The next Ed Tech In-service will look at how to tackle the advanced search functions in Google.

When you do a basic search, Google builds on your search history to return information it thinks you want – and hides the rest.

Do you know how to get around those “helpful” search algorithms?

In this session participants will learn how to use a range of advanced web search functions, including creating your own search engine, to find exactly what you want.

When: Wednesday 20 March 2013 1.00 – 2.00 pm

How to join the session: In person at the MUDRIH videoconference room or from a videoconference endpoint:

• inside Monash dial 35929
• outside Monash dial 35929@monash.edu or 130.194.20.3 then enter conference 29
• From a telephone (audio only) dial 03 9903 5929

The following dates are for the rest of the In-service sessions – pop them in your diary now!  The schedule of topics is coming soon.

Wednesday 17 April
Wednesday 15 May
Wednesday 19 June
Wednesday 17 July
Wednesday 21 August
Wednesday 18 September
Wednesday 16 October
Wednesday 20 November

Dr Julie Willems of MUDRIH has been elected Vice President of the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA).

ODLAA is a professional association of educators, instructional designers, educational researchers, education consultants and administrators from across Australia and overseas that is dedicated to advancement of research, practice, and support of education across time and space.

See the ODLAA website for more information about the organisation.

Congratulations to Julie!

Local intensive care specialist and physician Associate Professor Alistair Wright and paediatrician Dr Cathy Coates have been appointed as Clinical Deans at the Gippsland Regional Clinical School.

The role of the two Deans is to develop and lead clinical teaching for Years 3B, 4C and 5D students who are learning and training at the Regional Clinical School and Latrobe Regional Hospital.

Acting Director at Gippsland Regional Clinical School, Associate Professor Elmer Villanueva, said the Clinical School was delighted that Associate Professor Wright and Dr Coates had agreed to the roles.

“We were looking for senior medical officers and experienced medical educators with excellent communication skills and both Cathy and Alistair fulfill those criteria,” he said. “They will work with senior medical staff at the Hospital to deliver innovative clinical teaching programs with the hospital, teaching on the ward and in outpatient clinics.”

The roles include facilitation of medical students’ practical clinical placement needs within Latrobe Regional Hospital, a liaison role between Gippsland Regional Clinical School and medical administration and they will also join the State-wide network of Clinical Deans.

The Dean, Professor Christina Mitchell, speaks with staff and community partners at Bendigo Regional Clinical School.

The Bendigo Regional Clinical School was really pleased that the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Professor Christina Mitchell, was able to find a time in her very busy schedule to visit on 27 February for the first time since her appointment.

In a jammed pack day, and after being welcomed over morning tea by Head of the School of Rural Health Professor Judi Walker, Christina started with whirlwind tours of the clinical school, the Bendigo Primary Care Centre and the newly opened Latrobe University Rural Health School building in the Hospital Education Precinct of which Bendigo Regional Clinical School is part.

The School was particularly keen that as many of its community partners and staff as possible should join the Dean for lunch.  Following a most scrumptious lunch for the 50 guests, staff then gathered in the auditorium for a staff meeting where program leaders were able to share their team’s work with the Dean. Read the rest of this entry »

In an article published by Charles Sturt University January 23, medical consultant Emeritus Professor John Dwyer made the claim that rural clinical schools in Australia have failed to increase the number of medical graduates moving to work in rural areas.

The real issue, perhaps overlooked by Professor Dwyer, is a shortage of rural postgraduate training places to accommodate the growing numbers of medical graduates exposed to rural practice.

Medical graduates report their frustrations that, while they are receiving excellent undergraduate rural clinical training, there are limited opportunities to find a rural postgraduate training pathway. Read the rest of this entry »

Pictured are Monash graduates and new doctors, from left, Tom Walsh, Elisabeth Hatzistavrou, Sharon Johnson, Ruth Briggs, Andrew Thomas, Sarah Wilmot, Derek Pol, Danielle Winkelman, Shane Robbins and Steph Pong.

Monash School of Rural Health graduates have flocked to the Gippsland intern program in 2013.

All ten of this year’s intake to the Gippsland Regional Intern Training (GRIT) program are Monash graduates and seven of those already have a close association with the area, having undertaken much of their training through the School of Rural Health’s Gippsland Regional Clinical School, East Gippsland Regional Clinical School and were enrolled at the Gippsland Medical School at Churchill.

Those seven include Derek Pol, Sarah Wilmot, Andrew Thomas, Danielle Winkelman, Sharon Johnson, Shane Robbins and Ruth Briggs. The other three new interns are Tom Walsh, Steph Pong and Elisabeth Hatzistavrou, who completed their MBBS at Monash Clayton.

Seven former students returning as interns is a record for the Monash University School of Rural Health. Read the rest of this entry »

For East Gippsland Regional Clinical School student Lauren Tanzen, working in the High Country in a rural GP environment was an unexpected high point. Here is her story.

The GP component of Year 4, primarily at Omeo and Swifts Creek, has not simply been a matter of another year down, attendance ticked off and signatures gathered for the log books.

I’ve found it rather difficult to leave.

To provide an overview of the area and access to health care, Omeo, Swifts Creek and Ensay have a population catchment of around 2,100 across 5,500 km² in East Gippsland, Victoria.  This population is served by one of six rotating, very busy Consultant GPs.  The Doctor on duty provides a 24 hour service at any given time from Sunday afternoon to noon the following Friday. It is no ‘sleepy hollow’. Read the rest of this entry »

Jackie Fankhauser

The opportunity to be involved in a world first neurolinguistic case – while still a medical student at the Gippsland Regional Clinical School – has culminated in Jackie Fankhauser being cited as co-author of an article in the prestigious ‘Journal of Neurolinguistics.’

The case relates to a West Gippsland woman who was diagnosed with Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), a baffling disorder where a person afflicted starts to speak with what sounds like a foreign accent. Read the rest of this entry »

Your name and position

Ann Allenby, Research Fellow, School of Rural Health, half time.

Describe your job/role

Undertaking rural health research project, particularly the Heart of the country project which is examining how well rural primary care services are managing cardiovascular risk factors and disease.  We aim to come up with some policy directions as a result of the project.  I am also developing a project on grey nomad health, looking at the health profile, literacy, travel preparedness and use of services by nomads and the impact that grey nomads place on rural and remote health services.  Similarly we hope the outcomes to be policy directions that will assist nomads plan better, insurers to provide incentives and health services to more effectively undertake surge capacity planning. Read the rest of this entry »

Gippsland Regional Clinical School will have new Year 2B coordinators this year, with both Nadine Pollerd and Kerry Sibson moving on from the role.

Nadine has relocated to Melbourne and Kerry had an addition to her family last year, daughter Ella Jane, so both opted to finish their roles at the end of 2012.

The positions are about to be advertised for 2013.