Department of Medical Education

Cabrini Research Annual Report 2020-21 Department of Medical Education

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DAVID BREWSTER

MEDICAL STUDENT RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 10

FULL-TIME MONASH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS 41

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the students demonstrated wonderful resilience. This was most evident in their exam performance and commitment to the annual Cabrini Senior Medical Staff Association student research program. The students commitment was inspiring to see despite so many lockdowns and periods when we were forced to study at home.

Cabrini Research Annual Report 2020-21 Department of Medical Education

Cabrini specialists supporting our students With our third-year students predominantly learning from home, the Cabrini specialists rose to the occasion and delivered many remote lectures covering core curriculum topics from their specialties. Students highly valued these sessions and attended with great enthusiasm. This was imperative in keeping our students engaged and connected.

Student wellbeing day During the year with the students facing so many challenges, mental health and wellbeing was at the forefront of our minds. Taking this into account, we developed a completely remote ‘wellbeing day’ to relieve the students of their university commitments and focus on themselves and each other. We planned a day where students could connect for an informal chat and coffee in Zoom breakout rooms. We then arranged a one-hour cardio fitness session with a professional instructor followed by a trivia afternoon with prizes run by Dr Steve Philpot. The day was a huge success and the feedback from the students was overwhelmingly positive.

Summer placement program Since the third-year students had missed so much of their clinical placement program, with the support of our clinical supervisors, Cabrini agreed to offer a ‘summer placement’ opportunity after exams. This was a voluntary placement available to all third-year students to be undertaken in their own time. Fifteen of our students signed up and thoroughly enjoyed their placement and the wonderful support from our doctors. This was a small consolation for the challenges they faced throughout the year.

Awards for Cabrini Clinical School in 2020 • Monash University student choice award for distinguished teaching – Dr Nick Gelber • Monash Year 3 Top student award – Chelsea Lin • University of Notre Dame Student choice award for distinguished teaching – Associate Professor

Anna Rosamilia

Monash University undergraduates As a member of the Central Clinical School for Monash University, Cabrini provides high-quality clinical placements for students from Monash University’s Bachelor of Medical Science Doctor of Medicine (MD) course. Associate Professor David Brewster and Jennie McInerney continue to develop and oversee the undergraduate educational program at Cabrini.

Third-year program Thirty medical students were allocated to Cabrini for the entire year in various specialties of medicine and surgery in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the students were not permitted on placement for the majority of the year. Consequently, most of their learning was delivered remotely via Zoom including their “ProblemBased Learning” program at The Alfred Hospital and our extremely popular “Curriculum Enhancement” program at Cabrini. Our specialists offered more lectures (also via Zoom) to our students to enhance their learning and keep them engaged.

Naomi Snowden ran some intensive procedural skills training and simulation teaching to further complement their development and make up for lost time when restrictions were eased. Students received a weekly bedside teaching session from their tutors via Zoom and had summer research grants available.

Fifth-year program Throughout the year, we had 11 students allocated to Cabrini for their pre-intern rotations at Cabrini. Due to COVID-19, students were not permitted to rotate to other hospitals after rotation one, so they stayed at Cabrini for

the remainder of the year. Unlike the third-year students, the final year students were permitted to be in the hospital on rotation for the majority of the year. This allowed them to complete their rotations and most importantly graduate to become interns in 2021. Our registrars and supervising specialists provided valuable guidance and preparation to these students in challenging circumstances.

The students form a valuable part of the clinical team and contribute to patient care. They engage in multiple education programs (weekly case discussions, radiology sessions and registrar teaching programs) and learn to function in inter-professional working environments.

University of Notre Dame (UND) Rotations for UND medical undergraduates were ceased at the initial COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. Covidsafe plans were established and 51 students returned with reduced time in each rotation. The students and supervisors managed this extremely well. Associate Professor David Brewster works closely with Professor Moyez Jiwa from UND to fully engage these excellent students within our hospital community.

We are grateful to all those clinicians who have supervised the students through this challenging time. We particularly thank those who led and taught in the obstetric and gynaecology rotation and the orthopaedic and rehabilitation rotation as these have been discontinued in 2021 whilst the palliative care and cardiology rotations continue.

The 2020 winner of the Cabrini/Notre Dame Student Choice Award for excellence in teaching was awarded to Associate Professor Anna Rosamilia, who has supported the Notre Dame medical student program since its inception. Anna went above and beyond to support and teach our students.

Left to right: Associate Professor David Brewster,

Dr James Ballantyne ICU Registrar, and Mr Matthew Claydon, vascular and endovascular surgeon.

STAFF

CLINICAL DEAN

Associate Professor David Brewster Cabrini-Monash University Clinical School

CLINICAL SITE ADMINISTRATOR

Jennie McInerney Cabrini-Monash University Clinical School

CLINICAL EDUCATOR

Naomi Snowden Cabrini-Monash University Clinical School