St Vincent's Clinical School

Students at St Vincent's Clinical School have the opportunity to undertake clinical placements at St Vincent's Public Hospital, St Vincent's Private, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Peter MacCallum Hospital and St George's Hospital in Kew.

St Vincent's Clinical School, located at St Vincent's Hospital in Fitzroy, has a long history of training medical students. It has a proud tradition for producing dedicated and compassionate doctors.

St Vincent's is a multi-speciality unit hospital, providing acute medical and surgical services, emergency and critical care, aged care, diagnostics, rehabilitation medicine, mental health, palliative care and resident care.
Through the strength of its location, students have the opportunity to undertake clinical placements at St Vincent's Public Hospital, St Vincent's Private, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Peter MacCallum Hospital and St George's Hospital in Kew.

The academic program is built on the core curriculum but students at St Vincent's are also provided additional, innovative teaching programs. These include orthopaedic masterclasses, surgical lumps and bumps bedside teaching, neurology masterclasses, and the Clinical Integration Program (CIP) – a simulation program for year 2 MD students and final year students. Hospital programs provided to interns and residents are available for medical students to attend.

St Vincent's Clinical School prides itself on ensuring all students are well supported by the administration team and the academic team are always available to assist in any pastoral needs.

Fast Facts

  • St Vincent's Hospital is home to 848 beds and 5000 staff.
  • It has research affiliations with the University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Institute, O'Brien Institute and Bionics Institute.
  • St Vincent's Hospital is linked closely with all vocational training programs and provides a strong culture of learning and support for trainees. Many clinical school teachers teach students and trainees.
  • Students have access to the state-of-the-art Medical Education Centre which provides training in procedural skills, basic and advanced life support skills. It provides simulation training and team training to ensure students are ready for their duties as an intern doctor.
  • Training is done at multiple sites including St Vincent's Public Hospital, St Vincent's Private Hospital, St George's Hospital (Kew) – 3rd year program, Peter MacCallum and Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital

FAQs

  • Where is the St Vincent's Clinical School located and how do I get there?

    St Vincent's Clinical School is on the edge of the CBD in Fitzroy and is easily accessible by public transport. It is well served with parks in the surrounding area and also an excellent cafe culture given its proximity to Gertrude St.

    Students have access to a comfortable common room space with computers, couches and tables. Lockers are situated next to the common room and there is a communal kitchen that students can utilise.

  • What can I expect to be doing day-to-day?

    The contact hours at any Clinical School are variable and there is variability in week-to-week schedules. At St Vincent's Clinical School, students are encouraged to attend unit ward rounds and meetings so at times they are required to start early to fully immerse themselves into their teaching unit. The program does not fit a usual 8.30 am to 5 pm schedule but most teaching is done within these hours.

    St Vincent's delivers teaching using small group and large group formats. Teaching in the area of pharmacology, pathology, radiology and the Clinical Colloquia will be done with large groups. Small group teaching will be delivered for bedside tutorials, clinical skills coach teaching sessions, and professional development tutorials.

    Interactive seminars (Topic sessions) will be delivered in a medium group structure. St Vincent's believes that these seminars should be done in groups of less than 20 students to ensure optimal learning opportunities for students.

    Apart from the core teaching, students will have access to the Grand Round and other educational activities based at St Vincent's.

The teaching and hospital staff have been amazing. Everyone is helpful and friendly. Even the older students just wanted to show us around and tell us all the little secrets of the trade so that the next few years will be as easy and productive as possible. Angelique Ross - St Vincent's Student