Developing Health Professional Educators: Connecting Science and Theory with Learning for Clinical Practice was the theme of this year’s annual Australian and New Zealand Association of Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) conference.

Three members of staff from the School of Rural Health attended: Senior Lecturer SRH Churchill, Dr Kathy Brotchie; and Dr Cathy Haigh and Bill Haigh from the SRH Latrobe Valley & Warragul.

Dr Brotchie presented a paper on the 2013 Year A cohort students’ responses to a survey on the clinical skills program at SRH Churchill which  used an innovative approach to teaching clinical skills known as “the flipped classroom”. Using this approach, Students are expected to  learn the theory before coming to class (exploring the online resources and readings. Class time is then used to apply the theory.

Provided with personalised feedback from tutors in facilitated hands-on sessions, students reported favourably on their confidence, level of preparation and the usefulness of the feedback provided to them using this pedagogical structure.

The paper, entitled “More than going through the motion: first year medical students’ responses to a Flipped Classroom approach to teaching”, was included in a session exploring innovations in medical education.

Topsy turvy: Year A students endorsed the flipped classroom approach to learning clinical skills.

Enzo Marano from U-Tech and Kesley Giardina “operate” on Julian the manikin.

The Churchill family of manikins underwent long-awaited and much needed repairs and health check-ups on 19 June.

Assisted by Kelsey Giardina and Dr Kathy Brotchie, the Laerdahl Hospital Clinic conducted by Enzo Marano from U-Tech repaired a right hip fracture, performed a corneal transplant and carried out multiple thoracotomies and laparotomies.

A full day of examinations of the quiet but highly cooperative team members was coupled with an impromptu education session as Enzo patiently provided training on some of the previously unknown talents of the Churchill manikin family members.

The true potential of the manikin resources of SRH Churchill is now uncovered and the entire family has a clean bill of health.

SRH Churchill is looking for volunteers to help with the Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) in September for applicants into the 2015 intake of the graduate entry MBBS. The MMI is an extremely important part of our selection process and community and staff involvement is vital to its success.

This year interviews will be held on Thursday 11 and Friday 12 September at the School of Rural Health Churchill. About 110 applicants are expected across both days. There will be two session times each day:

• AM session which requires interviewers to attend from 9 am
• PM session which requires interviewers to attend from 11.30am

We will be conducting training for interviewers on:

• Tuesday 26th August (lunch time session) and
• Tuesday 26th August (evening session)

If you would like to participate as an interviewer in 2014 please register online and:

1. Provide your contact details.
2. Book in for your training session.
3. Select days and times that you are available to interview.

Senior medical student are most welcome, but must prioritise their placement obligations above participation in interviews and must not miss classes or clinical learning sessions.

Panel: local community members took questions from students. L-R Katie Yeomans, Zack Haddock, Chris Saunders, Scott Cross, Phil Perry.

Year A students at Churchill attended an Indigenous health cultural day in March organised by the Indigenous Health Unit at MUDRIH.

The morning was devoted to the cultural safety training program facilitated by Hilton Gruis and Phil Perry. At the end of the session, all participants received a certificate.

The afternoon session was devoted to ‘question time’. Key individuals and Elders from the local Aboriginal community took questions from the students. The session went on for about two hours and students were able to ask what they always wanted to know but were hitherto shy to ask! Students found the sessions very informative and the discussions were lively. At the end of the session, students were seen gathered in groups around the Aboriginal Elders to further clarify their doubts and share experiences.

Two senior academics who welcomed the first cohort of students into the Gippsland Medical School have recently left the School of Rural Health Churchill.

Associate Professors Elmer Villanueva and Brian Chapman have made significant contributions to the Monash medical course during their terms.

Associate Professor Elmer Villanueva

Elmer was Theme II Coordinator and with his academic team developed a high quality program in health and society, epidemiology and population health, as well as the community-based program. Elmer had a very distinctive lecturing style where he demanded high levels of engagement from students, but this was tempered by his quirky sense of humour. He also developed and taught an innovative Year 3B evidence-based clinical practice program for students in the Gippsland region. Working closely with Professor Debra Nestel , they developed impressive research opportunities for medical students in the region. Elmer was actively involved in a number of MBBS committees, and acted as our OH&S and workplace discrimination representative for a time. His input into MBBS assessment and Open Days is well recognised. From September 2012 until December 2013 Elmer served as Acting Director of the former Gippsland Regional Clinical School.

Associate Professor Brian Chapman

Brian was Theme III Coordinator and Year A Problem Based Learning Coordinator. He was the primary lecturer in physiology in Year A teaching across a range of topics. Passionate and outspoken about his areas of responsibility, Brian developed a number of innovative computer-based learning packages to support student learning. His contributions to the unit’s assessment processes were well appreciated by his colleagues, and he became our guide to the correct use of language in written Year A examinations. Brian was our representative on a number of diverse MBBS and Gippsland campus committees.

We thank Brian and Elmer for their contributions to the Gippsland Medical School and the School of Rural Health and we wish them the best for the future.

The Chancellor of Federation University related his experience in working in rural health to Year A students on 14 March at Churchill as a guest speaker for their Theme II studies.

Dr. Paul Hemming was born in the UK and began his career as a Junior Resident Medical Officer in Coventry before becoming Unit Medical Officer in the RAF. Later he was a partner in a three person rural general practice. Dr. Hemming migrated to Australia with his family in 1977 and settled in Ballarat working in general practice.

He has been a member of many professional bodies and in particular President of the AMA, Inaugural Chair of the General Practice Divisions in Victoria and Founding Director of beyondblue . In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal (Commonwealth of Australia) for services to the medical profession and the community. In 2013 the Rural Workforce Agency Victoria presented him with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Communities in recognition of his work in rural health over many years.

Dr Sallyann Middleton

Dr Marion Shuttleworth

Dr Sallyann (Sally) Middleton and Dr Marion Shuttleworth have been appointed this year as fixed term contract staff to support the Year A program.

Both Sally and Marion have been associated with us for some time as sessional staff. Sally has also been involved in the Year 4C program for the School of Rural Health – Latrobe Valley.

A Year A PBL tutor for many years,  Sally now takes on the role of PBL Coordinator from Brian Chapman. Marion will continue her good work in the Year A clinical skills program supporting Kathy Brotchie.

Deputy Chancelor, Mr Ian Pyman, presides over the December graduation ceremony.

Sixty students received their testamurs at the third graduation ceremony of the graduate entry MBBS in Churchill on 9 December last year.

Three students received prizes recognising their hard work. Jacqueline Fankhauser who received the Gippsland Medical School graduation prize for top achieving student in 2013. Jackie has lived in Warragul all her life and did most of her clinical training at the West Gippsland Health Care Group. Lisa Gilbert received the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Victoria State Committee) Gippsland Prize in Clinical Medicine, and Katherine Schelberger was awarded the Monash Medical Alumni (Gippsland) Prize.

Jacqueline Fankhauser received the Gippsland Medical School prize for top achieving student.

The Deputy Chancellor, Mr Ian Pyman, presided over the ceremony. While the Deputy Dean MBBS, Professor Ben Canny, led the graduates in saying the Declaration of Geneva (Physician’s Oath). Dr Ranjana Srivastava, a published author and Monash medical graduate, gave the occasional address, speaking about being and compassionate and empathetic doctor.

Judy Embleton will be affectionately remembered in Churchill

Although she finished in December, it wasn’t until the first week of semester this year that SRH – Churchill staff got an opportunity to farewell Judy Embleton at a celebratory lunch and present her with a gift to acknowledge her time working with us.

Judy Embleton had been Regional Manager of the Gippsland Medical School and has now taken up a senior administrative position at the Gippsland campus of Federation University. (more…)