GMA2200 Principles of medicine
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
GMA2200 Principles of medicine is a level 2, 24-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2026 in Full year at Gippsland and Mildura. It has no prerequisites and unlocks 1 unit.
- Credit points
- 24
- Offered in 2026
- Full year
- Gippsland, Mildura
- Assessment
- Has an exam
- and 1 other task
- Workload
- 24 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before GMA2200
Corequisites
Pass these before, or take them in the same semester.
After GMA2200
1 unit list GMA2200 as a prerequisite or corequisite.
Enrolment rules
Corequisite: Must be enrolled in course code M6018
Overview
This unit reflects an introduction to the four themes of the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) curriculum: Theme I (Personal and Professional Development), Theme II (Society, Population, Health and Illness), Theme III (Scientific Basis of Clinical Practice) and Theme IV (Clinical Skills).
You will begin to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes required by a medical student including ethics, law, key concepts in population health, epidemiology and interprofessional health care teams and cultural practices. You will develop knowledge in the basic medical and behavioural sciences within inter-disciplinary units related to clinical and other healthcare problems through problem-based learning clinical case studies.
The clinical skills that you are introduced to is history-taking, physical examination and procedural skills through tutorials.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Full year extended | Gippsland | On campus |
| Full year extended | Mildura | On campus |
Assessment
- Written examination ( 5 x written papers - total 15 hours and 50 minutes)(pass/fail)ExaminationCompetency hurdle-
- Clinical skills assessment (multi-station clinical skills exam over Sem 1 & 2 - 90 mins)(pass/fail)ExaminationCompetency hurdle-
- Clinical Learning Engagement Activity Recognition (CLEAR) (pass/fail)PortfolioCompetency hurdle-
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Describe the ethical, professional and personal responsibilities, and behaviours consistent with good clinical practice and professional codes of practice.
- 2
Describe the fundamental legal responsibilities and ethical principles for clinical practice and apply these to learning scenarios.
- 3
Explain key concepts in population health, epidemiology and measurement of health and disease in populations including social, ethical, economic, and environmental factors.
- 4
Describe interprofessional health care teams and explain their role in health care.
- 5
Describe the importance of cultural practises in strengthening an individual’s identity and wellbeing and describe culturally safe communication when interacting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and family members.
- 6
Relate biomedical, scientific and clinical concepts to common and important illnesses, conditions and disorders and their causes, underlying pathophysiology and treatment.
- 7
Elicit histories and perform physical examinations on simulated patients and perform clinical procedures in simulated environments.
- 8
Integrate and interpret clinical findings in order to develop a differential diagnosis and outline basic management principles for very common conditions.
Workload and teaching
- Assessments-
- Teaching approachActive learning
In each semester you will be provided with 12 hours of teacher directed study per week including practicals, seminars, workshops, and small group learning encompassing case-based learning, role plays and simulations, problem based sessions, team based learning and research/enquiry based activities.
Plus 12 hours of self-directed study.
Total per week = 24 hours
For full details of the teaching approach to this unit, please refer to Moodle.
Learning resources
Required resources
See Moodle for details about required resources.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Eva Patak
- Dr Helmy Cook
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Fiona Wright
- Associate Professor Marianne Tare
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for GMA2200?
None, but you must take GMA2100 before or alongside it.
What can I take after GMA2200?
GMA2200 is a prerequisite or corequisite for 1 unit, including GMA2100.
When is GMA2200 offered?
In 2026, GMA2200 runs in Full year at Gippsland and Mildura.
How much work is GMA2200?
The handbook expects about 24 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does GMA2200 have an exam?
Yes, it has an exam, alongside 2 other tasks.