Students get hands-on experience during transition week

The School of Rural Health has again played an important role in the MBBS Year 1 Transition Program for 2013.

It was held at Monash University, Clayton Campus last Friday and Saturday (1 and 2 March) and the School of Rural Health introduced the Monash Rural Health program to the Year 1 students during the last day of their Orientation Week.

Representatives from Mildura, Bendigo, Gippsland and East Gippsland ensured that Year 1 students were given an opportunity to learn about what awaits them across the next five years within the SRH.

Professor Judi Walker gave a presentation entitled ‘Monash Rural Health: Setting the Scene’ which highlighted rural clinical placements across the MBBS curriculum for direct entry and graduate entry students, as well as raising students’ awareness of rural generalist pathways. Read the rest of this entry »

Year 3B students listen intently during their welcome luncheon at Sale.

A group of around 40 attended a lunch to welcome the Year 3B students to the Sale Campus of East Gippsland Regional Clinical School.

School Director Dr David Campbell addressed the gathering, introducing the students to local clinicians and other health care professionals. The attendees also included representatives from the Rotary Club of Sale and the Community Advisory Committee.

South Gippsland staff, Marlene Archbold, Dr David Iser and Nicole Kellow, at the start of year events.

The South Gippsland group of Year 4C students have started their year, and are now under the auspices of the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School and the Gippsland Regional Integrated Community Curriculum (GRICC) program.

The students, Margaret Young, Michael Craig, Brandon Cheong, Rachel Boyd, Alexander Gordon, Elizabeth Cole and Rachel Elliott, are placed in medical practices in Leongatha, Foster, Wonthaggi and Korumburra for the full year.

They started their year in February with a welcome held at Dr David Iser’s house.

David is the Academic Supervisor for the South Gippsland School and is ably supported by Nicole Kellow, clinical educator and Marlene Archbold who handles all administration at the School.

The students spent a couple of days at the Bairnsdale campus for orientation with both the Sale and Bairnsdale student groups.

Year 4C students from Bairnsdale, Sale and South Gippsland, who are now under the EGRCS banner and part of the Gippsland Regional Integrated Community Curriculum (GRICC) program, are pictured at the Bairnsdale campus during orientation.

The Gippsland Rural Integrated Community Curriculum (GRICC) this year sees the South Gippsland area incorporated into the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School integrated education model (year-long integrated placement) .

There are 23 Year 4C students spread across an area stretching from Omeo, Orbost, Lakes Entrance and Bairnsdale in the East, through Sale, Maffra and Heyfield in Central Gippsland and to Yarram, Leongatha, Foster, Wonthaggi and Korumburra in the South.

The first week in Gippsland for the students was spent in orientation and they came together at the Bairnsdale campus for two days, attending talks by local clinicians covering the broad scope of their studies for this year. A dinner was held at which Dr David Campbell, Director of the East Gippsland Regional Clinical School, outlined the year ahead and encouraged the students to involve themselves in the local community during their stay.

Guest speaker was Dr Sally Singleton. Sally has spent a number of her training years in the East Gippsland area, specifically her fourth year in 2009 at the Bairnsdale campus. Sally spoke of the positive influences and experiences while in the area and her subsequent career path. She answered a number of questions put to her by the students about the program.

The final day of orientation was spent on clinical skills including Emergency scenarios, Children’s Health and General Practice. During the sessions students put their newly acquired knowledge into action, practicing consultation skills and clinical procedures.

The students are now being introduced to their specific medical practices and all are very enthusiastic about being part of the unique integrated program offered at East Gippsland Regional Clinical School.

Jannelle McGrail

Your name and position

Janelle McGrail – Research Administration Assistant.

Describe your job/role

Research Support and Publications Coordinator for the South East Region. This includes updating staff profiles on ROPES.

Why is it important?

It is important to make sure that staff have up to date publications records and have current profiles.

What is the best aspect of your work with the School of Rural Health?

I enjoy working with different kinds of people .

When you are not at work, what do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy catching up with friends.

What was your most recent holiday destination and why did you choose it?

We had a family holiday at Queenscliff as it was close to the beach.

If you were Emperor for a day, what is one thing you would implement?

Kid free holiday.

Surprise us! What is something about you that most of your peers would not know?

I am a one eyed Geelong Cats supporter.

Clare and Hilton are pictured cutting their cake.

Festivities were held at MUDRIH recently for a 90^th birthday – combined birthday, that is.

With two staff members celebrating milestone birthdays – Hilton Gruis turned 50 and Clare van den Dolder turned 40 – other staff decided it was a great excuse for a light-hearted catch-up over a sinful chocolate mud cake.

After the combined 90^th morning tea, all are looking forward to their 100^th!

The Bendigo Jockey Club was an excellent venue for this year’s welcome dinner, with everyone enjoying the evening.

The official welcome dinner for Bendigo students was again an opportunity for Bendigo Regional Clinical School to acknowledge the importance of individual contributions and expertise in the community that forms a big part of the journey for all medical students.

The Welcome Dinner this year was held in mid-February at Silks, Bendigo Jockey Club.  Auntie Faye Carter and her son Rodney opened the evening with a smoking ceremony in their Welcome to Country.  The evening was filled with fun, good food, relaxation and cheer.

As is tradition, two students were presented with awards during the evening.  The Shaker Issa Award went to Adelene Hilbig for the most outstanding Year 4 student for 2012 and the 2012 John Gault Award went to Jennifer Tang for her outstanding academic performance in Year 3.

Three Excellence in Teaching Awards were presented by the University of Melbourne’s Director of Medical Student Education, Professor Julian Wright, to Dr Patrick Cooney, Mr Damian Cleeve and Dr John Edington.

The skeletons of learning desks wait to be taken away as the Roger Strasser Auditorium is stripped to make way for refurbishment.

There has been plenty of movement at Gippsland Regional Clinical School in the last few weeks, with office re-allocation taking place following refurbishment and extensions.

Some staff have moved to the new offices upstairs in what used to be the accommodation area and is now shared space with Latrobe Regional Hospital and Monash University School of Nursing. It includes two state-of-the-art simulation suites with new simulation mannequins.

In the downstairs area, a new large breakout area has been completed and work is now underway on refurbishment of the Roger Strasser Auditorium at Latrobe Regional Hospital. The first and messy part of the job was to clear out the existing furniture and fittings to make way for the new improved auditorium.

All registrars, HMOs and interns were invited to have lunch at Mildura Regional Clinical School in mid-February, which was also the first day for Year 4 students in Mildura.

The gathering allowed the hospital staff to put names to faces, and feel more comfortable about the roles they are asked to do for the school.

The Registrars in particular have previously been given packs of information about their involvement with students, what students need to gain from their clinical experiences, and any assessment processes that the Registrars need to be involved in.

Staff and media representatives enjoyed morning tea together in what has become an annual event in Mildura.

Local media representatives were invited to visit the Mildura Regional Clinical School recently, to meet academics and students, and to familiarise themselves with the programs and forthcoming special events.

This now annual event is a valuable networking tool which helps to foster the awareness of Mildura Regional Clinical School in the community.