Personal and Professional Development (PPD)

The commencement of the 2008 University year saw the inauguration of the Stage 1 Personal and Professional Development Theme 2 day Intensive, a new initiative introduced in response to the recommendations of the 2007 curriculum review for the University of Sydney Medical Program. Associate Professor is Theme Co-ordinator for PPD.

Previously, a ‘stand alone’ theme, the PPD theme is now seen as an integral part of the medical program across all four years. Questions that ground medicine in Personal and Professional Development and Ethics are introduced from the outset, and provide an opportunity for the students to reflect on experiences and learning throughout their Medical training. Although philosophical in nature, the grounding questions give students an entrée into understanding health, disease and illness, to understand how health care is constructed and delivered, and to understand the roles and responsibilities of carers. It is intended the ‘grounding questions’ approach be integrated in to all the other themes and the blocks of the USydMP.

The intensive program helped the Stage 1 students to grasp important aspects of healthcare central to medicine, and exposed them to the range of qualities inherent in PPD

• that it is both rigorous and challenging, and inspiring;
• that it goes to the heart of who one is and how one wishes to act with others, but it is filled with uncertainty;
• that it includes both the intimate relationship between patient and clinician and the broader context of health care systems;
• that it is multi-faceted.

Next year the PPD Intensive will be compulsory for all Stages.