Welcome Pack by Elliot Dolan-Evans

WELCOME PACK

Contents Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Welcome........................................................2 Year 1/2 Coordinator...................................................3 Textbook Brief.............................................................4 Where to Live in Southport?.......................................5 First Year Experience...................................................7 President Letters.........................................................8 Society Events............................................................12 Membership Forms...................................................20

Editor’s Welcome To kick-off the first of countless welcome’s you will receive over the next three months: Welcome to Griffith University! Physicians in training, you should be both proud and excited to enter Griffith University, a progressive and rapidly expanding institution. The Griffith Medical School has been around for only a short time, and we are due to move into a brand new one half-way through 2013, along with a shiny, massive new hospital! Exciting times are certainly ahead, and with Griffith aiming to be one of the top universities in the country, our collective ambition and motivation will be key drivers in this ascension. This publication is a collection of welcoming messages, event descriptions and membership forms from our outstanding four student societies. We all hope that you will settle into your roles as medical students, and take a hold of your medical experience in its fullest. If you are all unaware, there is a huge issue facing medical students across the country: The Internship Crisis. This basically means that there are not enough intern places (i.e. jobs) for graduating medical students and many are remaining on Centrelink after medical school. As it is likely that internship positions will soon be like any other job (i.e. with an application process), it’s a good idea to keep in mind where you want to go with medicine and start working towards it. One recommendation would be to get involved with the student societies and gain some leadership and organisational experience, both qualities absolutely vital for the successful doctor.

On a lighter note, medical school will be one of the most enjoyable and exciting times you will have in your careers. Treasure it. Remember the passion and motivation that you have now, and keep a hold of it! These will get you successfully through medical school and will ensure you always bring a smile and empathy to each one of your patients.

For now, that is all from me, and I’m looking forward to meeting each one of you at your Orientation. Please don’t hesitate to come up and have a chat, I am very passionate about ensuring the success and happiness of the next generation of doctors (i.e. you), and I want to help in any way that I can! Get ready for January, Kind Regards, Elliot Dolan-Evans Editor

Y1/Y2 Academic Welcome On behalf of everyone involved in Year 1 activities, please accept one of the many welcomes you will receive to the Griffith University School of Medicine. There’s no need to go into lengthy introductions of personnel and procedures now, because we have planned (what you will come to see as an interminable series of) orientation activities in January for that. In preparation for beginning medical studies at Griffith, let me offer the following points: •Keep an open mind – In very many ways your education is about to change markedly from everything you are used to. At first, some of the changes may seem counterproductive or make you uncomfortable. Give it a bit of time. •Prepare yourself to get involved - You’ll find that med school is more fun and the learning more efficient when you are more engaged with friends, classmates, student organisations and school staff. •Pay close attention to messages from the student organisations – Getting through becomes a whole lot easier when you take advantage of paths blazed by your predecessors. I won’t bore you with anything more now; I’ve got two years to do that. With best wishes for success in med school and beyond, Jeff Schwartz Academic Manager Years 1 and 2

Quick Textbook Run-Down With the prospect of starting Medical School soon and maybe even some spare time over the Summer, perhaps you’ve thought about buying some textbooks? The short answer is wait! No really, just wait! You will cover so many diverse topics in first year and the library has a great range of books. As well, some of the books you might find yourself using the most you’ll already have online access to. The key is to try before you buy and you’ll be surprised at how few textbooks you might actually need to purchase. Likewise, you might find an electronic copy of the book you’re after on the PBL computers. Further, with continuous updating and expanding medical knowledge, we should live with the reality that medical textbooks go out of date quite quickly. This is why journal articles also represent a fantastic resource. They are available free through library access and they are updated with the latest information. Get used to the ‘Medicine’, ‘Surgery’ and ‘The Foundation Year’ journals as you browse for the latest information in

first year! Some books will have far too much detail and others will have just the right amount of information for only a small amount of the topics. There will be books you only use for half the year and others for just a single issue. Griffith University will provide on Learning@ Griffith some recommended resources for particular topics. If you do actually decide to buy textbooks, and responsibly utilise the textbook allowance kindly offered by Centrelink, look towards the online market. Textbook purchases from stores are extremely expensive, especially compared to online stores where it’s not entirely rare to save hundreds of dollars on a single textbook. The main thing is to keep an eye out at Orientation Day for Embryo (GUMS Guide to First Year) which, amongst other tips on first year, will give you a good list of resources to use as a first port of call for the various topics.

Where to Live in Southport?

Before writing this brief article, I had considered naming it ‘Where not to live in Southport’; however, I encountered some philosophical considerations where one may consider that you don’t want to live anywhere in Southport, and thus the article would be even briefer. However, I kept the current title to extend the discussion, as it’s always going to be tricky actually recommending somewhere to live in Southport. Leaving my tirade on Southport, this article will just give you a rough idea of the Southport area. A large majority of students will choose, or have chosen, to live in the Southport region, as the medical school is located adjacent to the Gold Coast Hospital (indicated by ‘Gold Coast Hospital Ambulance Entrance’ in the picture). Currently, a large majority of this population reside in the streets of Eugaree and Pohlman, just off Nerang Street, and located south-west of the hospital; which is useful for attending the house parties that are staged throughout the year! Other options in Southport include Southport Central, which are three apartment block high-rises that can be a little bit expensive, but on the plus side you are significant elevated from the riff-raff on the street. Another, even more expensive area, is that around James Overal Park (in the southeast of the map) - this is the nice area of Southport, and you can still find a good house provided you want to share with a number of people to lower the rent. Of note is that there are currently quite significant road-works occurring along the dotted line on the map. This is for the new Gold Coast Light Rail, to be completed ~20142015, and the construction has caused disruptions at various locations, so just be mindful of living on this route.

As practically all of your classes will be at the medical school, it makes quite a bit of sense to live in Southport - as you will have

NO classes at the main Griffith campus at Parklands initially (only exams, and the direction of this campus is indicated by the outline of the arrow in the north-west of the map). However, and please note this carefully, the entire medical school (and hospital) will be moving to the main Griffith campus at Parklands to the new Griffith Health Precinct. This will occur around June-July, and will mean that ALL of your classes will be at Parklands from this moving date (and as the hospital will be moving as well, there is no real reason to remain in Southport). This move will make, in my opinion, living in Southport obsolete; as you will find out soon, Southport is not a nice suburb to live in, and you wouldn’t stay there if not for the medical school and hospital. Other options for accommodation should include the suburbs outside of, and around, Southport. One of my favourite locations is the fairly expensive suburb of Main Beach (in the direction of the filled arrow on the map). This locale is quiet, sophisticated, aesthetically pleasing and has a number of excellent stores and places to visit around. One big recommendation is to NOT live at Griffith University Village - from all reports it’s loud, expensive and extremely hard to get out of a contract. So that’s my two cents, happy house hunting!

A First-Year Perspective Congratulations fellow Griffindors! From the moment I received my Hogwarts Griffith letter, I grabbed the opportunity and have not looked back since! Having taken a year off to dance and work before the beginning of medical school, I was raring to get stuck into the experience. In January, I packed up my bags and made the big drive up to the Gold Coast from Sydney, before settling into a little apartment in Main Beach. Following in my big sister’s footsteps, as the first Griffith Medical Graduates of ’08, I took her advice and made sure I nabbed a little spot close to the beach. It wasn’t long before the socialising began – Australia Day barbeques, Orientation Camp, GUMS Scrub Crawl, Hope4Health ‘H’ party – all excellent events to get to know your fellow Griffindors. I highly recommend going along to the many events organised by our wonderful student societies – however, when alcohol is involved, a word of caution – these will be your future colleagues in a professional capacity, and PBL on Tuesday can be particularly awkward. Speaking of which, the PBL workload starts quickly and remains constant til the end of semester. So my advice would be to throw yourself into LIs – it makes writing LOs easier… and yes, medical school comes with its fair share of acronyms… so you may as well GUTI. The medical school offers a range of great student societies. I found myself at the beginning of first year completely indecisive, so naturally, I signed up for everything. Griffith University Medicine Society organises a beautiful ‘Med Ball’ in May, General Practice Students Network offers lectures from great speakers, including John Murtagh, and Hope4Health hosts the sophisticated Jazz Dinner Dance in September – the Cultural Club Event of the Year. However, in 2013, you will be presented with another society to sign up to – The Surgical Interest Association – which I was lucky enough to help set up within my first year of med. This fresh new kid on the block hopes to offer a wide range of events for students, which together with GUMS, GPSN and H4H will ensure that there’s something for everyone at Griffith Medical School. Speaking of my own experience, a close friendship made at Orientation camp has served me well throughout this year. I was encouraged

to join the GUMS Publications sub-committee early on, and have helped to put together the four editions of MURMUR, the GUMS quarterly magazine, with the 2012 editor, Elliot DolanEvans. I thoroughly enjoyed this collaboration with a great team of writers, and our finished product was highly successful, with the 4th edition receiving nearly 4000 reads! I must commend Elliot on his notorious Café Review Series – which was not only an interesting insight into the various café locations in Southport but an excellent procrastination tool. As a young medical student interested in becoming a surgeon, I was surprised at the lack of a Surgical Interest Network at Griffith (something offered by nearly every other medical school). After being approached by some fellow students who felt similarly unsatisfied, we decided to enter our idea of the Surgical Interest Association (Surgia) in the Griffith Innovation Challenge (run by the Business School). After undertaking several tasks in this competition that we, as medical students, had never done before, we ended up winning this challenge designed for business students, and earned our share of the $100k prize pool. In fact, it was two medical student entries that took out the top two prizes! 10 points for Griffindor! (And congrats to H4H and their Karma card idea!) Having passed all my exams (thank goodness), I will unfortunately not be joining you in first year next year, but please, feel free to approach me and ask any questions you may have about your time in Griffith Medical School. You will undoubtedly have, the time of your lives. So persevere with the study, get involved in the school, and enjoy yourselves – the hard part is over. Siobhan Fitzpatrick

President’s Welcome Letter Congratulations future doctors and welcome to your very first year of medical school! For many of you, it will have been a long journey to get to this point, and all of you should be exceedingly proud of the opportunity you have earned for yourselves. There will be a lot to take in over the next few months, so I will keep this welcome brief. One of the questions you will find yourselves being asked regularly when telling people that you study medicine is “So do you know what kind of doctor you want to be?” For many of you the answer will be no, whilst for others you may have dreams of pursuing one of the numerous surgical specialty options available… often the crucial role of the general practitioner is overlooked. Irrelevant of where you are on this spectrum, the General Practice Students Network has something to offer you. GPSN is a national student-run organisation that seeks to expose medical students to the inspiring diversity of a career as a general practitioner and foster interest in general practice as a specialty of choice. However, if general practice doesn’t make your list of top 10 or even top 100 career options, don’t disregard GPSN as a valuable club to be a member of. Just some of the events and activities organised by GPSN that will be coming your way in 2013 include clinical skills sessions such as suture workshops, social events, seminar and conference opportunities, peer support and fantastic networking opportunities.

There is also an invaluable scholarship program-the GPSN First Wave Scholarshipthat aims to give medical students early real-world exposure to the realm of general practice and GP mentors. This experience can prove to be a huge advantage further on in your career- look out for it later in the year! GPSN also puts out some very handy publications such as the GPSN Companion and Aspire that will assist you in making it through your general practice and hospital

terms. Enjoy your orientation week and take care of yourselves- it can be a tiring week and there’s a lot to absorb in very little time. If you would like any more information or would like to get involved with GPSN, please don’t hesitate to approach us throughout the week or feel free to email gpsn.griffith@gmail.com. On behalf of the GPSN team, congratulations once again and we look forward to working with you in the coming years. Kindest Regards, Lauren Mann Student Ambassador General Practice Students Network E: gpsn.griffith@gmail.com

President’s Welcome Letter Although this won’t be the first or last time you will hear this sentence... Congratulations on your acceptance into Griffith University Medical School!

resources that will help you look after yourself and your colleagues over the next four years and throughout the rest of your medical career.

You may be nervous, excited or just indifferent about the prospect of entering medical school; however one thing I can assure you is that the next four years have the potential to be the best of your life. Having said that, as you will have noticed from people’s facial expression when you tell them you want to be a doctor, medicine has a reputation of being a little...taxing.

As well, you’ll need a balance of work and play of course! We run a calendar of spectacular social events, beginning with Orientation, through to our legendary End of Year parties. Throughout 2013, the GUMS social calendar also includes the annual sell-out Scrub Crawl and the glitzy GUMS Medicine Ball. Also, next year AMSA Convention is being held on the Gold Coast for the first time!

That’s where we come in, GUMS (Griffith University Medicine Society) was formed in 2005 and has grown phenomenally in the years since then. Formed by students, for students and run by students, the GUMS executive is composed entirely of volunteers from the medical school, hell bent on getting you through to graduation. So what exactly do we do? Well, advocacy is the core role of GUMS. We organise and support student representation on all committees within the school of medicine at Griffith University. We also are the primary link to the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA), who advocate for medical students nationwide. Medicine can be an academically demanding course, GUMS provides support for its members through an extensive academic portfolio. Some of our activities that we hope will support your studies include our peer mentoring program, clinical procedure workshops, award winning publications and revision guides, conference subsidies and much more! Over recent years, the mental and physical impact of medical school on students has become an area of concern. In response to this, GUMS created the Wellbeing portfolio aiming to provide you with events and

2013 will be an awesome year, and I hope you will be a part of it by becoming a member of GUMS. You’ll find a membership and the details of how to join in this guide. GUMS members enjoy heavily discounted entry to events, access to GUMS education resources and many other benefits! We will have a sign up table as well on Orientation day so come check us out! If you have any questions about GUMS or how you can get involved, please see the GUMS website (gums.org.au), look us up on Facebook (Griffith University Medicine Society) or email president@gums.org.au. Enjoy the remainder of your break and we look forward to meeting you at Orientation! Best regards, Tommy Brennan GUMS President 2013 president@gums.org.au 0402 321 309

President’s Welcome Letter Dear 2013 cohort, Firstly congratulations on being accepted into medicine and to those students from out of town, welcome to Griffith University. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to you HOPE4HEALTH, a very unique club which brings together some of Griffith’s most enthusiastic and inspiring health students. HOPE4HEALTH is dedicated to improving health outcomes for local, rural, indigenous and international communities, and provides unique opportunities for its members to make a difference, years before they are practicing health professionals. In 2013, you will have the opportunity to be part of our exciting community placements and fundraising events. These include – • Teddy Bear Hospital where students visit local and indigenous primary schools to educate students about healthy living. • Rural skills trips to Goondiwindi, Kingaroy, Roma and Stanthorpe. • Healthy Start a new H4H program that provides preventative health education for newly arrived Refugees. • Spirit of Healthy Horizons Conference celebrating positive Indigenous health projects and outcomes. • Plus a number of social events where you can shake off the study blues while raising money for a good cause. HOPE4HEALTH also provides opportunities for students to attend conferences such as the AMSA Global Health Conference, the Future Health Leaders Conference and the National University Rural Health Conference.

Our major fundraising events for the year include the Midnight Muster raising money for the Royal Flying Doctors and the very classy Jazz Dinner Dance. Over the last few years the JDD has raised over $80,000 for the Dabaa Medical Centre in Ghana, $15,000 for the Unbuntu Through Health project and $21,000 for Fiji Heart.

HOPE4HEALTH strives to build positive relationships between all of Griffith health students and 2012 has been a breakthrough year for non-medicine members. The Cherbourg Emergency Dental Clinic and Smile Wise projects have given dental students the chance to provide over $90,000 worth of free dental care to indigenous communities around South East Queensland. We are very excited about 2013 and our many new projects. Through collaboration with the Griffith Nursing School, HOPE4HEALTH is helping to organize their Cambodian Aid Project and we aim to develop a much larger nursing and allied health membership base. The Student Elective Aid project aims to provide 4th year medical students the opportunity to take donated medical equipment with them on their electives to developing communities. With membership only costing $20 for the entirety of your degree we encourage any Griffith Student who is interested in making a difference to become a member. We will be signing up new members all through orientation week and I encourage anyone who has any questions to come and have a friendly chat to myself or one of the other executive members. You can also ‘like’ our facebook page to keep up with the latest HOPE4HEALTH news and events. I am personally looking forward to meeting each of you and hope to see you all getting involved in HOPE4HEALTH, as it is the continuing involvement from students such as yourselves that makes our club such a success! Yours sincerely, Skyle Murphy President HOPE4HEALTH Inc (e) skyle@hope4health.org.au

President’s Welcome Letter Dear Physician in Training, I write on behalf of the Surgical Interest Association (Surgia) to express my sincere congratulations for your entry into medicine at Griffith University. You will find through the course of your studies that Griffith really has built a culture of academic achievement and support, and Surgia aspires to be a foundation of this culture. Surgia is a not-for-profit, student-run association that will address future surgical workforce deficits, battle inequalities and discrimination in surgery, increase the academic and extra-curricular repertoire of its members, and assist the aims of Griffith University in becoming a top research and academic institution.

listed below. Congratulations once again, and I look forward to working with you all throughout your medical training. Kind Regards, Elliot Dolan-Evans President and Co-Founder Surgical Interest Association • 0413 921 328 • surgia.griffith@gmail.com

Surgia strives to ensure that students, doctors and Griffith University alumni and staff have access to opportunities and events that will develop their surgical skills. Surgia will also link students with surgeons, encourage and celebrate research, develop members’ professional skills, and address issues in rural and global surgical practice. The association will be a strong supporter of surgically- and medically-orientated charities in the near future. Whether you are interested in surgery or not, Surgia can provide you an outstanding service in terms of your academic and professional development as a doctor, researcher or surgeon. Look out for Surgia during your orientation week, as well as Surgia’s mascot ‘Griffith University’s Tiny Surgeon’ (GUTS for short), and find out how you can secure your membership to this innovative and ambitious organisation. If you would like to get more involved in Surgia beyond membership, or would just like to know more about the organisation, please contact us at surgia.griffith@gmail.com, or get in touch with me through the details

Who is GPSN?

The General Practice Students Network (GPSN) is a national, student-run organisation that fosters student interest in general practice and shows people how great being a GP can be. GPSN is administered by General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) and is supported by a funding grant from General Practice Education and Training (GPET). There is a GPSN branch in all 20 of Australia’s medical schools. Here at Griffith, we have a very active GPSN club which we hope to continue to grow in 2013.

What does GPSN do?

GPSN offers programs focused on exposing medical students to the amazing diversity that being a GP can bring. Some of our more well known activities include our suturing workshop, Breathing NEWLIFE conference, social events, peer support, and networking opportunities. This year, we are hoping to bring to you a few more exciting programs such as GP Mentoring, a social mixer, and more!

Who is Griffith GPSN?

Griffith GPSN is one of the most active GPSN branches in the country. Our main goals for the year are to dispel the myths surrounding life as a GP, bring to you more exciting events and workshops, and in particular, develop a GP mentoring program. We are a great team and are always looking for more people to get on board.

Why should I sign up?

You mean we haven’t convinced you already? Tough crowd. Well, in case you needed more reasons, take a look at what GPSN membership will get you: • • • • • • • • • •

Free associate GPRA membership Free subscribed AMSA membership Access to the members-only area of the GPSN, GPRA and AMSA websites Find out more about general practice Attend student-focused GP seminars, clinical skills sessions and more Meet like-minded students at a variety of social events Apply for the annual Breathing NEWLIFE into General Practice Conference in Canberra (March) Free copy of Aspire, the medical student’s guide to general practice Free copy of GPSN Companion, a handy reference of GP clinical guidelines and data compiled by GPSN to assist medical students on GP rotations Monthly e-newsletter so you can receive the latest on all things general practice

What scholarships As a Year 1 student, can GPSN offer me? what can I do?

GPSN runs a fantastic scholarship program, the First Wave Scholarship, that gives medical students realworld exposure to general practice and GP mentors. Last year, six Griffith students were lucky enough to be recipients of the two types of scholarships on offer. For more information, you can check out: http://gpsn.org.au/content/first-wave-scholarship

GPSN is always looking for more people to get involved. If you are interested in becoming a GP or perhaps just a little bit curious about what general practice is really like, then we want you! Why not nominate yourself to be our First Year Representative?

gpsn.org.au

the gp special edition

General practice attracts many misconceptions. Here we take a look at the real face of this generalist speciality.

General practice is about coughs, colds, paperwork and aged care. General practice is about the full scope of medicine!

Yes, cough colds, paperwork and elderly patients are part of general practice. However, each day is diverse, involving all kinds of people and conditions. Families and children are a big part of this speciality. There are numerous minor surgical opportunities, including removal of moles or cysts, and applying stitches. You can sub-specialise or take on a portfolio of roles at different locations, so you’ll never be bored! Diagnosis is at the core of general practice.

GPs don’t practise complex and challenging medicine. GPs practise complex, challenging medicine every day!

GPs are on the frontline of medicine as leaders of multidisciplinary and interspeciality medical teams. They see the first presentation of health and psychological burdens, and are responsible for making decisions that will impact their patients’ health outcomes. Many rare and unusual presentations will be first seen by a GP. Due to their broad skills, GPs are equipped to work overseas or in disadvantaged communities. As a GP, you never know what will come through the door.

GPs don’t earn much money. Australian GPs earn good money!

The average annual income for a full-time Australian GP is up to $200,000 or more. GPs earn a higher average income than most non-medical professionals including lawyers, veterinarians, architects, engineers and accountants. Compared to family practitioners elsewhere in the world, Australian GPs are among the highest income earners, above countries like France, Germany and Canada. Yes, it is true that GPs on average earn less than some other medical specialists. But many consider a lifestyle of flexible, sociable working hours and part-time options better than money in the bank.

General practice is not a medical speciality. General practice is officially a medical speciality and GPs are “general specialists”.

General practice was recognised as a specific discipline of medicine in 1978, gaining official classification as a medical speciality in 1989. In 1999, the Australian Medical Council (AMC) included general practice as one of 17 specialities then recognised in Australia. To be accredited as a general practitioner in Australia requires an additional three to four years of training as a GP registrar, leading to Fellowship with the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).

First Wave experience

My placement at Victoria Point Surgery was a fantastic experience. It was great to have the opportunity to work in a busy medical centre. I was able to develop my skills in patient communication, as well as basic procedures such as blood pressure checks and injections. I was lucky enough to assist in minor surgeries as well as run ECGs for patients in the treatment room.

Fiona with GP Sherlene Tan

All the staff were highly professional, friendly and supportive. They were all very welcoming and generous with their time, knowledge and advice about the GP career path. My thanks go to: GPSN for giving me the chance to undertake the First Wave Scholarship Program; Veronica at CSQTC for easing the path and the nerves; and to the staff at Victoria Point Surgery, especially Dr Bruce Willett, Dr Sherlene Tan, Dr Janet Fairweather, Dr John Tucker, Dr Jonathon Day, Margaret (Practice Manager), the reception staff, and Mandy and Julie (Practice Nurses).

Fiona Burnell

First Wave students from Griffith: Fiona Burnell, Benignus Logan, Rebecca Liong, Rebecca King

Scholarship Recipient

Events GUMS Peer Mentoring Program Feeling a bit lost in your studies? Unsure of how to best approach your MBBS problem? Just need to vent into the ear of somone who has been there before? You need a mentor! The GUMS Mentoring program helps get you connected with people that know what you are going through. With mentors from second year MBBS students through to RMO level you can get the buddy you need to get you through! The exact role of your mentor will vary according to your need. The role can be strictly academic (including study skills and time management, adjustment to the PBL process and exam preparation), or can be an invaluable source of advice and social support in your new environment and medical network. No doubt the partnerships you form with the GUMS mentoring programs will last well into your medical career. If you are interested in taking part in the program or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact academic@gums. org.au Name Age Email Undergraduate Degree Previous University Hobbies ‘How to Survive Tutorials’

These tutorials will run in the first few weeks of semester 1 and will be predominantly for those students who have a non-science background. However, everyone is invited as it will provide the students with the necessary tips and tricks to get through first year.

Special guest speakers and students from years 2 and above will give you their firsthand accounts of what pulled them through the horrors... ahh.. study regime of first year MBBS. GUMS Social Calendar Social is an integral part of GUMS. The life of a medical student is full of learning and responsibility – understandably it can get quite stressful. In order to help alleviate this stress, GUMS Social helps you to unwind with your fellow medical students and make bonds that last a lifetime. It is entirely possible to have an active social life and still pass medicine. We are very excited by the events we will be bringing you this year! You’ll find a flyer for Disorientation Camp with this welcome pack and keep an eye out for further details on Scrub Crawl, Med Ball, Trivia Night, Coffeehouse and much much more!

Australian Medical Students Association The Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) is the peak representative body for Australian medical students. The key mandate of the Association is to connect, inform and represent every one of Australia’s 17,000 medical students.

form a key conduit by which the Association informs and connects Australian medical students. Some examples include: Panacea, Intern and Residents’ Guide, Medical Schools Guide, Embolus, AMSA? Your Orange Guide, Wellbeing Booklet, Guide to Working Overseas, and The Other Side. -----------------------Dear X,

What does AMSA do? The activities of AMSA are all based around the key objectives of connecting, informing and representing Australian medical students: Advocacy: AMSA provides a voice for medical students, ensuring their concerns are heard by all levels of government and other relevant stakeholders in the medical education arena. Students: AMSA provides a wide range of benefits to prospective, current and graduating medical students. The Association also actively engages with medical students through local AMSA Subcommittees. Events: AMSA holds many national events each year, connecting Australian medical students and providing educational and leadership opportunities. Some key events include the National Convention, Global Health Conference, National Leadership Development Seminar, Life in the Real World, National Rural Leadership Development Workshop, Training New Trainers and Think Global Workshop. Projects: AMSA organises projects based around two main categories: health and wellbeing, and community. Global and Rural: AMSA advocates strongly on global and rural issues, and maintains strong relationships with affiliate organisations with similar aims. Publications: AMSA produces many publications which are distributed in electronic and hard-copy. These publications

Well, you have a place at Medical School, and you’re thinking, what am I going to do with all those extraneous talents that I now have absolutely no use for? You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Perhaps it’s that oboe that you picked up in grade four, because your parents wanted you to be cultured, and you just didn’t have sufficient skill in manipulation to say no and still get that sailor moon outfit that you so desperately wanted for your birthday. It’s ok. You can stop crying from the shame. We understand, at Griffith Med, that you had a lot going on in your childhood, and that you need to let it out. One might even say that you need a ‘stage’ for it. There are always the practicalities to think about, as well. It might be that that oboe that puts bread on the table for you one day. The chances of getting an internship in Queensland Health is becoming about as likely as winning bingo at your local RSL – and remember, there’s always an old bat called Edith that they give the prize too anyway because she’s been there for years, even when you do win. Letting your skills waste away during the long hours of Medical study may be the difference between eating canned dog food, and a five-course meal at the Stanford Plaza; don’t be the ‘dog food guy’ at the train station in four years. No one likes that person… Instead, come along and get involved in Med Revue, and keep up your extracurricular talents! It’s a show, on the stage, with videos, and live music, and stuff like that. And we need you! (Insert appropriate Uncle Sam image here.) The Med Revue Convenors

Events HOPE4HEALTH runs numerous social, educational and philanthropic events each year. Below is just taste of what we offer MBBS students. For more information visit our website at http://www.hope4health.org. au and like our facebook page. Local HOPE4HEALTH Launch Party 2013 – ‘Prom Night’

for Griffith medicine and dentistry students to run a prevention and health promotion session for students in Grades 1 and 2 at local and indigenous Primary Schools. This program is currently being offered, in conjunction with the Griffith School of Medicine, as part of the first year community placements. Rural Midnight Muster

The first event on the 2013 social calendar is HOPE4HEALTH’s members launch party. This year, take the opportunity to explore the streets of Southport for some pre-loved ‘prom night’ getup. Get ready to crack out your puffy sleeves, shoulder pads and curling irons for a great night to start the year, while supporting local charities. Jazz Dinner Dance The Jazz Dinner Dance is HOPE4HEALTH’s annual black tie charity ball. In 2012, HOPE4HEALTH raised $21 000 for Fiji Heart - a project which aims to develop and maintain an integrated and comprehensive cardiac service for Fiji and the Pacific region. Each prized ticket to JDD includes; a 3 course meal, 5 hour drinks package and of course, a live jazz band with a spacious dance floor to show your moves. Also up for grabs on the night are fantastic raffle prizes and auction items.

Teddy Bear Hospital Teddy Bear Hospital provides an opportunity

Each March HOPE4HEALTH, in collaboration with TROHPIQ (UQ) and BUSHFIRE (Bond), presents one of the biggest parties on any Medical Student’s social calendar - the infamous Midnight Muster. The B&S styled event brings health students and friends from all three Uni’s together for one loud, huge, old-fashioned party in support of the Royal Flying Doctors Service. LIVE music, fresh air, a great atmosphere and over 350 people ensure it is one of the most memorable events of the year. So in 2013, collect a carload of friends (or strangers), grab a tent, get dressed in your outback Aussie best and party with us at the Beaudesert Race Club on this not to be missed weekend.

Rural Trips HOPE4HEALTH runs a series of rural trips to allow students to become actively involved in the rural health experience. Whilst on rural trips students will be able to learn skills vital for any rural practitioner, such as insertion of chest drains, emergency airway management, plastering, suturing and skin cancer excision. Trips are currently run annually to Goondiwindi, Kingaroy, Roma and Stanthorpe. HOPE4HEALTH members also have the chance to attend the Joint Rural Health Club Weekend which brings together 60 health students from the four QLD rural health clubs- H4H, TROHPIQ, BUSHFIRE and RHINO â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for a weekend of networking, skills sessions and fostering of future careers in a rural setting. Longlook Rural Placement Program HOPE4HEALTH collaborates with Griffith University and QRME to provide positive rural clinical training and experiences Griffith students. Students may choose to complete a twelve month placement during their third year in Dalby, Kingaroy, Stanthorpe or Warwick, or a six month placement during their fourth year in Chinchilla, Clifton, Gatton, Inglewood, Millmerran, Oakey, Pittsworth or Nanango. Indigenous Spirit of Healthy Horizons The inaugural 2012 Spirit of Health Horizons Conference was a day not to be missed for anyone with an interest in Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander health. The conference featured an exceptional list of speakers and targeted clinical skills sessions, with a focus on celebrating indigenous health successes. The day highlighted new initiatives in indigenous health care, with an emphasis on strengths-based community-driven approaches. Because of its resounding success, there are plans to expand the SOHH conference to a weekend in 2013 including a day addressing international and refugee health issues. Cherbourg Specialist Clinics H4H also facilitates student participation in the monthly Cherbourg Specialist Clinics. This is a wonderful opportunity for students interested in Aboriginal health to gain some incredible experience and develop friendships within the local medical community. International Healthy Start Healthy Start is a preventative health education project aimed at newly arrived Refugees using students as educators. Working alongside the Multicultural Development Association (MDA), students will have the opportunity to work with this at risk population, with the aim of improving their social integration and access to health care. Topics covered include emergency services, antenatal care, mens/womens health and using GP services. In 2013, this program will be offered during first year community placements.

events The Skilled Surgeon This portfolio centres around improving the surgical and medical skills of Surgia’s members. Events include: Workshops: Be taught by consultant surgeons how to suture and surgically examine your patients! Surgically Orientated-Anatomy: Ensuring your anatomy is clinically relevant Skilled Weekend: In planning, this event will give you the most rewarding experience as you become The Skilled Surgeon

The Academic Surgeon Acknowledging the importance of research in surgical and medical practice, this portfolio will help you increase your research potential through: Journal Clubs: Discuss the latest research with other students and doctors Bursaries & Scholarships: Surgia wants to reward you for your research! Surgia Research Conference: Showcasing student and surgical research, a celebration of excellence at Griffith University

The Female Surgeon Women represent less than 5% of the surgical workforce, yet make up over 55% of medical students. It is crucial this inequality is addressed, and the ‘Female Surgeon’ portfolio will be the advocate in reversing this alarming shortage.

Gala Dinner: Acknowledges those women who are excelling in medicine and surgery Lecture Series: Hear from eminent female surgeons and their achievements

The Community Surgeon Surgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charity and community engagement arm. This portfolio will grow significantly in the future, implementing a unique and successful model of charitable donation. If you have philanthropic ideals and values, this portfolio wants to hear from you!

The Professional Surgeon Moving into the 21st century, surgeons and doctors a-like need more than just skills in health. This portfolio addresses this need, and will build skills in the following areas: - Professionalism: How to communicate and conduct yourself professionally - Finance and Investing: For students who dream of money in the future. - Health Policy and Economics: This area will educate you on the system you will be working in. - Leadership: Vital for any doctor

The Happy and Healthy Surgeon Although primarily an academic society, Surgia will not neglect the needs of its members to enjoy themselves! This portfolio will have events such as: Cocktail Evenings: With doctors and students in attendance, it will be the perfect opportunity for networking Golf Days: Ideal for relaxing and networking a must for a surgeon or doctor!

GPSN Member

GUMS Membership Form Purchase your membership via the online form at gums.org.au/membership OR Complete the following: First Name: Surname: Student Number: Email: Expected Graduation: I want to sign up for: 1 year - $15 4 years - $40 and mail to: Griffith University Medicine Society (GUMS) Centre for Medicine & Oral Health 16-30 High Street Southport QLD 4215 Payment Payment can be made by direct deposit using the details below: Account name: Griffith University Medicine Society Account number: 497122811 BSB: 014-701 Bank: Southport ANZ Please use your student number as the reference for the transaction and let us know if you have not received payment confirmation within 10 working days Alternatively, you can include with your membership form a cheque made out to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Griffith University Medicine Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.