Over the back fence – Mel Craig
Your name and position
Melanie (Mel) Craig – Administrative Officer, Rural Education Program
Describe your job/role
I manage the rural placements for MBBS students from years 2 to 5 and help Laura, Gayle and our academic and professional staff deliver the year 1 and 2 program. I liaise with Year 1 and 2 students who are still centrally located here on Clayton campus, provide administrative support and consultation to the WILDFIRE Rural Health Student Club and also provide executive support to Judi Walker whilst she is at Clayton.
I also project assist in the implementation of the RCTS program. It has been very exciting being part of the development of new programs.
Why is it important?
I get to be a part of and work with inspiring staff and students. It makes me part of the team of academic and professional staff at our rural sites working towards building great rural medical doctors and developing an innovative and professional rural program and school that can have the same inspiration as the one founded by Roger Strasser 20 years ago.
What is the best aspect of your work with the School of Rural Health?
The variety of people I get to work with. The School of Rural Health has staff from different walks of life and bring different skills to their role. I feel like I am always learning.
When you are not at work, what do you enjoy doing?
As you (readers of RHM) already know raising puppies. I love spending time with (husband to be in December) Cam and our Australia Cattle Dogs Cain and Ziva.
I looooooove cooking, having been raised by my grandmother who was Spanish. My love of food extends to growing it, so getting out in the garden. I love getting into a good book, movie/TV series or craft project. I love hanging out with friends and being a big kid with their kids. Cam actually got asked the other day what I was like to live with; his reply was it is like living with a mix of Dawn French and Nigella Lawson. I love cooking food, eating it, eating with others, being hilariously funny and just being an idiot like singing to the dogs (nothing wrong with that is there?).
What was your most recent holiday destination and why did you choose it?
Tasmania (mmm, six years ago or more) I did it as a treat for Cam for putting up with me in my first year of uni. Living with a student can be a nightmare.
If you were Emperor for a day, what is one thing you would implement?
I need to put in a funny one and serious one. The funny one would be to install jumping castles at work, what an interesting way to have meetings especially video conferences, and secretly good for afternoon nanna naps in the sunshine. Seriously, I would share the wealth across the world to stamp out behaviour brought on by poverty.
Surprise us! What is something about you that most of your peers would not know?
When I came in for my interview at MBBS Assessment, I knocked back a chance to go into Channel 7 and be on ‘Deal or no Deal.’ Regret or not? I will never know – I could have been 50 cents richer or $200,000 dollars richer or something in between. Would I be any better off? Probably not as Cam would have brought a motorbike and something else and …