Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 401114

Coordinator Kym Hennessy Opens in new window

Description This subject is the third of four clinical practice subjects. Building on previous clinical subjects and academic knowledge the subject develops student assessment skills encouraging the student to make the appropriate selection of assessment techniques to diagnose, treat and provide short and long term health outcomes. Students will continue to participate in clinical activities under supervision to manage foot pathologies with increased scope to evaluate and manage more complex cases ( i.e. surgery, paediatrics, high risk foot). Clinical activities include UniClinic sessions, Clinical Therapies, Tutorials, and External Clinical Placement.

School Health Sciences

Discipline Podiatry

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 2 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 4 subject

Pre-requisite(s) REHA 3029 AND
REHA 3030

Incompatible Subjects REHA 7021 - Podiatric Practice 3

Restrictions

Students mut be enrolled in 4708 Bachelor of Podiatric Medicine and 4709 Bachelor of Podiatric Medicine (Honours).

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

​1. Demonstrate skills in safe work practices including infection control and work health and safety in a clinical setting.
2. Apply professional communication skills in a clinical setting.
3. Appraise and review assessment, diagnostic and management skills necessary for the development and application of treatment of patients with general foot and lower extremity pathologies.
4. Consolidate specialist diagnostic skills for the assessment of patients from special populations including radiographic interpretation, vascular assessment, neurological assessment, and biomechanical assessment.
5. Develop and apply assessment, diagnosis and management knowledge and skills in the context of complex clinical cases including paediatric, sports and geriatric patients.
6. Develop and demonstrate safe and competent skills in undertaking nail surgery procedures.
7. Develop and refine skills in the manufacture of custom made functional orthotic devices including neutral casting, positive cast manufacture, grinding and safety competencies.
8. Develop and apply soft tissue techniques in the context of management of musculoskelatal pathologies.

Subject Content

This is the third of four clinical practice subjects, the student will participate in patient assessment, diagnosis, and management.  Completing  this unit, builds on students clinical and academic skills in preparation for becoming a graduate podiatrist.
The activities will be divided into three areas:
(a) UniClinic (including surgery)
(b) Clinical therapies and clinical tutorials
(c) External Clinical Placement

(a)  UniClinic (including surgery)
In these clinics, the student will consolidate and further develop patient assessment, diagnosis and management, and clinical reasoning skills. The patients who attend these clinics will be new and ongoing patients who have basic foot problems, problems associated with an existing medical condition, mechanical/functional problems or require minor surgical intervention. Appropriate assessments and management strategies will be carried out including manufacture of orthoses, soft tissue techniques, and minor surgical procedures. The students will be supervised by registered practitioners.  Tutorials will support the management and educational needs (including case presentations) to faciliate learning during sessions.

(b) Clinical Therapies and clinical tutorials
This unit will continue to develop clinical skills and academic knowledge in a range of therapies. This unit will build on previous orthoses and surgery unit content taught in the 3rd year of the program.  Additional content (‘soft tissue techniques’) will also be introduced to refine student clinical application and reasoning skills to manage musculoskelatal pathologies. Clinical tutorials will support the management and educational needs (including case presentations) to facilitate learning during UniClinic sessions.
Content will include:
Manufacture of clinical devices, problem solving and ethics
Prefab and off the shelf devices
Soft tissue therapies including trigger point, dry needling and active release techniques
Revision of surgical procedures and protocols
Orthotic scripts
Translation of patient pathology and condition to orthotic script prescription 
Translation of biomechanical assessment results to orthotic script prescription 

(c) External Clinical Placement
A placement for 20 days of clinical activities in an external clinical site will be undertaken. The focus of this placement will be on developing assessment, diagnostic, management, and patient interaction skills in a real world clinical setting.

Special Requirements

Legislative pre-requisites