Newsletter February 2016
A warm welcome to the Year 5 class of 2016. The year commenced on January 11 and all students are now well established in their medicine, surgery, ED and Critical Care terms. I was pleased to see several familiar faces returning having completed Phase 2 coursework in Wagga Wagga. So far the year seems to be progressing very well, with students reporting excellent support from their clinical tutors. Our Year 6 students will be returning in early March and commencing specialty terms before the buildup to their final exams in September. Our new 3rd year coursework students commence at the end of February. The 3rd year students have had very little clinical exposure and I’m delighted that some of the interns have agreed to take on a mentoring role with these students. So far the 3rd year program is extremely full so perhaps they will need to take a break from socialising for a while! As many of you are aware the UNSW Clinical School building is undergoing significant renovations. These should be completed in the next 4-6 weeks and will provide us with a much more user friendly teaching environment with larger teaching spaces and a completely revamped larger simulation area. Our plan is to try to leave the Lecture Theatre available for larger clinical meetings and educational opportunities. Our new skills and simulation centre will be a vast improvement on the existing area and will allow the university to deliver it’s skills program to students and develop a more robust and interesting simulation program. It will also provide a space for MLHD to undertake clinical training under the supervision of Kylie Pleming. Andrew Pidgeon, Skills Coordinator, will coordinate the University skills and simulation training. From a personal and educational perspective, it’s very exciting that the new Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital has opened. The new hospital is a state of the art facility and purpose designed for clinical care with spaces available for clinical discussion and education. I have no doubt the new hospital will enhance patient care, enhance educational opportunities and provide a major drawcard for clinician recruitment. A big welcome to all the new medical staff commencing at the hospital in Wagga Wagga. Our students constantly comment on how valuable Resident and Registrar teaching is for their learning experience. A/Prof John Preddy, Head of Campus
Welcome Year 5 2016 There are 17 students in the 2016 Year 5 student group and for many it was a return to familiar territory following their Phase 2 time here at Wagga Wagga campus. 7 new students have arrived for 2016 and are experiencing Wagga Wagga for the first time. We’d like to welcome them and wish them all the best for their busy year ahead. They have much to look forward to with outstanding teaching available and the newly refurbished teaching and student areas.
Australia Day Honours 2016 Staff and students of the Rural Clinical School (RCS), Wagga Wagga campus extend our congratulations to Prof Gordian Fulde (left), who was named Senior Australian of the Year 2016. Gordian is the Director of Emergency at St Vincent's Hospital and has overseen the Emergency Department for more than thirty years. He is also the longest serving Emergency Department Director in Australia. Gordian has been actively involved in teaching and training students and staff in many facets of emergency medicine for many years. He also supports many schools and community organisations, highlighting the dangers of binge drinking and the consequences for young people, their families and the community.
We also congratulate Dr Hannah Kempton, named Wagga Wagga’s Young Citizen of the Year 2016. Hannah is currently an Intern at Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital and a 2015 Year 6 graduate from the RCS Wagga Wagga campus. Hannah was recognised for her contribution to rural medicine and to the local community of Wagga. Along with fellow student, Jamie Cham, Hannah came up with the concept for the “Eyes Wide Open” mentoring program. “Eyes Wide Open” matches rural high school high achievers with medical students to provide advice and support throughout the students’ final year in school. Of her award, Hannah commented, “It was so unexpected, I was delighted to receive the award especially as I am such a recent addition to the Wagga Wagga community”.
Hannah accepts her award from Wagga Mayor, Rod Kendall and Council General Manager, Alan Eldridge.
Dr Paul Mara was named a Member of the Order of Australia. The UNSW Adjunct Associate Professor received his award for significant service to medicine and in particular the recruitment and retention of medical practitioners in rural and remote areas. Dr Mara is a rural generalist doctor who has been providing medical care to Gundagai and the surrounding community since 1982.
Adjunct Associate Professor Paul Mara
Dr Mara founded the Rural and Remote Health Medical Infrastructure Trust, is a founding executive member of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) and was president from 2010 to 2012. He was a co-founder of the Rural Doctors Association of NSW (RDANSW) in 1987 and has served as secretary and president. He has been a member of the Australian Medical Association since 1985 and was the group’s inaugural director of general practice.
Update of Anatomage Table Software
Simulation Resources
Anatomage (http://medical.anatomage.com/) has recently released version 4 of their Table software. This updated software should increase teaching opportunities with new library content adding a fully segmented and annotated Full Body Female model. With the new freehand dissection tool, incisions can be made anywhere on the cadavers to remove structures layer-by-layer. A new pre-set system allows a section to be created and bookmarked allowing a specific area or structure to be shown to a class.
The RCS has recently acquired new resources for immersive simulation for all student groups. SIM baby will be utilised by Paediatric students and academics for simulation. It is suitable for all types of training from routine care to critical emergencies. Another addition is Newborn Anne, providing a realistic airway designed for training in all aspects of newborn airway management.
2015 Year Graduates celebrate the end of their University studies at the Graduation Ball in Sydney in December.
UNSW RCS Graduates now interns at Wagga Wagga Rural Referral Hospital 2016
One of the newly completed teaching rooms located at the south end of the building Congratulations to Drs’ Annabel and Patrick Markey following their wedding in December last year. Both Annabel and Patrick are now Interns at WWRRH
We were thrilled to hear news that Dr Sally Newton, Intern at WWRRH and 2015 Wagga campus graduate, has recently announced her engagement to Zeb Johnston. We congratulate them and wish them both all the best as they prepare for their big day early next year!
2016 Calendar Events February Phase 2 commence Monday 29 Feb
August Phase 2 Recess 29- Aug-9 Sept
March Year 6 commence Monday 6 March Easter 25-28 March Phase 2 Recess 29,-31 March 1 April
September Year 6 MCQ 12 Sept Year 6 Clinical Year 6 Viva Year 6 Portfolio
April Year 5 and 6 Recess 4-8 April May Wagga Gold Cup Brunch Fri 6 May June Medicine Information Evening July Phase 2, Year 5 & 6 Recess 4-18 July
October Year 6 Graduation Dinner 28 Oct November Phase 2 MCQ 21 Nov Phase 2 ICE 22 Nov December