The
Auricle May 2015
Med Camp Our first ever!
O-Week
Welcome Class of 2018
Elective Experience Liver & Loch Ness HIV in the WHO
“What’s On” Notice Board
Events you don’t want to miss!
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From the
President
Dear Students, Welcome to 2015. A new beginning for some, the same ol’ for others, and the final stretch for more still. Firstly, an enormous welcome to the Class of 2018! From all accounts you appear to have come out with all guns blazing. It’s been a treat to see such outstanding attendance at the first series of events for the year, I thank you for that. You’ve now experienced the ‘unique’ challenges of your first medical school exam and immersed yourself in rural health down by the beach or by the sheep… I promise you this year, and those to come, will fly by so embrace each and every experience. I also want to offer congratulations to Alistair and Zaheer as your newly elected student reps. They’ve been great additions to Team MedSoc so far, I’m sure they will serve the Class of 2018 well. I am truly excited for what MedSoc has on offer in 2015. Whether it’s the return of MOSCEs under the guidance of final year student Sarah Davis, or the progression of our beloved Winter Ball in the hands of our social rep Kristy Mebberson, there is much to put on the calendar for the year ahead. On that note, I want to point everyone to our new “What’s on” publication that will live as the cover photo for each year groups Facebook page. This is a rolling monthly calendar that will ensure you know what’s coming up and when to expect that brief respite from the books! Our line-up of events will span an incredible breadth and offer a multitude of experiences. Open your eyes, experience and be inspired. After the 10th birthday celebrations of last year The ANU Medical School and your MedSoc are excited about continued steps forward. For us, this is about a reinvigoration of our core goals. In 2015 we will Support, Represent and Entertain you from a bigger platform with a bigger reach. Returning projects such as the above mentioned MOSCEs and new projects like the election of firstie Penny Allen as our brand new Merchandising Officer are a testament to new horizons! We are thankful for the continuation of our productive relationship with the medical school and in 2015 our academic team will be representing you clearly and communicating outcomes effectively. Also in the realm of relationships, MedSoc is pleased to continue the support of our various sub-committees as well as cozying up with ARMS in an effort to join forces and offer the student body a broader spectrum of opportunities. Lastly, a quick note to express my own excitement to see the Class of 2015 nearing their graduation! On behalf of the Class of 2016 I’d like to say a big thanks for every bit of mentorship passed down to us. Study hard, savour the closing stages and allow the excitement to build. Best, Chris Wilder President
Editors’ note
Welcome to the first issue of The Auricle for 2015! I’m reprising a position I held in the Medical Student Journal of Australia (MSJA) in 2013, which I very much enjoyed as a creative (yet still functional and useful) outlet. Having been passed the torch of continuing the fantastically revamped Auricle, there seemed to be something more I could try to bring to the ANU medical students. The MedSoc and ARMS Presidents have asked if I could come up with a monthly “What’s On” in med school cover photo for the FaceBook year group pages. By now, you have all probably seen the ‘Notice Board ‘ I’ve come up with (if not, see the inside back cover!). Hopefully it’s helped you keep track of the numerous events that are going on within MedSoc and ARMS (as well as hopefully keeping the ever increasing news feed updates to a minimum). I am very interested to know what you all think so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any feedback or suggestions (u5381431@anu.edu.au). This issue is a big one with a number of sensational articles. I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this issue as I know volunteering our already precious time is an absolutely enourmous ask. If there are any specific articles you’d like to see in the future or you have something you’d like to contribute then please don’t hesitate to contact me. Happy reading! Sarina Gloeckl Publications Officer The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
3
Graduating
Class of 2014 A message from 2014’s graduat ing class. Medical school is like a burger. Year One and Two are the buns on either end. You need them. Sometimes you feel there’s too much of them all of that academia and stuff, but in the end you often end up with too little. After a while they’ll get stale, but there’s hope in the filling. Year Three is like the salad. It’s fresh and exciting. That first crunch get’s you super excited, but you can’t eat salad forever. You’re ready to skip the rest of the burger and move right on to the next. And then there’s Year Four. It’s the succulent meat in the middle, made better by all the rest. It tastes slightly nostalgic and sometimes too good to be true. But your burger’s nearly finished – how can that be? You’re not ready to pick what your next meal will be. Making decisions is scary, and what if you do the wrong thing? But, we’re onto the next. Oh, but don’t forget the sauce. It may be the tastiest bit. That’s all of the people who’ve made your life more bearable, while you’ve laughed and you’ve cried. They taught you, inspired you, annoyed you and cared. The sauce is the best, surpassing all of the rest. And that’s a message from the graduating class of 2014.
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Medcamp A
2015
NU Medcamp made its much anticipated debut this year after the heavy efforts of the Medcamp team to get this puppy running. All I can say is that it was well worth it and definitely exceeded expectations. Thirty-three students across the four years of med made it out to Kioloa Coastal campus on Friday evening, not 100% sure what to expect. The weekend was filled with various activities and challenges, as participants broke into teams to play for prizes ranging from top notch wine, to protein shakes, to jars of pickles. Some of the highlights include: • Trivia organized by the word wizard Ian Whalan and the gorgeous Katie Burkitt. • Sandcastle building competition where inevitably 50% of the sandcastles resembled (closely?) a males endowment. • Being woken up by airhorn if you slept through breakfast • Eating giant marshmallows by the campfire and getting clearly outdone by Jordan in ‘Chubby Bunny’ with a record 18 marshmallows. • Debating the big issues in life – hairy or not hairy, to medcest or not, who buys dinner on a date and big spoon vs little spoon. • Golfing, tug-o-war, footy, cricket, soccer
To top it off Kioloa put on a glorious show with 3 perfect beach days to relax, swim, surf and soak up the sun. I can clearly recollect people saying “This is the best weekend of my life”, and “If only every weekend was medcamp!” If you didn’t make it along this year you won’t want to miss next year which will be even bigger and better! Rhys Cameron Year 4 Medical Student
The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
5
ClosetheGap T
he annual “Close the Gap” ceremony was held on the 21st of March, returning with a 2-day conference that was bigger and better than it has ever been. From across the ACT, NSW, Northern Territory and Queensland; students and staff came together to hear talks by five speakers with backgrounds as diverse as the subjects they spoke about. These speakers were: • Danielle Dries - a third year Kaurna-Meyunna medical student at the ANU, • Kylie Stothers - a Jawoyn remote social worker, • Faye McMillan - a Wiradjuri pharmacist and the chairperson at Indigenous Allied Health Australia, • Dr. Buddhi Lokuge - a public health doctor who has worked closely with communities in Northern Australia, and • Dr. Kali Hayward - a descendant of the Warnman tribe of the Martu language group in Western Australia and the vice-president of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association. During Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, the conference encompassed a series of workshops for the student delegates. The first workshop guided students through discussions around Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander history, spanning the pre-contact era to modern times. The cohort was then split into groups and each assigned a painting that depicted a certain portion of history. Each of these paintings stood as a gateway into the effect of colonisation and subsequent policies on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations during that time. Following this, we were given a brief clinical case history and asked to place it in context according to the history that we had just explored. I found these sessions unique; giving us a true sense of how the pre-colonial era and the following periods of history still contribute to the health and well-being of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. The next workshop was run by Indigenous Allied Health Australia. We had a discussion on core values and leadership. We ruminated about the values that deeply affect the way we perceive ourselves and others as well the qualities that make us leaders. Some say it is kindness and compassion whereas others say the ability to facilitate teammates to explore their full potential. Most however said that communication was the key. As a result, we initiated an activity to connect with each other individually, allowing ourselves to listen and be heard. Participants felt more liberated and respected with the knowledge of having someone’s undivided attention. This activity gave us all a feeling of the power of listening in the doctor-patient relationship, as the assurance of undivided attention allows the speaker to be more comfortable and open with the listener. One of the final workshops was providing nutritional education to children. We required a lot of help as all the children involved were very enthusiastic to learn about their bodies and what they put into it. We were equipped
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The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
with our anatomy pal ‘Gutsy Gus’, where the children interactively learnt about the major organs of the body and their functions. It was great to see a couple of our first year medical students on their first rural experience with ARMS really getting involved. The children also had to sort through bags of sugar and match them with pictures of food and drink, some were surprised that a can of Coke had 10 teaspoons of sugar! With WARRATAHS and CRANC also running activities, there were plenty of other activities to do. As the activities wrapped up, a healthy BBQ lunch was provided by a number of volunteers. Then to finish off the festival many of the children competed in a hip hop dance challenge against other schools and children of all ages. There were definitely some future talented dancers amongst these kids. There was lots of excitement as they competed in front of their role models, who were judges, and it was great to see the encouragement from their peers. We all had a great time at the Vibe3on3 festival in Leeton and would definitely recommend it to other students in the coming years. Indigenous festivals are a great opportunity for our rural club to get involved in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and health promotion. Teaching the youth about their bodies and health is a great health prevention strategy.
ARMS Close the Gap
Eileen Baker and Tasfia Chowdhary Year 2 Medical Students
The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
7
FIJI
I
Village Project
n the first two weeks of January this year, Fiji Village Project (FVP) ran its eighth successful program. The project had one of its largest groups to date, with medical, nursing, dentistry and physiotherapy students from Australia, New Zealand and Fiji taking part. ANU represented well, with four of its first year medical students participating in the program. The first couple of days of the project were mainly focused on planning and allocating the students into different task groups for the project. We divided ourselves into four groups; health promotion, health screening, children’s health education and the water tank program. Each team ran very successful and unique programs. The health promotion team focused on educating the village locals about sexual health, communicable and non-communicable diseases whereas the children’s health education group created a puppet show educating the children about hand and oral hygiene, nutrition and wound management. The water tank team constructed a successful clean water tank system within each of the villages while the health screening group performed blood pressures, blood sugar levels, barometric measurements and eye checks on the local adults. This year, Naloto and Naivuruvuru were the selected villages for our project. Both of these villages are quite isolated, around one and a half hours out of Suva, along very narrow and bumpy dirt roads. Our time within each of these villages was truly amazing. Each day on arrival we were met with smiling faces and excited waves from the children, and warm greetings from the adults. Our days were busy, with each team working on their specific goals for the project. Access to primary health care for these villages is limited and only used when it is an absolute necessity. With this said, it was rewarding to see that our education sessions and basic health measurements really made a positive impact within the community. Also, it allowed us to gain a firsthand experience of the pressing health issues that are faced by our pacific island neighbours. After most days, the local village people would host us for a delicious dinner banquet consisting of their home grown local produce. The night always ended with kava and lots of dancing with the locals. Apart from visiting Naloto and Naivuruvuru, each of us experienced at least one day at Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva. This was a fantastic hands on experience, with many students being able to observe various surgeries and put their clinical skills to practice. Both villages were extremely grateful for our time and efforts however it would not be fair to not mention that the gratitude was very much reciprocal. I know I can speak on behalf of all the students that participated in FVP 2015, when I say that the trust, kindness and appreciation Naloto and Naivuruvuru gave to each of us was truly humbling and enabled us to really appreciate the impact we can have as 8
The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
future doctors on a global health scale. This year’s FVP was a huge success and one that was loved by all who took part. We look forward to creating an even better FVP for 2016! April Pascoe Year 2 Medical Student
Fiji Village Project Australia
Zorb Soccer for FVP
It was an afternoon filled with enthusiasm, bouncing, sweat and goals. Fiji Village Project’s first fundraising event of the year – Zorb Soccer was a fun and energetic way to kick off the project’s 2015 campaign. Whether you were bouncing around on the court or watching from the side, the event didn’t fail to amuse and the refreshments of scones and lemonade did not disappoint. Fiji Village Project would like to say a big thank you to everyone who supported this event. With your kind donations, Zorb Soccer raised over $400. We look forward to a bigger and better Zorb re-match next year. April Pascoe Year 2 Medical Student
The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
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O-Week
2015
M
onday 2nd February was finally upon us. Months of emails back and forth (to Fiji nonetheless) and severely overloaded shopping trolleys had lead to this moment. As we all piled into the new medical school we knew we were in for a big and exciting week. This excitement and elation soon turned into a small amount of panic when it became evident that the ratio of vege patties to vegetarians was more than slim. It seemed that it was not going to be the only minor organisational hiccup of the week when the firsties were welcomed with an ice-breaker game of which we forgot to announce there would be a prize for completing it first… amazingly they still played along! The first morning tea proved we were dealing with possibly the most polite bunch of people ever known to Canberra and the rest of the week was no different! We were always greeted with smiles and thank you’s which truly made the whole week that much easier. Monday night saw the traditional welcome to the real Canberra as we ventured to the one and
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only ‘Moooose’. Exhausted from the document overload of enrolment and armed with a questionably legitimate ID card, the first years called it a night early at which time the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years got their dancing shoes on showing that they were not to be outdone for the week. Tuesday meant one thing and one thing only – time for PBL groups to assert their dominance on the rest of the cohort. The games provided a competitive arena for shield drawing, an epic relay and numerous rounds of tunnel ball – fun was the real winner in the end. After overcoming the fun that was PBL games it was time to wander on down to the RUC bowls club for the annual Trivia night. Once again we were privileged to have our hilarious host Professor Frank Bowden and once again the 2nd years provided absolutely no help in answering any of the questions. The night began with some games for the first years to really get to know each other – and that they did. This
year brought one of our biggest ever staff turnout and gave the firsties a chance to put names to faces- but seriously, will the real Nick Glasgow please stand up?! Keen to not let the night end, some straggling firsties ended up at Transit bar where the drinks were running freely while the karaoke talent was running thin and the waiting line saw them escape from undertaking a video performance! Wednesday, known to be the day for rest, brought surprisingly good crowds to the Yr 1 and 2 BBQ afternoon which saw thousands of dollars worth of Thai food being eaten and some people having to settle for Italy’s finest pizza. It was great to see so many families come along from both years. Thursday brought the stark beginning of ‘real lectures’ which excited many people as they could finally begin studying. This didn’t deter everyone from turning out in force to the AMA drinks at UniPub. With everyone dressed to the nines (well at least out of shorts and thongs) the crew continued over to Treehouse for what turned out to be one of the best nights of the week. Besides the lack of suitable air conditioning and the inability to move between the dance floor and the bar with any fluidity, the hits just kept getting better and better (or was it that we were getting drunker?) and people partied well on into the night.
We must say a big thank you to GPSN, ARMS, PARSA and our MDO sponsors for allowing us to expand our BBQ lunches like never before! Thank you to Gerry Corrigan and the MEU staff for organising the informative academic timetable and of course thank you to our wonderful MedSoc for providing the funding for such a fun and immersive week! To the Class of 2018, may you cherish the rest of your 4 years of medical school and keep those friendships you made throughout your first week. We can certainly say we had a ball getting to know you and cannot thank you enough for making our jobs as easy as they were. You have left the older years shaking in their boots, proving to hold the talent necessary to rival the 3rd years as undefeated Inter-year cup winners. Keep your tenacity and impeccable manners and we know you will go far. We wish you luck and hope that if nothing else, you can find the time to party with us like its O-week every now and again!
Xoxo Sarah and Kristy
Bleary eyed and weary as though everyone was, they fronted up for one last day of fun (and by fun we mean a day of pseudo-lectures and admin followed by fun!). Tans were applied (some very poorly), hawaiian shirts were donned and everyone was attacked with zinc as they walked into the ‘End of Summer’ at UniPub. With blow up balls flying out the windows and the query legal? price of drinks, there wasn’t much that the night didn’t bring. Inter-year mingling was at its finest with people getting to know each other rather well (some more than others ;) – you know who you are). The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015 11
Elective Experience Liver & Loch Ness I
n January 2015, I undertook an elective at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, through the University of Edinburgh. I was attached to Professor Peter Hayes, a world renowned Hepatologist, a keen Big Bash League fan and an all-round terrific man. Professor Hayes’ medical interests are broad, but liver transplant is chief amongst them. Whilst on my elective I spent 2 weeks in the Liver Transplant ward and one each attached to the hepatology team and the luminal gastroenterology team. The program was very well organised, with meetings and other learning opportunities every day. Throughout the week there was a liver biopsy meeting, morbidity and mortality meetings, a liver imaging meeting and a journal club. There were various clinics including transplant, viral hepatitis clinics, general hepatology clinics and IBD clinics. This layout meant that there was always something on. The good Professor was also happy for me to take an afternoon, or even a whole day off, in order to enjoy the city of Edinburgh and the countryside of Scotland. The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh is the liver transplant centre for the entirety of Scotland and in the calendar year of 2014 they performed 104 transplants. Patients on this ward were either being assessed for transplant, recovering from a transplant, or had previously been transplanted and were suffering from a complication. Whilst here, I was able to see a few ascitic drains and pigtail catheter insertions and in the afternoons there was a multidisciplinary team meeting which included a consultant gastroenterologist/hepatologist, transplant surgeon, anaesthetist and psychiatrist as well as a variety of other allied health practitioners and administrators. On Friday afternoons there was an assessment meeting where all the patients in for assessment were discussed and a decision made about their suitability for transplant. One of the highlights of my time at the infirmary was the opportunity to watch a liver transplant in theatre. I was very fortunate to see a variety of rare illnesses only encountered in tertiary referral centres. I saw cases of autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, α1-antitryptase deficiency and Budd-Chiari syndrome. This was in addition to honing my knowledge of alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, viral hepatitis, haemochromatosis and 12 The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
paracetamol overdose. One patient presented with what was initially postulated to be acute Wilson’s disease, but disappointingly the eventual diagnosis was granulomatous autoimmune hepatitis. I was also able to watch some endoscopic procedures including emergency endoscopy for a bleeding peptic ulcer, several endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatographies, variceal banding, food bolus removal, endoscopic ultrasound and even a gastric cancer that was being managed with endoscopic thermal ablation. I would thoroughly recommend Edinburgh as an elective destination for both its medicine and the city itself. A tip for new players is that by doing your elective through a university, you become eligible for an OS-HELP loan in the order of $6,000 on your HECS debt, albeit paid during the elective. I think gastroenterology and transplant medicine were good disciplines in which to undertake an elective in that there was a lot of variety as well as a discipline we don’t encounter at TCH. Nic Holt Year 4 Medical Student
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ANU Medical Stude Chris Wilder PRESIDENT If I could have any super power it would be: understanding pharmacology!
Stephen Bomball TREASURER
If I could have any super power it would be: the ability to fly.
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: to go trail running!
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: go for a bike ride, but spend more time drinking coffee mid-ride than actually riding.
Liam Stone VICE-PRESIDENT
Mike van Alphen ACADEMIC AND ADVOCACY OFFICER
If I could have any super power it would be: morph into Taylor Swift like the guy from Terminator 2. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: take pictures of the lake through fancy filters in order to populate my Snapstagram account.
If I could have any super power it would be: control the time/space continuum. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: ride my bicycle.
Nick Yuen SECRETARY
Lauren O’Rourke AMA REPRESENTATIVE
If I could have any super power it would be: Cold War Soviet Russia.
If I could have any super power it would be: teleportation.
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: reps up Black Mountain when the morning air is crisp like autumn leaves.
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: to run along the many beautiful trails.
Ian McConnell-Whalan AMSA REPRESENTATIVE
Rachel Cryer SPONSORSHIP OFFICER
If I could have any super power it would be: the ability to respond to most emails within ten working days (sometimes). My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: to stay at home and study really, really hard.
If I could have any super power it would be: to be able to fly - it would definitely save $$ on flights back to Perth. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: drinking coffee at Mocan, and the smashed avo, feta, and poached eggs on toast at Urban Pantry in Manuka. Yes I love food.
Penny Allen MERCHANDISING OFFICER If I could have any super power it would be: using Hermione Granger’s Time-Turner for super nerdy time-travel. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: ponder why ALL the number plates start with Y?
Kristy Mebberson SOCIAL REPRESENTATIVE If I could have any super power it would be: the ability to make time stop when I take a nap. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: brunch!
14 The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
ents Society 2015 Pip Dossetor WELLBEING OFFICER
Claire Wardle YEAR 3 ACADEMIC REP
Matthew Lim IT OFFICER
Nicolas Grandjean-Thomsen YEAR 3 GENERAL REP
If I could have any super power it would be: the ability to teleport any where in the world... so you could have mini vacays all the time and save so much money on flights! My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: to drink coffee... and find new places and people to do so with!
If I could have any super power it would be: time travel. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: to party at Moose!
If I could have any super power it would be: invisibility. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: watch the sun rise over the lake from the hill above the arboretum.
If I could have any super power it would be: being able to comprehend Stricker’s lectures. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: chillin out at the foodtrucks with some tunes and byo beverages!
Sarina Gloeckl PUBLICATIONS OFFICER
Hamed Shahnam YEAR 2 ACADEMIC REP
Kar Mun Wong INTERNATIONAL OFFICER
Sarah Ellis YEAR 2 GENERAL REP
If I could have any super power it would be: to foresee the future!
If I could have any super power it would be: invisibility - that way Christian Stricker wouldn’t be able to see me and we all know why that is helpful. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: pretend that I don’t like going to Mooseheads.
If I could have any super power it would be: to borrow everyone else’s superpower! My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: go to any of the markets or having brunch.
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: chasing picturesque sunsets!
If I could have any super power it would be: the capacity to be everywhere at once, multi-task and cram infinite medical knowledge into my brain. My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: scouting rad locations for my photography hobby.
Nic Holt YEAR 4 ACADEMIC REP
Alistair Watson YEAR 1 ACADEMIC REP
If I could have any super power it would be: laser beams from my eyes obviously.
If I could have any super power it would be: Russia. And I’d be this guy...
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: watch the mighty Brumbies!
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: to drive endlessly around roundabouts.
Gemma Curry YEAR 4 GENERAL REP
Zaheer Jayhoon YEAR 1 GENERAL REP
If I could have any super power it would be: flying.
If I could have any super power it would be: time control. Endless possibilities!
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: riding around the lake, going out for brunch and walking up Mt Ainslie.
My favourite thing to do in Canberra is: a visit up Mount Ainslie.
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Elective Experience HIV in the WHO
M
Think Public Health isn’t sexy? Well, I’m here to convince you that it is!
Tip 1: Getting into WHO is really y elective as an intern at World Health Organization (WHO) about “who you know” – pardon was one of the most enriching, rewarding and intellectually the pun, not what you know. Find stimulating things I have ever done. I would highly recommend a former colleague or someone it as an alternative to a clinical elective, especially if you are you’ve worked with at the considering a career in public health or are just curious about how hospital with WHO connections the UN works! and ask them to write a letter of WHO internships are highly sought after. Many thousands recommendation for you (and apply each year from all over the world but only approximately to share it with their contacts at one hundred are accepted at any one time. Virtually no one gets in WHO). This was how I got in. The generic application process is through the generic application process. This was true for me: I got unbelievably competitive! in through a former boss who has consulted for WHO. I spent 5 weeks in the HIV Department working on a project about HIV testing and counseling in community settings to reach stigmatised people with limited access to health services: sex workers, Tip 2: Take advantage people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, transgender people and of all the opportunities prison populations. I could also attend any seminars and meetings outside my that come your way area that I was interested in. Interns can even observe the Executive Board: and definitely take the multinational meetings led by Secretary-General Margaret Chan where all the free tours of UN the major global health decision-making happens. Interns can also tour the headquarters & CERN! UN headquarters for free– a great chance to see history in the making – you might even meet Ban-Ki Moon! For the science geeks out there, there are free tours of the CERN Hadron Collider, the biggest particle physics experiment in the world; it’s only 20 minutes by tram from Geneva centre. One of the best things about WHO is that it brings together interesting people who are passionate about global public health, from all over the world. I met people from Switzerland, Norway, USA, Canada, Israel, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, Costa Rica, Finland, Japan, Argentina, Belgium, Mexico, South Africa, France, Peru, Germany, China, Zambia, Nigeria, Kenya and many more. For my project, I regularly attended in person or “virtual” meetings with people from all over the world learning about how they tackle HIV testing and counseling! I also met a retiring WHO and Centre for Disease Control legend who has led efforts world-wide to prevent mother to child transmission of Tip 3: If you want to go to do your elective in Switzerland or at WHO in Geneva, start saving now! These are among the most expensive destinations in the world! 16 The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
HIV including the first RCT on this, and was a centerfold in National Geographic magazine as a young public health physician in the Congo! So inspirational!! My main tips for getting around this are: • Stay at or at the very least grocery shop at the bordering French town of Ferney-Voltaire. It’s only 15 minutes by bus to WHO and so much cheaper with everything priced in Euros not Swiss Francs. • Take advantage of the 2 franc ($2.50 AUD) soup at the WHO café and stock up on the free all you can eat bread! • Bain des paquis on the lake does the cheapest (and best) fondue in town! • First Sunday of the month is free entry to museums and first Wednesday of the month is free entry to the modern art gallery. • Go to neighbouring European countries on weekends where your dollar gets you much further – I went to Lyon in France, Porto in Portugal, Annecy in the French Alps and Rome in Italy. • And obviously, book your flights as early as you can! My internship was short relative to my colleagues. Many interns go to WHO for 3 months, some even 6 months! With our medical degrees this isn’t possible, but 5 weeks was a short time to achieve everything I wanted (and to see as much of Europe as possible). If you do land an internship, make it as long as you can, and put in extra hours occasionally to achieve as much as possible. I did this and it paid off! In my five weeks I put in an abstract for an international aids conference, made great contacts and have had numerous invitations to go back! I am also now doing some consulting work for the WHO: an amazing opportunity. And, my team were very happy for me to take long weekends to travel! Rebecca Mathews Year 4 Medical Student
Tip 4: Work hard and play hard!
Further information about the WHO Internship program is available here: http://www.who.int/employment/internship/en/ Rebecca is happy to answer questions or give further tips by email: bec.mathews@gmail.com
The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015 17
AMSA
F
or those of you who have been living under a rock, AMSA (Australian Medical Students’ Association) is the peak representative body of Australian medical students. It acts to inform, represent and connect medical students from across the nation through a convoluted network of committees and representatives from each Australian medical school who put forth your voice.
Internship and Residency Guide
The Internship and Residency Guide is in the tubes to be published soon, so watch this space! AMSA representatives from across Australia have been doing extensive research into how the internship system works in their neighbourhoods so that you can make an informed decision when leaving med school and joining the real world.
Conferences!
Congratulations to all who managed to get through the booking system to sign up for AMSA’s Convention, the largest student run conference in the world. For those of you who didn’t sign up, you missed out big time. BUT, there is still time to sign up for AMSA’s Global Health Conference (26th-30th of August) or AMSA’s National Leadership Development Seminar (Mid September)!
First Council
The first AMSA Council of 2015 was, as is to be expected at a policy meeting, dominated with policy debate.
Update 2015
Outside the tabled policies, a series of motions were brought forth cumulating in AMSA’s gender equity officers, including ANU’s own Anna-Kristen Szubert, being tasked with responding to the recent very public sexual harassment cases that have plagued RACS (Royal Australasian College of Surgeons). Key speakers included the amazing Dr. Alessandro Demaio, founder of NCD free, and Prof. Wilson and Prof. Feyer in consultation with the Council on Medical Intern Review. Despite being one of the smallest medical schools in Australia, ANU had one of, if not, the largest presence at AMSA Council, with three non-representative delegates presenting, Rebecca Irwin from NRHSN, Emily McLeod on Close the Gap, and Hannah Glen as National Coordinator of Vampire Cup. Ian McConnell-Whalan ANU AMSA Rep AMSA@ANUMSS.org
Vampire Cup
The AMSA Vampire Cup is coming up again soon (see page 20 for more details). This year we hope to increase our total donation number, finally beat Deakin, and be the bloody champions! The cold hard facts are that 1 in 3 people will need blood in their lifetime, yet only 1 in 30 people donate. The donation period has expanded to be a 12 week donation period, from 13 July to 3 October and bonus points are awarded for signing on for bone marrow donation, so time to start getting some iron into you, and get ready for a bumper donation crop. The year group with the most donations will receive a tasty prize, so watch this space for more details. Gab Charlton Resident Dracula
AMSA Global Health
At AMSA Council. L-R: Hannah Glenn, Ian McConnell-Whalan, Rebecca Irwin, Nikhil Jha, Emily McLeod, Katie Burkitt, Violet Inati, Alistair Watson (absent).
18 The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
We stepped into Medicine hoping that in the future, as doctors, we would be equipped with the skills and knowledge to guide our patients towards wellbeing. But RIGHT NOW as Medical Students we have the potential to advocate for patients without a voice of their own. Patients isolated due to circumstances that have led to a loss of their self-determination. GHC is a week to step out of our worlds of textbook domination, of facts and figures, and step into one that reminds us of the very reason we started medical school. A world that equips us with simple tools, which can make an impact on a large scale in the NOW. Violet Inati ANU AMSA Global Health Rep
IFMSA March General Assembly A trip to Turkey A
fter months of Skype calls, emails and numerous debates on what animal onesies best represent Australia, 15 medical students from across the nation loaded their suitcases with Vegemite and Tim Tams, and journeyed across the world to Antalya, Turkey, for the International Federation of Medical Students’ Association (IFMSA) March Meeting. We joined 1000 other medical students from all corners of the globe for a week of standing committee sessions, workshops, skills training, political plenaries, humanitarian action-themed presentations from expert speakers, and of course, incredible social events. With days stretching from 8am to 3am, I quickly learned that in order to survive and get the most out of the conference I needed to be a functional human being with only 3 hours sleep per night. I became particularly engaged in the Standing Committee on Sexual and Reproductive health including HIV/AIDS (SCORA), attending their workshops on topics including gender-based violence, the AIDS epidemic and access to safe surgery. One talk that particularly struck me was a presentation by a Ugandan medical student on sexual identity. I was astonished and humbled to hear about the persecution, and physical and emotional abuse, inflicted not only on LGBTIQ individuals, but also anyone who associated with, or advocated for them in nations such as Uganda. At the risk of sounding cliché, I was inspired by the enthusiasm and initiative demonstrated by the delegates, many of who were developing health advocacy programs both nationally and internationally (in addition to passing their exams), targeting health education, HIV/AIDS, mental health and student research exchange. It was eye opening to discuss ways of advocating with people from around the world. In Australia, our politicians and university Deans are easily accessible; in many countries this is not the case, and these students must find innovative and sometimes risky ways to campaign for change. Gender Equity became a particular topic of interest at this General Assembly as AMSA-Australia presented a policy on Gender Equity in Medicine, written by Edward Cliff, a Monash University student, and myself. Fueled by the power of International Women’s Day, we were interested to see how our policy, which advocated for gender equity amongst doctors and medical students, in particular calling for equal gender representation in medical leadership positions, would be received, especially by some of the more conservative countries. To our surprise, the international response was unanimously positive, with many people approaching us to discuss and contribute to the policy, ready to take action on gender inequity and sexual harassment. We were overwhelmed by the support we received on what we anticipated to be a controversial issue. In particular, we were surprised by how much of this support came from male delegates, who were equally as appalled by the discrimination faced by their female friends and colleagues. This was a massive learning experience for me, earning a greater understanding of politics and bureaucracy, greatly improving my schmoozing and communication skills. Presenting the policy to the 1000-person audience was certainly a highlight, and an experience I won’t soon forget, especially being interrupted by the chair shrieking “silence” just as I was giving my most emphatic line (complete with long pauses and soulful eyes). However, despite several speed-bumps in the form of bylaws and motion procedures, the Gender Equity Policy was adopted at the final plenary session, only an hour before it ticked over to International Women’s Day. Special mention to the AMSA-Australia (note: not AMSA-Austria) delegation for providing me with a week of hysterical laughter, pep-talks and endless motivation. Our koala-clad dance for the cultural performance night, although incredibly difficult for a coordinately-challenged individual like me, was one of the most hilarious experiences of the week. Filled with Schmucks, MVPs and good ‘ol Aussie banter, I couldn’t have asked for a better team to cross the Indian Ocean with. The IFMSA General Assembly was without a doubt one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I have returned home better fed than I have been in weeks (four buffets a day!) and filled with ideas on how we as medical students can actively contribute to improving the state of global health. I also have new friends from around the world all promising couches to sleep on when I travel (except for the Slovenians, because they stole our koala onesies). Bring on Malta 2016. Katie Burkitt AMSA @ ANU Year 2 Medical Student The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015 19
AMSA A
Blood Drive
MSA’s annual blood drive, Vampire Cup, is just around the corner and brings with it exciting changes aiming to spice up the competition and make it the most successful competition to-date. The ANU Medical School has been a high achiever in recent years - coming 2nd and 3rd in 2014 and 2013, with about 18% of the student cohort donating. Currently in Australia, only 1 in 30 people give blood but 1 in 3 will need blood in their lifetime. A single blood donation, when separated into its components can help at least 3 different patients and contribute to making up to 22 different products (e.g. immunisations). Every week, Australia needs >27,000 blood donations and yet there are only ~504,000 donors, each of these voluntary and unpaid. In 2015, the Red Cross Blood Service rebranded and relaunched Club Red as Red25 with the aim of uniting organisations on a mission to achieve 25% of Australia’s blood donations. Currently, organisation blood drives (such as AMSA’s Vampire Cup) contribute a total of 17% of Australia’s blood supply. This year we’re making some changes to Vampire Cup in order to help the Red Cross meet this ambitious goal. The Australian Bone Marrow Donor Register (ABMDR) manages and recruits donors who are willing to donate their bone marrow or blood stem cells to patients affected by blood or immune system diseases such as leukaemia, myeloma and lymphoma. 70% of these patients do not find a match within their family and rely on a search of the bone marrow register. Furthermore, of the 297 marrow transplants in FY2013-14, only 34% were from Australian donors, with the rest being imported. A major aim of ABMDR is to increase registrations to reduce need for import of marrow to Australia. Given that the ideal bone marrow donor is young and ethnically diverse (the latter being the best known predictor of HLA diversity), university students are the ideal targets of bone marrow donor registration campaigns. Vampire Cup 2015 will be the pilot program for the potential establishment of a national student-based organisation encouraging bone marrow donor registration. A vital part of this campaign will be education around bone marrow donation, e.g. emphasising that while medical specialists advise the best transplant method for the recipient and donor, donors make the final decision in selecting either bone marrow from the pelvis or peripheral blood stem cell donation.
The changes for Vampire Cup 2015 include:
• Expanding the donation period from 6 to 12 weeks • Introducing bonus points for joining the ABMDR • Bringing in fresh blood by including Student Paramedics Australasia (SPA), Australian Student And Novice Nursing Association (ASANNA), and New Zealand Medical Students’ Association (NZMSA) • Each donation enters the draw to win prizes throughout the donation period
So, what can you do get involved?
• Donate whole blood (every 12 weeks), platelets (every 2-4 weeks) or plasma (every 2 weeks) during the Vampire Cup donation period 13 July - 3 October 2015, as well as throughout the year • Join the ABMDR • Talk about it! Donating blood is not just a med school thing… talk to your family and friends and encourage them to donate blood or join the ABMDR
Vampire Cup 2015 20 The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
13 July - 3 October
Am I eligible to donate? Blood donation Most people can give blood if they: • are fit, healthy and not suffering from any illness at the time of donation or in the previous 7 days • are aged between 16-70 years • weigh more than 45kg Common reasons for donation deferral or ineligibility: • • • •
6 months after most recent tattoo 9 months after childbirth 12 months after ‘high-risk’ sex Low iron (+/- low Hb) ineligible until investigation/resolved • Varies for recent travel depending on locations and exposures • Lived in UK for 6 months between 1980-1996 • While intoxicated For more information on donating blood, go to www.donateblood.com.au
Bone marrow register To join the ABMDR, individuals: • • • •
reside in Australia are aged between 18-45 years be in good health, are prepared to donate for anyone in the world
Temporary ineligibility: • 9 months after childbirth or breast-feeding • 12 months after ‘high-risk’ sex Exclusion: • Prion disease • Organ or tissue transplant or other human derived product • Non-prescription IV drug use • Cancer (excluding skin and pre-malignant changes) For more information on the bone marrow register, go to www.abmdr.org.au Hannah Glen National Vampire Cup Coordinator
For more information, see www.amsa.org.au or email hannah.glenn@amsa.org.au
The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015 21
GPSN J
ust a quick update from your friendly GP Student Network @ ANU! We are your GP society bringing you news and events about GP specialty training! We kicked off 2015 with a pizza + sign up extravaganza during O-week! We wanted to give a warm welcome to medicine for all of the first years and tell them about GPSN. To recap: General Practice Student Network is set up to promote and inform medical students about the GP specialty. Membership (free!) includes benefits such as access to newsletters, magazines and opportunities to attend events about the profession. Being a member also means you can apply for our scholarships, like the John Murtagh First Wave Scholarship - therefore definitely a good idea! Simply google GPSN and click ‘become a member’ on the website homepage to join up. GPSN collaborated with ARMS to host the Close the Gap Indigenous Health conference over the weekend of March 21st-22nd (see pages 6-7)! What a whirlwind of a weekend- packed full of engaging speakers, thoughtprovoking workshops and fun social events (bush dance!). In the news recently, we saw the GP co-payment proposal being taken off the table: a great outcome for patients in need, the medical profession and of course GPs. Look out for our events in the months ahead! CAREERS NIGHT CLINICAL SKILLS: WOUND CARE RURAL HEALTH SPEAKER NIGHT AGM
GPSN ANU
22 The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
4th August Semester 2 Semester 2 End of year
Cindy Guo GPSN Chair
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Med Revue 2015 INTO THE WARDS
Be careful what you wish for, or you might soon find yourself on a strange quest in unknown lands. Such was the case for Wayne, a struggling third year medical student who forgot to organise his elective term required at the end of year three. In desperation, Wayne cries to the heavens wishing for an elective like no other before. A glorious, albeit obnoxious, figure appears in response to his plea, and proceeds to task him with collecting ingredients needed to make a cure for a mysterious disease that is threatening the very existence of Far Far Away. He must now set into the wards of Far Far Away and find for her a breath as strong as storms, a lollipop as big as a lamppost, a hat as mad as a madman, and boots as black as night. Wayne meets an unlikely companion for his quest shortly after arriving in Far Far Away, and together they journey into the wards in search of the ingredients. Where will they find these items? What challenges will they need to overcome? The land of Far Far Away is not for the faint of heart, and like all fairy tales, not everything is as they first seem.
Companion House is a non-profit, community-based organisation that provides services and support to adults and children who have sought safety in Australia from persecution, torture and war related trauma. Most are people from refugee backgrounds and asylum seekers. Companion House provides medical, counselling, migration and community services, all with the aim of building safety, purpose and dignity. Companion House is a non-government organisation and services are free of charge. Companion house relies on funding from crucial community and government donors. Med Revue 2015 is proud to be donating its proceeds to Companion House. It will go to where it is most needed, such as funding medication for refugees and asylum seekers and purchasing medical related aids and equipment.
ANU Med Revue 24 The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
youtu.be/0g3CMptb8wc - for the officail trailer!
The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015 25
Surgical Society T
he surgical society has lots of exciting events planned for 2015.
On the 24th of March, the Royal Australian College of Surgeons invited year 3 and 4 students to attend their careers information evening. Here we hope to find out more about career pathways in surgery, the requirements of becoming a surgeon and the challenges and rewards of becoming a surgeon. There are many students planning to attend and looking forward to the opportunity. Students are also encouraged to save the date for the College of Surgeons’ Annual Scientific Meeting, which will take place in Sydney on 13 November 2015. The Women in Surgery evening will be held on 16th of May. This will be a fantastic opportunity for medical students to network with female surgeons and find out more about the challenges faced by females in surgical careers. We have an inspiring speaker lined up. It is set to be a great night. Our main event for 2015 will be the Surgical Symposium in August. This will be held at the Canberra hospital. It will feature surgeons and specialists from related disciplines, who will discuss topical issues in surgery and how they relate to medical students and junior doctors. Food and refreshments will be provided. We anticipate that it will be an enjoyable and educational night. The surgical society is proud to be a part of the Surgical Interest Network, a national body representing Surgical Student Societies from around Australia. We hope that this will increase surgical opportunities for ANU students and help us to connect with like-minded students interstate and overseas. Delegates from the ANU Medical School will be attending the Australasian Students’ Surgical Conference (ASSC) and the ‘Developing a Career in Academic Surgery’ conference in Perth in May. The ASSC will feature workshops covering orthopaedic techniques, trauma management, suturing and surgical cricothyrotomy, as well as surgical research presentations and keynote speeches from a number of prominent Australian surgeons. This is an exciting opportunity for those attending and we hope to feedback some beneficial information regarding surgical issues and surgical career planning to the wider ANU Medical School community. The International Association of Surgical Student Societies will be holding their second international symposium in Brisbane in July. This is conveniently timed in the mid-year break. ANU students are encouraged to attend. In the academic arena, there are some exciting surgical opportunities available this year. Third and fourth years have been participating in long case masterclasses and procedural-based tutorials on a weekly basis, in addition to the surgical teaching provided in the core academic program. For second years, the dissection program is up and running. So far students have enjoyed and benefited from their dissection sessions. If you are interested in getting more involved in the surgical society, please contact your year representative or email us at anusurgicalsociety@ gmail.com. For all the latest surgical society news, join our facebook page (ANU Surgical Society). Bonnie Reeves ANU Surgical Society President & Year 4 Rep
ANU Surgical Society 26 The Auricle • Issue 1 • May 2015
Past issues at anumss.org/auricle 2014
2013
Australian National University Medical Students’ Society