Sem 141
Le’ Content Editor’s Blurb…. Page 3 Meet Your Peeps… Page 4 El Presidento Report… Page 8 How to Survive Uni… Page 10 Barefoot Running… Page 12 Institute of Health and Sport… Page 13 The Physical- Proof… Page 14 The Physical – Recap… Page 16 Science; Seems Legit… Page 17 Getting Big… Page 18 The Types of Med Kids… Page 19 MedBall – The Pics… Page 20 Regenerative Medicine… Page 22 Surviving GAMSAT… Page 23
From the editor W
elcome to my first edition of Pulse for Semester 141 peeps!
I am relatively chuffed that I have managed to create and publish something that resembles a magazine after introducing myself and my inability to work technology to the program a last week. This semester has been pretty hectic for everyone I would assume, with the all too familiar struggle between holidays, social life and an excessive amount of work to do. The first term of the Health Science and Medicine Student Association has been gnarly fun so far with the crew successfully getting amongst and around all things student and science related. Watch out for upcoming events such as Staff vs. Student Netball and the traditional Cram Sesh held in Week 13. Massive hugs to all who submitted an article after only small amounts of harassing, your support is fantastic. Looking forward to improving my artistic and use-of-program-skills next edition. Catch y’all on the flip! Laura x
Introducing your Peeps The Health Sciences & Medicine Student Association has successfully
challeneged the title of lewsest FSA on campus. Meet the gang...
Niahm Ramsay Niamh/nee-am-ma-h is the President of the HMSA, this involves according to Niamh, ‘Important stuff’. Dream job would to be a water-slide tester, hoping to gain knowledge in this industry through studying Biomedical Science (Honours). Nee-am-ma-h recommends to go down to Dons early around 8:30pm to get your wristbands and avoid having to line up later.
Steph Rockett
Known as Rockett, Vice President Steph believes her role entails picking up Niamhs slack and making sure the entire HMSA is always eating at meetings. Rockett’s dream job is as a food taster... she believes life would be perfect if people paid her to eat. Top tip for HSM kiddos is to make the most of your time and go to every event, especially the Physical.
imogen Thompson Imogen, Imo is the incredibly prepared Secretary. Such a job involves sending emails, and sending more emails. The dream job of Imo would be as a Professional Nutella eater, currently studying Biomedical Science, hoping for a call up in the near future. Advice for life: ‘don’t skip one of Bon’s classes, he will know and he will find you’.
Angad Singh
Affectionally known as hot chocolate by his ladies, Angad is the Money Man The position of treasurer involves making it rain dolla dolla bills. Dream job is to be Drake and as big as Xavier Studying = medicine Top tip is YOGTUO (you only go to university once - dont waste it spending erryday in the library)
Jordan Kopittke Jordi is our corporate relations director, which involves building stable relationships with companies to ensure present and future financial sponsorship as well as potential links for graduating students. Studying bachelor of biomed science and law, Jordi wants to work in corporate pharmaceutical lawwould love to work as an in house council for a major pharmaceutical company/ partner in a firm. Top tip for HSM peeps is to always bring your bag out with you when you have a half time break in your lecture. Then when (not if) you decide your not going to return, there’s no awkward going back in for your stuff.
Xavier Demaneuf
Post Graduate Officer Position involves sussing out the situation of Post Grad Students. Xavi studies Sports Management, where his dream job is to work for the ASP or IOC.
Advice to HSM kids: “Keep calm and go to the gym”
James Wiffen
Lily Edwards
Sometimes called BT, Elliot is the Medical Representative which he believes involves being a med kid.
Wiff is the Health Science Representative, according to him this involves representing.
Would like to one day pursue a career being a Professional Gangster,
In the future plans to experiment in the industry of fortune cookie writers after completing his Biomedical Science degree. One of Wiffen’s most valuable insights to student life is, ‘buy goon it’s cheap’.
Elliot Duong
in the meantime will continue to study Medicine until receiving the call.
Lily or Lil is our Promotions Director; which she describes her job as googling posters and sometimes editing them. Lily one day hopes to be a candy taster, currently working on her resume to submit to such businesses through attaining a Biomedical Science degree for the ‘Wow Factor’. ‘Free things – take them all’ is her advice to HSM kids.
Advice to all student is: Krish - not even once.
Melad Syed Academic Affairs Director
aka Beta the role aims to improve the academic experience for all HSM students, and to ensure that the HMSA continues to be respected in the broader university community. My personal aim is to bankrupt the HMSA by buying a ridiculously excessive amount of pizzas over the course of the year My dream job is to be a professional DJ, touring around the world, playing to thousands of fans, but I think I’ll have to settle with medicine Top tip for HSM students: Don’t study hard, study smart
Anna Thorley Anna, also known as Dyson is the Social Director of HMSA, her job entails getting people lewse. Studying Exercise and Sports Science, Anna would one day like to be the Sydney Swans Masseur. Most relevant advice from Anna is, ‘Thursday night Dons and 8am Friday anatomy labs with cadavers do not mix’.
Laura MacDougall Publications Director Known occasionally as Dougs (pronounced Dooogs) by her peeps. Position entailes making a sick publication that seems to have some intellectual content. Dream job would to be lead singer of Coldplay, hoping to achieve this through studying Physiotherapy. Advice to HSM kids is just to rip out words relatively related, eg. glycolysis or proteins, sometimes you’re right.
Throughout the term of the HMSA, our aims include :
To ensure our operations reflect that which most benefit the student body. Increase awareness of the support offered by the HMSA to students Maintain a productive relationship with the MSSBU committee Provide social and academic events to improve the student experience of all members of the faculty Ensure the Sports and Exercise Science & Phsyiotherapy students are involved in the HSM faculty while studying off-campus at the Centre for Excellence Establish a greater support base for graduating Health Science students in terms of postgraduate study and employment options
eL pRESDENTO rePORT So far, this semester has been a very busy, successful one for the HMSA. I could not be prouder of the way the new team, easily noticeable by the crumbs of free food that follow behind us, has so enthusiastically approached our events. With a fresh intake into our Health Sciences, we’ve made it our utmost priority to ensure new students are welcomed into our faculty and have no qualms about where to find the help they need. HSM Faculty Orientation for Health Sciences This was our first event where we introduced the friendly HMSA team to the new students. With a collection of interesting icebreakers and tips for survival in the HSM, it is safe to say most people felt well acquainted with their new cohort and faculty. HSMA Welcome Breakfast Think of any excuse for free food and we’ve used and abused the idea. We offered lots of yummy goodies to students and checked in with everyone about how Semester 141 was treating them. GAMSAT Information Session and Mock Exam This semester the HMSA has made a special effort to support our students travelling down the GAMSAT path. These sessions have hopefully helped students prepare for the daunting exam. Best of luck to everyone! The Physical: WOODSTOCK 1969 Personally, I would like to say a big thank you to the HMSA for their efforts. With all hands on decks, we had a very smooth and successful night. The hippie, free-loving party was definitely be one to remember and a strong contender for Semester 141 Best FSA Event – hint, hint, don’t forget to vote! It’s safe to say that this semester has been thoroughly embraced so far by the students and faculty. Look out for our upcoming events on the calendar including our charity Cancer Council night at Dons and Cram Sesh events. Also, make sure you get a team together for the Staff vs Student Netball event in Week 10, its bound to be lots of fun (and there’s free food) – so what are you waiting for! Hope you’re all enjoying the sem, enjoy the magazine and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or issues!
How to Survive Uni Written by Samantha Fien Recently graduating from a Bachelor of Exercise Science, Samantha is continuing study at Bond through a Masters of Science By Research. After experiencing all that is involved in uni life; deciding what to do after graduation, having excessive amounts of exams and assignments along side balancing a large social life Sam is here to help with a list of ten tips to Surviving Univeristy.
Time management. Be organised. Know when assignments are due and when exams are on. Don’t pull an “all-nighter” it’s just not worth putting that much stress onto yourself. Focus on what is important after all you did come to university to learn and leave with a degree in your hands. Back up everything! I had my laptop die on me twice in my last semester Trust me I thought I was going to cry when I lost four hours of work on a 3000 word assignment the first time my laptop died. But I had managed to hand my assignment in because I had backed up everything onto hard drives and USBs. Don’t Panic. Trust me it will do you no good. Just breathe slowly and count to ten. Assign yourself small tasks to do; do not attempt to do everything at once. Male a list and cross them off as you go so you know and feel you are accomplishing tasks. Go to all your classes. You are paying for it. It’s worth going to them. You have small classes, the lecturer or tutor knows your name so what can you complain about. By going to the classes I don’t mean sitting in there and not paying attention. Actually listen and take notes. Turn off your phone and attempt not to go onto Facebook on your laptop whilst in class. You can look at how many likes you have after class. You will understand the topics better by being in the class rather than looking at lecture slides the day before exams and wishing you had gone to that class.
Ask Questions. Learn how to contribute to tutorials and labs. Lecturers want to know you understand the topic at hand, so get involved. If you need something clarified or if you just want to go over something because you did not understand, be brave and say it. It’s fine to be overwhelmed. Just remember that many people, like me, have been in your shoes and survived to tell the tale! It can be done. The stress and effort will all be worth it in the end for when you graduate. Placement is amazing. If you are lucky enough to have placement towards the end of your degree be prepared to work as hard as you can. This is your chance to prove to the organisation that you attend and also yourself just how much you have learnt. Also if you’re lucky enough you may even get a career out of your placement. Enjoy the days and weekends off. As undergraduate student you don’t have the added pressure of postgrad or working full time. Make the most of these stress free days while you can. Be proud of Bond and yourself. Bond is fantastic and you decided to come here for a reason. You are almost at the end of your degree; trust me the last two semesters go so fast. You will have no idea where the time went but you will be thanking yourself for completing your degree. Have FUN! Enjoy university and the experience that comes with it. This could be your last time before you go out into the big world, so soak up the sun, socialise but most of all study hard!
Barefoot Running Written by James Wiffen
If you’re like me, then you may seem the idea of running (or at least jogging) as a kind of release or escape from the stressful life of a university student. For many the idea of dragging their body around Lake Orr for 5 kilometres registers on par with dragging their body home from Surfers at four in the morning and getting up for class at 8am the next day. It’s just not going to happen. However for some running is just a natural part of life, whether it is to stay in shape whilst in the midst of weeks of Bra food, or just a way to enjoy our surrounding here on the Gold Coast. Regardless of whether you run or not, it is likely that you have come across the term “Barefoot Running”. It’s the phenomenon that has swept the running and fitness world, taking it by storm and kick starting a generation of minimalist running headlined of course by Nike, spurring their line of Free Runs which have successfully besieged Instagram. And some ancient Mexicans started it all. Whilst the notion has been circulating sports science literature for some time, the craze really took off after the publication of a book by Christopher McDougall, “Born to Run”. It is essentially a tale of an ancient Indian tribe lost in the Mexican wilderness, called the Tarahumara, for whom running is the lifeblood of their culture. The parts of the book that generated excitement were those images portraying Indian men running for hours on end with no shoes on and remarkably no pain. The book went on more controversially to
claim that running shoes were of no real benefit to humans as they altered the natural motion of body. After reading the book myself I must admit I was sucked into the romance of it all. Being able to run for kilometres on end and waking up the next day, fresh enough to be able to do it all over again. It seemed too good to be true. The scientific world appeared to have the same mindset, and rightly so. There is very little literature on the impacts of barefoot running, especially in developed countries due to the relative newness and rarity of the sport. However studies conducted in developing countries where barefoot running is much more common, reveal that injury rates are much lower in the populations that do not wear shoes. Of course there are conflicting factors such as those that run barefoot may be too poor to seek medical attention for their injuries and therefore go unnoticed. There is also evidence that barefoot running may reduce the risk of chronic injury such as plantar fasciitis and shin splints due to the strengthening of the foot from the barefoot strike. Nevertheless experts recommend transitioning into barefoot or minimalist running slowly as many of us have lost the natural strength in our feet due to running with shoes on. It is evident that in years to come studies will produce results that give us the truth about barefoot running. Despite this it should be in all our best interest to run, barefoot or not, as it is what we as humans were made to do.
Institute of Health & Sport Written by Jaye Eccleston A new year, a new semester and now a new opportunity for Sports Management students. The start of 2014 saw the transfer of classes into the newly opened Bond Institute of Health and Sport, which has been received well by both student and teachers alike. The state of the art facilities are unparalleled and the easy access to teaching staff allows for effective communication and learning. The building is allowing students to gain real world experience and develop an understanding of how a professional sporting environment operates. The major appeal of the building to Sports Management students is the exclusivity. The Bachelor of Sports Management Degree requires students to complete subjects across all faculties, therefore requiring them to not only adapt to different learning requirements but also constantly move from different faculties across campus. For this reason, the students of this degree appreciate having a ‘retreat’ and an environment that permits only students enrolled in the degree, alongside Exercise and Sport Science and Physiotherapy students. The uniqueness and refreshing environment has created a new hub for students of the degree that continues to be constantly appraised and welcomed.
Taleah Kneebone
“I really like the institute. Sometimes prefer it to the campus, the environment there is so chilled and the facilities are much nicer. It’s not so ‘happening’ there and I always seem to smash hours of study without getting distracted. I think it’ll help me with my degree because not only do you have sports management students there but also a lot of the exercise science guys, and it helps you interact with like-minded people. It’s got a vibe about it that just makes you want to be there and if you’re studying and need help, our lecturers offices are right on the next floor so you can quickly pop in an ask questions, it’s so convenient. Can I also say that there is really hot football players there and they’re even better to look at, especially when needing a study break”. Anthony Evans
“My first subject there is this semester but I think its a great facility, nice study areas. I believe it will be advantageous to me specifically as my goal is to work for the NRL. Having such a close working relationship with the Gold Coast Titans will hopefully benefit me in some way and help to get me closer to achieving my goal”. Tara Pokarier
“I think it’s appropriate to be in an environment where we’re all intending on being in the sports industry and the like. I don’t mind catching an elevator with Titans player either”.
The Physical: RECAP Written by Anna Thorley
The Physical 141 brought peace, love and great music to all those good souls who came along for an amazing night. Friday Week 5 (Valentine’s Day) gave all the single students at Bond an opportunity to not eat their weight in Ben and Jerry’s whilst watching The Notebook, but to instead spend a great night out at Don’s and Platinum Nightclub. Once learning the date of The Physical, we swiftly decided that “Woodstock: 1969” would be the perfect theme to celebrate peace and love on Valentines Day. Whilst agreeing to this idea, little did the committee know that I had planned to buy spotlight out of crepe paper… twice… and my grand plan of making hundreds of crepe paper flowers (sorry guys). But with lots of time and effort put into the decorations, and a huge day of setting up with help from the committee, its safe to say that the teepees, kombi and face painting were all a huge hit. A huge thankyou to Ryan Fletcher, for replacing his tyre 2 hours before The Physical allowing us to somehow maneuver it into the middle of Dons – although I did hear it had some benefits in the end for you Fletchy. The night ran perfectly, with everyone looking smashing in their hippy attire grooving to DJ Donks before heading out to Platinum Nightclub in Broadbeach to dance the night away. We had over 500 students attend The Physical, making the night an absolute success. The HMSA committee was amazing in helping me run this event so smoothly, special thanks to Niamh, Xavier and Elliot for their huge effort and especially hungover moving fences on Saturday. I cannot wait for The Physical 142 to be even bigger and better!
SCIENCE: Seems Legit Written by Wilson Makazanyo
Science has been, and still is, the image of sincere boredom and the upheaval of all things dull and dim. Stereotypically, it is perceived as that awkward figurine in a lab coat, with huge, high-lensed glasses, shaggy or perhaps bald hair and pants well above the waist. But what if the whole system of pioneering the medical field, that changes and saves lives, depended on those “nerdy” characters society has painted. Science is an interesting and exciting provision that aspires to change the course of history in a way that equips us to challenge the natural causes of our bodies and environment. The body is a chemical organization differentiated by a unique arrangement of our DNA. This alone creates the complexity of our differences and yet our similarities. Imagine knowing exactly what you are made of; imagine knowing your entire chemical formula and why your certain characteristics are distinctly different from everybody’s or
why you share some of those characteristics with others.
Fun fact: a Caucasian is more likely to be genetically similar to an African than he/ she is to another Caucasian. Science has speed up the timeline in human history such that sequencing your DNA is no longer a theoretical statement. Now, people have the luxury of having their entire genome sequenced and interpreted. They call this the genome project. This particular sector of genetics provides a vast of information from characteristics such as heritage to clinical interpretations. With the devoid of the fancy language, this means that you could get your DNA sequenced and actually know what diseases you might develop later on. With this kind of knowledge, you have the ability to avoid the risks by changing a few lifestyle choices commonly, diet and exercise.
Companies such as the ‘23andme’ provide this service for just $99 and the process only requires your saliva sample and the rest is analyzed for you. I will spare you the details that come with the project and only claim that with this tool, you have the upper hand of predicating your health status. Of course, as charming as this whole process sounds, there is always the idealistic viewpoint on the distressing or legal or psychological burden that comes with this. However, the other side of the spectrum just proves how ambitious science is in achieving the inevitable such that the world can’t exactly keep up with the fast pace of today’s research. And on that note, forget the misguided format of a scientist. Science is a culture in itself that most vividly plays a key role in development and the pioneering attitude of possibility in this computerized age.
GETTING BIG Written by Angad Singh I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt this way, but starting out at the gym can be pretty daunting. Like many, I tried going a few times before but ran out of motivation after seeing no “gains” after one week of training. I was determined this time was to be different though. I made a new year’s resolution after all, and surely enough I began a routine with guidance from my brofessor, Jake Bennetto. Being taught the unwritten laws of the gym ensured I wasn’t beaten by the so called “roid munchers”. As I expected the brofessor’s teachings quickly stopped after his priorities, such as going to dreamworld, became apparent. I expected to fall out of the routine as I had done in the past after a few weeks, but not this time, something had changed. For the first time in my life, I had found a healthy balance between studies and extra-curricular activities. Whether these extra-curricular ac-
tivities were going to the gym or going to the Physical, it didn’t matter, my studies had become more thorough and effective since training. I always knew I performed at my best when under pressure or under time constraints but it was the first time this was applied at university. Instead of spending 4 hours at the library and getting literally nothing done, I was spending a couple hours and making it count. Who would’ve thought, spending less time would in fact be better for me! So my new philosophy is to keep my routine going, and not to focus on getting “swoll” or becoming a “roid muncher” but to be healthy (something I’ve definitely been neglecting). After being at Bond for a while now, I think this resonates to all students. Take advantage of what’s on offer, because you’ll probably be better off for it in the short and long term.
The Different Types of Med Kids Written by Elliot Duong
The Post Grads
Everyone knows the type I’m talking about sitting in the front row at every lecture every little detail of the “complexities” How to spot them: It’s hard not too. With grad never shuts up.
here! The post grad is commonly spotted in the Gregor Heiner Theatre, clinging onto of Gary Hamlin’s lectures. their hand raised every 3 minutes, the post-
The Fresh Lads
Whether they’re ducking out of class early to start pre-drinking, or rocking up to lectures looking worse than Amila Kaludewa’s ponytail, you’ll soon be questioning how this guy or girl got themselves into medical school in the first place. How to spot them: Defying modern medicine by downing 50 standard drinks at Dons every Thursday night (or so they claim).
The Couple
These med students have fallen head-over-heels for each other in a phenomenon known as “Medcest”. Both adorable and infuriating, you’ll likely see these couples PDA’ing constantly inside and out of class, or just gaining mass likes on their facebook DP’s. How to spot them: Yasmin Trinh
The Princesses
You’ll commonly see these girly-girls rocking up to class wearing hot-pink Lorna Jane exercise clothes and sporting designer handbags on their side. They choose to spend their time in class scouting out hot boys on the Internet, rather than listening to the fascinating world of HAP ethics. How to spot them: Squealing at the sight of cadavers in the anatomy labs.
The Studious
See: The Post Grads
The North Tower Dwellers
Commonly, you’ll see these students hanging strapping young lads travel in packs around also be spotted flexing in group photos with How to spot them: In the Bat-labs at 3am in
The Brisbanites
out on Level 3 of North Tower. These the Med Building and at the Gym, and can each other on facebook. the morning watching Bollywood movies.
The Brisbanites are actually frighteningly similar to ghosts; they are by far the most deceptive med students at Bond. Only spotted during compulsory classes, these students manage to miraculously vanish into thin air for the rest of the week, and are only communicable by facebook. How to spot them: Be in one of their compulsory classes. Otherwise, you’re out of luck!
Photos By Ben Thangkam
Regenerative Medicine Written by Melad Syed The future of healthcare Every day thousands and thousands of people go into their GP’s practice, and have their worst fears come true. Whether it’s being diagnosed with a cancerous skin lesion, or a disease, as debilitating as Alzheimer’s, there is always fear when you walk into that consultation room. What if I told you that in the next few years there would be nothing to worry about when you make that normal trip to the doctors? As far-fetched as it seems, it really is a distinct possibility with the leaps and bounds that are being made in the field of regenerative medicine. Regenerative medicine has been touted as the future of healthcare, with more and more research and effort being invested into it. Essentially, it involves using the patient’s own cells, and growing them into functional tissue, which can then be used to replace the patients damaged ones. At this point, you might be asking how exactly this is being done. Well… This is where stem cells come into play. These are cells that are yet to decide what type of cell they want to become. With the right chemicals and environment, stem
cells can be transformed, or to use the right term “differentiated” into any functional cell of the human body. This is the same principle applied by researchers to replace the damaged cells, with new functional ones. Studies have shown that it is now possible for scientists to grow human teeth, by isolating stem cells found in urine. Until the very recent discovery of being able to reengineer skin cells into induced stem cells, the source of the stem cells had sparked a lot of debate. Before this, they were either taken from adults (adult stem cells) or from aborted embryos (embryonic stem cells). The embryonic stem cells, which are used in preference of the adult ones, have a greater potential of use, however, this hasn’t come without a cost, with some countries such as Germany criminalizing the use of them because of the ethical controversy behind using aborted embryos. Regardless of this, as a medical student, I can’t help but be amazed by how far we have come with this research. Even though its application will take some time to be put into clinical practice, It gives me a lot of hope that someday in the future, I won’t have to be in the position to give my patients the news they don’t want to hear Image: Scientists have grown human lungs in a laboratory setting for the first time
SURVIVING GAMSAT Written by Imogen Thompson There comes a time all too soon in every Biomedical Science student’s degree where you realize that graduation is imminent, and it is time to prepare for the future. For most of us, this means facing the GAMSAT – an all-day exam testing everything science-related and otherwise that you know (and don’t know). Kind of like all of your university exams and the UMAT combined, for the vast majority of prospective medicine students the GAMSAT is your worst fear incarnate. So to help you get through what might seem like an impossible task, I’ve compiled my top three tips to surviving the GAMSAT. 1. Gather as many preparation materials as you can The first, and most important step to surviving that GAMSAT is to accumulate as many preparation materials as you possibly can. For the most part, these include textbooks filled with more information than your brain can possibly contain, practice papers that would take a few hundred hours to complete, and plenty of questions that are likely only to confuse you further. For some of you, this may even extend to attending a revision course, which will likely leave you bankrupt for the near future and only slightly better prepared than your counterparts. Although its unlikely that you’ll actually have enough time to going through all your revision materials, you can always hope that if you leave them all sitting on the desk in the corner of your room for long enough, you might just learn everything you need to know by diffusion. 2. Stock up on glucose for energy As we all know, glucose is your brain’s favorite fuel source, and its only fitting that for an exam of such epic proportions its necessary to stock up on glucose well in advance. As most of us probably find it hard just to attend a full day of class, staying awake for a whole day exam is a struggle in itself. You’ll particularly need your energy for the essay writing section, as after two years of nothing but lab reports, writing two coherent essays in one short hour is much easier said than done. 3. Find a group of equally confused friends Lastly, it is important to gather a group of other prospective GAMSATers who have no idea what they’re doing either. This allows you to share tips you read on online forums of dubious credibility, struggle through seemingly impossible questions together, and have someone to complain to when you’re wishing you followed your year 10 science teacher’s advice and stuck with physics when you had the chance. Good luck to everyone sitting the GAMSAT this March!