Mark Heald has left Mildura Regional Clinical School to resume a more hands-on role with Sunraysia Community Health, in the Drug & Alcohol counselling area.

The much anticipated ‘Night at the Museum’ event to end second term at Mildura Primary School provided a fantastic opportunity for Monash Regional Clinical School to engage with the community and provide a variety of props for the Australian History unit showcase event.

More than 270 children experienced the Grade 5/6 museum evening, with many parents also taking the opportunity to view their children’s hard work first hand.

Seven children selected the World War nurses as their topic of choice and these children were extremely grateful for the resources provided by Monash Regional Clinical School.

The other really good news is that Mildura Primary hopes this interaction is the first of many involvements between the two parties!

Charlotte at NAIDOC Week Welcome Baby to Country, Mildura

The following report is by Ann Bowen, sister of Kate Murdoch, the Year 3 Academic Administration officer at Mildura Regional Clinical School. Ann attended this public event, which was sponsored by Monash University.

NAIDOC week was huge for me.  The exciting win in our Pennant Golf Final was trumped by the inaugural “Welcome Baby to Country” ceremony at the Mildura Arts Centre.

A partnership between Monash University, Aboriginal Family Violence Prevention Legal Service and the Mildura Arts Centre, the ceremony traditionally ‘welcomed’ all new Koori babies to this country and this community.

At this year’s event there was an air of excitement as the families arrived. They eagerly presented their babies for symbolic face painting, in final preparations for the ceremony.

Huge photographic portrait banners framed the stage.  Film footage of the Murray River made up the backdrop.  The ceremonial possum-skin cloak lay across the grand piano.

Yorta Yorta opera singer, composer and academic, Deborah Cheetham sang The Water is Wide to honour a young Aboriginal man, recently deceased.  She then sang Songs My Mother Taught Me.

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The first view of Mt. Sonder, from Counts Point.

Year 3 Academic Administration officer at Mildura Regional Clinical School, Kate Murdoch, decided on a unique way to celebrate her 50^th birthday recently.

Kate and husband Ralf joined a group on a trek of about 230 km along the Larapinta trail in Australia’s red centre.

The Larapinta trail winds its way along the western end of the MacDonnell Ranges ending with a climb onto Mt Sonder, the fourth highest peak in the Northern Territory.

Kate and Ralf and the group passed along rocky ridges and dry sandy creek beds, visiting iconic landmarks such as Simpson’s Gap, Standley Chasm, Ormiston Pound and Glen Helen Gorge.

The trail is named after the local Aboriginal name for the Finke River, which is one of the world’s oldest rivers having run the same course for more than 350 million years.  Larapinta means brackish/salty water – and it is.

There were eight walkers in the group and they were warned on the first day that no section of the trail is easy, which according to Kate proved to be an understatement. The trail is made up of 12 sections some of which are completed over two days.

Kate completed 11 of the 12 sections (15 out of 16 days of walking) and says: “You have to leave something for next time.”

Highlights of the trek for Kate were the first view of Mt Sonder from Counts Point, getting up at 2:00am to climb Mt Sonder to view the sunrise, and not having any phone contact for 16 days!

And would she do it again? You bet.

One of the current Mildura students, Tom Kavanagh (Year 4) demonstrates an ear examination in the sim lab to a potential doctor.

Early in June, Mildura Regional Clinical School opened its doors to more than 25 school students, their families and careers advisors, for the annual information evening for aspiring medical students.

Guest speakers included Head of the School of Rural Health, Professor Judi Walker, Mildura Director, Associate Professor Fiona Wright and Juliet Baxter from MBBS admissions Clayton, who gave a very informative and engaging presentation on the pathways into health sciences at Monash.

A range of current medical students and one recent graduate also spoke on their experiences, a privilege enjoyed by those attending.

The students were fantastic ambassadors for Monash University and its medical program and spent considerable time talking with families and students over supper about medicine as a career. The students helped run simulation demonstrations in conjunction with Howard, Jenny and Kristi, Mildura’s formidable simulation /skills lab team.

Thanks for their involvement go to Elliot, Amy, Scott, Charles, Fiona, Thomas Hannah, Steph, Amy (some of the current medical students) and Georgia, a recent Graduate, as well as the staff from Mildura Regional Clinical School.

Of the 45 evaluations completed on the night, 24 were from the secondary students.  Overwhelmingly, the highlights of the evening were skills lab / practical work, and the opportunity to meet current students and hear their stories.

Paired questions to students and parents were asked as to whether the information evening has affected career choices. Obviously it has for some, with this response from one parent: “She definitely knows what she wants to do now – I know from the smile on her face!”

The majority response to “which university / course do you intend to apply for” was Monash Medicine, or variations of medicine.

Elliot Anderson (centre) takes delivery of a load of supplies from Mildura Base Hospital Director of Corporate Services Ms Julia Morgan, and Supply Manager Rod Moore.

Students from Mildura travelled to Tonga during their mid-year break to take part in a volunteer medical program.

Mildura-based Elliot Anderson (Year 4), and Fleur Muirhead (Year 3) together with other Monash students Andrew Long and Olivia Wells, joined the program run by TeaMMED, a student-driven, not-for-profit organisation.

It provides an avenue for Monash University medical students to become involved in medical volunteer initiatives world-wide, including medical resource collection and fundraising events in addition to local volunteer opportunities.

TeaMMed has been sending small groups of volunteers to the island of Vava’u, Tonga for three years.

As volunteers the students help alleviate the problems of limited resources and medical staff, and implement an educational approach to problems of obesity and increasing diabetes.

Elliot and Fleur visited schools located on Vava’u, holding workshops/lectures to teach children about the importance of exercise and healthy eating, and how they can avoid risk factors.

The team also headed to rural towns and villages to offer free “health checkups,” that included brief talk about the importance of healthy living, measurement of blood pressure and blood glucose level, a body mass index (BMI) calculation, and the distribution of brochures regarding diabetes and healthy lifestyle.

Another aim of the program is to aid in the treatment of those who have been previously diagnosed with diabetes, particularly those who suffer from diabetic wounds. This is a largely undervalued part of diabetes treatment, particularly in developing nations. Diabetic wounds are very common complications that often go unnoticed due to their painless nature and the fact that they are often hidden on the soles of the feet.

Appropriate dressing and treatment of these wounds are vital so that they do not become infected and potentially life-threatening.

To tackle this issue, the team helped increase local access to appropriate dressings by purchasing these and making them available for free administration within the Prince Wellington Ngu Hospital.

Before their trip Elliot and Fleur did some fundraising to help the cause; Mildura Base Hospital donated essential supplies and equipment and Nuttelex also provided generous financial support.

Mildura

The experiences of pre-school children from the Pacific Islands and their families, who now live in Australia, will be examined in a study in the Mildura region.

The study is being conducted by the School of Rural Health and Sunraysia Community Health Services and will provide a snapshot of how experiences before starting school can affect a child’s development.

Fiona Tipping, Occupational Therapist at Sunraysia Community Health Services and Monash adjunct, said that there were significant gaps in early childhood development and by the time children started school it was hard to change their developmental pathway.

Mildura Rural City Council has a high proportion of children who are considered developmentally vulnerable. While not all those from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds are developmentally vulnerable, it is one of the risk factors.

A recent Mildura Rural City Council investigation found that the number of CALD children accessing funded kindergarten places in the year before starting school was extremely low and there are also low rates of utilisation of paediatric allied health services.

The Mildura region has a diverse population. The Pacific Island migrant community is one of the larger migrant groups in the region, with approximately 2000 Pacific Islanders from Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji and the Solomon Islands.

Dr Bernadette Ward from the School of Rural Health said early childhood was a critical time in development where experiences prepare children for transition to full time school, and establish lifelong learning pathways.

“We are interested in hearing from parents about what they feel is important for their family and child’s journey before they start primary school,” Dr Ward said. “This research will assist us to better understand the factors that influence people from rural Pacific Island migrant communities’ decisions in accessing services for their children.

“It will guide local services in the area of health and education and ensure early years services are appropriate and accessible for Pacific Island migrant children in the Mildura region.”

The researchers are calling on parents from Pacific Island migrant communities in the Mildura region, who have a 4-5 year old child due to start school in 2014, to participate in the study.

Those who want to participate in the study have been asked to contact Dr Ward on 03 5444 9064 / 0427 059 205 Bernadette.Ward@monash.edu or Fiona Tipping on +61 3 5022 5444 / 0437 844 503 ftipping@shcs.com.au

Year 2 students on placements in Mildura had the opportunity to see first-hand rare examples of Aboriginal history when they toured the Mungo National Park during May.

Mildura-based MUDRIH lecturer Rose Gilby together with Desley Reid-Orr took 14 students Mungo, to join in a discovery tour. The guide was Ricky, a softly-spoken Indigenous Parks Ranger with so much knowledge it was hard to take it all in.

Ricky first showed the group the initial work on the new ‘Footprint Exhibit’, which is a very accurate transposition of a collection of footprints found in a geological layer within the national park and only recently exposed by wind action.

The footprints are thousands of years old, and allow interpreters to tell a story of a one-legged man chasing a kangaroo; a group of women gathering food; and child who wandered away from the family group who was subsequently shooed back into the group by an adult.

The group was privileged to walk into the lunette – which is not publicly accessible – where Ricky led them through the stark lunar-like landscape, showing recently wind-exposed fireplace thousands of years old. The remnants of the fireplace show that it was used to cook fish and yams.

A tiny ear bone from a fish was sufficient proof of this claim and it also proved that hawk eyes are needed for this job!

Another fireplace showed evidence of being used by women and children, a conclusion drawn from the fact that it had been used to cook emu eggs. Ricky described the technique for cooking your emu egg evenly – standing it up in the sand in the edge of the fire and spinning it until it is done. Further along was the remains of a kangaroo intermingled with a raccoon which was a little bit of a mystery as these animals would not have co-existed amicably.

The group was honoured with much more detailed information than would normally occur.  All were most appreciative of this fact and respected both the environment and the value of the experience and information imparted.

Mungo is famous for its eerie pinnacle formations, held within the eroding lunette. It was necessary to walk carefully throughout the landscape, but when the group arrived at the top of the dunes, the students were set free to frolic in the sand.

They also had a unique opportunity to view the cataloguing of artefacts on site by indigenous archaeologists and parks personnel. Many of the artefacts are tens of thousands of years old.  The students’ hushed and respectful tones were testament to the value that each one placed on this experience.

Rose and Desley provided a barbecue lunch of hamburgers with students constructing their own with rolls, salad and sauces supplied.  Back on the bus it was amazing to note just how many of the students fell almost immediately asleep for the return journey!

Students admire the sand dunes at Mungo, albeit hundreds of kilometres from the coast.

The intricacies of wool growing and sheep meat production – and even a lesson in sheep tossing – proved an eye opener for Year 2 students in Mildura.

Local veterinarian Dr Bill Sutherland facilitated a fascinating visit to a working farm which combines traditional sheep wool and meat flocks, together with a more modern and lucrative genetics industry involving the production and sale of frozen embryos.

Farm owner Brendan talked for a while about his business outlets. He has recently sold off the bulk of his Merino flock and is now concentrating on Dorper meat-producing sheep.

Bill impressed on the students the inevitability for station owners to put health problems on hold because they need to work to continue to earn and support their family.  Brendan described a close neighbour who has serious mental health problems and depression because he finds it difficult to cope with drought, poor production etc.  Hopefully the students took in the messages here.

It was fascinating to hear Brendan describe his farm as being in “the suburbs” only about two hours of a town and shops!

Next it was off to the shearing shed to discover how Dorper rams are thrown onto their backs for veterinary inspection.  These beasts weigh 100kg and although they are docile and compliant once on their backs, they are not so keen to be grabbed and thrown in the first instance.

There were also three merino ewes in the shed for a shearing experience. One poor old girl bore the brunt of the students’ fumbling attempts and came away looking quite motley and moth-eaten!

Brendan’s wife Maureen put on her usual excellent spread for ‘smoko’ and Gerald was so impressed he took several photos.

The trip home was drama-packed.  The very new work car developed a problem, resulting in an unbearably loud, constant metallic squealing noise.  We drove back to Glen-Esk where Bill and Brendan between them agreed that the problem was most likely one involving brake callipers – not potentially disastrous – so Bill bravely drove the Mondeo back to Mildura where he was greeted by Fiona, Ros, and Kate.

The following day a mechanic removed a large limestone pebble from the brakes – worn glassily smooth on one face.

In the shearing shed, where one poor old ewe submitted to the shearing ‘skills’ of the students.

Sixty-four teddy bears were successfully cured of their ailments at Mildura’s first ever Teddy Bear Hospital!

Wednesday morning, the concerned young-lings of Mildura West Primary School chaperoned their “sick” teddy bears to a makeshift Hospital set up in their classrooms. Teddy bear illnesses ranged from broken bones to asthma to school-itis.

The “Hospital Clinics” were set up and run by a group of gregarious medical students from Mildura Regional Clinical School.

Teddy Bear Hospital is about helping children engage with doctors and the hospital process. The aim is to take the fear out of seeing the doctor, and to replace it with positive associations.

This year, it was all about the “Patch-Adams” approach. Above all else, we wanted the kids to laugh, giggle and snort water out their noses. Therefore, the stations were funny, interactive, and slightly quirky – the goal was to subconsciously have the kids associate “Doctors” and “Hospital” with “… really fun and silly.”

The children had the chance to plaster their thumbs, bandage teddy, use real stethoscopes, drive cardboard ambulances, and perform “surgery” on “big Ted” whilst looking ultra-cute in their funny-faced mask, decorated gloves and over-sized gowns. The day involved a lot of glitter, model skeletons, x-ray machines and flashing over-sized noses. And a lot more!

The children had a blast and were sad to see the doctors leave the school. The opportunity to build the rapport and establish trust early in a child’s life is so important. This positive relationship is what we can rely on as future doctors to offer these children the best possible care.

As up-and-coming doctors the opportunity to engage with children in a structured, health care-type environment, similar to what they may experience at the hospital, is very valuable. The doctor-patient relationship is important, and children are not an exception to that. Although when it comes to building rapport and gaining trust, they add a dimension of complexity and Teddy Bear Hospital is all about learning to overcome that.

By Danielle Strong, Year 4 Mildura

Teddy specialist Fleur with her fellow 'doctors' at the Teddy Bear Hospital