
- Pink Lesions
Assessment:
- Dermoscopy Workbook (40% of final mark) Students submit photos of lesions seen in their practice and label prominent dermoscopic features
- Final Exam: (60% of final mark).
MCQ and True / False, Duration: 120 minutes
MED7004
Course Coordinator: Dr Tony Dicker
Course Units: 2
Teaching Mode: “Web based”
Introduction:
This course covers the non-surgical treatment options for skin cancer. It covers both the physical therapies, such as cryotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as the medical therapies including 5-Fluorouracil, Diclofenac and Imiquimod. Part of the course also looks at the preventative therapies such as sunscreen, as well as some of the alternative therapies that may be used by patients.
Participation:
The students will prepare surgical case reports which will be submitted for assessment. There is also an assignment which will be based on theoretical knowledge from the course.
Key Topic Areas:
|
Part A: Physical Therapies
|
Part B:
|
Non-Assessed Activities:
During the semester there will be weekly formative cases which although, not examinable, will lead into discussion.
Assessment:
- Written assignments and tasks: (30% of final mark) Short answer questions or essays
- Discussion Board: (10% of final mark) Student discussion board participation each week.
- Final Exam: (60% of final mark)
MCQ and True / False. Duration: 120 minutes.
IMED7005
Course Coordinator: TBA
Course Units: 2
Teaching Mode: “Web based”
Introduction:
This course focuses on the safe and effective surgical treatment of benign and malignant skin lesions. It covers procedures for biopsy (and its interpretations) and excision of skin lesions with direct repair. A second component will address situations where closure by simple suture is not possible, and techniques to repair defects by simple flap and graft are necessary. Students will learn procedures to safely and effectively excise skin cancer and other lesions using these techniques. Familiarisation with other surgical treatments such as cryotherapy and curettage and cautery is included.
Participation: A compulsory surgical component is required to complete the course. The students will prepare surgical case reports which will be submitted for assessment. There is also an assignment which will be based on theoretical knowledge from the course.
Key Study Areas:
- Preoperative evaluation
- Surgical anatomy
- Local and topical anaesthesia
- Antisepsis, dressings and wound healing
- Biopsy techniques
- Instruments and sutures
- Simple elliptical excision
- Surgical complications
- Skin graft and flap closure
- Wedge excision
- Specialist treatments
Non-Assessed Activities:
During the semester there will be weekly formative cases which, although not examinable, will lead into discussion.
Assessment:
- Clinical Case Reports (45% of final mark) These are to include facial, limb and trunk lesions. Complexity is not assessed, however, the appropriate choice of closure as well as meticulous technique is examined.
- Mid semester assignment (15% of final mark) Short answer questions pertaining to the surgical management of skin cancer.
- End of semester exam (40% of final mark)
MCQ exam. Duration 120 Minutes.
IMED7006
Course Coordinator: Dr Paul Fishburn
Course Units: 2 units (over 2 semesters)
Teaching Mode: “Web based”
This course will form the basis of developing and assessing doctors' clinical practice in skin cancer medicine. It has a distinctly different format from the other courses as it is structured around a series of clinical case-based activities and discussion. It will involve a series of carefully selected, actual clinical cases that demonstrate a particular skin cancer management theme and will require active engagement from each student. These will prepare students to complete a portfolio of their clinical work including case summary, photographs, and interpretations.
Learning Through Case Studies
The case studies presented are intended to be used as an ongoing resource and stimulation for group discussion. These are REAL cases; they are not idealised, perfect or unimpeachable. The majority of the cases presented have been contributed by doctors working in primary care skin cancer centres in Australia. Some of the contributors have shown greater clinical and / or surgical skill than others. There will be times when you feel inclined to disagree with and criticise the management taken, and this is encouraged in the discussion forum.
Each case will be made available on the Blackboard website over a two week period, with cases being presented in a sequential format. Students work through a series of case management steps and are then required to prepare a 350 word essay based on prominent features of the case and is due at the end of the first week. During the second week students are able to discuss their thoughts on a discussion board, similar to a Blog-site, and these thoughts are shared with their colleagues and the Course Co-ordinator.
Learning Through Case Presentations
Case presentations are prepared by each student at their own pace, which forms a portfolio of cases to be submitted by the end of semester. They are based on patients with a variety of skin cancer presentations that have been actively managed by the student within their medical practice. Each case will comprise a written summary, documentation through photographs, and a treatment commentary referenced to the medical literature that supports the management provided.
Assessment:
- Fortnightly Case Study (30% of final mark) Clinical cases are prepared by the co-coordinator and students are required to write a 350 word essay based on questions that pertain to each case
- Clinical Case Presentation (60% of final mark) Eight clinical cases that the student has managed are documented.
- Discussion Board (10% of final mark)
Students participate with discussion on a weekly basis.
IMED7008
Course Coordinator: Dr John Pyne
Course Units: 4 units (over two semesters)
Teaching Mode: “Web based”
This course provides an introduction to critical thinking, assessment of relevance and validity of research evidence, and evidence based evaluation of everyday clinical practice. Students will critically appraise research papers, apply research evidence to clinical practice and develop, undertake and evaluate a clinical audit of a specific aspect of their clinical practice.
The course is assessed through submission of assignments.
During the first semester each student undertakes a surgical audit of their practice. This may then be a platform upon which further research may be based.
During the second semester students may opt to prepare a “mock” scientific research paper; or prepare a critical review of research publications.
Assessment:
- Semester work submission at the end of each semester (50% of final mark)
Indicative fees for 2012
$1,520 per unit for Australian Postgraduate Students
$1,850 per unit for International Students
Students pay at the beginning of each semester for the courses being undertaken in that time period (eg If a domestic student was only taking IMED7001 (2 units) in semester 1, the total fees to be paid for semester 1 would be $1520 x 2= $3040).
Domestic students are also eligible for FEE-HELP, a government assistance scheme in which repayments are repaid through tax over time.
Academic Credit
The University does not expect students to relearn information already taught and assessed through examination. Academic credit is available to students in the Master's who have completed prior learning and passed the assessment of relevant courses or topics. However, we have an absolute obligation to quality, and especially quality in assessment. As such we need to be sure that when we grant credit we do so against explicit standards, so that we can be confident in terms of equivalence.
Students seeking academic credit should do so in writing with the supporting documentation. Applications should be sent to the Masters Administrative Officer, Deb Holden: d.holden@uq.edu.au
The following is a table of common courses which will be considered for academic credit:
Application Process
- Go to the University of Queensland courses and programs website – www.uq.edu.au/study;
- enter the Master of Medicine program code (5398) in the search box;
- select Master of Medicine under ‘Postgraduate programs’;
- on the top left of the screen select Australian (for Australian citizens and permanent residents or NZ citizens) or International (all other applicants) as appropriate;
- select ‘How to apply’
- Australian applicants select the green ‘Apply Online’ tab
- International applicants follow the instructions to apply through UQ International
All applicants must submit a current resume and a certified copy of their MBBS (or medical degree equivalent) academic transcript with their application
Staff
Dr John Pyne Program Director; IMED7001 and IMED7008 Course Coordinator
John served in the Australian Military (Army) prior to studying Medicine. He is a Sydney graduate with 23 years clinical experience. John has previous appointments to the Melanoma Unit, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney and St George Skin Cancer Clinic, St George Private Hospital, Kogarah, Sydney. John completed the Master of Medicine degree in skin cancer at the University of Queensland in 2007 and is currently in private practice in Sydney. He is a Fellow of the Skin Cancer College of Australia and New Zealand (SCCANZ).
Professor Peter Soyer Chair of Dermatology at The University of Queensland
An academic dermatologist from Austria with over 25 years in the field, Professor H. Peter Soyer was appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Dermatology Research Centre by The University of Queensland in 2007. Subsequently he also took up the position as the Director of Dermatology Outpatients Unit at Princess Alexandra Hospital in 2008. His specific clinical expertise lies in dermatopathology, dermatooncology and is recognised as a world leader in dermoscopy and clinico-pathologic correlation of melanocytic proliferations. In recent years his scientific activities have broadened to include teledermatology, teledermatopathology and teledermoscopy. Within the dermatology field Professor Soyer is considered among the pioneers of dermoscopy of pigmented skin lesions, a non-invasive diagnostic method, and was involved in the development of the morphologic classification system currently used worldwide.
Dr Associate Professor Mark Smithers
Director, Upper GI, Soft Tissue Unit Princess Alexandra Hospital. Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, The University of Queensland. Chairman, Melanoma Clinic, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane; Chairman, Queensland Melanoma Project and Medical Director, Melanoma Patients Australia. The Queensland Melanoma Project co-ordinates trials ranging from Phase I studies of new therapies to multicentre Phase III trials for patients with locally advanced primary disease through to patients with stage IV metastatic melanoma.
Dr Jim Muir IMED7003 Course Coordinator
Dr Jim Muir is a general dermatologist working in Brisbane. After graduating from the University of Queensland in 1984 he achieved Fellowship of the Australasian College of Dermatologists in 1994. He is in private practice, director of the department of dermatology at the Mater public hospital and also provides an online teledermatology service for the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. He is a forum board member for the International Dermoscopy Society. A general dermatologist by inclination but one who deals mainly with cutaneous malignancy by reasons of geography, Jim tries to show how dermoscopy can be integrated into every day practice as a management tool.
Dr Tim Hackett IMED7002 Course Coordinator
Tim has worked full time in Primary Skin Cancer Medicine since 2003. Prior to this, he worked for 15 years as a full time GP in his own general practice. He completed the Master of Medicine in skin cancer in its first intake, and passed with distinction the International Dermoscopy Diploma from Graz University. His current practice involves assessment of patients for skin cancer, dermoscopy of the skin (including short and long term monitoring), diagnosis and surgical treatment of melanoma, diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer and treatment via a number of surgical and non surgical treatments (including Metvix PDT and generic ALA) and reconstruction of small to medium facial defects with a range of flaps and grafts.
Dr Tony Dicker IMED7004 Course Coordinator
Tony has spent the past 3 years practicing full time skin cancer medicine in Melbourne, and the previous 2 years practicing skin cancer medicine in Brisbane. Prior to this he obtained his PhD from University of Queensland in molecular biology of skin cancer with Professor Ian Frazer's group at Princess Alexandra Hospital, then spent three years as a dermatology registrar at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, Princess Alexandra hospital, and the private practice dermatology registrar position. He graduated from Monash University in 1989.
Dr Paul Fishburn IMED7006 Course Coordinator
Based in Sydney, Paul has worked full time in the field of Skin Cancer Medicine and Surgery since 2002. He attended Sydney University for his medical degree then worked in general practice for 5 years prior to undertaking further post-graduate training in dermatology and skin cancer medicine. He has completed the Diploma in Practical Dermatology (University of Wales) and the Master of Medicine in skin cancer (University of Queensland). He holds fellowships in both the RACGP as well as the Skin Cancer College of Australia. Paul has been involved with skin cancer education and training for doctors in his role as Fellow of the Skin Cancer College of Australia and New Zealand (SCCANZ).
Important Dates 2012
