Part A Clinical Logbooks

In this third term of your clinical year, it is expected that you will complete your clinical requirements as per the Council for Chiropractic Education Australasia for the year and submit them for auditing.

To meet these requirements you will need to:

• Perform 15 new patient examinations bringing your total to a minimum of 50 new patients over the three terms
• Perform 100 follow-up treatments/visits bringing your total to a minimum of 300 treatments over the three terms
• Provide 5 hours of outreach per term (please note if you volunteer with the Sports Chiropractic Association of Australia your time with them can count towards outreach) bringing your total to 15 hours over the three terms
• Meet the yearly total of systemic examinations (5 of each - see CCEA requirements), neuromusculoskeletal (40) examinations, x-ray interpretation reports (60) and radiographic positioning (30) and finally clinical laboratory investigation activities (10)
• Attend all rostered clinic shifts (18 hours per week)

Logbooks should never leave the clinic and the content should be kept up to date. It is your responsibility to ensure that you maintain this document, including obtaining the required signatures and scheduling any and all competencies required during the term. *If there is no signature we cannot verify that the activity took place and it will not be counted.* We will be performing a number of clinical competency performance assessments including: direct observation of procedural skills, mini-clinical examinations and file audits over the term to ensure that your skills are developing appropriately. Any fraudulent activities in relation to the clinic logbook or competencies will result in disciplinary action.

Part B Clinical Competency

Practical Assessment will occur continuously across the term in both summative and formative assessments. The summative assessments will be in the form of critiques and are listed below. The aim is to ensure you are developing appropriately throughout this final term and to support your growth. At this point, you will most likely be performing the majority of required clinical skills independently. It is expected that you should be able to perform these tasks without supervision, however the supervisor remains a source of guidance and support as and when required.

Throughout the term you will be required to complete the following summative competency assessments:

•              1 History taking critiques (one acute and one chronic - one of each is required during the clinical year)

•              1 Physical examination (one ortho based and one neuro based- one of each is required during the clinical year)

•              1 Report of findings critique

•              2 Adjustive techniques (at least one extremity)

•              1 Electrical modality or Rehabilitation routine (one of each is required during the clinical year)

•              2 Professionalism critiques (at 4 weeks and 11 weeks)

•              1 File-audit

*If the clinical supervisor deems your skills are not progressing well by week 4 remedial support will be offered*

In addition, because Part A and Part B are pass/fail assessment tasks, the requirements listed for a pass score must be attained by the specified due date.  In the absence of an approved assessment extension, a student who has not met the requirements by the due date will get a Fail grade.

The assessment criteria will aim to confirm:

Have you met the required clinical encounter numbers set out by the accreditation body?

Have you demonstrated clinical competency in each of the required critiques?

Have you maintained an acceptable level of professionalism including attending all scheduled clinical and radiographic rotations? 

Have you demonstrated an ability to safely manage patients to the level of an entry level chiropractor?

*The marking rubrics are available on moodle and in the clinic for your perusal (they are the same as in CP4 and CP5), it is expected that in this term you will no longer require any prompting when performing the competencies listed above in order to pass.

Part A Reflection

As you move closer to graduation and becoming a member of the profession, we would like you to take sometime to reflect.  You are asked to reflect on one of the following topics:

• Reflect on the likely challenges you will face as a new graduate and how you will draw on your experiences over the past five years to help you transition into your new role. 
• Reflect on your professional development over the past five years.
• Reflect on the most challenging case that you managed over the past year and how it effected your understanding of clinical practice.

This reflection will be 1500 words (+/- 10%) and referenced.  Further guidance (a rubric) is available on moodle.

Part B Case Based Learning

Five clinical cases will be presented in a staged format.  Initially a scenario will be released and you will be required to contribute to the forum in the form of possible answers or thoughtful questions.  Later in the same week additional information will be released which will require you to demonstrate clinical reasoning and perform some additional reading.  At the end of each case we will have a zoom discussion to wrap up the case or a formative quiz will appear on moodle.

Two case based learning activities will occur on the topics of informed consent and advertising. You will be required to use the provided scenario to demonstrate your knowledge and familiarity with the Chiropractic Board of Australia's (CBA) Code of Conduct.

In addition, because these are pass/fail assessment tasks, the requirements listed for a pass score must be attained by the specified due date. In the absence of an approved assessment extension, a student who has not met the requirements by the due date will get a Fail grade.

The  assessment criteria will aim to confirm:

Have you demonstrated an understanding of professional growth and change through a reflective learning cycle?

Have you demonstrated clinical understanding and reasoning skills?

Have you demonstrated clinical and referral management knowledge?

Have you demonstrated an understanding of public health and health promotion opportunities?

Have you demonstrated an awareness and familiarity with the CBA's Code of Conduct?

The clinic exit examination will involve a two day examination of your clinical skills and knowledge.  It will consist of:

• One Objective Structured Long Examination Record (OSLER) station that will last for 30 minutes.  This will follow the standard template (see moodle) and involve working through a new case consultation, examination, management and theory.
• One VIVA (oral) station that will last up to 60 minutes.  You may be provided with a case scenario 15 minutes prior to entering the viva for your perusal.   The viva will involve examination of clinical knowledge and reasoning, synthesis of information, evidence informed management. It will also examine familiarity with the professional code of conduct and overall professional attitude.

While this is a P/F assessment a score of 65% or above is required to pass. A detailed marking rubrics will be available on moodle no later than week 6 of the term.

Please note:

You must present for your individual practical assessment dressed as you would present to the clinical environment. Any student not adhering to the dress code may be excluded from the assessment.

Non-Academic reviewers may be present as part of the examining panel in addition to academic members of the team

This assessment task may be recorded using a video camera to enable moderation

Please note the following advice from the University Assessment of Coursework Procedures:

3.2.6 In non-graded (pass-fail) courses, all assessment items must be submitted by the due date, as there is no opportunity to apply a five per cent penalty, due to the pass-fail nature of each assessment task. Students who fail a single assessment task in a pass-fail course, or who fail a pass-fail component of a graded course will be deemed to have failed that course.

This assessment task must be completed on the specified day and time. In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after this date, and there will be no opportunity to apply a late penalty of five per cent per day.

The assessment criteria aim to confirm:

Have you demonstrated clinical skills at the level of an entry level chiropractor?

Have you demonstrated an ability to interpret patient data and perform clinical reasoning?

Have you demonstrated an ability to synthesize patient information to create an evidence informed plan of management?

Have you demonstrated an awareness and understanding of professional behaviour, scope and practice?