CSH545 Podiatric Medicine 5

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

In this final year work integrated learning (WIL) unit you will further develop your professional skills and continue to construct your professional identity through engagement with placement in diverse professional contexts.  You will be required to integrate the specialised discipline knowledge, clinical, technical, digital, reflective and problem-solving skills you have acquired across the course to build relationships with patients from diverse populations in the design, negotiation, implementation and evaluation of person-centred management plans. You will continue to build your capacity to make autonomous choices informed by appropriate physical and diagnostic examinations conducted within the framework of technological, ethical, financial and legal considerations and an evidence-based context through experience in the management of diverse lower limb presentations including musculoskeletal, paediatric, surgical, high risk and general conditions.

This is a designated unit which is essential to your course progression. Designated units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills, and units requiring demonstration of certain personal qualities. If you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit, you may be excluded from enrolment or will be put on academic probation. If you fail a designated unit twice within your course, you may be excluded. Supplementary assessment is not available on designated units.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Integrate knowledge of body systems, pathology, podiatric medicine and therapeutics implement to safe, effective, culturally responsive and person-centred assessment to generate diagnoses.
2. Interpret and evaluate diverse patient information to inform professional reasoning in the development, negotiation and implementation of comprehensive, evidence informed plans for management and monitoring outcomes.
3. Effectively document and communicate patient data and articulate professional reasoning to other health professionals
4. Establish strong therapeutic partnerships, in the negotiation of comprehensive management plans that utilise educative strategies to enable patients to improve health outcomes.

Content

Learning Approaches

In this unit you will learn by engaging in on-campus Work Integrated Learning activities at the QUT Health Clinic and QUT orthoses manufacturing laboratory, equipped with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacture digital technologies reflective of current industry standards. Your clinical rotations will include general, paediatric, musculoskeletal, high risk foot, aged care, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community health and surgical clinics.  Clinical skills workshops and peer discussions will facilitate the development of skills expected of a graduate podiatrist.

Online modules and case studies representing diverse cultural perspectives and links to professional standards and guidelines will be available via the Canvas teaching website to guide development of your professional reasoning skills.

Workshops and resources developed by the Student Success Group are embedded within this unit to support the development of your skills in reflection and self-management.

You will engage in learning during your clinical placement activities via compilation of a clinical logbook. This includes self assessment and peer and clinical educator feedback regarding your performance against relevant professional capabilities for podiatrists, to guide reflective practice and continuing professional development.

This unit requires compulsory attendance at on-campus clinical placement of 210 hours and any absence from clinical placements will reduce the opportunity for development of your professional capabilities. Where absence is due to special or unforeseeable circumstances independently supported by documentation (e.g. medical certificate), make-up clinical placement days will be facilitated wherever possible. In certain circumstances, involving a substantial number of missed clinical hours, you may be advised to seek withdrawal from the unit without academic penalty. Standard course progression cannot be guaranteed following withdrawal from a clinical placement unit (or fail grade).

Please note that mandatory elements of this unit may begin in summer semester and orientation week of semester one.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Your clinical educators will provide formative feedback throughout semester regarding your professionalism, clinical skills, consultation management, professional reasoning and orthoses manufacturing skills. This feedback will aid in your preparation for the placement performance and OSCE examinations.  

Formal feedback regarding your case study presentation will aid in your preparation for the placement performance exam. 

Assessment

Overview

Your first assessment item will further develop your information literacy and communication skills in the identification and application of evidence based practice in your clinical decision-making and management planning, through preparation and presentation of a case study. 

The further development of your professional skills in this unit will be evidenced by your clinical logbook completed throughout the semester, and direct assessment of one or two patient consultations. Finally, you will undertake an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) to assess your clinical and professional reasoning skills.

Special conditions of assessment:

The learning outcomes in this unit address elements of AHPRA's professional capabilities for podiatrists. The Podiatry Board of Australia recognises these competencies as the minimum standards for professional practice. As such, this unit contains specified threshold assessment conditions on the Placement Performance and OSCE assessment items. You must pass these assessment items to pass the unit overall.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Case study presentation

You will be required to identify a suitable patient within your caseload at the QUT Podiatry Clinic and obtain informed consent for their participation in this assessment task. In collaboration with your patient and utilising digital assessment technologies, you will design a patient-centered rehabilitation plan that includes a mechanical intervention and suitable evaluation of the patient's progress and measurable outcomes.

In a presentation of this case, you will demonstrate your ability to analyse and interpret diverse patient information and data with reference to evidence to articulate your professional reasoning. This assessment item will further develop the professional communication skills required when working to effectively deliver patient care in multidisciplinary teams.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details page for specific guidelines. 

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions. 

Assessment: Placement Performance and Logbook

You will be assessed on one to two occasions of patient treatment. You will be required to collect diverse patient information through clinical assessment and integrate this with specialised discipline knowledge and evidence to form a preliminary diagnosis and develop and implement an initial patient treatment plan that has been successfully negotiated with your patient to build a strong therapeutic relationship. In a patient handover you will communicate your findings and articulate your professional reasoning process with discussion of podiatric management pathways from an evidence-based perspective demonstrating consideration of your patient’s context and perspectives.

The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during the Placement Performance.

You will also submit a logbook of your clinical experiences throughout the semester. In this log you will demonstrate self-awareness through reflection on your experiences and supervisor and peer feedback, to identify learning needs and develop plans for lifelong learning.  

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in the Logbook component. See the relevant assessment details page for specific guidelines.

Threshold Assessment:

In order to receive a grade for this assessment item, fulfilment of all clinical hours must be documented in your logbook and you must achieve the minimum pass level as indicated by a criterion-referenced assessment rubric mapped to AHPRA’s professional capabilities for podiatrists. You will be eligible for one reattempt at the minimum pass level, only when your achieved mark/grade is within 10% (or 1 grade) of the pass level. You are advised to seek feedback on your performance from the unit coordinator prior to the reattempt.

Assessment: Objective Structured Clinical Examination

You will be examined on your ability to analyse and interpret patient history, diagnostic and physical examination findings through integration with knowledge of body systems, pathology, podiatric medicine and therapeutics and evidence to generate diagnoses and develop comprehensive patient centred management plans, including monitoring of outcomes. You will demonstrate this ability to make safe and effective decisions in standardised clinical scenarios, effectively articulating your professional reasoning process.  

The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is prohibited during this assessment.

Threshold Assessment:

Threshold conditions apply to this assessment item. If you do not achieve satisfactory performance on at least 4 out of 6 stations, you will be permitted one reattempt at the minimum pass level, only when your achieved grade is within 1 grade of the pass level for the assessment item. You are advised to seek feedback on your submission from the unit coordinator prior to your reattempt. 

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

The Health Work Integrated Learning Support (WILS) team supports checking of mandatory documentation required for all student clinical placements.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in your exclusion from clinical activities. 

• Blue Card: A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the blue card and how to apply please visit the QUT website (https://qutvirtual4.qut.edu.au/group/student/jobs-and-careers/get-work-experience/blue-cards). 
• Vaccine Preventable Diseases Evidence:  It is a mandatory requirement for students to be vaccinated and evidence immune serology against a number of vaccine preventable diseases. For more information, please refer to QUT Health students placements website.  
• First Aid Certificate: You are required to have a current Senior First Aid Certificate before you begin your podiatry placement. There are a variety of First Aid certificate courses that are delivered by approved providers and duly authorised under the Ambulance Service Act 1991. 

All documentation needs to be provided to Work Integrated Learning Support (via InPlace) before the commencement of clinical placements.

Specific disclosure: Students will be required to disclose specific personal or medical information where: 

• A medical condition or medication use may increase the risk of injury to yourself or others (e.g. use of sedative medications or communicable disease). 
• Adjustments may be required for a disability, injury, health condition or pregnancy (e.g. access to facilities, manual tasks such as scalpel work or orthosis fabrication, working with chemicals). 

Please seek advice about disclosure from your Disability Advisor. Refer to Disability Services homepage for information. 

Further information regarding WIL policies and procedures, such as health and safety, risk management, confidentiality, intellectual property, disclosure and insurance, are available via the following QUT Health student placements website. 

Blue Card

A blue card is required to complete this unit. A blue card confirms that you have passed a screening of your criminal history (the Working with Children Check) and have been approved to work with children and young people. For more information on the blue card and how to apply please visit the QUT website.

Costs

CS44

Bachelor of Podiatry

Bachelor of Podiatry (Graduate Entry)

Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, Pertussis, COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, in addition to uniform and suitable footwear, First Aid and CPR Certificate that includes AED (Automated External Defibrillation) and anaphylaxis training, blue card and podiatry instruments kit.

$1000-$1500

Resources

Resource Materials

Reference book(s)

Burrow, J. G., Rome, K., & Padhiar, N. (Eds.). (2020). Neale's Disorders of the Foot and Ankle. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Christman, R.A. (2003). Foot and ankle radiology. St. Louis, Mo.: Churchill Livingstone.

Evans, A. (2010) Pocket Podiatry. Paediatrics. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Thomson, P., and Volpe, R.G. (2001). Introduction to podopediatrics. (2nd Edition). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Safety and protective equipment

Podiatry clinic uniform and compliant footwear

Other

Podiatry instruments kit

Risk Assessment Statement

This unit will involve lab-based and clinic-based sessions in on campus clinic facilities. You will be required to attend a mandatory induction session in Orientation week and/or at the commencement of the semester, where the safety precautions to be observed while working in the labs and clinic will be outlined. You are required to read the Clinic Policies and Procedures documents, and sign forms indicating that you have read and understood the material contained in these manuals. Please direct any questions regarding safe working procedures to the unit coordinator. Protective clothing outlined in the Policies and Procedures documentation must be worn at all times in the laboratories (eg face mask, goggles/face shield, lab coat) along with closed in footwear and the clinic uniform during all clinic sessions. This unit involves contact with patients, and risks associated with the clinical environment (e.g. scalpel injury and exposure to patients with a blood borne virus) are outlined in the policies and procedures manuals for podiatry students. You are expected to comply with these procedures and guidelines at all times.

Course Learning Outcomes

CS44 Bachelor of Podiatry

1. Critically evaluate and integrate specialised discipline knowledge of body systems, pathology, podiatric medicine and therapeutics in real-world settings.
   Relates to: Case study presentation, Objective Structured Clinical Examination
2. Employ information literacy, evidence-based professional reasoning and shared decision-making to safely and effectively undertake person-centred management for diverse lower limb conditions through assessment, investigation, diagnosis and evaluation.
   Relates to: Placement Performance and Logbook, Objective Structured Clinical Examination
3. Implement safe and effective assessment and management of patients, using highly developed clinical and technical skills, exercising reflexive, ethical, sustainable and culturally responsive practice, within regulatory and legal frameworks.
   Relates to: Case study presentation, Placement Performance and Logbook, Objective Structured Clinical Examination
4. Practice effective multimodal communication and collaboration, establishing inclusive partnerships with patients, health professionals and relevant stakeholders, leveraging digital capabilities and interprofessional referral pathways to positively impact individual and community health outcomes, applying the full scope of podiatric practice.
   Relates to: Case study presentation, Placement Performance and Logbook
5. Leads self and others in reflective practice and lifelong learning, recognizing and addressing own biases, seeking and responding to feedback, engaging in evidence-based practice, fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring, alongside a curious, agile, resilient and entrepreneurial mindset.
   Relates to: Placement Performance and Logbook

CS46 Bachelor of Podiatry (Honours)

1. Critically evaluate and integrate advanced specialised knowledge of body systems, pathology, podiatric medicine and therapeutics in real-world settings.
   Relates to: Case study presentation, Objective Structured Clinical Examination
2. Employ research skills in parallel with evidence-based professional reasoning and shared decision-making to safely and effectively undertake person-centred management for diverse lower limb conditions through assessment, investigation, diagnosis and evaluation.
   Relates to: Placement Performance and Logbook, Objective Structured Clinical Examination
3. Implement safe and effective assessment and management of patients, using highly developed clinical and technical skills, exercising reflexive, ethical, sustainable and culturally responsive practice, within regulatory and legal frameworks.
   Relates to: Case study presentation, Placement Performance and Logbook, Objective Structured Clinical Examination
4. Practice scholarly multimodal communication and effective collaboration, establishing inclusive partnerships with patients, health professionals and relevant stakeholders, leveraging digital capabilities and interprofessional referral pathways to positively impact individual and community health outcomes, applying the full scope of podiatric practice, including dissemination of research findings.
   Relates to: Case study presentation, Placement Performance and Logbook
5. Leads self and others in reflective practice and lifelong learning, recognizing and addressing own biases, seeking and responding to feedback, contributing to evidence-based solutions, fostering a culture of peer support and mentoring, alongside a curious, agile, resilient and entrepreneurial mindset.
   Relates to: Placement Performance and Logbook