From 2024, UNSW students will be able to learn in new flexibly designed spaces alongside the Prince of Wales Acute Services Building. In the integrated eastern extension of the ASB, UNSW will house state-of-the-art research, clinical innovation, biomedical and teaching facilities across 10 floors and approximately 5,000 square metres. Dedicated clinical education spaces will span four floors of the extension. The flexible environment will encourage students to interact with health professionals, medical researchers, clinical teachers and each other, maximising opportunities for learning and forming collaborations. UNSW Medicine & Health Associate Professor Arvin Damodaran, Director of Teaching in the School of Clinical Medicine, helped design the spaces and believes they will enhance the student experience.
“As a part of the patient care team, students will work side by side with clinicians in a busy teaching hospital. They will see the real-world issues and experiences of patients at the bedside and be able to step across the hall into study space to reflect, reinforce and learn,” said Arvin
The clinical education spaces will be located next to haematology, oncology, orthopaedics, acute aged care, aged care rehabilitation, surgery, respiratory and infectious diseases, neurosciences and acute stroke departments. By linking to a range of clinical departments, students will learn about different ways to deliver care. “Our clinicians will have space to develop and evolve student centred teaching activities using case studies and simulation, as well as use the spaces to involve students in the education rich professional activities such as case presentations, ward round debriefs, multidisciplinary team meetings, and departmental research meetings.” Flexible technology will enable students to participate in person or virtually, allowing educators to engage a wider cohort of students at different locations across NSW. New spaces will cater to learning and teaching in varied groups sizes, including individual study, meetings, small group tutorials and larger group discussions. Clinical rooms that mirror true clinical environments will support learning basic bedside procedures and examination skills like taking a patient’s history, measuring blood pressure, eye and ear examinations. Larger teaching spaces will mean students can participate in larger interdisciplinary discussions around complex health conditions, new treatments, cutting-edge research and models of care. “The integrated extension will enhance our students’ experience of working and studying in a busy hospital environment, producing capable graduates who have a grounded understanding of their role in caring for patients and the skills to become health leaders,” said Arvin. Learn more about the UNSW Eastern Extension here.