Welcome
Welcome to the Department of Critical Care (DoCC) within the Melbourne Medical School. DoCC is one of the few University departments anywhere in the world that embraces all three critical care specialties: anaesthesia, emergency medicine, and intensive care medicine. DoCC covers over 20 hospitals affiliated with the University.
The need for DoCC stems from the unfortunate fact that many high-risk, deteriorating, and critically ill patients have poor outcomes. Collectively these patients have a broad range of problems from trauma to children with sepsis to mental health to severe co-morbidity before surgery to complex pain syndromes; to name a few. Both preventing and managing health care crises is a key common feature of the three critical care specialties.
Through research, education, engagement, and direct clinical care, DoCC will improve individual patient journeys, public health, cost effectiveness, and workforce well-being. Our Department collaborates across academic, political, government, and community sectors including nurses, allied health practitioners, scientists, leaders, and of course patients and the broader public.
The academic history of critical care of the University of Melbourne extends back over 120 years to Dr Embley’s landmark 1902 article on death during chloroform anaesthesia. While there have been many subsequent great strides in critical care education, research, and clinical care in the University of Melbourne environment, DoCC represents a big step in creating an internationally recognised centre of excellence for integrated academic critical care.
Professor David Story, Inaugural Head of Department
Our people
Our leadership team oversee the three, integrated research and teaching streams, harnessing the expertise of a large network of more than 200 critical care specialists undertaking clinical care, research and education at more than 20 University-affiliated hospitals.
Sustainable healthcare
Our department is home to world leaders in the environmental sustainability of healthcare, with work focussing on research, teaching and engagement directed towards avoiding low value therapy, reducing the use of unnecessary medical equipment/medications, reusing equipment and recycling.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Melbourne Medical School is proud to foster a vibrant and inclusive culture delivering initiatives that value and support diversity.
