MUDRIH is hosting an Australian Psychological Society workshop entitled Understanding Attachment: The Connecting Thread Through the Lifestyle on Saturday 2 March 2013 between 1.30 and 5.30 pm.

This presentation will describe the theory and process of attachment within the broader context of development. It will demonstrate how attachment as a relational construct extends over the lifespan and provides continuity between infant and early childhood experience and later development and adult life. Presenter, Ruth Schmidt Neven PhD, is a psychologist and child psychotherapist who trained at the Tavistock Clinic in London.

If you’d like to attend, you can register online on the APS website.

Graduation 2012 at Gippsland Medical School

The 75 students who began their studies in 2009, graduated as the second cohort from Gippsland Medical School.

Among the 75 graduating students, six are from overseas, 13 are from interstate and seven have either lived or worked in the Gippsland area prior to becoming medical students. We are especially pleased that this year’s graduating class includes three students from a secondary school situated less than five minutes’ walk from the Gippsland Medical School itself.

We wish the graduates all the best for their internship in 2013.

For nearly four gruelling weeks, eight of MUDRIH’s hardiest (known collectively as “Rural Health Rocks”) marched, strolled, danced, staggered, limped and crawled their way from Cape Otway  in Victoria to Lake Macquarie in New South Wales (at least virtually) a distance of 1664km or more than two million steps. The team managed to register a very creditable 9^th placing among the 25 Monash Gippsland teams competing. Read the rest of this entry »

Deb Johnston from East Gippsland Regional Clinical School has recently returned from the trip of a lifetime. The main reason was to attend a birthday party, but there were many highlights on the way to and from the party. This is Deb’s story.

The spectacular Bogong High Plains in the Gippsland High Country was one of Deb’s favourite spots.

We left Bairnsdale on 18 October, destination Townsville by 9 November, with plans to return to work on 21 November.

Was this a carefully planned timetable to miss OSCE’s and exams and then return in time for student farewells? Many of my colleagues thought so, however, my (very good) excuse was that it was my son’s 21^st, and he’s in Townsville studying medicine with the opposition!

My husband and I had no set plans, just hook up the camper trailer and go, and we decided to head up via the coast and return inland. Weather wise we had one wet day in five weeks. Hottest temperature was St George, 41c at 9am. Coldest was Goulburn at just 4c at 5.30am.

The scenery, the animals, and the lifestyle were all fantastic. If it could be looked at we did so, and if it wasn’t on the tourist trail we went there. We relied on information from fellow campers for the great places to visit. Lovely beaches were Lennox Heads, Yamba, Seaforth, Hillsborough National Park, Dingo Beach, Hydeaway Bay, Alva Beach and Picnic Bay on Magnetic Island.

Inland my favourites were Carnarvon Gorge, Lightning Ridge, Parkes, Dubbo Zoo and Bogong High Plains in the Gippsland High Country, which goes to show that some of the prettiest places are in your own backyard.

All I can say now is bring on retirement! There is so much to see and do that we need to be out there seeing and doing it now!

By Deb Johnston

The ‘girls night in’ event run by Gippsland Regional Clinical School’s Senior Clinical Educator Meagan Presley last month was a huge success, raising more than $3,700.00. “Guests opened their purses and with their generosity of buying auction items we raised a total of $3717.60, which was a whole lot more than the $600 I had put on my form as my goal for the night!” Megan said. Read the rest of this entry »

Kerrie Thomsen enjoys her work

Your name and position

Kerrie Thomsen, Regional Manager, Bendigo Regional Clinical School

Describe your job/role

As the Regional Manager for the Bendigo Regional Clinical School I am responsible for our overall budget, HR management and needs of the School, day to day operations for our building and staff as well as all of our student accommodation, partnership agreements and special projects such as the Loddon Mallee Simulated Learning Education Project.

Why is it important?

Finding and creating ways to ensure Rural Health and Education is the best it can be against metro standards and any other relevant standard. There is a very strong sense that we want to keep on contributing to improving the health of everyone in our community at BRCS and this team includes people who have been here for years and are very committed, so as the new person it is easy to be committed too.

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

The team of people I work with who have supported and empowered me in my leadership role, our morning teas and projects that you can really sink your teeth into!

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

Bush-walking near my home and walking my dog Rocky, or painting birds and animals with acrylic on canvas or having coffee at Apple Annie’s in Castlemaine with a friend or two.

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

Mackay, Queensland for my beautiful niece’s 21^st Birthday. I had a couple of extra days with my sister to help prepare for the party at her home, which was just fun “sister time”.

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

I would allocate the money and decree the set up of “Rescue Wildlife” with funds big enough to last decades in every regional community.

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

I was the first person in my family (from both sides) to go to University. I was 17 years old and moved 380 kilometres away from my home in North Aramara (near Maryborough north of Brisbane) to the University of Queensland in Brisbane.

Lyndsey and Leigh's engagement

School of Rural Health couple, Lyndsey Brown from Bendigo Regional Clinical School and Leigh Kinsman (Research) were engaged to be married recently and are naturally very happy with the news!

Bendigo staff celebrated the announcement with the couple with a few bubbles and many admiring glances at Lyndsey’s engagement ring, a beautiful square cut Aquamarine surrounded by dozens of sparkling diamonds.

A morning tea to mark the retirement of Dr Kaye Birks from the School of Rural Health will be held on Friday 21 December in Gippsland.

Kaye has been a long-term tutor, most recently with the Gippsland Regional Clinical School Year 3B program, with her main areas of interest including occupational medicine, environmental medicine, problem based learning and also as an MCR tutor.

She is also very well known in the Latrobe Valley area for her work as a general practitioner. The whole Birks family has a close involvement with the School of Rural Health; Kaye through her work, husband and surgeon David Birks who is involved in the School and also son Rob, a former student and tutor.

The morning tea for Kaye is on the last day of the School year, Friday 21 December at 10.30am.

Marlene is pictured with Elaine Duffy (left) and Dot Angel at the morning tea in her honour.

The contribution of Professor Marlene Drysdale to the School of Rural Health will continue to be acknowledged through the development and naming of a garden in her honour.

A proud and strong Aboriginal woman who is currently Adjunct Professor for the School for Indigenous Health Clayton, Marlene was employed at Monash University from 2002 until 2012 as the Head of the Indigenous Health Unit and occasional Acting Deputy Director for the Department of Rural and Indigenous Health within the School of Rural Health and Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Read the rest of this entry »

At Traralgon the students and staff were delighted with the books. From left are student Sophie, teacher’s aide Paula, students Richard and Caleb, teacher Fiona Derham, student Jodie and Principal Barb Walsh.

A group of students and staff at another specialist developmental school has benefited from the assistance provided to Gippsland Regional Clinical School students throughout the year. The School presented two valuable learning books to the Traralgon Specialist Developmental School to say thanks for hosting the medical students at various times during the year. Students from the Latrobe Valley campus of the Clinical School spent time at the Developmental School, learning about communications and working with people with a disability.  A similar arrangement was in place with Baringa Special School in Moe for the Warragul students.

The students and staff were delighted to help out the medical students and nominated the books as their gift of choice as a way of saying thanks.