Mapping the Macquarie MD program for graduate capabilities in research

The Macquarie MD Research Program is to develop future medical doctors who understand the role and importance of research in guiding Evidenced-based medicine (EBM) practice. It integrates the experience of clinicians, the values of patients, and the best scientific information to guide clinical decision-making.

The Macquarie MD Research Program is built around the overarching Macquarie MD, building on the capacity for graduates to become scholars, research-informed practitioners and applied medical scientists. Students have the opportunity to undertake research projects which align with the broad spectrum of research strengths and areas within MQ Health and the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, which promote MQ Health’s strategic goal to undertake research that improves the delivery of healthcare and the quality of patient and broader community lives.

Navigating the Opportunities:
Securing stimulating research projects to cover an ever-increasing student intake is a challenge that needs to be overcome each year. At Macquarie University, the MD Research Team have adapted a flexible approach
enabling navigation of a variety opportunities and approaches.

This has resulted in diverse array of research project topics covering health care related to (but not limited to) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians as well as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. These research projects focus on making a scholarly contribution to learning health systems and may include projects related to: health systems development and delivery; infrastructure and resource use in healthcare; patient safety and quality; patient and clinician experience of service delivery; patient and professional reported determinants of health and wellbeing; medical education.

The stimulating research environment offered to students enrolled in the MD ensures that they will develop research skills, plan and implement a research project, and communicate their research findings and recommendations for healthcare and/or future research.