Hoc Mai Annual Report 2015

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Hoc M達i

Le Thi My Duyent

Johnny Chang

Evelyn Smith Romero

Hoang Minh Duc

Kim Linh Van Dec

Jason Qin Dec

Tran Nguyen Thanh Huong

Romeo Torres

Nguyen Thanh Long

Tran Thi Minh Nguyet

Shannon McKinn

Hoc M達i Sarah Wyatt

Nguyen Thanh Long

Katie Ryland

Romeo Torres

forever learning

Johnny Chang

Katie Ryland

Ho Doan Thanh Nhat

Simon Walters

Katie Ryland

Hoang Minh Duc

Dr Dinh Trang Van

Simon Walters

Tran Nguyen Thanh Huong

Hoang Minh Duc

Kim Linh Van Dec

Mr Gary Arthurs with Mr Phan Quoc Uy

Medical English team

Practical Clinical Research Workshop

Advanced Course in Medical Education & Research team

Dr Kim Nguyen Cuong’s acupuncture study

Radiation Therapy course

Dr Kim Nguyen Cuong

Advanced Course in Medical Education & Research

Practical Clinical Research Workshop

C hairman’s Report for the year 2015

This year’s annual report highlights the generous commitment of the many donors, volunteers and staff who enable the Hoc Mãi Foundation to continue the important work of improving health outcomes for the people of Viêt Nam. 2015 was another successful year for the Hoc Mãi Foundation, with a number of ongoing and new initiatives undertaken in service of our central goal—to improve health outcomes for the people of Viêt Nam, through education.

The year saw the flourishing number of existing activities, including:

Building Research Capacity Over the year, the Hoc Mãi Foundation coordinated the delivery of a series of “Practical Clinical Research’ workshops across Viêt Nam. Workshops were implemented with local partners in Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. The workshops aim to help establish and support productive clinical research hubs in Viêt Nam where ViêtNamese health professionals can conduct clinical research and publish their findings internationally. Each workshop was facilitated by academic and clinical staff affiliated with the University of Sydney, drawing upon their research expertise to guide and motivate local ViêtNamese health professionals to undertake research.

One of the early projects resulting from the Practical Clinical Research Program is a hand hygiene campaign at Hung Vuong Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. It has been recognized with the 2015 Asia Pacific Hand Hygiene Excellence Award. The Hoc Mãi Foundation awarded a research grant to implement the protocol “Effectiveness of education, observation and feedback to hand hygiene compliance in healthcare workers” as a follow up to the “Hand hygiene programme to reduce hospital-acquired infection” research project. Team Leader Dr Phan Thi Hang, Head of Infection Control Department of Hung Vuong Hospital, and her team were invited to the Asia Pacific Society of Infection Control Conference (APSIC) 2015 in Taipei, Taiwan in March 2015 to receive the award.

Advanced Medical Education & Research & Medical English Courses In February and again in September 2015, a large contingent of Australian teachers travelled to Hanoi at their own expense to teach Medical English to ViêtNamese healthcare professionals.

Teachers included doctors, nurses, a Viêt Nam Vet, and teachers of English as a second language. Once again, as in the previous four years, the four-day course conducted at Bach Mai and Thanh Nhan Hospitals was over-subscribed. The program incorporates teaching in Specialist Clinical Departments. The initiative to also teach nursing students, which began in 2013 at the request of Professor Hinh (President of HMU) and facilitated by Professor Chuc, Dean of Nursing, continued to be well received.

As in prior years, much of the teaching involved role playing, clinical scenarios and group discussions with an emphasis on vocabulary, pronunciation, sentence structure and grammar.

The participants in the Medical English course comprised doctors, nurses, medical students, allied health professionals, administrative officers, laboratory technicians and medical engineers. Ages and professional levels among the doctors varied considerably from recent medical graduates to those who had graduated some years ago and are now in senior positions. The range of specialties varied widely and included the usual clinical specialties along with radiology, haematology, biochemistry, pathology, dentistry and traditional medicine. This underlines the popularity of this type of teaching which transcends boundaries at levels of professional experience.

In addition, 2015 saw the Hoc Mãi Foundation pilot a number of new activities such as:

Co-funded Clinical Placements Program In 2015, the Hoc Mãi Foundation transitioned to a co-funded Clinical Placement Program for its ViêtNamese partners. Under the new program, ViêtNamese partners cover the costs related to flights, accommodations, health checks, visa application, insurance, police check/clearance, living allowance in Sydney. However, the Hoc Mãi Foundation still covers costs related to health professional supervision and support, program facilitation and logistics.

Under the new program, ten ViêtNamese health practitioners embarked on a two month learning experience from June to August 2015. The program participants were partnered expert supervisors in their chosen speciality, providing the opportunity to view the most up-to-date practices in health and medicine in the context of the Australian health system. Participants were also provided the opportunity to attend Medical English courses through the Centre for English Teaching (CET), to enhance their communication skills prior to their clinical placement.

Curriculum Development Program From 28 September until 16 October, fifteen ViêtNamese academics from the Hanoi Medical University (HMU) undertook an intensive study program focused on the medical curriculum development process. The program followed a three part structure.

During the first week, the group met with relevant experts from the Sydney Medical School and learned about the concept of Competency-based Curriculum (CBC) and the Curriculum development process. Participants gained an understanding of how these principles have informed the development of the University of Sydney’s medical program - including assessment methods, teaching methodologies and learning materials. During the second week, the group were able to visit the University’s Northern and Concord Clinical Schools. This provided them the opportunity to meet teachers and students, and witness the variety of teaching methods used. Finally, in the third week, the group were able to draw on the advice of senior academic staff to develop a plan for adapting and improving the HMU’s own curriculum, based upon the new knowledge and understandings gained during their time at the University of Sydney. Initial feedback from the HMU on the usefulness of the program has been very positive, with plans already afoot to go forward with an ambitious series of short, medium and long-term reforms to the university’s existing curriculum.

Prof Br uce Robinson

I would also like to extend my thanks to the Executive/Management Team and the Hoc Mãi Council/Board, for their continued support and guidance. Together, the partnership and friendship between Viêt Nam and Australia will continue to grow in 2016 and the years to come.

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

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A Acupuncture

reducING lung cancer SYMPTOMS WITH acupuncture

Dr Kim Nguyen Cuong, (Lecturer in Tuberculosis and Lung Disease from Hanoi Medical University (HMU) and Respiratorist, from the National Lung Hospital), was awarded a Hoc Mãi Foundation Research Grant, following his participation in the Practical Clinical Workshops conducted in Hanoi in 2014.

This study investigates whether auricular acupuncture in addition to the standard emetic regime reduces nausea and vomiting in patients with lung cancer who receive cisplastin or carboplatin-base chemotherapy, compared to a control group of patients treated with only the standard emetic regime.

The $2,000 grant has enabled the study, entitled “Evaluating the effect of auricular acupuncture in addition to a standard emetic regime on nausea and vomiting in patients with a primary lung cancer receiving cisplatinor carboplatin- based chemotherapy”. Dr Cuong and his team are mentored by Associate Professor Catherine Hawke and Dr Christine Smyth from the School of Rural Health and Children’s Medical Research Institute. Dr Le Thi Minh Phuong, from the Traditional Medicine Department of HMU is also a key investigator in this study. Dr Cuong is assisted by a registrar (a postgraduate doctor training in the third year of traditional medicine) and a specialist doctor in traditional medicine, in Viêt Nam.

The study was approved by National Lung Hospitals’ Institutional Review Board and is being implemented at two oncology hospitals in North Viêt Nam. Patients receiving standard antiemetic regime for preventing chemotherapy induced nausea & vomiting (CINV) caused by cisplatin or carboplatin-based anti-lung cancer regimens were eligible for the study and provided consent to be randomized to either the intervention or the control group. To date 110 participants are in the study and recruitment is expected to be complete by July 2016.

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Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

Dr Kim Nguyen Cuong

P PCR Hoc Mãi’s successful program tailor-made for ViêtNamese clinician researchers continued in 2015 with 4 workshops held across the country involving 70 participants. The overall aim of the program is to establish and support productive clinical research hubs in Viêt Nam where ViêtNamese health professionals can conduct clinical research and publish their findings internationally.

Practical Clinical Research

In Danang, team members were: Professor Jonathan Morris, Associate Professor Kirsty Foster, Associate Professor Christine Roberts and Dr Tanya Nippita and workshops were held in May and November when groups from the Hospital for Women and Children and from Hue Medical University developed and refined research protocols. Dr Phuong Nguyen, one of the Danang participants is due to start her PhD studies at Sydney Medical School in March 2016 under the supervision of Associate Professor Ben Marais and Associate Professor Christine Roberts.

Associate Professor Catherine Hawke, Dr Christopher Gordon, Dr Dindy Benn, Professor Dame Marie Bashir, Shannon McKinn and Associate Professor Jenny Fraser joined the Danang tutors for the larger workshops held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Research projects on such diverse topics as teenage suicide rates, waiting times in outpatient departments and factors associated with dental caries in young children. The workshops were enthusiastically received and tutors remain in contact with their groups to encourage and support

completion of protocols and implementation of the studies. Hearing about the success of projects such as the Hand Hygiene Education initiative resulting a from previous Hoc Mãi Practical Clinical Research Workshop provides real motivation for participants.

A/Prof Kirsty Foster

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adiation Oncology R R Developing Radiation Oncology in Viêt Nam In 2015, the first Radiation Therapy course in Viêt Nam was taught at the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) University of Medicine and Pharmacy (UMP). As cancer remains one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide with Viêt Nam being no exception, this has been a much needed step in developing radiation oncology, and essentially laying the foundations for improving treatment outcomes long term.

The Radiation Therapy course has been developed in close partnerships with the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, the largest cancer centre in the country.

Radiation Oncologist Professor Tuyet Anh Cung from HCMC Oncology Hospital has played a key instrumental role in developing the course and heads the new program under the faculty of diagnostic imaging at the university. The course consists of traditional lectures and clinical placements at the two main cancer treatment hospitals in HCMC; HCMC Oncology Hospital and Cho Ray Hospital. This course would simply have not been possible without the pioneering efforts of Professor Tuyet Anh Cung.

Medical Physicist, Gary Arthurs in Viêt Nam In 2014 Sydney based medical physicist Mr Gary Arthurs began an 8 month assignment to train medical physicists at Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital. As medical physicists and radiation therapists work closely together, I have had the pleasure of working with Gary, and the opportunity to learn a great deal. Seeing Gary in action has been very inspirational, and I have been able to take many cues from his work methodologies and work

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Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

ethics. Gary enjoyed Viêt Nam so much that he went onto continue another assignment at Danang General Hospital in 2015, also training medical physicists.

Australian Government Aid Grant for Radiation Oncology Project This year the Hoc Mãi Foundation was successful for the second year in a row in obtaining a special aid grant under the Australian Governments Direct Aid Program (DAP). The grant was approved for a specific project to purchase specific key equipment to improve radiation oncology treatments at the HCMC Oncology Hospital.

The project also involved commissioning and training for the implementation and use of the new equipment which was conducted by myself, and Sydney based medical physicist Mr Gary Arthurs.

Radiotherapy & Viêt Nam Radiological Society Although cancer mortality rates are high in Viêt Nam with an increasing need for radiation therapy, the profession is still fairly not well known and understood.

This situation is very similar back home in Australia and throughout the world. Part of increasing awareness involves promoting the profession through the national radiological society. Mr Thai Van Loc in Ho Chi Minh City heads the radiological society and has been extremely active in promoting the profession both in Viêt Nam and on the international fora. I would like to personally thank Mr Thai Van Loc for all his hard work and determination in supporting my assignment and doing so much for the development of the radiation therapy profession.

Special Mentions & Thanks Medical Text Book Donation On behalf of HCMC Oncology Hospital, I would like to thank Rhonda Coleman from Genesis Care for the donation of Medical Text Books.

Radiation Therapy Immobilisation Equipment Donation On behalf of HCMC Oncology Hospital I would also like to thank the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Hospital for donating much needed Radiotherapy Patient immobilisation equipment.

Interested being involved in developing radiation oncology projects?

If anyone is interested in being involved in developing radiation oncology projects, or for any questions, please feel free to contact myself at huynhanhvu@live.com.au Small steps do matter and there is always much to do!

Vu Huynh

Myself (Vu Huynh) on assignment conducting a practical workshop with the assistance of local staff, at HCMC Oncology Hospital

Australia Government Aid Grant Acceptance Ceremony 2015 Names left to right: Aus Consulate; Mr John McAnulty, Vice Director of HCMC Oncology Hospital; Dr Dang Quoc Tinh, Radiation Therapy Trainer; Vu Huynh

Australian Aid Grant Hand Over Ceremony Left to right: Radiation Oncologist from HCMC Oncology Hospital; Prof Tuyet Anh, Radiation Therapy Trainer; Vu Huynh, Sydney based Medical Physicist; Mr Gary Arthurs

Radiation Therapy Trainer Vu Huynh with the President of the Viêt Nam Radiological Society, Mr Thai Van Loc, at a Radiological Conference in Hong Kong

Medical Physicist Mr Gary Arthurs with local Medical Physicist Mr Phan Quoc Uy

Myself (Vu Huynh) with the first Radiation Therapy Class in Viêt Nam, after a lecture at the HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

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2 2015 The Hoc Mãi Advanced Course in Medical Education and Research is designed to provide a select group of outstanding recent Hanoi Medical University (HMU) graduates with the tools to introduce and lead change in medical education and research, thereby contributing to the development of ViêtNamese health care for the future.

Initially developed in consultation with senior academics at HMU in 2009, its success and growing reputation has enabled the course to continue throughout 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Another is planned for 2016.

The Course emphasises skills not widely taught to ViêtNamese graduates, but which are essential for future leadership: communication skills in healthcare, teaching skills, statistics, clinical research methods, preparing projects for publication, analysing risk, ethics and professionalism, medical error, and patient safety.

The interactive teaching is in English, and utilises small group discussions and one-on-one interactions.

The program: • Identifies the most highly talented recent graduates from HMU. On the basis of their academic record at HMU and the Residency examination, 50 are selected by the President of HMU, Professor Hinh, and are interviewed by us using a structured format to assess their comprehension of spoken English, ability to speak English and their commitment. The 25 to be included in the course are selected on this basis.

• Equips them to teach at HMU in their clinical departments in English, publish in English language journals and communicate in English with international colleagues as teachers and researchers,

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Advanced Course in Medical Education & Research Prof Ker r y Goulston & Prof Kim Oates

• Gives them an advanced educational experience that equips them for leadership, management and innovative change in medical education and research, and • Provides support for them when they return to their usual professional responsibilities so that they can apply what they have learned and lead change in medical education, research and health care.

1. Teaching in Hanoi In 2015 clinical academics from Sydney Medical School (SMS) travelled to Hanoi on eight occasions to teach the ViêtNamese component of the course. Each team comprised two or more clinical academics. Teaching is done in the evenings after the HMU doctors finish work.

During the day the SMS academics have the opportunity to visit HMU hospitals for ward rounds or to teach in their area of expertise.

2. The Immersion Component A key component of the 2015 program was the Immersion course held between June and July in Sydney. This Immersion Program is a four week intensive course held at the Royal North Shore Hospital for 20 of the course participants selected for their leadership potential. The format of the intensive course comprised two weeks of interactive teaching followed by clinical placements in each ViêtNamese doctor’s areas of expertise.

3. A virtual classroom to provide monthly teaching To complement the face to face teaching, an online component, added to the course in 2013, was continued in 2015. Adobe Connect software was used to create a virtual classroom over the internet, linking Australia and Viêt Nam. Eight one hour lectures were scheduled

during the ViêtNamese doctors’ lunch break from October to December. Each lecture was unique, covering such topics as ‘Recognising Depression’, ‘Prevention of Hospital Infection’, ‘Managing the Patient with Cancer’, ‘Safety Behaviours in the Clinical Setting’, and ‘Radiology in 2030’. Professor Kim Oates hosted the sessions, assisted by Dr Ian McPhee. Feedback was very positive and as such, the online component will continue and be increased in 2016, depending on funding. An online Smoking Cessation course was also offered by Associate Professor Renée Bittoun in 2015. In December 2015, Professor Owen Dent gave a one day workshop on SPSS to 26 participants in Hanoi which was very highly valued.

4. Evaluation Pre and post tests after each component of the course showed a statistically significant increase in knowledge.

In final evaluations, most considered the course to be either highly relevant or fairly relevant to their clinical work and teaching, and all thought their clinical work and teaching would change as a result of the course.

Furthermore, feedback showed that the overwhelming majority considered the course very well worth the time they had devoted to it.

6. Acknowledgements We wish to thank the following teachers who donated their time and skills in 2015: Dr Chris Bauer, Prof Renée Bittoun, Prof Tony Broe, Greg Brown, Dr Annette Burgess, Prof Dianne Campbell, Bonnie Cheng, A/Prof Chris Dennis, Prof Owen Dent, Connie Diakos, A/Prof Michael Dinh, Mary Dowling, Dr Graham Dunn, Prof John Dwyer, Karen Garlan, A/Prof Emily Hibbert, Prof Richard Hillman, Prof Tom Hugh, Prof Nick Hunt, Prof David Isaacs, A/ Prof Tony Joseph, Dr Annette Katelaris, A/Prof Ross Kerridge, The Hon. Craig Knowles, Prof Judy Lumby, Dr Sri Mahadev, Nathalie Mann, Dr Charlie McDonald, Dr Ian McPhee, Sim Mead, Prof Craig Mellis, A/Prof Karl Ng, Prof Michael Nicholas, Dr Paul Nicolarakis, Dr Jonathan Page, Prof Michael Pain, Prof Trevor Parmenter, A/Prof Chris Pokorny, Dr Robert Read, Prof Bruce Robinson, Prof Mary Anne Rolfe, Dr John Sammut, A/Prof Margaret Schnitzler, A/Prof Warwick Selby, Ms Annette Starr, Prof Chris Tennant, Prof Geoff Tofler, Mr Dimitry Tran, Dr Venessa Tsang, A/Prof Sheryl Van Nunen, Prof Merrilyn Walton, A/Prof Donna Waters, Ms Elizabeth West and Ms Nicola Wormleaton.

5. Funding This course is mostly supported by donors, supplemented in 2015 by a competitive grant from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It is only because of the generous support from Associate Professor Chris Pokorny, Dr Hayley Bennett, Dr Margaret Bowering, Professor Chris Tennant, Mr John Gerahty, Mr Daniel Petre and The Sunway Hotel Hanoi, Viêt Nam, that the course could be held.

Advanced Course, Hanoi – Viêt Nam

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

Medical English Course Prof Ker r y Goulston

Medical English group, Feb 2015

In February and again in September 2015 a large contingent of Australian teachers travelled to Hanoi at their own expense to teach Medical English to ViêtNamese healthcare professionals. These included doctors, nurses, a Viêt Nam Vet, and teachers of English as a second language. Once again, as in the previous four years, the four-day course conducted at Bach Mai and Thanh Nhan Hospitals was over-subscribed. The program incorporates teaching in Specialist Clinical Departments. The initiative to also teach nursing students, which began in 2013 at the request of Professor Hinh (President, HMU) and facilitated by Professor Chuc, Dean of Nursing, continued to be well received.

As in prior years, much of the teaching involved role playing, clinical scenarios and group discussions with an emphasis on vocabulary, pronunciation, sentence structure and grammar.

Participants in the Advanced Course in Hanoi, Feb 2015

The participants in the Medical English course comprised doctors, nurses, medical students, allied health professionals, administrative officers, laboratory technicians and medical engineers. Ages and professional levels among the doctors varied considerably from recent medical graduates to those who had graduated some years ago and are now in senior positions. The range of specialties varied widely and included the usual clinical specialties along with radiology, haematology, biochemistry, pathology, dentistry and traditional medicine.

This underlines the popularity of this type of teaching which transcends boundaries at levels of professional experience.

Anonymous evaluation of the program by participants and feedback to the teachers was carried out at the end of each course. Overall, participants agreed that the medical cases and topics covered were most interesting

and helpful to them for everyday spoken English. For the doctors’ program, a large majority of participants agreed that the lecturers and sessions were easy to understand, with almost all agreeing that they would recommend the course to their colleagues in the future.

The feedback for the nurse’s program was also positive, with participants agreeing that the teachers spoke at the right speed and were easy to understand. Almost all would recommend the course to others like themselves.

Teachers in 2015 were: Elsa Atkin, Dr Chris Bauer, Jonathan Blackwell, Dr Margaret Bowering, Prof Tony Broe, Libbi Ord Burns, A/Prof Michael Dinh, Sue Hodgson, Prof Nick and Marina Hunt, Marion Kerridge, Dr Geoff and Jane Klein, Sandra Mann, Rebecca Mann, Jeannette McHugh, A/Prof Karl Ng, Dr Jonathan Page, Prof Michael and Diane Pain, Lynne Peck, A/Prof Chris Pokorny, Dr Robert Read, Tony and Diane Roberts, Tom Rubin, A/Prof Warwick Selby, Lynne Shailer, Dr Yvonne Skinner, Bill Stubbs, Prof Chris Tennant, and Prof Kerry Goulston.

In February 2016 another group of over 30 teachers will spend a week in Hanoi teaching Medical English.

Visiting teachers at the Sunway Hotel, Feb 2015

2015 Hoc Mãi Immersion Participants at the University of Sydney

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

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F Fellows

Clinical Placement fellow speech - Kim Quynh Tien Tran Before I came to Sydney, there were a few questions I had. How can I successfully study in only 8 weeks? What can I achieve in 8 weeks only, since 8 weeks is very short time in comparison with the years of training required to become a doctor... Now, I know that I was wrong!

The Hoc Mãi Clinical Placement program teaches us how to study not only in 8 weeks, but teaches us how to study in the whole of our life. As you all have known, “Give a man a fish, feed him one day, teach a man how to fish, feed him his whole life”.

That is the reason why I found the classes I attended every week at Sydney University very helpful and interesting.

The lessons helped us to motivate our mind, to keep our learning ambition, and show the way to flame the light inside our colleges to overcome the problems and barriers together. We ViêtNamese doctors and health professionals are different, each of us may have our own view and purpose, but we do have the same goal: to provide a better health service for the ViêtNamese community!

I remember and appreciate the lessons provided by Professor Craig Mellis and Professor Christine Roberts, teaching us how to do clinical research and literature searching. Now, we can access and research the most upto-date sophisticated technology and knowledge in the world - here or in our home country. It’s amazing!

During the 8 week program I also had a chance to be involved in all treatments related to my field - Peiodon-

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Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

tology - at Westmead hospital. My supervisors Associate Professor Axel Spahr and Dr Rohan Rodrics answered all my questions and supported me, providing me with all the materials whenever I needed them. I have seen the whole procedure from the beginning - check up, exam, record, treatment plan consultation, treatments, follow up care - and was impressed by the way staff put their hearts in everything they do, with care and humanity.

Apart from these achievements, we also would love to say thanks to the International Development Managers for their gentle and kindly support. Sydney winter is the first experience for most of us. Thank you Esmond Esguerra and Joshua Bird for always standing in front of us, informing and preparing us for all issues, standing beside us sharing our fun and stories, and standing behind us to back us whenever we have problems. There are also many other staff of Hoc Mãi, Office of Global Health that we would like to thank, but we haven’t yet had a chance to meet in person.

Love and gratitude are what I am feeling standing in front of you at the moment. Love and gratitude are two of the most emotional words I can imagine. You have no relative to ViêtNamese people, the work you provide us makes us know that we have a strong responsibility to serve our community. The way to come back home, to the reality of our dreams and plans is a long way, very far, and will have difficulties, problems, and challenges... But I am confident, because I have my partners travelling with me, and have supervisors guiding me if needed.

D Data

Improving hospital death data collection in Viêt Nam Professor Merrilyn Walton received funding from the Public Sector Linkages Program (PSLP), a scheme which is no longer funded through the Australian aid program, to head a project that would provide data on hospital deaths for the first time. The project commenced in May 2013 and concluded in the last quarter of 2015, having delivered a valuable technical evaluation, final report, seminars at the hospitals and Ministry of Health in Viêt Nam and future planning to include workforce education, infrastructure and information system reform.

The project involved designing an appropriate hospital death reporting form and implementing a hospital death reporting system at Bach Mai and Viêt Duc Hospitals (Hanoi). Knowing the main causes of death in hospitals and those discharged home to die is important epidemiology. This project aimed to improve hospital death data collection in Viêt Nam generally. It also tested whether the WHO modified death report form is practical and feasible and produces the data necessary to assist poli-

Please accept our deepest sincere thank you for your outstanding program. Wishing you and your families all good health and happiness in life. Wishing Hoc Mãi will always be together with ViêtNamese doctors and health professionals as in the past, present and future.

Thank you.

Kim Quynh Tien Tran

cy development and service improvement. The pilot was conducted at Bach Mai and Viêt Duc Hospitals (Hanoi).

The researchers have met with the Ministry of Health and WHO representatives in Hanoi to discuss the next phase. The Ministry of Health accepted the project report and requested the researchers to continue to work with the Ministry to implement a countrywide system.

Professor Walton, in her new position as Honorary Professor with the Hanoi Medical University (HMU), made an application to the Joint Health Systems Research Initiative Grant, under the auspices of the Medical Research Council in the UK in January 2016. This application identifies the Hanoi Medical University as the lead research institution and Associate Professor Van Duong Dang as the lead investigator, assisted by Professor Walton. Currently there are no grants available in Australia to progress this very important work.

Prof Mer r ilyn Walton

V ietNamese students students VietNamese Phd student Dr Dinh Trang Van I would like to share my experiences about Hoc Mãi Foundation who made a crucial change in my life.

I first applied for a Hoc Mãi fellowship in 2010, unfortunately I failed. However, it was a good chance for me to have some more experience and to apply again. This gave me a reason to improve my application and prepare better in 2011. I was very happy to pass the interview and receive a Hoc Mãi offer for a fellowship. From those days, Hoc Mãi gave me a great opportunity to meet Prof Dominic Dwyer, Prof Bruce Robinson, Dr Christine Smythe, Ms Rhonda Glasson, Mrs Danielle Somers and Mr Jason Dibbs.

Through the fellowship, I was able to train in biomolecular techniques for 3 months in 2011 in the Centre for Infectious Diseases & Microbiology at Westmead Hospital, with the help of Prof Dominic Dwyer who is a world expert in viruses. At that time, I discussed with him about the status of emerging viral diseases in Viêt Nam and presented my PhD program plan. Dominic principally agreed to be my PhD supervisor and we developed the research topic entitled “Genotyping of BK Polyomavirus in Renal Transplant Recipients in Australia and Viêt Nam”.

I applied for a full Australia Award scholarship in 2013 and luckily received the offer from the University of Sydney. I give my sincere thanks to Mr Jason Dibbs, Prof Bruce, Prof Dominic, Dr Christine Smythe and Mrs Danielle Somers from Hoc Mãi Foundation who supported me unconditionally and nicely.

Through my relationship with Hoc Mãi, I was given a sweet opportunity. Prof Dominic is now my respectful supervisor who gives me many excellent directions to carry out my research. I hope that my study will contribute to important developments including:

- PhD study will enhance my research and diagnostic laboratory skills, improve my knowledge of rival pathogens - all necessary for the prevention and control of outbreaks in Viêt Nam and the region.

- PhD study provides a great opportunity for hands on laboratory experience as well as learning new skills (example staff training) in a different setting (Australia) which will be transferable to my hospital in Viêt Nam when I return.

- This study will serve as a basis to implement similar studies in the future. It will enable me to meet experts in my field and network with professional organizations to share information, and ultimately to contribute in the control of viral diseases. I will utilize the connections made during my PhD study to maintain an international network to create new opportunities for my hospital and to attract specialists for training colleagues and work groups in Viêt Nam. I am trying my best to overcome difficulties ahead to complete my PhD program successfully. In my heart, I would like to say sincerely many thanks to the Hoc Mãi Foundation and those who have been strongly and nicely supporting me. I am always proud of being a Hoc Mãi Fellow.

I remain in awe of the commitment and personal sacrifice made by so many people to all of these projects and also for the willingness of people to share their expertise so generously. Our Patron, Prof Marie Bashir has often remarked that this sharing is Australia’s destiny and Hoc Mãi’s people epitomise her comments.

Dr Dinh Trang Van National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, Hanoi

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V students VietNamese students Hoang Minh Duc For as long as I can remember, medicine has been my passion. Dedicating my life to improve others’ health is very appealing to me. Since I started to become a student I have tried my best to gain all knowledge from my respectable lecturers. This summer, thanks to Hoc Mãi Foundation, I had a chance to come to Australia in the hope of finding an effective method to learn clinical medicine, especially in O&G. However, I have learnt so much more.

My friends and I met Ms. Fiona Thien at the airport. She warmly welcomed us and took care of us like our big sister (I would say “our mother” but she looks so young”). After checking in at student accommodation - 5 mins walk to Nepean Hospital - Ms. Fiona introduced us to Ms. Denise to give us ID cards, computer access accounts and took us on hospital tour. They also asked some local students to help us because we looked so nervous after getting out of our comfort zone just after 15-hour flight.

I was placed in Nepean Hospital with Prof George Condous’s Endocrinology team. It is a quite small hospital and a little bit far from city center. The doctors here were not so very busy so they could take time to teach me carefully. I followed two O&G fellows, Dr Batool and Dr Bassem. They taught me about how to take history, how to examine patients. I love the way they communicate with their patients like there is no distance between them. At the end of a clinical day, they summarized all patients’ cases, reviewed my knowledge and asked me to read more about these diseases. They also taught me about ultrasound that I haven’t had chance to learn in Viêt Nam, which I found very interesting.

Once a week, I participated in surgery. Bas and Batool let me assist them in almost cases: CS, laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy, Novasure endometrial ablation, laparoscopic hysterectomy, etc. They always wrote abbreviations on operation notes. Initially I really struggled with that but I got used to it because they explained to me very carefully. I could even read throughout notes without using abb dictionary at the 3rd – 4th week.

I also learnt a lot from local students here. They let me participated in their studying group to discuss case studies. I saw them dividing work so each person had their own responsibilities and everybody could learn from each other. I found that way so interesting and wanted to apply it to my study group in Viêt Nam. The weather and landscapes in Australia are very wonderful. My friends and I tried to spent all weekend to discover these. We had a really good time.

I would like to thank Hoc Mãi Foundation for giving me the opportunity to study in Sydney. I felt very motivated about my future and do hope to come back to Australia someday.

Hoang Minh Duc Hanoi Medical University

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Ho Doan Thanh Nhat One month in Australia was memorial time in my life.

On the first day at the Geriatrics Department, Concord Hospital, I received warm welcome from my supervisor, Dr Jennifer Mcmeniman. She showed me around the ward and gave me good instruction. I was forunate to have an opportunity to visit nursing homes and Rehabilitation Unit with Dr Mcmeniman. The following days, I followed my team to go on ward rounds and talked to patients. I also had an opportunity to attend Dr Eric Diu’s clinic times and learnt a lot from him, both medical knowledge and Australian culture. I was impressed by the way Australian hospitals organize everything to have the best care for patients: doctors working in team, kind nurses, physiotherapists, social workers, dieticians, and free interpreter teams. Moreover, I met many friendly Australian medical students. Together with them, I attended many interesting lectures, tutorials, and meetings. I also had chance to present to senior doctors and medical students in my team a long case in English for the first time, and realized that English is the only best way to bring ViêtNamese students to the state-of-the art medicine in the world.

Besides studying, at lunch, we usually had fantastic conversations about Australian food, attractive places to visit, and medical students’ life in Australia. It was so wonderful to learn from them ways of studying independently, group works, and some Australian’s idioms, such as “touch wood”.

Furthermore, it was fantastic to live in an accommodation with lots of international friends. They were so nice and friendly, which helped me forget about my homesick and cold days during the time I stay at the accommodation.

On weekends, I explored sunny parks in Sydney, Opera House, Darling Harbour, St. Mary Cathedral, Bondi Beach, Blue Mountain, and so on. I love great conversations with hospitable Australian people I met on the street. Their friendliness made me feel like home in Sydney.

I always believe that “observation is the best teacher”.

Thanks to Hoc Mãi foundation, I observed, experienced, and learnt a lot. I would like to give my special thanks to Professor Bruce Robinson, Mrs. Fiona Thien, Mr. Esmond Esguerra, who had endless enthusiasm helping ViêtNamese students to have a chance to improve their knowledge in Australia. I also would like to say thanks to Mrs. Wendy Lac, education support officer at Concord Hospital, who gave me great care during my stay in Australia. Finally, I would like to thank Dr Jennifer Mcmeniman, Dr Eric Diu, Dr Naganathan and all members of Green team in the Geriatrics Department for their valuable instructions in my memorial four-week time.

Ho Doan Thanh Nhat Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chí Minh City

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

Le Thi My Duyen One month in Australia was the most amazing and wonderful moment that I had to not only immerse myself into the diversity of culture and the friendliness of Australian people, but also experience advanced technology in medicine. It was the first time I left my country, so I was really nervous once I arrived at Kingsford Smith Airport. However, my worries were swept away thanks to the warm welcome from Hamish Watson, an Australian medical student whom I met at the airport.

There were some goals I set up in my mind to achieve such as taking medical history, examining patients, making precise diagnosis and a treatment plan, observing Australian medical system and above all, improving my English.

Ho Doan Thanh Nhat

On my first day at Concord Hospital, I met Ms Wendy Lac, who gave me a very detailed orientation around the hospital. Then she took me to visit my department, Gastroenterology. I was so fortunate to have a super dedicated supervisor, Dr Matthew Kim, who welcomed me to be a part of his team and helped me to achieve my goals. Every morning, as a member of gastro team A, I visited the wards. I was so impressed by the way each patient was taken care of thoroughly and carefully, not only their physical but also their mental issues. I realized lots of things were contradictory to Viêt Nam. Here the hospital was bigger and more organized with no overload of patients. This was probably because of the effectiveness of GP in Australia, where they are on the front line of the medical system. GPs take care of patients from childhood to old age. Each patient has a complete electrical medical record, which contains all their history. In my mind, this is the best way to look after patients comprehensively, which needs to be applied in Viêt Nam to prevent overload of patients in centre hospital.

I really admired how Australian doctors communicated with patients. There were no gaps between doctors and patients. Australian doctors do not need to wear white coat, and can spend 30–60 minutes to clarify patients’ question. Before every procedure, doctors explain everything to the patients, from the preparations to the procedures, even the complications. It is his/her right to decide whether he/she would like to do the procedure or not. I remembered I saw Dr Kim suggested a patient to do the colonoscopy which was necessary to stop the bleeding but the patient refused. However, he said to me that we had to try everything we could to give the best plan of treatment and prognosis to patients.

Luckily, he succeeded in persuading patient to do the procedure.

All of the medical staff were so amiable with a good sense of humour. I also noticed that doctors care a lot about the social history of patients, which was new to me. When the patients were discharged, doctors always cared about how they could manage

at home or need social workers. Every morning seeing patients with my team, I learnt new lessons from Dr Kim. He asked me questions and encouraged me think outside the box. Whenever I was confused or misunderstood, he helped me. I learnt how to take medical history by myself. I was so shy at the first place, however, my patient was so nice that he spent over one hour talking to me.

Day by day, I built up my confidence.

Indeed, I enjoyed every moment at hospital because I can practice English. And I really loved the atmosphere and the friendly staff here. Even though my team was busy Andrew, a resident, always explained everything to me. I had opportunities to draw a blood sample on my own and to observe how paracentesis was done. I also improved my ability to interpret X-ray and ECG. Almost every day was an eye-opening experience for me. Every Monday, I went to liver clinic with Dr Robert Cheng, every Wednesday, I learnt more in IBD clinic with Prof Rupert Leong, which I found interesting because I did not see a lot of IBD patients in Viêt Nam. Every Thursday, registrars and consultants presented interesting cases to the whole department, then they would review the knowledge of rare diseases. This was my favourite day because I learnt most from the specialist, from their clinical experience to their academic knowledge.

Besides learning from the doctors, I made friends with Australia students by attending lectures and grand round with them too.

Each student has his own eMR account, so he can see the results of the patients easily. I learned how to study in a group and self-study from other fellow Australian students too.

I also enjoyed myself with Australian culture. Every weekend, my friends and I went sightseeing around the city and tasted wonderful local food. Australian people are so friendly, saying “Thank you” and “Sorry” all the time to express their politeness. I fell in love straight away with the peace of Australia.

Finally, thanks to the generosity of Hoc Mãi Foundation. I would like to send my sincere appreciation to Prof Bruce Robinson who spent his precious time to have a friendly conversation with us. Thanks to Ms Fiona Thien and Mr Esmond for giving instructions and advice.

Especially, there are no words to express my thankfulness to Ms Wendy Lac for organizing eMR training course for me and chatting with me to help me relieve my homesickness. Thanks Dr Kim, Dr Andrew and Dr Catherine for letting be a member of Gastro team.

I felt so happy and satisfied that I could attain all of my goals in four weeks thanks to the help of Concord medical staffs and Hoc Mãi officers. I felt so blessed for everything that I received.

Le Thi My Duyen

Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chí Minh City

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

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V students VietNamese students Tran Nguyen Thanh Huong I am a fourth-year medical student and received Hoc Mãi full scholarship for a four-week elective term in Upper GI Surgery, Westmead Hospital. Four weeks may sound like a short term for one who wants to dig deeper on mechanisms of the disease, interaction of drug therapy or surgical complications. For me, I bear in mind these practical targets: mastering my medical English, observing and practicing high yielding learning and working methods from my supervisors and peers, and discovering culture and sightseeing highlights of this lovely country.

In my first week I felt like I needed to employ 100% of my ability for immersing myself in the new, fast-paced, professional environment. Waking up during the super cold weather (for me, at least) to start a working day at 6:30am is the first challenge. Language fluency was another difficulty, which helped me to understand that achieving IELTS band score of 8.0 did not necessarily mean that one had no language barriers. Fortunately, my team of doctors was an amazing one. Although it was such a large team with 5-6 doctors and nurse specialist on ward rounds each morning, and although Upper GI Surgery is probably the busiest department in Westmead Hospital, each and every member in the team paid special attention to helping me fit in with their working environment and learn useful things. My junior doctors always patiently explained cases and treatment methods in a slow, clear voice. My registrar instructed me on various things from how to scrub probably to the operating techniques. In my accommodation, there were also a couple of available medical books which I found very useful to help review necessary medical knowledge and language. Moreover, on ward rounds I also had chance to make friend with a local medical student, who then became my clinical guru.

What more can be asked when you have such a friendly, caring, helpful study partner with whom you can spend lunch time and have friendly banter anytime? Therefore, if asked what the most wonderful thing this journey has brought me, I would say “people” without thinking.

Apart from clinical time, I spent most of my free time sightseeing and hanging out with new local friends. Although it is hard for me to pick one name as the most impressive person, I feel greatly happy when Kevin who picked us up at the airport, was so willing to hang out and show us many excellent food stalls to enjoy local food. I also got to know

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Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

two exchange students from Sydney Medical School at the reception party, who were going to come to my hometown city the next January. This will be a great chance for us to keep in touch and extend our student network.

In my opinion, one thing that makes Hoc Mãi memories unique and irreplaceable is that it has given me a feeling of a close community with limitless opportunities to know, to grow, to go and to dream. Not to mention the obvious financial benefit (which I can hardly afford when being a medical student), I had chance to meet various colleagues from both Australia and Viêt Nam. Listening to their stories and the pathways they have been through adds more inspiration to my pursuing my dream. I also greatly admire Mr. John Fisher’s motivation to build Hoc Mãi Foundation. In addition, this experience from the beginning was definitely unique when I had my friend, Linh as a partner in my first trip of studying abroad. We shared difficulties, fought loneliness together in the very first days, and grew each other’s motivation. We also shared sweet moments and wonderful trips throughout Sydney. I believe that even when I could apply for another elective placement or fellowship elsewhere in the future, my journey would not be as great as when I had a partner like this chance. Thanks to this opportunity, I managed to have an insight into how Australian health care system is organized and operated. This makes me realize that although my country still has a long way to go with building medical infrastructure and equipment and renovating the general health care system to meet the demands, there are spaces where each health care provider, including us students, can join our hands from now to make the medical service a better experience for our patients. If we smile more, if we spend more time and attention to our patients’ underlying stories, if we do our best to improve patient’s privacy in the face of overcrowding wards, I believe that we are on the right path to ease our patient’s sufferings.

I want to send my warmest thanks to Mr. Bruce Robinson and Hoc Mãi’s officers for their heart and endless efforts invested in enabling me and opening new doors for me, as well as Viêt Nam’s young generation of other doctors and students. I truly wish that Hoc Mãi will gain bigger success in the future with its mission.

Tran Nguyen Thanh Huong

University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chí Minh City

We made a “W ” of“Westmead Hospital

Tran Thi Minh Nguyet

Nguyen Thanh Long Receiving Hoc Mãi Scholarship is one of the most memorable things happened in my life. This brought me a great opportunity not only to expand my medical knowledge, but also to broaden my horizons. During my four week placement in Australia, I considerably improved my knowledge in medicine, gained effective way to study as well as had a chance to visit Australian famous landscapes.

Tran Thi Minh Nguyet Writing this report, memories keep rushing back to me as if it was only yesterday. One month living and studying in Sydney is truly amazing. In July 2015, thanks to Hoc Mãi Foundation, I had a golden opportunity to experience clinical placement in Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

Right when we arrived at the airport, Hamish, a third-year medical student of the University of Sydney gave us the warmest welcome we could have. He showed us many interesting places and thoughtfully helped carry our luggage to the accommodation.

The following four weeks at the Respiratory Department of Concord Hospital was wonderful. On my first day I was taken around and introduced to my team, doctors and other staffs by my supervisor – Dr Charmere Coon.

They all greeted me with smiles and handshakes, which made me feel more confident. Because of language barrier and differences in working system, first day was the toughest. But over the next few days, with the help of my team, I gradually got used to it. I learned how to examine patients, take medical history, and also learned how to read the medical records with plenty of abbreviations and medical terms. I will surely miss the time I do rounds with the team. They always graciously explained to me if I had any question despite a waiting long list of patients. I genuinely appreciate their help. It was such a professional and dynamic working environment.

To describe my last two weeks at the Respiratory clinic with just one word, it would be “amazing”. I had a chance to meet with great doctors: Professor Christine Jenkins, Dr Claude Farah, and especially Professor Mathew Peters - Head of Respiratory Department. All of them were friendly and inspiring, from whom I have learned a lot. They taught me to listen to patients, concern about not only their diseases, but also their stories.

It would be a mistake if I didn’t mention the landscape and admiring attractions that I have visited during my time in Sydney, suchas Darling Harbour, Blue Mountains, Feather Dale Wildlife Park... I still crave to come back to these places some time.

I would like to express my gratitude to Hoc Mãi Foundation for giving me this precious chance. With my mind broadened and my skills enhanced from what I have gained during the trip, I believe I will better myself in my studies to become a good doctor.

Tran Thi Minh Nguyet Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine, Ho Chí Minh City

After arriving at the airport, I was warmly welcomed by Ms Fiona Thien, and she always attentively cared about me during the period I stayed in Sydney.

At Nepean Hospital, I had a chance to join in a Haematology team with A/Prof Stephen Fuller – my supervisor, registrars and JMOs, who were all very nice and enthusiastic. I was encouraged to participate in all activities deemed appropriate for a senior medical student and thoughtfully taught about Haematology, from the basic concepts to advanced knowledge of the diseases. While doing clinic with A/Prof Stephen Fuller, he always gave me detailed explanation about the cases and clearly answered all of my questions. Furthermore, by taking part in Medical Grand Round and meetings in the hospital, I also markedly improved my medical knowledge about other specialties and learned the way to combine knowledge from different specialties to create the best diagnosis and treatment strategy.

An effective learning method is another valuable thing I acquired during my placement. Firstly, studying a specialty thoroughly as a block, from Anatomy, Physiology, Histology, Pathophysiology,… to clinical examination, diagnosis and treatment, made me able to understand the big picture. In this way, I found it easier to connect knowledge from basic sciences to clinical knowledge, which made things easier to remember and apply. Secondly, I learned how to do team work effectively. Everyday during ward round, the registrars and JMOs completed each other’s knowledge by discussing differential diagnosis and treatment strategy. And even though they had their own responsibilities and schedules, they were always willing to support each other.

Thirdly, I also took part in some tutorials with local medical students at Nepean Clinical School. These were Problem-Based Learning classes where students actively prepared their cases, presented it with other students and tutor. Then the tutor offered some suggestions, making the students more experienced with clinical contexts. Finally, “look at the patient as a whole” was another useful lesson for me. In Australia, each patient is able to have supports from various medical officers, including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, social workers and dietician. This creates the optimal condition for patients and brings a much better outcome than treating patients with medications or surgeries only.

Outside hospital, I spent my weekends on visiting many beautiful landscapes and attractions in Sydney,. Australians are very friendly and I received a lot of support from them when I had troubles finding my way.

I would like to thank Hoc Mãi Foundation for providing me this great opportunity to study in Australia. This course not only improved my medical knowledge but also helped me to create a better learning method. I hopeHoc Mãi Foundation Programs will be increasingly successful and bring more opportunities to ViêtNamese medical students.

Nguyen Thanh Long Hanoi Medical University

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

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Australian students Phd student Shannon McKinn My research is looking at how health professionals at the primary care level communicate information about pregnancy, childbirth and infant and child health to ethnic minority women in Dien Bien Province. I am interested in what information is communicated, how this information is communicated, and how the women themselves understand and use the information to maintain and improve their health, and the health of their families. This research is a continuation of the extensive work that Hoc Mãi has done in Dien Bien Province to improve maternal and child health outcomes in particular the health literacy workshops with primary care and women community leaders involved.

Joined by an interpreter from Hanoi Medical University, I spent six weeks in Dien Bien Province in September and October of 2015, mostly based in the small town of Tuan Giao, which is about a two hour drive from the provincial capital Dien Bien Phu. Tuan Giao District has a population of about 100,000, and is predominantly populated by people from the Thai and Hmong ethnic minority groups. Together with my interpreter, Linh, I conducted interviews with health professionals at five commune level health stations, some of which were quite remote.

One could only be reached by motorbike or 4WD, and only if the weather had been dry for the previous two days. At each health station we spoke to doctors, medical assistants, midwives, nurses and technicians, most of who were also from ethnic minority groups, about the difficulties they face in providing

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safe and effective care to women and children in a resource-constrained setting, and the challenges of working with a population who generally have low levels of health knowledge, and who face high levels of poverty and mortality compared to the general population of Viêt Nam. We also conducted focus group discussions with pregnant Thai and Hmong women and mothers of children under five in each of the communes, and with Thai grandmothers. The focus group discussions provided us with the unique opportunity to visit the women in their villages, and to see firsthand the conditions that they face, and the hospitality that they offer to their guests in the form of delicious meals (cooked over an indoor fire), endless cups of tea and rice wine, and a spot on one of the family beds for the obligatory ViêtNamese post-lunch nap.

Village midwife house (Hmong)

Shannon & Linh

Family on highway

Road to Tenh Phong

Harvest

I am currently in the midst of analysing the data from this trip, and I look forward to sharing it with the Hoc Mãi Foundation later this year, and contributing to the Foundation’s future work in Dien Bien Province. I would like to thank the Hoc Mãi Foundation for supporting me to conduct my research, my supervisors Professor Kirsten McCaffery and Associate Professor Kirsty Foster, as well as our ViêtNamese collaborators at the Dien Bien Province Public Health Service for their valuable assistance.

Shannon McKinn

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

Lady drying rice

Evelyn Smith Romero I completed a four-week placement in Hanoi at the Viêt Duc Surgical Hospital, a national referral centre for surgery. I was paired up with another second year SMP student, and we spent two weeks each on the orthopaedics and neurosurgery teams. Though these two disciplines are seemingly quite distinct, we found that many cases required the attention of both teams due to the high relative volume of motor vehicle trauma cases. Therefore, we spent some time in the emergency department and emergency ICU. Here we met many junior doctors who were both welcoming and very keen to guide us through the incoming radiology and developing management plans. We were exposed to many acute trauma cases, many of which were complicated by conditions such as sepsis, viral hepatitis, and neurogenic shock.

We spent the mornings in the outpatient clinics, where referrals, as well as pre- and post-operative follow-ups were conducted. They are usually held in a small room containing a small patient bed for examinations and a long table with enough room to fit a few surgeons. Each surgeon has one chair designated for their use, which is kept constantly occupied by the continuous flow of patients. This is an interesting setup in comparison to the single clinical rooms that are expected in Australia: first, it made for easy consultations between colleagues on any particular case. I found that this strengthened the team dynamics, and perhaps also it encouraged better patient care to have many eyes and opinions to help with a complicated case. Secondly, it was interesting to see that absolute privacy is not top priority as patients would be sitting quite close to each other, and sometimes even commented to each other during their respective consults! Finally, most patients would present themselves with many family members who would gather around their relative’s chair. We found that family members play an integral role in the care of the patient throughout their journey in the health system.

Working in the theatres was novel and interesting, but I believe the time spent in the outpatient clinics was especially invaluable. The patients were more stable medically than those in the wards, thus allowing for a better assessment of their signs and symptoms. Though we expected (and subsequently discovered) that there would be a language barrier between us and the patients, we didn’t expect that this barrier would make us rely much more on our clinical observation and examination skills. We would then practice correlating our examination findings with the radiology.

During our placement we noticed that many patients with severe acute injuries delayed presenting immediately to hospital, the median delay being a couple of days (according to my anecdotal evidence). These delays tended to lead to poorer outcomes due to increased risk of infection and acute kidney injury. We learned that these delays are partly due to issues relating to lack of access to healthcare. One major factor is that many of the accidents occur in geographically isolated areas. Though Viêt Duc is in the capital city, approximately 80% of all referrals are from rural patients. This outlines a phenomenon that is a global concern, that of lack

of specialists, medical expertise, and advanced technologies in rural areas. This was emphasized for us when we were invited to a conference prepared and delivered by a dedicated team of neurosurgeons from Viêt Duc Hospital at the Qang Binh Provincial Hospital. The aims of the conference were to teach the local neurosurgeons, orthopods, and neurologists about emerging indications for investigations and management techniques for head and spine lesions. This conference was in preparation for the MRI machine that is to be installed early this year to alleviate their dependence on the 64-slice CT scanner. The Viêt Duc team explained to us how important it is to train the provincial doctors and to advocate for updating their medical equipment to reduce the burden of long distance travel for the rural patients in order to improve their outcomes.

Finally, it cannot be denied that being a female in a maledominated field such as surgery and in a male-dominated hospital such as Viêt Duc can have its challenges, particularly because this is a phenomenon that is pretty much universal. In theatres I was met with differing reactions, from curiosity and neutrality to, in some cases, outright rejection.

I believe that anyone undertaking a placement in any part of the world should prepare for circumstances where their own ethnocentric assumptions are at odds with those of the hosts, which can potentially lead to miscommunication. Specifically, one must be prepared to understand holistically why the views and practices in the host country are different from one’s own and, crucially, be able to respond diplomatically.

I believe this was an important lesson for myself and for the rest of my SMP colleagues. It presented us with the opportunity to discuss the intersecting factors that determine the culture and practice in ViêtNamese medical training and, more broadly, the health care system. Hopefully this introspection can be a conduit to a deeper understanding of what drives one’s own behaviour and practices, a skill that I believe is exceptionally important for doctors to have.

Evelyn Smith Romero Stage 2 Medicine

Johnny Chang A motorbike whizzed past me as I got out of my taxi from the airport. A fitting welcome to Viêt Nam, a land of people, of ingenuity, and of orderly chaos. Once at my hotel, David Truong, the hotel manager, quickly gave me a quick guide of the Old Quarter in Hanoi. He has helped and hosted Hoc Mãi students for the past 7 years. He reminds me that I will have a meeting with Dr Duong, the physician who looks after the Hoc Mãi students, the next morning.

The placement in Viêt Nam was very interesting apart from the medical aspect of it. We witness many patients sharing beds, usually 2-3 patients to a bed, yet the patients do not complain. This is something unimaginable in Sydney. Furthermore, the patients were all cared for by their family members. It gave me great insight that ViêtNamese society highly values the importance of family and the support they give each other. It echoed that of my Taiwanese upbringing because it was similar in that sense.

The other aspect that surprised me about my experience was how friendly everyone was. Doctors and nurses and hotel staff go out of the way to make us feel at home, and treated us very graciously and generously. They were quick to invite us out to luncheons and karaoke and weekend surgeries in distant towns.

Harvest

Dr Duong organized us to our respective hospitals. Jason and I were paired up and sent to Viêt Duc, the tertiary surgical hospital in Hanoi. We were attached to the surgical oncology department ran by Prof Son. The first day, the resident doctor, Dr Thau, invited us to join him in the operating room to see a surgery. Little did we know that the surgery was a Frey’s procedure, a complex pancreatic operation that involves cutting it open and re-joining it with the intestine. For my first time in surgery, it was a full on experience seeing such a complicated and long (over 4 hours) procedure.

The greatest challenge of the whole placement was not the cultural shock, rather it was just the limitations of language. I did not appreciate how difficult it would be to pick up the ViêtNamese language. I thought that because I spoke Taiwanese and Mandarin, I would not have trouble with Our next 2 weeks were just as involved. We scrubbed in to tonal languages but I did. Also, many of the senior staff in assist in procedures, were taught and given the opportunity the hospital spoke French, a language I learnt from year 4 to close up patients, hold retractors, help remove 2 uteruntil 11, but I never had an ear for it. I felt that if I could uses, and a myriad of other procedures. One uterus was the communicate better, I could learn a lot more from the size of a rockmelon! One of the main takeaways from seeing surgeons at Viêt Duc as to the reasoning behind each prothese patients was that many of them did not have access cedure, contraindications, worries, and predicted outcomes. to primary care. They were diagnosed with neoplasms at I feel that the welcoming vignette of whizzing motorbikes in very late stages and with very severe disease. That was part of the reason why some of the surgeries we performed a sea of friendly people was a microcosm of my experience.

It was exhilarating, busy, exhausting, and full of friendly were very complex. We even assisted in resecting an entire right lobe of the liver. It amazes me to think that such high people. The work life and the social life is essentially organlevel of acute care could be delivered in a country that has ized chaos - a babel of noises, sights, and smells. limited resources. At times, I was in awe of the creativity of ViêtNamese people and from a student perspective, I hope I could incorporate some of that creativity to my practice if I Stage 2 Medicine were limited by my context.

Johnny Chang

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

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Australian students Jason Qin With the support of the Hoc Mãi Foundation, I completed a 4-week placement at Viêt Duc and Bach Mai Hospitals in Hanoi in December 2015.

Viêt Duc is the largest surgical hospital in Viêt Nam and a major trauma referral centre, while Bach Mai is the largest hospital for internal medicine in Viêt Nam. I spent the first two weeks in Surgical Oncology at Viêt Duc. Here, patients often presented with advanced stage cancers for surgical management.

I was able to observe and sometimes assist in surgeries including bowel resections, liver resections, and total hysterectomies. The surgeons were incredibly hardworking – ward rounds started before 7am, then surgeries for the day often finishing late in the afternoon, the registrars sometimes would then do a 12-hour night shift in the ED, followed by another full day of work. On the weekends, the surgeons often headed to provincial hospitals to do more operations. As a visiting student, it was eye-opening not only to see the medicine, but also to observe the hardworking culture the ViêtNamese surgeons have.

The second half of my placement was spent at Bach Mai Hospital, dividing between Cardiology and Respiratory. Having spent the first two years of my medical degree at the SAN clinical school, which is a private hospital, Bach Mai presented as a stark and extreme contrast to what I am used to.

In the wards, two or three patients would share a bed, and ten or fifteen beds would be put in the same room, without much as a curtain between the beds. A major challenge I faced here was the language barrier. Thankfully, there were plenty of medical students with excellent English who were more than willing to help. They acted as translators between me and the patients for history and examination, and helped explained test results and medical notes. The doctors were also very keen to teach, always happy to explain x-rays, ECGs, and demonstrate procedures. Due to the large number

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of patients, I was able to become familiar with many of the signs and symptoms, some of which were rare to find in Australia. All in all, it was a fantastic learning experience that prepared me for Stage 3.

Apart from doing lots of medicine, we also had a great culture experience in Viêt Nam. Being the capital of the country, Hanoi is busy and colourful.

The many museums in the city provided insightful knowledge to the country’s history and culture. The food, needless to say, was amazing. On the weekends, we also travelled to Halong Bay, Sapa and Hue, all of which were very affordable. The hotel we stayed at has looked after Hoc Mãi students for a number of years, and we could not be looked after any better by the staff there.

My 4-week placement in Viêt Nam was a valuable and fun experience. The medical cases I saw were eye-opening, and the people there were so kind and helpful that we felt very welcomed and very much indebted to them. It was indeed a privilege to be supported by the Hoc Mãi Foundation to undertake this educational and cultural experience which no doubt will benefit the rest of my medical career.

Jason Qin Stage 2 Medicine

Hoc Mãi Annual Repor t 2015

Sarah Wyatt Recently, I spent almost four weeks in Viêt Nam, supported by the Hoc Mãi Foundation. The focus was to explore one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced – tobacco use.

As a Master of International Public Health (MIPH) student in my final year, thus far I have learnt about the many health perils affecting developing countries, namely HIV, maternal and neonatal mortality, diarrhoeal diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, chronic diseases, road injuries, and the impact of climate change.

Despite all of these global burdens of disease, tobacco use is the world’s leading cause of preventable death, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, in the 20th century, tobacco use killed 100 million people and it is predicted that it will kill one billion people this century. The burden is the largest in developing countries.

Viêt Nam, is home to over 15 million smokers, and is one of the 15 top tobacco consumers in the world. My visit to Viêt Nam enabled me to gain insight into issues associated with tobacco use and tobacco control in a developing country.

I was based in Hanoi, where I witnessed the high smoking rate first-hand, particularly among ViêtNamese men, 41.2 per cent of whom smoke. There was an omnipresent haze of tobacco smoke in the Old Quarter labyrinth, where middleaged men sat smoking cigarettes or waterpipes and drinking tea in cafes. Women in shops or on the side of the street with stalls sold cigarettes. Young, beautiful girls promoted cigarettes in the midst of bars and restaurants. ViêtNamese youth and hordes of tourists smoked shisha in funky bars.

So what is being done to address the tobacco epidemic in Viêt Nam? The Viêt Nam Tobacco Control Fund (VNTCF) which is part of the Ministry of Health was established in 2013 following the passing of the comprehensive Tobacco Control law in 2012, which was a milestone for the country. VNTCF are focused on a multi-pronged approach to tobacco control to ensure a reduction in smoking prevalence, second hand smoke exposure, and protecting public health by raising awareness through mass media campaigns, raising tobacco excise taxes, enforcing smoke-free areas, banning tobacco advertising and promotion, and mandating the use of large graphic warning labels on tobacco product packaging.

Two of us from the MIPH program were based at VNTCF where we undertook research into: * graphic health warnings and best practice evaluations * increasing prevalence of shisha smoking, and * the use of new technology and approaches to raise awareness of the law and the health risks of tobacco smoking.

We provided our research findings to VNTCF staff and in addition, we shared our experiences and knowledge of tobacco control initiatives in Australia.

Through contacts at the University of Sydney, I met with staff at the World Lung Foundation, Viêt Nam Public Health Association and World Health Organization.

On the weekends, I escaped the hustle and bustle of Hanoi to explore Viêt Nam, I sailed Ha Long Bay, amidst the 2000 limestone islands on a traditional junk. I trekked through the evergreen hills of Sapa and stayed overnight with a local family of Hmong ethnic minority. I explored the atmospheric port city of Hoi An with its grand architecture and charming riverside setting, delectable food and incredible tailoring services.

This was my first time to Viêt Nam, and it was an excellent opportunity to experience first-hand and gain practical exposure to international public health issues, which will underpin my theoretical knowledge in my final semester and in my career. This experience has undoubtedly been a highlight of my post-graduate studies.

Sarah Wyatt MIPH, School of Public Health

Kim Linh Van From the very first moment that I set foot on the respiratory ward at Bach Mai Hospital I knew that the upcoming month was going to be one of challenge and learning, true to the meaning of “Hoc Mãi” – forever learning. The sheer size and crowdedness of the place meant that staff always had something to do or someone to see. It was quite daunting to think about how one would be able to sieve through it all to make sense of how they operated, get to know the staff or see patients – but we did, and my experience at Bach Mai will forever leave a positive impression on my personal and professional development.

I very quickly learnt that in order to appreciate what I was seeing, one must understand two things: first, the ViêtNamese health care system is fundamentally privately-funded, and second, that the general ViêtNamese population is not that wealthy. A combination of these two factors meant that patients often presented with advanced disease, non-compliance to medications and other costly management recommendations was relatively common, procedures or investigations could be performed with minimal anaesthesia or sometimes not at all, wards were overcrowded (often with three, sometimes four, people per bed), and family provided a large proportion of the nursing care for patients. In addition, patient confidentiality did not appear to be as strictly controlled, with imaging results clipped to the front of the bed in a communal pile for any interested stakeholder.

However, these observations were made more bearable when I came to realise that ViêtNamese people are resilient and accommodating and that they are under the care of top-class, hard-working doctors.

The consequence of all of the above was that I had the privilege of examining and viewing the imaging of a plethora of patients with expert guidance.

These experiences were gained through attending early morning departmental meetings where new or deteriorating patients were discussed, during ward rounds and through seeing patients myself and asking questions or following up with patient notes (if you can find them through the chaos). I found the ability

to view imaging and then immediately listen to their chest, or vice versa, to be the most helpful activity.

Given that I was able to adequately speak the language, I also had the opportunity to take many histories and attend seminars, which added to my clinical experience. However, for those who do not speak the language, there are flocks of medical students from Hanoi Medical University keen to practise their English on a foreigner and direct you to all the patients with interesting clinical signs in return. With permission, I was also able to follow some of these medical students through their rotations to other departments (in particular cardiology), where they found lots of interesting heart sounds and other clinical signs for me to listen and see.

My experiences outside Bach Mai Hospital also contributed to making the experience a very memorable one. I was very fortunate to be accompanied on this trip with four fellow medical students who were fun and adventurous and who I had never spoken to prior to the trip. Most weeknights were spent in search of a different delicious ViêtNamese dish (deep-fried frog is a must) and the nicest view for a beer/cocktail/smoothie (SkyBar at The Tyrant), while weekends were spent away at beautiful places such as Sapa and Ha Long Bay.

Me and fellow Hoc Mãi scholars and doctors from Bach Mai Hospital having Christmas dinner

A conversation I had on the last day with one of the medical students sums up my experience in Viêt Nam quite well. She asked, “What will you remember most from your time in Viêt Nam?”, to which I jokingly replied, “the heart and lung sounds I heard through my stethoscope” (referring to the sheer volume of clinical signs I had seen and heard over the month).

But it was evident that the answer was in front of me – the friendships I made whilst overseas is what I will cherish the most. Also important was the realisation of how privileged we are to have the generous public healthcare system we do in Australia and the impact this has on the general health of the overall population.

Kim Linh Van MIPH, School of Public Health

A picture of me with some Hanoi Medical University students

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Australian students Simon Walters The ViêtNamese people have been through a great deal with the American War of 1969-1975 and many parts of the country are still being rebuilt after the destruction of many cultural landmarks and population centers. Da Nang is one such place, where American soldiers were based during the war.

In spite of this, the ViêtNamese people are one of the most generous, kind, and polite groups of people I have encountered over years of international travel.

Their resilience and composure has certainly been an inspiration to me and I know that it has made me a better person having had this experience.

As previously mentioned, my entire experience in Viêt Nam has contributed to me both becoming a better person and a better doctor in the future.

The ViêtNamese doctors I worked with were very resourceful, hard working, and had a great deal of rapport with their patients. Everyone is treated equally within the hospital regardless of the clothes they wear – wealthy and poor both receive the same care and attention, which is certainly not the case here in Australia.

In terms of culture, I have been able to begin incorporating so many different aspects into my own way of life now back in Australia. As the ViêtNamese are a collectivist culture (Vs. Individualistic in most western countries including Australia), my concept of teamwork and community has greatly changed. I no longer see community and family responsibility as something to be shunned, but rather something to be embraced to enrich ones own life and career. ViêtNamese people spend a great deal of time with their families, which luckily I can say that I also do. Family is very important, and children often live with and take care of elderly family members (rather than dropping off at the nursing home or hospital when things get tough). Another cultural lesson I enjoyed was gift giving. It is very special to give and receive

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a gift from a friend newly made in a new country – one of the doctors gave me a Buddhist Sandalwood Beads to protect me from bad spirits and help me find happiness and fortune. Tet holiday (Lunar new year – start of Feb 2016) is the most important holiday of the year and usually when everyone gets time off (however only 8 days a year!). Each department is blessed with a massive banquet of food and fake money is burnt to rid each department of bad spirits and to bring good luck for 2016. The food is then shared amongst all staff after each ceremony.

The major challenges I faced whilst in Viêt Nam were conversing with doctors that had limited English. My ViêtNamese was essentially limited to the bare basics.

Fortunately we were teamed up with the doctors that had very good English skills (and part of the English Club!). Conversing with patients was almost non-existent – but it is amazing how much you can understand through observation and non-verbal communication. Another challenge was riding the moped to work each day and not crashing! It was fine after a few days once you get used to the lack of road rules and literally just “go with the flow”.

Everyone drives very slowly and carefully (albeit with constant horn beeping as a friendly “Hey, lookout!

I’m here - don’t run over me”).

It was simply a wonderful experience having my placement in Da Nang at The Women and Children’s Hospital. We were taken care of every day by supportive staff and often felt like visiting celebrities as the hundreds of Facebook friend requests rolled in!

We were taken out to local restaurants and karaoke bars, to cultural landmarks and beautiful landscapes.

Thank you to Hoc Mãi and all those involved for allowing me to have this truly life changing experience and such a wonderful placement.

Simon Walters Stage 3 Medicine

Romeo David Torres I was fortunate enough to complete a 4-week elective at Benh vien (Military Hospital) 175 in Ho Chi Minh City, Viêt Nam through the Hoc Mãi Foundation.

It consisted of two 2-week attachments with the ICU and Anaesthetics Departments, which provided an intimate insight into the practice of critical care in the setting of one of the busiest hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City. As such, my time in Viêt Nam proved to be an incredibly rich learning opportunity, both medically and culturally. Indeed I found myself learning even before the placement proper began, from the moment I arrived as Dr Duong, the incredibly likeable neurology registrar who insisted on picking me up from the airport (on New Year’s Eve no less), allowed me to accompany him on a consult en route from the airport to the guesthouse. (It was a fascinating case of a patient with Marfan’s Syndrome developing profound left-sided hemiparesis and numbness as a result of what turned out to be a carotid artery dissection.)

Critical care has always interested and intimidated me, and I began my placements in this area both with excitement in anticipation of the interesting array of cases in the ViêtNamese setting, as well as no small measure of trepidation with regards to keeping up knowledge-wise in this intense setting. As it turned out, however, my anxieties were entirely misplaced as the doctors in both ICU and Anaesthetics turned out to be almost superlatively accommodating, collegial, and eager to teach despite the considerable language barrier. All the more impressive was the speed and skill of the doctors with important procedures as spinal and epidural injections, and central line insertions (WITHOUT any ultrasound guidance and often completed in less than 5 minutes) to name a few. I suspect that such proficiency and efficiency were the necessary consequences of medical practice in the setting of a poorly funded public healthcare system with precious little in the way of primary care, and an almost impractically high population density compounded by a dearth of major hospitals outside of the capital cities further drawing patients in

from an ever wider rural catchment area. In addition, though comparatively better than the national average wage, the compensation of doctors in Viêt Nam is often still not enough to cover the costs of living, particularly if there is family in and out of the city to support, and many doctors take on second and third jobs in private clinics catering to affluent locals and tourists.

Despite such challenging conditions, there remained a significant focus on further outreach, and several doctors I met were actively involved in monthly “charity” clinics in rural areas, and my assigned supervisor, Dr Thanh, was busy most of the time organising an upcoming deployment of doctors from Military Hospital 175 to set up a field hospital in South Sudan within the coming year. This further extended beyond the staff as well, and what I observed was how in response to a lack of material and infrastructural resources, social resources were called to flourish, and the wards on the way to the ICU and operating theatres were always saturated with families who stayed 24/7 to tend to their loved ones (a practice apparently encouraged by the doctors as a supplement to the overwhelmed nursing staff and lack of allied health presence).

Overall my experience with this placement was an eye-opening and very valuable opportunity to observe medical and critical care practice in a social and economic context vastly different to my own. The language barrier that I anticipated would be the biggest hindrance turned out to be something of a welcome novelty in many cases, and demonstrated the hospitality of the doctors who took great pains to ensure I knew what was happening at all times.

The kindness and resilience of the doctors and nurses I met was really quite inspiring and I am immensely thankful to both the Hoc Mãi Foundation and Military Hospital 175 for such an educational and enriching experience.

Romeo David Torres Stage 3 Medicine

katie ryland Throughout my Masters degree, I have focused on the control of infectious diseases, and was keen to see how control programs translated from paper into practice. My placement was with the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, which specializes in lung disease and tuberculosis (TB) control. My research focused on the use and perceptions of Tuberculin Skin Testing (TST) throughout Viêt Nam. Approximately 30% of the population has latent TB infection – which is asymptomatic and is not infectious. However, of the people who have latent TB infection, around 10% of cases will develop into active TB, which causes 1.5 million deaths per year.

TST is one of the primary methods used to diagnose latent TB infection, and although it has limitations, it remains the best available method to test for latent TB infection in developing countries. In Viêt Nam, TST is not routinely used, because the National Tuberculosis Program does not prioritise latent TB. However, this is likely to change as the WHO is pushing for increased focus on latent TB as part of its End TB Strategy. My overall research question was ‘Is TST feasible?’. It was a cross sectional study to understand the current level of knowledge about TST among healthcare workers in Viêt Nam,

and whether there were any serious misconceptions about the process which might hinder the implementation of TST as a routine investigation technique.

My time in Viêt Nam was incredibly interesting. As well as learning a huge amount about the ViêtNamese healthcare system, and TB treatment, I was also able to see some of the country. I travelled to Ha Long Bay and Hoi An – which made a lovely contrast to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Whilst in the cities, I also had the chance to visit museums and learn more about the Viêt Nam War. Staff at the Woolcock offices in both cities were very friendly, introducing me to their favourite coffee shops and to ViêtNamese specialties, and also generously welcoming me into their homes.

I am extremely grateful to everyone at the Woolcock Institute who supported my research, and went out of their way to help me. In particular, I am very grateful to those who helped me to design my research project and guided it through the Ethics Committee applications, as well as all of the staff in Viêt Nam who translated for me and showed me something of their country. Thank you!

Katie Ryland MIPH, School of Public Health

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G Governance

FOUNDATION GOVERNANCE STATEMENT for the year 2015 The Hoc Mãi - The Australia Viêt Nam Medical Foundation recognises the importance and benefit of reviewing its adoption and alignment with governance principles and provides the following report.

Principle 1 – Lay solid foundations for management and oversight

Principle 2 – Structure of the council to add value

Nature of the entity

Patron:

The Hoc Mãi - The Australia Viêt Nam Medical Foundation is a part of the University of Sydney ABN 15211513464 and not separately incorporated under a State or Commonwealth Act. The Foundation is required to gain prior approval for its fundraising activities from the appropriate University delegate. The Foundation’s activities are not-for-profit and covered by the DGR status of the University of Sydney. The University is exempted from the requirement to hold an Authority to Fundraise and obligations upon holders of such an authority but is still required to comply with the balance of provisions of the Charitable Fundraising Act.

Her Excellency, Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO

Roles of board/council and management The Foundation operates under the authority of the Senate of the University of Sydney, as approved in 2000 and has no powers of delegation. The Foundation conducts its affairs pursuant to the Foundation Rules and the relevant policies of the University. The Foundation had its annual fundraising plan approved and was able to meet its objectives.

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The Council of the Foundation in 2015 consisted of the following members:

Mr Alfred Attard Director, Jetz Homes and Developments Pty Ltd Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2006 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 4 eligible to attend 4 Ms Audrey Blunden Lecturer and International Advisor, Faculty of Law, UNSW Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2009 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 3 eligible to attend 4 Dr Thomas Diep General Practitioner Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2013 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 3 eligible to attend 4 Resigned in September 2015

Rear Admiral Ken Doolan AO RAN (Rtd) National President, The Returned Services League of Australia Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2010 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 4 eligible to attend 4 Professor Elizabeth Elliott AM Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Sydney and Consultant Paediatrician, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2009 pecial responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 3 eligible to attend 4 Mr Ross Gavin Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sydney (Rtd) Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2005 Special responsibilities: Treasurer Number of meetings attended: 1 eligible to attend 4 Emeritus Professor Kerry Goulston AO Gastroenterologist; Former Associate Dean, Northern Clinical School, University of Sydney Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2001 Special responsibilities: Deputy Chair Number of meetings attended: 3 eligible to attend 4

The Hon Mr Craig Knowles Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2004 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 4 eligible to attend 4 Dr Ji Li Junior Medical Officer Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2013 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 2 eligible to attend 4 Mr Michael Mann AM Managing Director (Asia Pacific) – Laureate Education Asia Inc; former Australian Ambassador to Viêt Nam; Founding President of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s (RMIT) University in Viêt Nam Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2001 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 2 eligible to attend 4 The Honourable Mrs Jeanette McHugh Former Member, Federal Parliament Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2003 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 3 eligible to attend 4

Professor Jonathan Morris Director, Kolling Institute of Medical Research; Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2005 Special responsibilities: Council Member; University Officer (Foundations) Number of meetings attended: 2 eligible to attend 4 Mr Tom Moult Director, Walker Moult Pty Ltd; Board Director of Foodbank Australia and the Bell Shakespeare Company; Governor of Frensham School Current Term of Appointment: ongoing from 2001 Special responsibilities: Council Member Number of meetings attended: 2 eligible to attend 4 Professor Bruce Robinson Dean, Sydney Medical School Current Term of Appointment: since 2001 Special responsibilities: Chairperson; ex officio Number of meetings attended 4 eligible to attend 4 The Management Committee of the Foundation in 2015 consisted of the following members: Mr Jason Dibbs (resigned August 2015) Mr Esmond Esguerra (resigned October 2015) Mr Joshua Bird (resigned January 2016) Professor Jonathan Morris Professor Bruce Robinson Associate Professor Kirsty Foster HONORARY special members: Ambassador of the Socialist Republic of Viêt Nam HE Mr Thanh Nghi Luong Consul General of the Socialist Republic of Viêt Nam Mr Minh Son Hoang Council members were elected and co-opted at the Foundation’s AGM on 6th March 2012. There is not a

nomination committee of the Foundation. There is not a separate nomination committee of Council. The full Council resolves on nominations for co-opting of members to fill vacancies outside of the process of election at the AGM. There was not a performance evaluation of the Council undertaken in the reporting period.

Principle 3 – Promote ethical and responsible decision-making Council members have been provided with the University of Sydney Foundation Governance Guide, Foundation Rules, Code of Conduct, Work Health & Safety policy and the External Interests policy. All these policies are available on the University’s Policy Register, as are other relevant University policies regarding harassment, grievance procedures and the Delegations of Authority.

Principle 4 – Safeguard integrity in financial reporting The annual accounts of the Foundation are prepared by the financial staff of the University, signed off by the Finance Director, Faculties of Health, University of Sydney and included in this Annual Report to the Senate. The Foundation is part of the University and therefore does not have its own audit sub-committee. While the Annual Financial Report of the University is audited by the Audit Office of NSW. The Foundation undertook the following fundraising appeals1 during 2015: Tax Appeal and Spring Appeal.

And in conducting those appeals, the Foundation took all reasonable steps to ensure that commissions paid or payable to any person as part of a fundraising appeal did not exceed one-third of the gross money obtained by that person in the appeal2 and appropriate particulars of all items of gross income received or receivable, all items of expenditure incurred, including the application or disposition of any income obtained

from the appeal and particulars of those transactions to which they related were recorded in the minutes of the Foundation.3

Principle 5 – Make timely and balanced disclosure The Foundation complied with the reporting and disclosure requirements of the Senate. These include an annual budget and this Annual Report.

Members and Council have been made aware of the processes for disclosure pursuant to the Code of Conduct, External Interests policy, which include protected disclosure to the ICAC, to the Ombudsman or the Auditor General.

Principle 6 - Respect the rights of shareholders, members, staff, volunteers, clients, and other stakeholders The Foundation Council and/or membership consist of members of the community, industry bodies and the University whose input is invited via the Annual General Meeting and Council meetings of the Foundation. The following forums/mechanisms have been held during the year to involve stakeholders in election of the Council, activities of the foundation or other stakeholder participation 4 Foundation Council meetings.

Principle 7 - Recognise and manage risk The Foundation recognises its activities within University premises or other premises require risks such as health and safety, environmental protection, privacy, trade practices, and compliance with the Charitable Fundraising Act to be considered and managed. The Foundation has managed these risks during the year.

Principle 8 – Remunerate fairly and responsibly No member of a Council is entitled to receive any remuneration for acting in that capacity except reasonable remuneration on a basis which has first been approved in writing by the University Officer (Foundations).

Members of the Foundation Council may be reimbursed for reasonable expenses after written approval of the University Officer (Foundations). Any such instances are recorded in the minutes of the Council.

See s5 Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) Reg 9(6) Charitable Fundraising Regulation 2008 3 See s22(2)(b) Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW) 1 2

Under the Charitable Fundraising Act, the University may be questioned about any appeal on details of the purpose of the appeal such as the appeal target, objectives, distribution of proceeds, and the process to provide answers. During the year the Foundation published information [on its website/ other means] and outlines those activities in this annual report. Specific requests for information responded to by the Foundation office.

Other enquiries may have been made to other parts of the University.

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T Treasurer’s Report For the year ended 31 December 2015 I am pleased to report on the financial affairs of the Foundation for the year ended 31 December 2015. The accounting records of the Foundation are maintained by the University of Sydney, and its accounts are drawn up annually in accordance with the University’s accounting policies.

The results of the Foundation for the year are set out in the Income Statement while the financial position at 31 December is summarized in the Balance Sheet, both of which are included in this Annual Report.

As the level of donations has varied over recent years, in order to fund scholarships between Australia and Viêt Nam Hoc Mãi has sought co-operative funding from faculties other than medicine such as Nursing and Health Sciences. Additionally, 2015 saw the introduction of a number of placements for ViêtNamese medical professionals under a new co-funding arrangement.

Also for the first time, the Hoc Mãi Foundation was able to earn a consultancy fee for services provided to develop medical curricula in Viêt Nam.

Australia, scholarships for Australian medical and nursing students to complete clinical placements in Viêt Nam, scholarships for ViêtNamese medical and nursing students to complete clinical placements in Australia, clinical research projects and workshops in Ho Chi Minh City, Danang and Hanoi, and funded a number of specific purpose programs consistent with the Foundation’s objectives.

The salaries, consumables, equipment, utilities and other administrative expenses have remained low as the Office for Global Health continues to support the administration of the Foundation.

The Foundation incurred a deficit of $56,000 in 2015; however accumulated funds of $273,000 will support its activities in 2016, supplemented by the revenue to be derived in that year.

We continue to be thankful for the support provided to the Foundation by our donors.

Ross Gavin - Treasurer

The Foundation’s financial resources were utilized for short-term visits by ViêtNamese health professionals to

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D Donors

to the Hoc Mãi foundation

$10,000 & above Dr Huy Q An Dr Christopher Pokorny G & P Nock Foundation Pty Ltd

$1,000–$9,999 Recny Stoke Family Foundation The Returned & Services League of Australia Limited Transix Pty Ltd Mr Ross L Gavin Dr Hayley P Bennett Mr Raymond George Martin Dr Margaret H Bowering Budden Nangle Michael and Hudson Emeritus Professor Christopher Charles Tennant Mr Thomas Rubin

$1–$999 Ms Marian Chinnock Mr Ian A Dawson Mr Philip Anderson Dr Keith R Burgess Mr Bruce Childs Ms Helena Gawlinska Mr Marton Marosszeky

Associate Professor Sheryl A Van Nunen Associate Professor Jonathan Stretch Emeritus Professor Norbert Berend Ms Piyanuch Wheeler Ms Rhondda D Glasson Dr Glenn B Stephens Ms Robyn A Brown Dr Richard P Lee Dr Jacinta Vu Dr Christopher P Bambach Professor Merrilyn Walton Ms Swee Liang Jessica Chia Dr Sarah M Gani Dr Allan James Dr Jane S Ross Mrs Marie L Parmenter Dr Gregory M Briggs The Hon Bradley Ronald Hazzard, MP Mr Viêt T Nguyen Mr Evan Rawstron Reverend Dr Melvyn J Macarthur Dr Joseph N Lemoh Miss Tamika B Goward Mrs Lindy A Henderson Ms Gordana M Martinovich Miss Rebecca M Williams

Ms Laynie Hall Pullin Mr Anthony J Yacoub Dr Zachariah J Turner Ms Annette J Dickson Dr Andrew S Christie Mr Matthew J O’Rourke Mr Michael D Rogers Miss Laila Tanana Miss Vivien Tong Dr Amy Q Cui Miss Lam K N Mai Dr Tim McDonald Ms Diana Ngo Miss T K Trang Pham Mr Tim Potter Mr Muneeb Shaikh Dr Sienna Collins Miss Kate Falkenberg Mrs Rae Gill Ms Imangi A Kottegoda Mr Calum M Pope Miss Kylie A Sotter Dr George H T Lee Ms Judy C Wu Miss Sarah-Jane Zammit Ms Nina Matsumoto

Thanks also to our donors who wish to remain anonymous for their gifts-in-kind, such as medical equipment to Dien Bien Phu province.

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Hoc Mãi

We facilitate: Education and ‘Trainthe-Trainer’ programs in ViêtNamese hospitals and universities Support for medical research and training in Viêt Nam Delegations travelling to Viêt Nam to teach clinical skills and knowledge within various specialities in a number of hospitals in Viêt Nam Young health professionals from Viêt Nam to come to Australia for advanced training Medical, nursing, and allied health students from Universities of Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania to undertake clinical placements in Viêt Nam ViêtNamese medical students to broaden their hospital experience in Australia Students in the Masters of International Public Health from the University of Sydney to undertake their praxis in Viêt Nam

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Hoc Mãi relies on the goodwill of Australian healthcare professionals to host and train their ViêtNamese colleagues. We act as facilitators for ViêtNamese and Australian medical personnel to gain experience and understanding of issues in the developing world and to provide essential medical, nursing and allied health support to our nearby neighbor. We rely on grants and donations to support and grow our program.

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Hoc Mãi, the Australia Viêt Nam Medical Foundation, is a non-profit organisation which was established in 2001 to improve medical education in Viêt Nam. It is a foundation of the University of Sydney that brings together the collective health care knowledge and experience of Australia and Viêt Nam in an educational partnership. The Hoc Mãi Foundation has a distinguished Patron, Her Excellency, Professor The Honourable Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO.

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We aim to foster healthcare education to improve health outcomes for the 85 million people living in Viêt Nam by: Supporting a bilateral exchange of students and health professionals between Australia and Viêt Nam Assisting to develop an understanding of the methods of teaching doctors and nurses in Viêt Nam by ‘Train the Trainer’ programs and the SCORPIO technique Facilitating the development of knowledge of the ViêtNamese doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers to improve healthcare delivery to their people Developing a strong network of Australian medical, nursing, technical and allied health staff who will provide on-going assistance and training of ViêtNamese colleagues Providing practical assistance with preventive, diagnostic and management problems in hospitals in Viêt Nam Increasing medical research skills in Viêt Nam with the aim of using research to improve care