Introductus 2014 by UNMS Publications

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Welcome: from the editors

Welcome: from the president 4

Academic: PBL101 9

education: the Medtor Program

academic: Academic: putting the a 2014 in academic Academic Events 6

welfare: The guide to getting support

education: education: The Textbook the unms Guide bookscheme

SPORTS: The sports guide

SPORTS: 2014 sports events

AMSA: What is AMSA? 20

Looking back InternationaL: the what adapting to from the not to wear life in oz other side guide

AMSA: All about convention

centrefold: unms2014 calendar 30

the beach guide

advocacy: the bonded medical place

tobyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to a cheap ride in newy 46

social: all About UNMS SOcial 57

Charity: Charity: 2014 Charity all about unms charity Events

medrevue: what is medrevue?

medball: save the date!

social: 2014 social events 58

the freshersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; OCamp: all you need guide to campus life to know about ocamp 41

introducing misc your medsoc advocacy committee and leadership 50

Back Page stuff

Welcome to wakeup! 58

Introductus

from the editors When I asked a few friends whether they thought first year had gone fast or slow, they invariably said fast. Real fast. Man on the moon, escape velocity kind of fast.

Despite their conviction however, I couldn’t help but feeling slightly different; that the year had dawdled its ponderous way past. When they reminisce on how it feels like only yesterday that they took in the musky scent of HB15, letting the door slam for the first time and seeing the fiery glint in the lecturer’s otherwise grey lifeless eyes, I nod and smile and recall the archaeological pace of the second hand in the last 10 minutes of a biomedical lecture in the late afternoon. I relive the uncounted hours spent writing PBL in such detail and admirable length that my arm went into spasm and my handwriting was reduced from its normal hideous scrawl to a new and totally unexplored level of illegibility. A stray glance would lead one to think a spider had fallen into a puddle of ink then fought out its death throes across my page, or an octopus dipped in crude oil was learning to tap dance on my desk. My sketch of the basic anatomy of the heart ended up looking like a detailed astronomical projection and my embryology diagrams were similarly incomprehensible…perhaps that was just me. What’s important to gain from this is that first year is often hectic and often not. Time flies when you’re having fun and busy, but opposite is also true.

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Introductus is therefore here to help smooth your transition into first year. We’ll file out the rough edges with academic advice - what books should I buy? Which lectures should I go to? How do I do a PBL? Why did I choose hubs for my elective? What is a public health and how do I kill it? We’ll buff you up

with hard earned social tips -why is fanny’s so sticky? Why do the college kids crash our parties? Are a riot squad, 10 policeman and vicious police attack canines enough to deal with them or do we need more? We’ll let you know give you the jump on where to go and what to do in Newcastle, as well as introducing the wide range of academic, social and sporting events and opportunities that are available to you. You’ll read of University secrets, the wonders of Convention among many other bits and bobs to help make you take advantage of all the Uni has to offer. So, welcome to Medicine at Newcastle, and nice work making it this far. And on behalf of Ductus and the team, here’s hoping that in a few short months time, you can reflect back on your first year at the mandatory post exam pub session and, with a wistful gaze and a foamy upper lip, know that it was a time full of friendship, learning, and the other important things. Lachlan 4

On behalf of Lachlan and Ming

Ming brings the creativity to #TeamDuctus, while Lachy is the Content King, and together make up the cutest Asian publications team in the history of ever. When not putting magazines together, Lachy enjoys spear fishing and chopping wood, while Ming enjoys sewing and critically analyzing modern Japanese literature. Told you we were the cutest.

from the president Dear Freshers of 2014,

Hello and welcome to medicine at the University of Newcastle!

Congratulations on earning a place at one of the best medical schools in the country, at least in our opinion. Although you will almost certainly find medicine challenging at times, it is without doubt that I can say it will be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding five years of your lives.

You don’t believe me? Well here are five things you can look forward to in your first month of medical school: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

First Day - getting lost in the Hunter building, making friends and of course a free lunch on MedSoc First Incision - a chance to mingle with some of the 600+ students that make up our medical school PBL - What actually is PBL apart from something you had to mention in your interview? O-Camp - what better way to get to know the students you will be studying with for the next five years Seeing your first REAL patient - Still one of the most terrifyingly exciting moments

Starting medical school can be a scary time. People will tell you about long hours of study, lack of sleep and the complete absence of a social life. I am here to reassure you that this is a load of utter rubbish! To this day the hardest part of med school was getting in. Now that UMAT is a thing of the past it is time to relax and enjoy the year ahead. To help with this there is a group of students dedicated to improving the student experience, otherwise known as MedSoc. The University of Newcastle Medical Society (or MedSoc) is the society that represents the 700+

medical students at the University. From running some great social events, to setting you up with your very own student mentor and everything in between, we have some hugely exciting activities lined up for 2014. If anyone has ever told you to ‘maintain a balance’ (like my parents every other day) there will be something for you in MedSoc. Social - Under the rule of the UNMS Social Seahorse, the 2014 social calendar is packed with events sure to excite. If you think you have been to a great costume party, be warned -- med students take their costuming to the next level!

Academic - Our academic events are always sure to inspire us about our future careers. This year you can expect to hear from speakers who have achieved more by 30 than most of us ever will. One of the highlights is hearing about the amazing opportunity you will have to spend time in just about any country in the world as part of your studies. Sports - For those of us who are more brawn than brains sport is a great way to relax, stay fit, and make some friends along the way. A highlight from last year was the Med team beating the Law students in our annual Med/Law rugby game. If you are lucky you might see me in a pair of tights trying to do something that resembles a Zumba class.

Charity - What is the term used to describe the intense fear of having to cook? This is just one example of a question that might come up at the Charity Trivia Night (and a common condition found in high school leavers). BBQ’s, bake-sales, running the City2Surf and many more events -- for those of you that said you want to ‘help people’ in your interview, this is your chance. PS. The answer is Mageirocophobia! Aside from running great events, MedSoc is your collective voice on a local, state and national level. We work closely with the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) as well as the Newcastle Medical Faculty to ensure you get

the most from the student experience. If this is something that interests you, think about nominating to be a first year representative when elections open.

I want to leave you with a few tips that I hope will make your start to medical school just a little easier and a lot more fun: 1. 2. 3. 4.

PBL Food - If you don’t bring PBL Food you’re gonna have a bad time Make friends with Sara - She will be your delightful year manager in first year and the person that will help with all your problems Get Involved - I know how clichéd it is, but from sporting clubs to global health groups the Uni has a place to meet people with shared interests Get a Mentor - Whether a formal mentor or just a friend in an older year, they have notes, past questions and lots of advice -- remember they have done it all before Monkey Monkey Monkey Otherwise known as the 3 Monkeys café (131 Darby St), their smoothies will bring new meaning to the word delicious James Wayte q

How James is enthusiastic about everything remains one of life’s greatest mysteries. Among a list of millions, James is passionate about student mental health and rural health and emergency medicine. James also goes by various names including the Termiwaytor and Mr Pwesident.

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By Rachel Zuzek

Woo!!! You are finally a med student! You have been through the stress of getting in and now you are faced with a bigger challenge… passing first year. Studying medicine can seem very intimidating at first, with so many new concepts to learn in what seems like a very short period of time. Yes it is a challenging course, but it is nothing that is out of your depth.

Now I could go through and list the importance of creating a study plan, being organised and not falling behind in lectures…but you are all smart people. I know that you are already aware that this is what you need to do to stay on top of your work and do your best. So instead, I have put together a quick list of tips and advice to help you get through first year with flying colours.

ask questions

PBL is all about generating hypotheses from the knowledge you already have and then building upon this with information gathered from observation and investigations. You need to question why a particular symptom has developed in a particular patient at a particular time. This can seem incredibly elusive with so many factors to take into consideration and so the more inquisitive you are the more hypotheses you will generate and the less likely that you will overlook something. It is all about the process of developing ideas and then ruling out those which are not consistent based on the information you have. It is designed to reflect the thought processes you will be using in the real world. When you are presented with a case, you will not have all of the information or the answers. You will need to be observant, critical and use logic to piece together what is in front of you and your knowledge to determine the best possible course of action.

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This is why I believe it is essential that you do not read the working problem before you go into opening. I have no doubt that all of you will have access to the PBLs through notes from older students that have been shared around. And whilst it might seem advantageous to read through the case beforehand, what is the point of trying to impress your tutor and peers with amazing hypotheses if they are not your own thoughts.

If someone yells out ‘teratogens’ in the first working problem without really knowing what they are, then this is probably what has happened. Plus not knowing makes the whole PBL so much more enjoyable too, otherwise it is like watching a movie that you have already read the spoilers to.

However, even more than this, you should question your own thoughts and also the ideas of others. Never just blindingly accept what someone says without first considering the statement yourself with your own knowledge or researching the topic. This is about being a critical thinker which will help you not only as a med student but throughout the rest of your life.

understand concepts. don’t memorise words

There is way too much content in medicine to just be memorising sections of text from Martini and this is just not sustainable. We have all crammed for exams before and most of the time it works. But the times you have crammed I can guarantee that 2 weeks later you probably couldn’t remember a thing about the topic. When Callister comes in the second week describing the process of gastrulation and the formation of a trilaminar germ disc, you will soon see that there is a lot to get your head around. However don’t worry, in medicine, you will revisit concepts time and

time again during the course of five years (‘spiral learning’). If you understand the major concepts then you will not have to start from scratch the next time you do that topic. This means working consistently throughout the semester and not trying to learn the content of 12 working problems in STUVAC.

So study how works best for you. Everyone is different and will have a different way of learning. You might like typing notes during lectures or just listening or reading a textbook and drawing diagrams – it doesn’t matter. Study in a way which is the most effective and efficient for you. And try to avoid distractions. Everyone is going to procrastinate and get distracted. I could say to deactivate Facebook and turn off your phone, but in reality that isn’t going to happen. The most important thing is to be realistic and just have some self-restraint. Let yourself have a break but set goals. So study consistently, understand the major concepts and you will have no problem getting through the semester.

be smart about your resources

One of the most challenging aspects of self-directed learning is knowing what resources to use. There are hundreds of textbooks, websites, databases and YouTube videos out there, but how do you know what is a good source of information and what is dodgy? For first semester, the most commonly used textbooks are Martini or Totora, they are both the same just different styles of writing (I personally preferred Guyton & Hall). But don’t just limit yourself to textbooks, read the lectures, read journal articles, use online databases (‘UpToDate’ is very useful), watch online tutorials.

However, again this is a personal preference depending on how you like to learn. I highly recommend watching the Dr Najeeb videos if

you are more of an oral and visual learner.

Now older students are a fantastic resource, get to know people and you will have access to a plethora of past notes, electronic textbooks and past questions. Other student’s note can be a helpful guide to the amount of detail to go into, however, don’t just copy the notes. Do the research, read and make your own using other notes purely as a guide. You will learn and retain so much more if you do it yourself. Practice past exams questions but don’t rely on them. Yes past questions can be an invaluable clue as to the crucial concepts you have learnt in a topic, but they are not the only ones that you need to know. There will be overlap between years but don’t become complacent in thinking that they are the only things that you need to know.

help each other out

The JMP program is based on a pass/fail system which has both its pros and cons. Whilst it can be frustrating at first not having feedback in regards to your raw marks and your rank, you will soon get used to it! The course is designed for all of us to work together and help each other out to improve the performance of the cohort as a whole. You don’t need to worry about ranks and there is not the competition you experience at school or in other uni courses. And don’t worry about trying to be the best. It can be a bit confronting for a lot of people who are used to being the top ranked student at school joining a cohort of other top ranked students. Instead of competing with each other, work together and you will all achieve more than what you could have alone. If you found a good resource, tell people about it. Study together. If you have past papers, share them. There are going to be people who have worked in a health care setting before and people who have already completed

health science degrees, each who will bring different knowledge and experience to the group, so make the most of this as well. Help your peers and you will benefit from it.

In addition, don’t be intimidated about asking for help and asking questions. Your tutors and lecturers are more than happy to help you out, so feel free to approach them.

read the course outline

Yes I am being serious. Whilst subject outlines are not the most exciting read, they contain a lot of useful information, everything from when your assessments are, what is required to pass the course, who to contact with questions to what labs are compulsory. You can’t claim ignorance about not knowing when that Public Health assignment is due or that you didn’t know that you actually get assessed during your PBLs.

All of this information is within the subject outlines and the faculty will expect you to read them. You are not going to have constant reminders of what you need to do. I strongly suggest buying a diary (or using the free one from the uni) and writing down important dates and reminders. Yes you can rely on your fellow peers to some extent, but at the end of the day it is your responsibility to know what is required for a particular subject.

don’t lose perspective of the bigger picture

Yes medicine will be difficult at times and if don’t perform as well as you would have liked in an assessment or are feeling out of your depth, don’t become despondent! Everyone is going to feel like this at some stage, you aren’t alone! continue next page b

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Determination will go a long way, you have worked hard to get here and you will all be leaving as doctors. And just remember that at the end of the day, this course and in fact all university courses are so much more than just passing your subjects. Everything you learn is for a purpose and has direct links to the real world. If you are getting frustrated Med is a lifelong commitment to learning and your time at uni is just the beginning of your journey.

enjoy!

Whilst medicine is challenging it is incredibly rewarding and enjoyable. Make the most of your opportunities and you will have a fantastic time whilst you are studying. Best of luck! Feel free to come and ask me any questions, I am more than happy to have a chat or a coffee! Rach q

unms academic Rachael is this the 2014 Academic Convenor and she is in charge of UNMS’ Academic Portfolio. Every year, UNMS Academic organizes four events, two in first semester, and two in second. These events are fantastic in supporting your professional development and provide you with information beyond the scope of those thought in the musty and gloomy HB15,. They also give you the opportunity to interact and get to know each other and those in older years! In 2014, you can expect these events:

the great debate

Dubbed the Comedy Festival of the UNMS Calendar, the Great Debate sees lecturers, clinicians and students debate over the most trivial of topics. See a wittier side to your peers and the funny bones of those feared clinicians.

electives night

Where to go on Electives? What placements are good? Where are the Solomon Islands? I can’t go to North Korea? Electives Night aims to answer these questions and help you organize electives and HES through the experience of student speakers and those in the faculty who know best!

saving jane doe

When not lifting pianos at the gym, Rachael enjoys being frighteningly clever, drifting cars and soaking up admiring looks from all angles. Her academic prowess is respected and feared throughout the uni, and some say that the answers to PBL are permanently etched into the rings of her iris. But don’t stare for too long. Her gaze has a time lord vortex effect, sending some mad, inspiring others, and causing a few to run away. Approach with caution.

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What’s better than studying medicine? Practicing medicine of course. Saving Jane Doe gives you the opportunity to practise what you’ve learned through real-life simulated First Aid-centred situations. Test your skills and push your knowledge to the limits, and see how you perform in emergencies.

osces night

A real Objective Simulated Clinical Examination is first undertaken in third year (though non-simulated OSCEs are examined in first and second) and OSCEs night aim to give thirdies an opportunity to practice their skills and gain feedback. Come along as a volunteer - you’ll still learn heaps!

problem based learning one-oh-one By Dr Ben Walker

What advice would you give yourself if you could travel back in time? Some go for the obvious ‘sports almanac’ or lotto results. On this occasion I have been asked to give myself advice as a first year medical student about the problem based learning (PBL) tutorial. I am not going to waste your valuable attention explaining the structure of the tutorials because this will be evident after the first week. I draw on my experience as a student and a tutor to offer my humble opinion and some practical tips.

think

PBL asks you to generate ideas (hypotheses) for what could be causing a patient’s problem (symptom or sign). Initially it will feel like this is impossible because you have no knowledge. But you are wrong; in fact you have a great deal of knowledge already. In your years in the world you have absorbed so much information about the human body, what can wrong with it and what doctors do that if you ‘think,’ you will amaze yourself. The effect is amplified when you add the collective experience of all group members to the process. Think about the following question; what could cause a headache? If you were able to give a list of diseases, the list would probably be short. You are not a doctor, yet, so how could you know all the common or important illnesses? Using your own experience, and problem solving the structures and mechanisms that might be involved, you will generate a surprisingly thorough list. The ideas might begin as a problem with the skull, brain, nerves, blood vessels, eyes, ears, teeth, or muscles. These ideas could be expanded into skull trauma, brain infection, nerve misfiring, blood vessel rupture, increased eye pressure, ear infection, tooth abscess, or neck muscle strain to name just a few.

simplify

Many students bring a desire to know everything which is a strength. What makes this very difficult is the number of different topics and the volume of information you encounter. From week to week there simply isn’t time to become an expert at each topic. What is more achievable is to start with a simple understanding on all the topics and build on each topic when you revisit it. While many will ask ‘how much should I know’, a better question is ‘how much time do I have’. You will need to pay very close attention to time management and study technique. It is a good idea to approach this like a job, have your own study timetable and be pragmatic about when to move on. Writing a text book out word for word is probably not a good use of your time. It is also important to be realistic about where to look for information. Try not to get caught up in the medical student trend of the biggest hardest textbook is best. Start with a resource that is easy for your stage of learning and build on it. Focus on the common and important things, common because they happen frequently, or important because they are lethal or highly damaging. You are in charge of your own learning and you will need to prioritise.

teach

The PBL tutorial will be of greatest benefit if you talk and genuinely engage each other. It is invaluable to really listen to the ideas of others and to understand their way of thinking. It is important that you can talk about a topic without relying on reading notes in front of you word for word. Summarising and being able to discuss the most important facts in a systematic way is the key skill. Ask the group questions, explain yourself using the whiteboard and be able to answer questions using your own words off the top of your head.

conflict

Healthy conflict in a PBL tutorial requires diplomatically challenging each other on ideas and knowledge. If you don’t understand ask for clarification or if you disagree explain why. Watch out for assumptions that are often made and be sure to question everything. It is OK to make ‘good’ mistakes because it is a ‘good’ learning opportunity. It is preferable to express yourself in these situations than to sit quietly. It is meant to be a safe environment where group members respect each other and learn from these experiences.

Remember that one day you will be doctor. That one day you will be standing there with a patient in front you, your patient. Their problem will be your problem to manage. Keep this clearly in mind because when that day comes it will feel like you were a first year medical student yesterday. Thinking about this endpoint should help guide you in what is important to know. The more you know, the less stressful it will be. You have five years and your learning is your responsibility.

If I could go back and talk to myself as a first year medical student these are some of the things I would say. I wonder what you would tell yourself, only time will tell. I wish you well and be sure to have a little fun along the way.

Dr Ben Walker is a graduate of the BMed Program and is now a faculty member and a PBL Tutor. Unsurprisingly, he is one of the best sources for PBL advice!

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By Ned McNamee

“LAW NUMBER THREE: At a cardiac arrest, the first procedure is to take your own pulse” – House of God, Samuel Shem. This is one of many gems The Fat Man delivers in the House of God, but is more applicable to students than most. Throughout your degree, looking after yourself has to be a priority. On the off chance you haven’t already heard, medicine is not an easy degree. It requires a serious commitment to meet what’s expected. It’s important to make sure you look after yourself throughout the five years so that you not only make it through unscathed, but also are best placed to start your professional career.

So, if you’re ever struggling, finding it hard to adjust, curious about bits and pieces or just looking for some help, where do you go?

other students

We’re all going through it! We’re all facing the same challenges as each other. Everybody is trying to balance the amount of hours study they do, trying to work out how to best learn volumes of content, how to have the cheapest night out possible. Most of us moved away from home as well, and went through all the same ups and downs in the process. Remember, we’re a herd of wildebeest, and we’ve got to stick together!

Your peers are your best source of guidance, especially those who’ve been managing for a few years ahead of you. Don’t shy away from asking for a tip. Flick us an email. Or meet us at the beach for a coffee! Delicious.

tutors

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Your tutor is your primary contact with the faculty. From an academic perspective, they hold all the

keys to your success. Talk to them about your study style, your PBL methods, your favourite resources. They’ve got the educational knowhow to help you out. If you ever feel you’re falling behind, or worried about your work, your tutors are there to help set you straight. Most likely they’ll tell you you’re smashing it and can have some more beach time!

year managers

It would be a record-breaking miracle for you to get through your five years at Newcastle and not have life get in the way of your degree. Year managers are your answer! As long as you’re not asking for a week off to work on your beach body in the lead up to summer, they’re very understanding. Make sure you know exactly who your year manager is and how to contact them.

student welfare and fitness to practice

The faculty has a procedural program that articulates the informal support process. It is designed to ensure ALL students have access to support services beyond those who actively seek them out.

This means there is facility for referral to this support program. For more information, speak to your tutor or year manager.

Those are your four channels of support, so make sure you use them. Look out for each other, and keep the herd going! If you need any more help, or would like assistance with anything, also feel free to contact me at vicepresident@unms.org.au. Ned McNamee + Vice-President

By Ming Yong

Being a “good doctor” does not mean being able to recite textbooks, but being able to know which textbooks to use for what information, and for what situation. With billions of medical textbooks out there, how do you know which ate the best, which are good, and which you should just ignore? Here is a concise guide from a textbook junke to give you a heads up!

a+p

Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) books are the only textbooks you’ll need in semester one and the classic two are Martini and Tortora. You’ll often be asked if you’re “a Tortora guy” or “a Martini kinda person” although there are barely any differences between the two. Most people, however, find that they are more comfortable with one or the other. My advice is not to buy either one before you try both! I bought a Martini in first year and realised I was a Tortora person. Heartbreaking. Also note that easily 80% of semester one MedSci won’t require sources outside Martini/Tortora. Full titles: 1. Martini and Nath’s Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology 2. Tortora and Derrickson’s Principles of Anatomy and Physiology

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anatomy

It’s quite a known fact that Newcastle is not renowned for its anatomy education, but this should not stop you from gunning anatomy. The two classic anatomy texts are Gray’s for Students and Moore and Dalley. Gray’s barely goes into depth, but is concise and has clear, straightforward diagrams. M&D has been known for it’s insane depth and never lacking info. I like depth, so I like M&D, but if you’re the concise type, go for Gray’s. Atlases are also useful. Netter’s have beautiful images, while Rohen and Yokochi uses labeled specimen photographs. Full titles: 1. Gray’s Anatomy for Students 2. Moore and Dalley’s Clinically Oriented Anatomy 3. Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy 4. Rohen and Yokochi’s Color Atlas of Anatomy 5.

histology

No doubt shotgun histology off YouTube is brilliant, but don’t base your histology off that! A good textbook can help you get more out of histology labs and easily 75% of these books are labeled photos of histology slides. If you’re a loser for pretty drawings like myself, then you’d want to go Netter’s Histology. Wheater’s is easily the most used histology textbook (because there are more Wheater’s in the MedRes than Netter’s, which you can only find at the John Hunter library). Histology is just histology, and there really is no difference at all which textbook you use. Full titles: 1. Netter’s Essential Histology 2. Wheater’s Functional Histology: A Text and Colour Atlas

pharmacology

Rang and Dale is really the only textbook you will ever need for pharmacology. It has depth, it is concise, and it explains pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics in the clinical context. Note that you’ll barely use it in semester one, but you’ll be using this book well into your degree. Harvard’s Nursing Guide to Drugs is no R&D, but a good drug companion. It is nice having a concise drug guide for the million different drugs out there, and is particularly helpful for patient write-ups and to find out about the weird sounding drug your patients goes on and on about. Full titles: 1. Rang and Dale’s Pharmacology 2. The Harvard Nursing Guide to Drugs

clinical medicine

Talley and O’Connor’s Medical Examination and Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine will be your medical bible. No day goes by in medicine when “Talley and O’Conner” isn’t mentioned - even consultants use them and it is no rumour that passing OSCEs and clinical exams comes easy to those who are able to recite contents from T&O’C. No joke about Oxford being the bible of clinical medicine. It has everything you need to know about everything medical in the most concise way possible. Like T&O’C, you’ll be using Oxford well into your medical career. Full titles: 1. Talley and O’Connor’s Clinical Examination 2. Oxford Handbook of Clinical Medicine

medicine

Textbooks on medicine run you through diseases systematically and guides you through its etiology, pathology, diagnosis, investigations, management, etc. Three

books come to mind when talking about textbooks on medicine: Davidson’s, Kumar and Clark’s and Harrison’s. To-may-toe, to-mahtoe. I don’t see much of a difference between the three. Like Tortora and Martini, it really just comes down to which one you feel comfortable with and take a personal liking to. I for one, prefer Davidson’s, but that’s only because I like its layout.

Full titles: 1. Davidson’s Principles and Practice of Medicine 2. Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine

medical sciences

There is a saying: “Guyton is God.” I believe in that. I love Guyton. So much. Putting bias aside, Guyton is the most used physiology textbook in BMed and present physiology in depth and is straightforward and easy to understand. People tend to complain that Guyton goes into too much unnecessary depth, but if you know what you need and what you should leave out, you’ll be fine. I hate pathology so I won’t make recommendations. But I heard Robbin’s Basic Pathology is good for semester one and Robbin and Cotran is good from semester two onwards. Full titles: 1. Guyton and Hall’s Textbook of Medical Physiology 2. Robbins and Cotran’s Pathologic Basis of Disease 3.

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the unms bookscheme

dictionaries

Medical textbooks are, unfortunately, some of the hardest things to find around Newcastle. Good thing UNMS has its own bookscheme. Here’s everything you need to know about the bookscheme in ten concise points. Jargon is a common struggle when you first start medicine, that’s why having a medical dictionary is a good idea especially in semester one. Besides having a go-to when you come across words like polycythaemia, cholelithiasis and dysdiadokinesis, medical dictionaries are also good first point references for systems and diseases you study each week, since they are good at providing an overview in a concise form. Mosby’s and Black’s medical dictionaries are some I would recommend, since they are medically comprehensive (unlike some tailored to be colloquial). Full titles: 1. Mosby’s Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions 2. Black’s Medical Dictionary

The thing about textbooks is that you may sell your soul to one, but your best friend may hate the same one with all his guts. That said, do not under any circumstances buy a textbook without having a test run of it first! Textbooks are very expensive, so you should only buy those you are certain you will use in the long run. If you’re after medical textbooks in Newcastle, be sure to check out the UNMS Bookscheme at the John Hunter Hospital (behind ward K2, near the JHH library) - it’s quite easy to find a bargain there!

Disclaimer: The textbooks reviewed here are those commonly used by BMed students (as observed by the author) and are reviewed in the most honest opinion of the author - he has used all of these textbooks at one point or another. Except those pathology ones. He really hates pathology.

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The UNMS Bookscheme is a non-for profit medical bookshop whose aim it is to provide textbooks to medical students at a subsidised rate, of up to 20% off RRP.

Besides textbooks, the bookshop also sells medical equipment like stethoscopes, examination equipment and anatomical wall charts. If the Bookscheme does not have the book or equipment you are after in stick, purchase orders can be made.

The primary reason for the Bookscheme’s existence is to serve the medical student body, specifically those who are members of UNMS. Make sure you get a UNMS membership to earn some good discounts.

Want to buy a MedSoc hoodie or a “BMed because there is no BS in our degree” T-shirt but can’t find anyone selling it on campus? The bookscheme also stocks on UNMS merchandise if you ever end up in situations like that. Can’t find someone to buy event tickets off too? Like merchandise, event tickets to MedSoc’s latest events are also sold here!

7. 8.

You can purchase second hand (or pre-loved, whatever rows your boat) textbooks here.

Somehow have too many textbooks lying around? Have a few books you never use anymore? You can sell your textbooks here too for some extra moolah! Win.

The Bookscheme is hiring! Ideally, there should be student representatives from at least the first three years on the staff in the Bookscheme, so we want you! If you are looking for a very flexible job to fit in around your medical degree, holidays and clinical work, and are passionate about meeting the needs of other medical students, then this job may be for you! We are looking for a first year medical student to help with customer sales, orders and processing in the UNMS bookshop. Please forward any resumes, or questions to unms-bookscheme@newcastle.edu.au by the 30th of March 2013.

10. No idea where JHH Room 6019 is? It is on the ground floor of John Hunter Hospital to the left of the main entrance (the RNC), past ward K2 and just before the Library. Simply turn left at the main entrance and walk all the way to the end. You can’t miss it if you just keep walking. If you have any questions about the bookscheme, send an email to unms-bookscheme@ newcastle.edu.au, or find UNMS Bookscheme on Facebook for the latest book updates. See you at the Bookscheme!

By Sasha Mathias

Instead of telling you for the billionth time “Why you should get a MedTor,” we thought we’d spice it up a little this time. How about give you a list of things you can ask your MedTor? 1.

What textbooks will I need for first year?

What IS public health?

2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Where do all the cool kids hang on campus?

I’m poor – where can I get lunch for $5 or under? What the hell is PBL?

Who is my year manager? Where on earth is HB15?

Which buses will get me to hospital? Doc.Com...?

10. Which buses will get me to Fanny’s (sorry, ‘The Argyle’)?

unms education The UNMS Education portfolio was established at the end of 2012 to address a shortage of MedSoc representation and assistance to students in the aspects of academia, particularly areas concerning failing and repeating subjects, navigating the appeals and adverse circumstances processes, PASS sessions, and scholarships. As opposed to the Academic Convenor who organizes UNMS Academic events, the Education Officer’s job is to explore academic support systems and the best access to educational help for all MedSoc members.

11. Who do I see if I’m struggling?

12. Where do I go to buy the cheapest 6 pack in Newcastle? 13. Where IS the Med Reserve?

14. Wanna grab a drink sometime? 15. How can I avoid getting picked on in an ethics lecture? 16. How late is too late to be out in Jesmond?

17. How do I get to the histology tute rooms? 18. What is medcest?

19. Why do I feel so goddamn hungry during anatomy?

20. What’s the best orange juice to vodka ratio?

21. What is MedSoc and how do I sign up? 22. What is the best way to get in touch with you? 23. What elective should I take? 24. What do the letters in BREAATHHE stand for?! 25. Who really is this James Wayte guy?

Now, how can you refuse a MedTor!?

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Outside the academic sphere and finding you your most ideal medtor, Sasha is known for her encyclopedic knowledge of Doctor Who and has been known to be one of the most real hipster person in BMed (none of that mainstream hipster crap, Sasha actually has custom-made shoes from Vietnam that costs less than the worst pair of KMart joggers). She is also known for her luscious black locks that somehow always look perfect, even after a sweaty game of netball or one of her twice-daily sessions at the gym.

By Toby Hunt & Nick Hewett

Heya first years!

Toby and I like to refer to ourselves as keyboard warriors; you may or may not have run into our prolific posting on your Facebook page regarding the upcoming opportunities for this year. If you haven’t read them, you’ve mostly missed out on our exceptional wit and stunning use of the English vocabulary. What we would like to say to you is all of the opportunities are still available and you should pick up as many of them as you can. For this year, Toby and I have decided to revolutionise the way sport is done by MedSoc by bringing in a whole bunch of new ideas so that there’s a little something for everyone. If you’re really competitive we’ve got you covered, or if you are more like Toby and enjoy a bit of socialisation and heckling when you play your sports, I’m sure he will be more than happy to teach you how to be a Bantersaurus-Rex. Be warned though, even in a social competition this can be dangerous. Toby can attest that your opposition isn’t always as laid back as you are. He may even tell you that a little humorous encouragement when an opposition player stuffs up can result in you legging it as they attempt to hit you. Aside from this, it’s wicked fun. For both the sports stars of tomorrow, and those who just want to get involved and meet a few new people. Now if we were to teach you anything from our experience of Medicine so far, our suggestion to you at the start of first year is ‘get involved.’ Med is a hectic degree but now is the best chance you will have to explore what the university has to offer and establish some work-life balance.

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What to look out for right now – Registration for our university sports competitions starts soon, and we’ve registered teams for you so keep a look out for our updates concerning this. ○○ ○○ ○○ ○○

○○ ○○

Mixed netball - Both competitive and social teams will be available Mixed touch rugby - Both a competitive and a social team will be available Mixed basketball - Only one preliminary mixed team has been registered but there is the ability to expand depending on interest. Men’s or women’s 11-a-side Football - If you are interested contact us on our email listed below. Dance and Yoga - A class will be run once a week at The Forum with dance and yoga on alternate weeks, look out for more information and contact us. Surfing- An opportunity to learn to surf or jump in with a more regular surf crew. Additionally for those of you who want to learn how to get sunburnt, Toby is a pro. Ultimate Frisbee- A social team to head down and participate on Monday nights

So who are we?

○○

We’re both in second year Medicine, although we both did a few other things before entering the sphere of medicine and both of

Coming soon – MSC sports day, paintball, the Colour Run, City2Surf, Maitland Jail laser Tag, Interfaculty Sports Day and more.

We are your worst nightmare... Jokes

us are originally from Sydney. We have taken on the persona of ‘oldies’, as some witty first year decided to refer to us as, and we love our sport. There is heaps to do here at Newcastle, from the standard everyday sports such as soccer, rugby etc. to sports you hear a little less about including ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, and staying awake in Public Health lectures (you will get this joke in due time first years). In short, we’re your sports conveners, but if you’re wondering about anything at all feel free to contact us via facebook (unless you have a really creepy profile picture, chances are we will accept your friend requests) or our sports email listed below, we’re always keen to help.

And, something New –

Ever thought pubs and sport mixed well? How about sports, friends and drinks? I’m definitely a firm believer in this, and so this year we are hoping to mix up the social side of a med a little and have a few events outside of Newcastle’s infamous clubs, giving people the opportunity to socialise in a more relaxed atmosphere. So for those of you who struggle to put two feet in front of the other on the dance floor, this could be for you. A few things we’re looking at are the Bledisloe cup, Soccer World Cup, visits to watch the Newcastle Jets and Knights play and more. If you have any suggestions send a message our way. If you’re lucky we may even have a bar tab at a few of these. We’ll even have sporting equipment you can borrow at the university, to save you bringing in your own and hauling it around uni all day! To keep updated check out unms. org.au/sport, shoot us an email at sport@unms.org.au or follow the updates on Facebook! Nick and Toby 6

unms sports Nick and Toby are MedSoc’s Sports Convenors for 2014, and they are the guys responsible for making sure you have the best work-play balance, the highest rates of endorphine secretion, and that those muscles stay toned and that beer belly at bay! With the constraints of ‘studying all the time,’ what could be better than two guys organising all your sports needs, and ensuring all you have to do is show up and have fun? In 2014, you can expect these four events to fuel your sports needs and healthy lifestyle.

registered sports

Spots on mixed touch, netball and basketball teams for the Forum’s social competitions are on offer. Cost: $90 will help cover your registration, uniforms and team sporting equipment. Great for anyone wanting to get active and have some sporting fun. Men’s Soccer will also be available soon - for more details contact us.

sports classes

All new Dance/Yoga and Surfing classes will be available this year. Cost: Surfing TBA, Dance/Yoga $25-$30. Surfing is going to be a weekly beach gathering for beginners and professionals alike. Dance will be run by our very own Hannah Coleman - she will attempt to offer a variety of different dance styles.

nswmsc sports day Hosted by the NSW Medical Student Council, Sports Day is great for those who want to have fun or those who want to destroy their enemies in inter-uni battles. Last year a variety of sports were offered, and we happen to be reigning champions, so we want to hang on to our silverware. Stay tuned later in the year for more details.

Toby Hunt is a name you’ll hear before long, if not already. Apart from his very red hair, Toby is a versatile cook, curiously well informed about wine, and a very good singer (often mistaken for Ed Sheeran too).

Ladies form a line. Not only can Nick surf, play excellent guitar and hold his breath for long periods; he also has agelessly rugged good looks and carelessly tousled hair.

interfaculty sports

Interfaculty Sports is the way to show those law kids who is boss. This year we are hoping to expand Interfaculty Sports to include Business and Physiotherapy students to at least allow the law kids a bit of reprieve from the gruelling punishment we will inflict on them. Stay tuned for more details.

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By Emma Curé

What’s bright orange, 50+ years old, and was recently featured on news programs by the ABC and Triple J Hack? It’s an AMSA, of course! …But what’s an AMSA?

No, it’s definitely not an MDO offering you free pens and legal support. AMSA is the Australian Medical Students’ Association, run entirely by medical students with the intention of connecting, informing and representing all 17,000 medical students in Australia. AMSA does this in 3 ways – Events, Advocacy and Engagement.

events

Whether you’re a social butterfly, a medico-political fanatic, or seeking inspiration from some of Australia’s most revolutionary leaders in healthcare, there’s an AMSA event for you!

National Convention From July 6th to 13th, over 1200 medical students from across the country will descend upon Adelaide for National Convention, AMSA’s premier annual event. During the day there’s a spectacular lineup of world-class, inspirational academic speakers, field trips to the city’s local attractions, and a gripping debating program. When the sun goes down, it’s time to step into a breathtaking social program and mingle with the other meddies. You’ll soon learn about the intense rivalry between medical schools – I believe 2014 is the year Newcastle will reign supreme and claim the coveted Convention Cup! My trusty Junior-rep, Jim Fann, will be sure to tell you more about it…

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Registration night in late March will be fiercely competitive – last year tickets sold out in less than 15 minutes! For more information, visit: un.convention.al

Global Health Conference (GHC) Whether you want to fight climate change, work with Médecins Sans Frontières in a developing nation, or advocate for refugee rights, the Global Health Conference in Sydney will inspire you from September 5th to 9th. For more information, chat to your delightful AMSA Global Health Rep (Jazmin Daniells) and visit: http://ghc2014.amsa.org.au/ National Leadership Development Seminar (NLDS) This is a small but highly regarded 4-day seminar, targeting those with a particular interest in medical leadership and political advocacy. Held in Canberra, you’ll be surrounded by a swathe of inspirational leaders with stories and ideas to fuel your ambitions.

advocacy

As an AMSA Rep, my job is to listen to your ideas and your concerns about almost anything med-related. I then take these issues to the National Executive, who advocate and act on these concerns. They speak on our behalf to relevant figures in healthcare administration, medical educators, politicians, and media outlets. AMSA’s advocacy agenda focuses on the biggest issues of medical education and healthcare, and in 2014 the leading advocacy themes will be: ○○ The provision of quality internships for all graduating medical students ○○ Strategies and initiatives to promote the mental health and wellbeing of University students ○○ Ensuring medical education is of a high quality, and is adequately funded

AMSA will also be calling for: ○○ The implementation of a national internship application process ○○ Adequate support for students in rural clinical schools ○○ Further evolution of medical

○○

school curricula, particularly in the areas of global health, Indigenous health and anatomy The provision of sufficient financial support for medical students, and additional income support for those who face barriers to participating in tertiary education

engagement

AMSA is open for any medical student to get involved in. If you’re keen as a bean to get involved, here are a few ideas: ○○

○○ ○○ ○○ ○○ ○○

Join the AMSA@UNMS subcommittee! Join Jim and I to run AMSA-based events in Newcastle, discuss policies and instigate wellbeing campaigns. Attend an AMSA Event – Do it in Years 1 and 2, before the Faculty enforces attendance restrictions in Years 3-5. Join an AMSA subcommittee – E.g. Student Mental Health and Wellbeing, AMSA Global Health, etc. Join an events team – For National Convention, GHC or NLDS. Apply to be a guest at AMSA Council – There are 3 held annually. Get involved with policy development for AMSA Council.

I’m AMSAlutely thrilled to be your AMSA Rep for 2014, so don’t hesitate to get in touch for more info. If you can’t find me around campus, shoot me an email at amsa@unms. org.au and visit the AMSA website: www.amsa.org.au Chow, Emma f

what is the training crisis? In the early-mid 2000s the number of medical school places in Australia became uncapped, causing accelerating increases in the annual intake of medical students and the opening of many new medical schools.

As a result of these increases, in 2012 the number of medical graduates finally exceeded the number of PGY1* Internship positions available to them nationwide. Training places had not been created in the hospital system to accommodate these medical student increases. In each progressive year the gap has continued to widen as efforts by both State and Federal governments have failed to provide an adequate vocational training solution. As these excess graduates try to move through the advanced medical training pathways (including GP), there is a continuing shortage of positions and a subsequent bottleneck effect on trainee progression. What does it mean for you? ○○ If you’re a domestic student, it means your future career prospects are being narrowed. ○○ If you’re an international student, you’re currently not guaranteed a job in Australia once you graduate.

Here’s the clincher: Australia is heavily reliant on International Medical Graduates (IMGs). These are doctors who have completed their medical degree (and possibly part of their training) in another country. These IMGs are brought to Australia and employed to work in our healthcare system, because we’re not producing enough of our own doctors.

So we’re loosing our own graduates that have been supported by Australian taxpayer dollars, only to bring in IMGs with a much poorer understanding of our health system. If you think this is ludicrous, help us to advocate for: ○○ ○○

Increasing the number of training positions in the medical pathway – from PGY1 to specialty training places Stopping the unnecessary opening of new medical schools (such as the Curtin Medical School, and the Murray Darling Medical School by CSU & La Trobe)

Visit interncrisis.org for more info and contact your AMSA Rep (amsa@unms.org.au). *PGY1 = Post Graduate Year 1.

Emma is known for being keen. Very keen. So keen, she was given the name keenbean Curé in her first year of medicine Besides her keenness, Emma is also known for her powerful voice (which she got to show off as the female lead of UNMS’ musical production “Which Doctor?” in 2013) and having an OCamp award given out in her honour, appropriately named the Emma Curé award for Fear of Missing Out.

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By Jim Fan

As a medical student it’s sacrilegious to use the concept of magic as a justification for pretty much anything. You quickly discover that magic isn’t going to be the cure for cancer and it most definitely won’t be an answer to any exam question. Magic won’t even help you find an extra thousand dollars in your thinly-spread student budget for this “thing” that will change your lifewhich you’ll be scrambling to do so by the end of this article. This “thing” is called AMSA National Convention, or Convention for short… And boy, is it magical. Now I’m going to make a call right now, before we get on any further and say Convention WILL be the best week of your year. Hell, your medical degree. It sure was mine. Has that tickled your curiouslty? Itching to know more? Read on. So what is it? Well, it’s a conference… But it’s also a week-long gathering of over 1000 medical students from all across the 20 medical schools between Australia and New Zealand. A week filled with inspiration, learning, growth, networking, fun and utter epic-ness. A week where you learn to let go and do as other delegates (affectionately known as “Rangers”) do and embody the philosophy of Getting Amongst It (GAI). That last one is especially important, because GAI is the ticket to the magic. No I wasn’t quitting on that analogy, not quite yet. You’ll believe me soon enough.

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You know that feeling of wonder you experience when a magician does something that you didn’t think was humanly possible? That’s the same feeling that you get during the academic sessions when you hear presentations from the original authors of our medical bibles. And those passion-invoking presentations from human rights activists about global health injustices are guaranteed to make that mandible bone drop inferiorly.

Sitting there, amongst those thousand other medical students in the theatre that are ooo-ing and aaaing, clenching their fists, giving standing ovations and mirroring your own emotions. That’s the real magic. Because you’ve found them, a group of people just as nerdy, just as passionate and just as into medicine as you. The social nights will alter your reality. They end as late as 3am while academic starts at 9am sharp. Your body and mind will be pushed, and you’ll be able to do things you never thought you could. Your definition of partying will be redefined. Thought you couldn’t enjoy an alcoholic beverage dressed as superman while waiting in line to ride a rollercoaster at night? Think again.

I was there, along with 1600 other medical students all in costumes, amidst fireworks lighting up the night and dancing in buildings at Movie World that had been transformed into nightclubs. That happened last year. See where I’m going with the magic? May I just add, in reference to the costumes at Convention, never have I seen anything in fashion that is so creative in making use of so little resources.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I haven’t mentioned that feeling of passion and pride as you and your fellow Newcastle Rangers battle it out on the national stage against 19 other medical schools. Whether it’s oiling up those rippling abs to compete in Australia’s Brawniest Medical Student, or meticulously reciting every useless trivia fact that you know to win Australia’s Brainiest Medical Student. Convention is a place where you whip out your smartest of witticisms to conquer the Debating competition, and polish those first aid skills to rescue lives in the Emergency Medical Challlenge. There are so many of those magical moments that by the end of it you, you start taking it for granted and when it stops there’s

even a medical condition that many Rangers are known to succumb to: PCD (Post-Convention Depression)

It’s funny though. It isn’t really the partying or the learning or competing or even the costuming that you really miss. It’s the people. Whether it’s that cute Adelaidian boogeying on the dance floor, or that overachieving Monash student hung on every word at that 9am academic session, you miss them all. There is such a community feel and such a sense of belonging. It’s the people that are the source of the magic.

convention ‘13 Tl;dr? Let these photos from Convention 2013 at the Gold Coast do all the talking.

So what are you waiting for? Registration is in late March. That’s less than a month away! Start Saving! Sign up for a credit card! Plead to your parents! For more info, you can chat to me, your Jnr AMSA rep, or if you’d prefer someone more attractive and charming, Emma’s always available too (amsa@unms.org.au) as well as the Convention website (un.convention.al) I’ll leave you with this -

There was this moment, on the last night of Convention 2013 at 5am while I was walking through the streets of the Gold Coast, flanked by a ranger in a Barney costume we embarked on the final frontier of every Convention, the scavenger hunt for the notorious “Chicken and Champagne”. At that moment, as cheesy as it sounds, I realised that all the sweat blood and tears that I’d put into getting to where I was today was all so worth it and though I hadn’t made it yet, got to where I wanted to in life, I learnt that I could have the time of my life on my way there. That stuff’s magic.

Written with much Unconventional love, Jim 4

At OCamp 2013, Jim (pronounced “Jum” in honour of Jim being Kiwi) brought home the prestigious James Wayte Award for the Most Menacing First Year after staring down a couple having “fun times” at a playground in Port Macquarie, subsequently receiving a death threat. When Jim isn’t busy winning awards and staring down couples having “fun times,” he can usually be found in the Hunter Building being keen and talking about (surprise surpise) Convention.

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2014

e d i ela

unconventional

? unbelievable

unexpected

unknown

unpredictable

6 - 13th of July, 2014

visit

un convention al to find out more

unrelenting

By Dr Steve Hurwitz

On my first day on the hospital ward as an intern, I saw the medical student on my team head home at about two-thirty in the afternoon. I watched with longing eyes, as it was only a couple months ago I was leaving early and taking long lunches too! Medical school provided me with some of the best years of my life. Being a medical student comes with many privileges. Patients let you into their lives. They share personal, sensitive and intimate information with you, they let you poke, prode and examine them even when they’re in extremely vulnerable situations. I found this incredibly both incredibly rewarding, and occasionally quite confronting. There are even more privileges. Society views medical students as altruistic and intelligent people. This opens up many doors, which I think encapsulate the best thing I found about med school- the opportunities! There are just so many chances to follow your interests and really enrich your time at university.

I remember being inundated with student societies to join in first year: Medsoc, Wake Up!, BREATHHE, NUSA and the list goes on. I interacted with each of these groups over the years, some more than others, whether it be joining a committee or just attending one of their parties. While some may do more than others, the best thing I found with groups like these was that it connected me with other medical students across all the years in Newcastle and even with students across the country. This helped make some really strong friendships that I still value immensely today.

I was concerned that medical school would confine me to the books for 6 years. I often felt like I wasn’t studying enough, but I soon realised this feeling would remain irrespective of how much time I spent preparing for a PBL or exam. Once I had this realisation I found myself enjoying medical school much more and em-

bracing the extra-curricula opportunities around me.

However, even within the confines of the curriculum there’s plenty of room to spread your wings. The elective (HES) in 3rd year allows you to go almost anywhere in the world and in 4th year you can actually complete one of the semesters overseas on exchange in Norway or the UK. One student even completed the optional Bachelor of Medical Science (which I highly recommend) in Sweden!

Med school wasn’t easy. There were times when I doubted that I was cut out for it. In the pre-clinical years I sometimes lost sight of where I was heading. In the clinical years I would sometimes get exhausted and overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge they expected us to know, but I was never alone during this. So many of my close friends went through similar thought processes, but the beauty of studying in Newcastle is that like a herd of wildebeest, we get through it together. Med School is amazing. Congratulations on getting in, you’ve got an incredible 5 years ahead of you.

Steve graduated medicine last year and over his 6 years in the BMed/BMedSci program, embodied every aspect of medical school, from serving as MedSoc President in 2012, going on exchange in Oslo, attending 5 Conventions, and everything in between. Some would go as far as calling Steve the mascot of the BMed program - for good reason too.

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By Joy Kim & Wincoln Tham

It’s easy to spot them all sitting in their own corner during lectures and they seem to be around for every single one of them. It might be hard to understand their English and they might sound like they are rapping while speaking to you. Who are these people who seem to be studying too much? ‘Hi how’s it going?’ ‘Not too bad…’

That’s pretty much what you’ll get from us when you ask of us. Many times you expect us to continue the conversation but we stop short, not knowing how to do so. The awkward silence sets in… Truth be told, we’re not sure if it’s appropriate to say what comes to our minds or are just worried if you guys will ever understand us. Not to mention how daunting it can be to speak in a big group… we are worried that we might sound like we’re blabbering nonsense at the wrong place wrong time. And when we ever garner enough courage to say it, things can get quite messy when you guys do not understand us. (Ordering coffee in Huxley has been such a chore when I try to pronounce and spell my name so I’ve decided to use a fake last name instead) So more often than not, you’ll find us weirdly quiet and hard to talk to.

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Well, guess we all do understand that this is part and parcel of getting used to a different culture. So do pardon us while we try to meet the Aussie demands (especially for year 1s). Despite our English education (YES, we have been using the English Language since young and I suppose we have to have to have some form of qualifications to get in BMed), there are many different areas of the Aussie spoken language which are new to us. Your accent, common short-forms (Mackers = Macdonalds) and even simple word pronunciation might be second nature to you but sound like Greek to us.

So do grant us a little of your patience when we’re at a loss for words or if we do not understand your humour. We’ll be glad to catch onto the Aussie norms sooner rather than later! We just need a little more time and confidence to break the ice and warm up to you Aussie people.

Or maybe take the extra step and make the effort to get to know more about our culture and life back at home. Small talk can do wonders in many ways and might just brighten our day up. One thing’s for sure, I do appreciate how PBL has allowed me settle in well by having an open environment for me to speak up. As the weeks went by and I got to know my group-mates more, I was getting more at ease with the people around me. I was blessed to have some awesome tutors as well. So for internationals coming in, do take the chance to express yourself in PBL!

That being said, I always wonder if things would be the same if our places were swapped. Given how eloquent and outspoken most Australians are (at least for the people I’ve met in my short time here), I reckon you guys would fit in better for a start wherever you go. So it’s probably something that we can pick up! Nevertheless, we’re sure that most, if not all of us who have travelled here are keen to experience the time of our lives. In the midst of trying to fit all the medical knowledge into our brains, meeting people from so many different backgrounds is what makes our Uni experience all the more exciting and worthwhile.

Finally, judge-us-not for the amount of work we do every week! Given the amount of fees we have to pay for each semester in Newie… That’s all folks, looking forward to another awesome year in BMed :) Joy Kim / Wincoln Tham .

tips on how to integrate

events to keep an eye out for

unms international

modern aussie slang and lingo

Are you an international student? Yes? Then be sure to keep an eye out for these events. More details will be available throughout the year from your international officers Joy and Wincoln.

UNMS International is a representation and advocacy portfolio that represents international students of the BMed Program who make up pproximately 20% of the entire BMed population.

Probably one of the hardest things to become accustomed to for an international student, I was left absolutely confused after all the “arvos, sup’s, ambo’s, barbie’s (not the doll)”. Naturally, Aussies do have their own slang and lingo. However, there is no need to fear! If you don’t understand, never be afraid to ask! They would be more than happy to help.

aussie sports

Apart from many sports which Australians share with other nations, they have their own unique sports which they are very passionate about. To you, football may refer to the sport where teams like Barcelona or Arsenal are affiliated to. However, here it refers to AFL (Australian Football League). Australians are very big on their rugby. Though it may take some time to understand the local sporting scene, getting to know these sports can provide you with topics of conversations with the locals or even share a sporting hobby with them. UNMS will be setting up several social and competitive sporting teams so make sure you get on it if you are into sports! Check our website and keep yourself updated!

asking questions is perfectly okay!

Don’t understand what your new Aussie mates are talking about or don’t get the inside joke? Don’t just smile awkwardly - ask! Australians are not scary and will be more than happy to provide an explanation and tell you what on earth is going on.

round table meetings

Do you have something on your mind? At round table meetings, you will get the opportunity to raise issues you have as an international student. It can range from issues like the problems you face in Uni life to the internship crisis we face upon graduation. Through this, we hope to be able to provide a platform for the Internationals to voice their concerns. Relevant issues will be documented and brought to the attention of the UNMS committee and from there, to the faculty, AMSA or to any appropriate bodies.

first year meet and greet

Meet your fellow batch mates and seniors from all over the world! Come for the First Year Meet and Greet and enjoy FREE FOOD (halal) while getting advice from senior international students and international academic support staff. Check your student emails/ International Students Facebook page for the exact date, time and location of this event. It might be sooner than expected.

International Students face unique issues, a lot of which are not shared with Domestic Students, such as: ○○

○○ ○○ ○○

Academic issues particularly in regards to language and cultural barriers and the mode of education delivery in Australia far different from those of their homeland. Welfare and Wellbeing, and the effects of being thousands of miles away of their usual support network. Security and bing away from home in unfamiliar places. Post-graduate training: With the current internship crisis, international students are the first to lose out on jobs on graduation, leaving their futures in limbo.

UNMS International is always in need of support in areas of advocacy and representation. If you are an international student, make sure you jump on board by contacting your International Officers Joy and Wincoln at international@unms. org.au. If you are a domestic student passionate about these issues, send an email their way too!

international food stall

During charity week, International students are rallied to cook dishes for the International Food Stall. Whether you cook a dish, or buy one, it is all for a good cause. All proceeds from international omnoms go to Leap Frog.

Introductus

By Lewis Donovan

So you have your first hospital tutorial coming up. It says “History Taking,” but it doesn’t tell you what you need or need not wear. It’s okay that you lost some sleep over this - you just want to make the best first impression! Don’t worry. We are here to help - here are the six basic rules to dressing right for hospital.

rule #1 In the hospital, conservative is king: If you’re unsure about what you’re wearing to hospital is appropriate, ask yourself “what would grandma say?”

rule #2 Don’t be too formal:

If you overdress (suits, ties, etc.) you run the risk of looking like the nerdy new kid on the block or an arrogant dick who thinks he is way cooler than he is.

rule #3 Avoid allergens:

Fur, feathers and heavy perfumes can trigger hay fever type reactions, especially in patients who are already sick, so they are not the smartest choice for clothing. Apart from that, they just look retarded.

rule #4 Closed shoes only:

Clunky beds and wheelchairs are constantly rolling around and pointy objects may go astray, so make sure you give your feet protection. Comfort is good, but unless you want to look like a hobo, Dunlop Volleys are a no-no. Stick thin stilettos are also a bad idea.

rule #5

Tone down the bling: Aside from being a hygiene issue, large tats and excessive or unusual jewelry may distract the patient and reduce the efficacy of your clinical encounter.

rule #6 Don’t dress like a TV

doctor: Do not under any circumstances wear a lab coat. Some may go so far as to suggest holding your stethoscope in your hand instead of wearing it around your neck. Forget them. I say throw it up there like you just don’t care!

Introductus

Adapted from “Clinical Dress 101” by Lewis Donovan, Introductus 2012.

Visit mips.com.au/join

• accredited risk education.

• MIPS Protections (non-healthcare indemnity matters)

• personal accident cover

• cover for overseas placement

• 24-hour Clinico-Legal Support

• medical indemnity insurance cover

The beneﬁts of membership have been speciﬁcally tailored to meet the needs of healthcare professionals and include:

Any financial product advice is of a general nature and not personal or specific. You should read the Membership Benefits Handbook Combined Financial Services Guide and Product Disclosure Statement available from mips.com.au/publications before making a decision on whether to join MIPS. Medical Indemnity Protection Society Ltd ABN 64 007 067 281 AFSL 301912. AD20131021

MIPS membership includes indemnity insurance cover, and was designed by healthcare practitioners to exceed the minimum requirements outlined by AHPRA. MIPS is consistently working to provide the highest level of support and value to our members and is committed to providing members with the security and support they need to practice with conﬁdence.

In both healthcare education and clinical practice you face signiﬁcant risk of complaints, investigation and legal action, which is why every health student and practitioner ought to have the comprehensive protection MIPS provides – so you can protect what really matters to you.

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janua ry

februa ry march april may

years 3, 4 & 5 begin

australia day (observed)

australia day

gp club

first incision

year 3 vacation

leadership 05msc day & cocktail

daylight saving ends

uni begins

clinical years meet and greet

amsa nat. convention rego opens

june

new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day

pub crawl

saving 16 17 jane doe year 1 &2 vacation/ easter break

osces night

11 18

charity trivia night good friday

party

12 19

amsa national leadership development seminar

year 3 stuvac

year 3 examx/ year 1, 2 & 4 stuvac

year 1, 2 & 4 exams/ year 3 vacation

year 1 & 2 exams/ year 3 & 4 vacation

years 3 & 4 begin

ocamp

medical leadership seminar

medball

decem b

novem

b er

octobe

septem

b er

augus

july

amsa national convention

year 3 stuvac

uni begins unms open meeting

amsa global health conference

specialties night

electives night

medrevue

year 3 exams

year 1, 2 & 3 vacation

year 1 & 2 vacation

daylight saving starts

year 3 hes begins

year 1 & 2 stuvac

year 1 & 2 exams

21 28

msc preinternship meet and greet

year 1 & 2 exams/ year 4 stuvac/ year 5 celebration week

year 1, 2 & 4 exams

new yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eve

christmas day

teddy bear hospital

unms twenty-fourteen

msc sports day

JMP BMed students in all years, Prevocational Doctors (interns and residents), GP Registrars and GPs are all welcome to attend GP Club events held in Newcastle and Gosford. These events are provided free of charge, including dinner and refreshments. The GP Club is a combined initiative of General Practice Training – Valley to Coast and The University of Newcastle’s Discipline of General Practice. Would you like to find out more about a career in general practice in a relaxed and enjoyable social environment? Events usually feature inspiring GPs speaking about why they enjoy their exceptional careers, and showcasing the diversity of opportunity in general practice. Professional skills training is an enjoyable and rewarding activity for GPs and students alike. These sessions are coordinated by the experienced teaching staff of both the Discipline and Valley to Coast with the assistance of volunteer GPs and GP Registrars.

GP Club Events Overview 2014 Date

Location

Theme

Skills Stations

Target audience

Wednesday 26 February

Gosford

Women’s Health and Sexual Health

Pap smears, breast checks, STIs and vaginal infections, contraceptives

Year 3-5+JMO

Thursday 3 April

Newcastle

Charity

Social Media and Medicine Avoid Misunderstandings around physical exams

Year 1-5

Thursday 10 July NAIDOC WEEK

Newcastle

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Communication skills? Rashes? Entertainment

Year 3-5+JMO

Tuesday 19 August

Gosford

Vision

Eye examination

Year 3-5+JMO

Wednesday 8 October

Newcastle

Trauma

Musculoskeletal

Year 1-2

You may register for GP Club events by visiting www.gptvtc.com.au , finding the GP Club page from the Medical Students/JMOs tab on the left hand side, then clicking on the link to RSVP.

By Alex Scott

Welcome to the JMP! If you are a domestic student, this may mean that you are joining us via a Bonded Medical Place (BMP) – a scheme offered to a quarter of all Commonwealth supported applicants at all medical schools.

I signed a BMP contract over three years ago, and like many others, I did so without much of a second thought, as the imposition of the terms of the agreement were a requirement to claim my place in the medical program. I then put the agreement in the back of my mind, and it wasn’t until now that I have begun to think about what the agreements actually means in terms of my future career.

The BMP scheme was introduced in 2004 to address the shortage of doctors in outer metropolitan, rural and remote areas of Australia. Those who accept the BMP scheme are contractually obligated to undertake a return of service obligation(RSO) in a district of workforce shortage (generally outer metropolitan or rural areas), equal to the length of their medical degree. The RSO only becomes compulsory once the participant gains fellowship of a specialist college, although up to half of the RSO can be completed in the vocational training period prior to fellowship.

At this point it is too early to formally evaluate whether or not the scheme is effective, as very few practitioners have commenced their RSO period, although at this early stage it is looking like the scheme is failing to meet its target of supplying medical officers to under supplied areas. So far (as at the writing of the Mason Review in February 2013) only one participant has commenced their RSO, and three participants have “bought out” of the scheme. Buying out of the scheme equates to repaying 75% of the total Commonwealth contribution towards the medical degree, and is evidently an attractive option for those who do not wish to commit to years of practice in a rural area (due to career ambitions or otherwise). An unintended consequence of this is that for many a BMP is merely an alternative to a fullfee paying medical course. Commitment to this scheme is fraught with other issues too. Many partici-

pants have expressed concern over the complexity of the scheme and its lack of flexibility, the perception that it is a coercive program, and a perceived lack of support and mentoring for those practitioners required to go work in a district of workforce shortage. The Australian Medical Students’ Association has taken issue with the scheme too, believing that “The Bonded Medical Places scheme is exploitative of prospective medical students and takes advantage of their desire to study medicine,” and that other means of attracting doctors to areas of workforce shortage should be prioritised.

If this scheme is failing to work (and there are certainly some strong reservations about the BMP at this point) then should it be reformed or abolished? The scheme is unlikely to be abolished at this stage, but reform is certainly on the cards. Some options discussed in the Government’s Mason Review are to cut the length of the RSO in half, in order to make “buying out” less attractive, and increased support for BMP students by increasing their engagement in rural communities through sponsored placements. A more radical alternative to the BMP (although certainly more equitable in my opinion) is to require a universal RSO of all recent medical graduates in workforce shortage areas, as is done in South Africa through a “community service” year. Interestingly, a legal barrier to this option in Australia is that medical conscription (which an RSO may be interpreted to be) is constitutionally prohibited. So what does all this mean for you? At this point it may seem that ten years from now you will either be commencing a 5 year RSO, or not (if you choose to fork out the big bucks), but watch this space and maybe if we make enough noise, the powers that be will change things for the better. Alex is UNMS’s representative to the Australian Medical Association (NSW Branch), and hopes to keep you up to date on BMPs and other issues this year. If you have any thoughts or questions about BMPs he would love to hear them at alexander.j.scott@uon.edu.au

Introductus

By Hannah Sycamore & Steph Smith

Hellloooo first years!

We hope you are all super keen for 2014! We sure are - we have plenty in store for you.

What do you say when someone asks you why you’re doing Med? The most common answer, along with “My parents wanted me to” and “I wanna earn the big bucks” would probably be “I just want to help people.”

Good thing we’re here then to save the day! As your UNMS Charity Co-Convenors for 2014, we have come up with a whole heap of ways for you to actually walk the talk and prove that you really do want to help people. If you are an expert sausage cooker; a trivia aficionado; a cupcake baker (or just eater); or you simply love to shake your booty - then you should definitely get involved with Charity this year.

UNMS Charity is excited to be supporting Fair Go For Kids again in 2014. FGFK is an initiative of LeapFrog Ability, and provides the much needed treatment, equipment and support to children in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley who are disadvantaged or living with a disability. Without their support, these children can be left waiting for up to two years for the help that they so urgently need. So with the assistance of the wonderful medical students of Newcastle, this amazing charity can continue to give these children the opportunities they deserve. Thank you to those who are already on the charity bandwagon after helping out with our Bunnings BBQ earlier in March. We couldn’t have done it without you! We really appreciate you joining us to throw some snags on the barbie in the name of Fair Go For Kids.

This year we really plan on putting UNMS Charity on people’s radars, but this is only possible with your help!

Introductus

“You’ve convinced me! How can I get involved?”

join the charity subcommittee

We’re looking for two passionate and committed students from each year to join us in our Charity Subcommittee this year. If you’re keen to get involved in MedSoc, want to meet people in other year levels, and help out with this great charity, have a think about applying! Send us an email with a brief description (no more than 150 words) of why you want to get more involved to charity@unms.org.au by 20th March.

lend a hand at events

If you don’t want the responsibility of being a full-time committee member, then why not just give us a hand with our events? If you are an aspiring baker or just fancy lending a hand on the day then we want you! Contact us at charity@unms.org.au or via Facebook. xoxo, Hannah and Steph e

Hannah and Steph are both currently in second year med. If you ever see them around uni, be sure to say hi, and never be shy about sharing that charitable idea that got you into med!

about leap frog LeapFrog ability is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation. While delivering their services to members of the community who are disadvantaged or living with a disability LeapFrog noticed that it is the children on waitlists who are the most vulnerable and required the speediest solutions. Fair Go For Kids was started to allow us to raise funds solely for the purpose of giving kids with a disability the best possible opportunities to lead a normal life. LeapFrog ability’s desire is to reduce the hardship and distress of Hunter children who are disadvantaged or living with a disability. They do this by dramatically shortening the time it takes for them to receive treatment, equipment or support. Being able to bypass waiting lists for assistance has a huge impact on the quality of life of these children and their families. With donations received, they pay for services such as medical procedures, early intervention programs, therapy and equipment, making life easier for these children.

FGFK believes that: ○○ A child who is disadvantaged or has a disability has the right to experience life in the same way and receive the same opportunities as any child in the community. ○○ A child who is disadvantaged or has a disability should not be forced to wait unnecessarily for treatment, equipment or support - these waiting times make life so much harder than it already is. ○○ Community and business support, whether it be financial, inkind, or through volunteers, has the biggest and most powerful positive influence on the lives of the children and families we help. Fair Go For Kids relies solely on the generosity of the community and business sectors. This program does not receive government funding, so without your support we are unable to help children in need.

unms charity Hannah and Stephanie are MedSoc’s Charity Convenors for 2014, and this year, they have plenty in store for your charity-filled spirits! From barbies to fun runs to big Charity Weeks, no one will ever have the excuse of not getting involved in UNMS Charity! Plus, what could possibly be better than the all-in-one combo of charity, fun and friends (and maybe throw in sun, sports, food, cupcakes, etc. etc). We think you get the point. In 2014, be expecting these events (and much more) from UNMS Charity:

charity trivia night Friday, 11th April Finally, all those “useless” facts about the Kardashians, cricket stats, or Channing Tatum’s abs will come in handy at this annual event. Organise a table with your friends and come along for a fun night of laughs, team spirit and pizza. There will be also be raffle prizes and freebies.

colour run

Sunday, 11th May The Happiest 5km on the Planet is coming to Newcastle again! Join us for the event that puts the “fun” in “fun run” and help us FUNdraise for FGFK. Last year we spent more time being pelted with paint than we did exercising. Join our team: UNMS Charity.

city2surf

Sunday, 10th August In 2014, our C2S campaign bigger and better! If you’re a normal person and a 14k run seems like a bit of a stretch - don’t stress! We will be running personal training sessions in the months before hand. Come run/walk/waddle/sob with us across the finish line for FGFK.

charity party

What will the theme this year be? Who will commit MedCest? Will Seahorse find his true love? More information to come - stay tuned, and stay keen.

Introductus

By Lachlan Gan

Since you are now in Newcastle, you might like to get acquainted with the city a little by exploring some of its excellent and attractive features. Newcastle was, much to everyone’s surprise and amusement, rated number 9 in Lonely Planets top 10 cities to visit in the entire world, placing it far ahead of Sydney and Melbourne, whose pitiful ranks were so low that my finger cramped before I could scroll down to find them. But then perhaps we should not have been so surprised because, once you scratch the surface, Newcastle has a lot to offer.

nobbys beach is the north-

most beach in the city. The south end sometimes acts as a bit of a haven in bigger conditions. It also has a banging shorey that can get pretty heavy. If you are feeling adventurous and are ready to deal with crowds and coal ships (and are an experienced surfer/bodyboarder), you might like to check out Harbour – a pretty gnarly wave that breaks on the inside wall of the harbour in big swell.

newcastle beach is the next

proper beach south of Nobbys. The surf often picks up out from shark alley and leads into a proper left. Crowds here can get heinous and swell to comedic proportions. Parking, like most places in the city, is a nightmare.

bar beach

is very popular with swimmers and surfers alike. Around the corner from Susan Gilmore and across the road from the skatepark, it also boasts a kiosk whose chips are delicious but whose waiting times are less palatable. From here down to Merewether are the Cliff and Dixon Park, which are less popular but no less good.

merewether beach

is the south-most of the town beaches. It too has a kiosk and also the Merewether Surfhouse, a fairly new establishment with lots of glass and tasty pizzas. The Beaches hotel is just up the road from the

beach and is a nice place to grab a schooey and a bite to eat. But wait! There’s more…

burwood beach, dudley and redhead are all worth ex-

ploring. As always, each beach has its own quirks and characteristics and the best way to discover them is personal experience.

glenrock

is worth a look as well, with loads of jogging, walking and bike tracks. It is very close to the Fernleigh Track (the pedestrian and bicycle highway that extends through delightful bush and scrub from Adamstown to Belmont) as it passes near Kahibah. Though jogging and walking are far from the top of my list, the bush holds many secrets and may spit you out at the lagoon or Leggie reef, a delightful and secluded break whose secretive locals would give me a paddlin’ for even mentioning it in print. So go, and have fun! It’s out there waiting for you.

! ! ! !

Make sure to exercise caution and common sense when at the beach. Always swim within the flags and your abilities. Burwood and Dudley beaches are unpatrolled. If you are surfing/ bodyboarding, observe proper surf etiquette and don’t snake or drop in on anyone. Never swim or surf alone.

Introductus

By Scott Craythorn & Fletcher Charlton

Medrevue is the best experience Med students at UoN can have outside of a clinical setting. Did that get your attention? Good. Greetings my friend, and congratulations on taking the ﬁrst step towards an experience that will show you a world of singing, dancing, acting, laughter, excitement and best of all: friendship. Sound too good to be true?

Well I have good news! I speak of course of MedRevue; a once a year event in which medical students come together over 6 months to share the unique experience of creating and performing in a musical comedy that is written, directed and produced by medical students But I’ve forgotten my ISBAR again; my name is Scott Craythorn. I am a fifth year medical student at the University of Newcastle, and I am this year’s MedRevue Co-coordinator. This year I am lucky enough to be collaborating with the fabulously talented Fletcher Charlton, who is also in his fifth year. I first auditioned in third year, having missed involvement in the previous shows due to commitments and (let’s face it) apathy. But I bundled up my courage and went to the audition, and was rewarded with a smallish part. I quickly fell in love with the whole experience, and last year I wrote and directed the show myself. I enjoyed it so much that I simply couldn’t pass up an opportunity to do it again. But my life story isn’t going to inspire many, so here are a few more reasons to get involved: 1.

Introductus

There is no other activity in med school which allows you to have contact with people from so many different years. When I ﬁrst auditioned for MedRevue my pool of friends was tiny. Now, I have friends from 2nd years through to residents , attributable solely to MedRevue. Why does this matter?

Medicine is, and always will be, a collaborative effort. Aside from the personal benefits of being a part of a large group of friends, there is the benefits that come with knowing older years; hints about what to expect and avoid, past notes, and maybe a past paper or two. The benefits of a wide range of friends in medicine are wide and rewarding.

You will hear a lot of talk from tutors, professors, and doctors about the importance of having a life outside of medicine. It is easy to think “I’ll be ok” and that you’re not the kind of person that needs “something else”. I’m sorry, but you are wrong. I used to think the same; Then I joined MedRevue and I discovered how wrong I was, that I could have better than “fine”, and all it took was a medium through which I could express myself! And I say “medium” because MedRevue offers almost every artistic expression you could imagine. This year’s show is going to need actors, singers, dancers, musicians, stage hands, lighting techs, sound techs, painters, costume designers and even builders!

I apologize for the time I’ve taken; brevity is not a gift I possess, but I hope that my words have encouraged you to take the leap and come show us what you’ve got. There will be information on Facebook and other online resources when the auditions are scheduled (and posters plastering the walls). I hope with all my heart that I will see you there.

Scott and Fletcher / MedRevue Coordinator 2014

One final word to bring you in, I think it’s one you know. That word , my friend, that brings you in? That word is “Accio!”

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& your chance to win!

By Alex Dennis, Sam Green & Pat Bray

For many of you, university life, let alone Newcastle uni life, may be a whole new world. On top of Medicine, having so many new corners to explore and so many new experiences to unfold may seem like just too much to tackle, especially when all you want to know is where the nearest toilet is!

life as a b.med fresher

Congratulations once again for getting into Med at Newcastle! Studying Med is a lot different from high school and HSC because a lot of the work you need to do yourself. It’s called ‘self directed learning’ so make sure you try and stay on top of the work. But at the same time don’t hesitate to ask people in older years for some advice and help if you need it – we have been through it so have some idea what you guys are going through! Each week you will do what’s called PBL – problem based learning where you are in small groups and work on a problem. After an opening session, you go away and do some work yourself before coming back and presenting it to the group. To keep up you have to work between classes so you can be prepared each time. The social life in Med is great. Get to as many of the of the parties, academic events and everything else that MedSoc runs as you can because they are sure to be worth your time! [Editor’s note: Sam, Pat and Alex were not paid by Medsoc to say this. Promise!] So this year, make the most of it: make new friends, do some study and don’t forget have fun!

life on college

If you are staying in college this year, then brace yourself for the best year of your life! Many debates, disagreements and debarcles have been had on the best college – Ted’s, Barra, International House, Evatt – take your pick! Definitely get involved in college life as much as you can. Each college has their own parties, which go off, and have many sporting

events and other activities. These are great to meet new people both from med and other people doing other courses. It is also good to meet people from the older years of med who can give you help whenever you need it!

Remember – college is fun but make sure you do a bit of study at the same time so you get the best of med and college! Enjoy!

living off-campus?

There’s nothing to stress about if you didn’t get into college on campus. Many share-houses in suburbs surrounding uni can provide you an equally enjoyable year, provided you take the time to hangout with and befriend your housemates, rather than be a room hermit. After all, a house is not a home unless you love one another. Well, sort of.

The university has a very comprehensive off-campus accommodation database, which can be found on the university accommodation page. We sincerely hope that your accommodation is settled by the time this is published, though.

killing time on campus

The two main libraries on campus are Auchmuty Library (Shortland side) and Huxley Library (Hunter side). They provide access to more than a million and a half physical items and an extensive collection of online books and journals.

Which library is better is like differentiating between lemon and lime. Huxley is on the Hunter side, i.e. where 90% of your classes are, therefore a more convenient library to go to. Although less equipped than Auchmuty, it is the perfect place to kill the 5 hours you have between a lecture in HB15 and a tutorial in the PBL rooms. Auchmuty, on the other hand, is the main library at Callaghan and houses the famed Medical Reserve, i.e. the medical library. Auchmuty is much bigger and is far more equipped with textbooks you’ll continue next page b

Introductus

continue previous page

need than Huxley, but is on a different continent called the Shortland side. However, it’s the perfect place to kill time if you have an anatomy lab session in the MSB building behind Auchmuty or to camp-out at during stuvac. The AIC is under the Shortland library and is open 24 hours - definitely a good place to hit up come exam time! Again, it is on the Shortland side, far from the places you’ll spend most of your time at uni.

fitness on campus

The Forum is the campus gym equipped with all sorts, from a 50m heated indoor pool to 18.5 metre climbing wall. Even better, the Forum is only a five minute walk from the Hunter building, making it convenient to exercise a little before, between or after (or sometimes during/instead of) classes.

free lunch!?

For social clubs and activities on campus, it is best to check out NUSA: the student representative body that provides information for any and all types of student clubs and activities. They also provide 2 free BBQs a week on Tuesdays and Thursday for lunch so definitely hit them up.

chill-out spots

There are 2 bars on campus: GT bar at Shortland side and bar on the hill over Hunter side.

GT bar often has stuff going on like regular trivia events, bingo or pool tournaments. Open from 11am, GT bar is a great spot to grab a drink or some food if you’re over that side. Bar on the Hill is the main place to be on campus. Head to BOTH for lunch to treat yourself to an infamous Barger®*. BOTH hosts great events throughout the year, like toga parties, back to school night and of course the Newcastle Uni Autonomy day party. They also put on gigs throughout the year with some pretty big name acts having played in the past, like Hilltop

Introductus

Hoods, Jinja Safari, Boy & Bear, and Lisa Mitchell. Make sure to grab yourself a calender during O’week to keep a track of whats going on.

There are plenty of places to eat on campus: Shortland has a whole variety of food outlets and cafes: Marmadukes and Isabellas, sushi and noodles, Subway and Gloria Jeans. Hunter has fewer spots to eat, namely just the cafe. But worry not, BOTH provides a good feed.

If you like cheap pie and long walks, we highly recommend Pie House on the Shortland Side. And when we say cheap, we mean uni student cheap: so much, it sometimes make the long walk so worth while. Both libraries also come equipped with coffee shops, making the library your one stop shop for the knowledge thirsty and caffeine fuelled (or one without the other).

*the authors take no credit for the coining of the term “Barger,” which is trademarked by BMed’s own Elias Sack-wars.

the tos and the froms

In terms of transport to uni, trains can take you straight to uni from town or anywhere on the Hunter Regional Line with Warabrook station being on campus grounds. The 100, 104, 225 and 226 buses have stops at uni, making it easy to travel from a multitude of suburbs to uni. Bus and train timetables can be found at student hubs. You can also park on campus but make sure you get an annual pass (for $74.20/ semester) because parking inspectors are always out in force. If you live in suburbs near campus, you can get the shuttle bus to transport you from within campus or from campus to home, especially at night, for safety purposes (or if you’re just lazy). The security shuttle bus can be contacted at 4921 5888 and is a worthwhile service to use.

staying safe

Besides offering free security shuttle services, campus security work

around the clock (literally) to provide you the safest uni experiences. Some of their services include escorting anyone from the library to their cars after late night study sessions at the AIC and giving out free rape whistles. Frighteningly loud, rape whistles can be used at your discretion, be it to gain attention, ward off sexual predators, or to simply annoy people.

etceteras

The post office is located in Shortland and the UShops on both sides of campus are great places to stock up on study utensils. You can purchase textbooks from the Co-op Bookstore on the Shortland side.

Pinkies, located next to the Huxley library (and one in Shortland too, but no one cares about that one) is also a good place to stock up on study supplies. Besides notebooks and pens and those boring stuff, Pinkes is famous for its lollies. Its wide variety of lollies has the ability to make lectures seem shorter than they really are and study sessions marginally more bearable. The uni is also equipped with its own GP and counselling services, all conveniently on the Hunter side. The student services building, on the Hunter side, is where you’d make your student ID, get a concession and buy a parking permit among other things. It also houses the university cashier, if you ever need to settle any uni payments. Attractions to look out for on campus include ‘the dapper gentleman’, ‘rasta man’ and ‘the ridiculously built black guy who rides around campus shirtless on a bike with a massive boombox attached’.

Ultimately, the lush greens and unique attractions are everywhere around Callaghan, and no guide big or small can replace the experience you get from playing Dora the Explorer (or Indiana Jones if that’s your preference for an Explorer analogy). The uni is your playground, so head out there and explore away!

the campus cheat sheet Typical week as a first year: Monday: Lectures Tuesday: Lectures Wednesday: PBL Close Thursday: Public Health, Labs Friday: PBL Open

College life: Can be fun, wild and crazy! But make sure you put in some time for studying. Didn’t get into college? Check out the off-campus database on the accommodation page of the university website.

Libraries on Campus: Huxley Pros: Close to HB15 and PBL Rooms, making it the most convenient stop between classes. Cons: Under-equipped with medical textbooks.

Auchmuty Pros: Has the Med Reserve, which houses all the medical textbooks. Cons: On the Shortland side, nowhere near the places you’ll spend most of your time at uni. The AIC Pros: Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Cons: Not a library, but the basement of one. Does not house any books, but you are allowed to bring books down from Auchmuty after-hours. Fitness on Campus: The Forum is the University’s own gym. Situated just a five minute walk from Hunter, it is a convenient place to get in shape before, between or after classes. Also houses a pool and climbing wall, plus organises heaps of social sports games.

Food on Campus: Hunter Bar on the Hill is the most recommended place to get food on the Hunter side - good food at reasonable prices. It also contains a sushi and crepe bar. Other places include the university cafeteria, which contains an espresso bar and a cafe, just outside HB15. More importantly, free barbecue lunch at NUSA Tuesdays and Thursdays!

Shortland Isabellas, Marmadukes and the university cafeteria (housing a noodle bar, a kebab shop and a cafe) offers an impressive variety of food. Shortland is also home to a Subway and a sushi and crepes bar. Coffee on Campus: Hunter Espresso Bar just opposite the Hunter Courtyard and the coffee shop in Huxley Library. Get a VIP card, which you can use in both coffee shops - you’d be surprise how much money you save, getting a free coffee after 9 cups.

Shortland Marmadukes and Gloria Jeans in the Shortland Building, and the coffee shop in the AIC. Again, use your VIP card. If you happen to be close to the CT building, also check out the coffee cart at the CT building foyer, which apparently serves the best hot chocolate in uni.

Beer and Music on Campus Bar on the Hill Home to food, beer, pool tables, bean bags and the occasional live band. All you need is friends and with that, BotH will prove to be the best hangout spot on campus to relax and unwind between or after a day of classes.

GT Bar Located on the Shortland side. Ideal if you have a long break between an anatomy lab and a lecture in Basden. The miniature version of Bar on the Hill. Nice place to chill if you have time to kill nonetheless. Transport to Campus Trains - Best take the Hunter Regional Line to Warabrook station (just 5ish minutes walk to the Hunter Building) if you live near a train line.

Buses The 100, 104, 225 and 226 buses has stops at uni. Get off at the Design bus stop, just a three minute walk to the Hunter Building. Get bus and train timetables from student hubs. Security on Campus Campus security provides free shuttle bus services to transport you from uni to home (if you live in suburbs close to uni) after dark. Also provides escort services and free rape whistles. For the shuttle bus service, call 0407 951 470. For general enquiries, emergencies or to report an incident, call (02) 4921 5888.

Other POIs on Campus Study supplies can be purchased at the post office (on Shortland), U Shops and Pinkies. Pinkes also sells lollies, which realistically counts as the most important study supply.

The Uni also houses its own GP and a Counseling Service. Head to the Student Services Building for all university dealings.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the interesting attractions on campus. These include the famous dapper gentleman (check him out on Facebook), rasta man who preaches about education, very fit black guy who rides bike with boombox attached around uni and duck tie guy.

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By Alex Tridgell & Elias Sachawars

“Frreessshhh fish! Frreessshhh fish!” – Heywood, Shawshank Redemption It’s that time of year again! That time of year when we welcome in a new batch of bright-eyed, bushy tailed, eager beavers to the JMP. For many of you, entering the study of medicine is the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance, and the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. As such, it is natural to have many questions as you embark on this new exciting chapter in your lives. Chiefly among them: When is O-Camp? How many pairs of underwear should I pack for O-Camp? Is my performance at O-Camp examinable? Well prepare to have all those questions answered, and then some, in Alex and Elias’ O-Camp tips and tricks to help you turn tricks and earn tips.

we got you covered

You’re concerned about something. It’s only natural – we know it’s in your neurotic type-A personality to stress over the details. BUT WE GOT YOU. Transport to and from Port Macquarie: Check! Food: Check! Accommodation: Check! No roughing it in dusty tents – only the finest* for our first years friends! Linen: Check! Activities: Check! Souvenir t-shirt: Check! The only thing you need to worry about is making sure you get a ticket! With that in mind…

we do not have all of you covered

Tickets are limited and they always sell out. Always. Like, Severus-Snape-in-love-with-Lily-Potter ALWAYS. If you’re coming, saunter over to unms.org.au and get your ticket ASAP rocky because you do not want to miss this.

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it’s your ocamp It is NOT necessarily a three-day bender. It probably will be for some people (you know who you are) but if you don’t drink, if you’re under 18, if you’re “too old” for O-Camp: Come along, you will still have a great time.

There will be mentoring sessions to get you acclimatised to life in the JMP, rare interaction with our sister UNE counterparts, mingling with your fellow first years, older years and future colleagues, mingling with Ming who you haven’t met yet but he’s super nice trust me, exposure to our global health group, challenges, games, sports, trivia, activities and SO MUCH MORE. O-Camp is whatever you make it – but I guarantee you will come out with some close lifelong friends, awesome memories and a rad commemorative t-shirt.

it’s deets time!

I can tell I’ve gotten you super psyched – now it’s deets time. Deets: Port Macquarie Sundowner park, 14th-16th of March, clear your schedule.

Tickets will be availablwe online, check unms.org.au or the Facebook event that’ll probably exist by the time this is published. Move quickly, early reports are that this is the keenest bunch of first years in history and you will be gutted if you miss out. More info regarding buses, times etc will be posted closer to the date

In conclusion, we hope you’re excited because we’re super excited to meet you all and party with you at O-Camp! If you have any questions, comments, ideas, concerns, or even if you just want to chat - don’t hesitate to shoot us an email at ocamp@unms.org.au or talk to us in person, we’d love to hear from you! Yours faithfully, Alex and Elias = O-Camp Conveners

By Camille Jeffreys & Gabrielle David

On the 24th of May, the Newcastle City Hall will come alive with 250 excited Medical Students for the social event of the year! Because you’re all such studious individuals, we know that if you’ve got one night to take your head out of a book, it had better be worth it!

After the massive success of the very first MedBall last year, it was hard to imagine how we could make it bigger and better. The tickets are more probably more expensive than you would have budgeted for, but let us assure you… You will regret it if you are the only one in PBL who isn’t hyped up about the ball. Your ticket will get you a gourmet 3 course meal, live music and a DJ, a photographer ready to capture you as you walk of the red carpet (no kidding!), free flowing alcohol and unimaginable amounts of happiness with memories to last a lifetime.

Ladies, get ready and find your perfect ball gown, shoes and matching accessories. Start booking your blowdry, practice the smoky eye you’ve been searching on youtube, find a nail polish that matches your dress make sure you factor in time to shave your legs (because you can totally see those suckers even if your dress is long).

Gents, put on a bow tie and call it a new outfit.

Bring a date or friend (we’re uh, both single…and really like the tall dark handsome type) and mingle with 200 students from years 1 – 5 as you see them transition from sophisticated individuals, to Beyonce’s backup dancers on the dance floor. The night promises to be one to remember. It’s the perfect opportunity to spend time and meet students from other year levels and formally induct our first years. Take the weekend off and really enjoy partying with all of the wonderful UNMS Medical students in the oldest, grandest and most beautiful ballroom that you will ever have the pleasure of being in.

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See you there! Gabby & Camille 7

medball ‘13 And now, some photos from MedBall 2013 to get you keen (And to maybe give you some dress ideas).

By Toby Hunt

Those of you reading this in the hopes that I will share my wisdom on how to pick up girls, are going to be sorely disappointed. The name of this article has many connotations but unfortunately this is not tinder or grinder, so I am going to steer clear of ‘most’ sexual topics, and focus predominately on how to live life in Newcastle on a student budget. Now first years I know this is the first time that many of you have lived away from home, and trust me its hard. I have received many questions from you over the past few weeks, and I shall try and answer them in as much detail as possible. A few of my favourites:

“How, am I going to live without the subtle fragrance of rich mahogany to wake up to every morning” - Anonymous 1st year, No.1 “Is there any possible way to be classy on a budget, and not end up living like a peasant” - Anonymous 1st year, No.2

Now, many of you are opposed to living on a budget, preferring to live life lavishly and rack up that credit card debt. Others budget like noobs, considering tinned bake beans and mi goring as culinary wonderfood. There is another option and you can still have all the things you love. With a few simple tips and tricks to increase the longevity of your money each week you will eventually be on the path to monetary enlightenment.

transport

around newcastle

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It pretty much depends where you live. If you are close to the university you can walk or ride to class, but it will cost you more to get to and from the city when you go out. If you live in the city, the opposite is true. The good thing about buses in Newcastle are that they are time based as opposed to trip based. This means you can buy a

ticket that suits your travel needs more appropriately. Here is a little run down of all the local costs in an easy to use table format!

to sydney

The first thing you will notice about your year is that the large majority of people are from somewhere in Sydney. For those of you who are, it is understandable that you may have commitments that require you to travel to and from Sydney every now and then. However, it becomes very easy for you to start losing track of money to travel expenses. 1. Car Cost: Petrol costs roughly $25 each way, equating to $50 for a round trip. Explanation: Even if you are only traveling once a month, this quickly adds up to $600 dollars for the year. Anymore than that and you are wasting thousands of dollars. You may get lucky and find 4 other people who want to car pool with you and pay $10 each, however from my experience this is highly unlikely. 2. Train Cost: Catch the train for $4 each way and a grand total of $8 return. Explanation: Its a no brainer, it is way cheaper and you also have the added benefit of being able to do some study/work while you are sitting there.

food

buying 1. Write a List For me personally, I find it always helps if I work out exactly what I need before I leave and then when I get to the shops I can just systematically cross things off my list. I do this purely because I am very spon-

taneous buyer and am easily persuaded by all the lucrative specials. It means I don’t buy unnecessary things and put a hole in my budget. 2. Buy in Bulk Buy larger amounts than you will need that week, and put the rest in the freezer. Its a great way to save yourself time and money.

3. Be Wary Of The Specials Specials can be awesome, and if you see something you want I thoroughly recommend you go for it. However, often you just end up buying things you don’t need, so think before you buy.

cooking

Now I have heaps of tips and tricks that I use when cooking to save me a bit of money. Here are just a few, but if you would like some more I am happy to share.

1. Cooking Food In Bulk. Is the best trick you will ever learn for cooking food cheap. If you make friends with your housemates early in the year, you can all cook 1 or 2 dishes a week and share on a nightly basis. Not only does this save you money but it saves you a lot of time. Another option is to cook all your lunches at the beginning of the week (spaghetti bolognese), and then you are set for another 7 days. 2. Cook Freezable Food. Curry pastes, are really easy to make, and you can make a massive batch at the start of year that will last you 6 months if you store them in the freezer. I usually spoon the paste into ice cube trays and that way you can just crack out however many cubes you need when you want to make dinner. I prefer thai currys, green, red, massuman and yellow, if you need any recipes just send me an email and I can hook you up with some goodies. 3. Slow/Pressure Cook Everything I have this theory that everything slow cooked tastes awesome, I also have theories that anything on a sandwich and anything with bacon

is awesome but I’ll leave that for another time. The good thing about slow cooking things is that you can use lower grades of meat and less pricey cuts that are inexpensive from your local butcher. By the time this meat has been sitting and basting for hours in whatever luscious sauce you have concocted, it pretty much melts in your mouth.

If you are like me and don’t have time to wait 3 hours. Somehow hint to your very lovely and thoughtful girlfriend to buy you a pressure cooker. Same result, 1/10th of the time.

dining out/ getting drinks

Now there is no real secret to dining out, It is always going to be more expensive than doing things at home. My one word of advice to you is to find the places you love and enjoy and then you are more willing to let go of those precious dollars you have earned. There is the ritualistic pub crawl that all Newcastle students flock to every Wednesday night consisting of the Great Northern, Customs, The Brewery and The Argyle. However, if at any stage you want to release that inner dapper gentleman from your heart I have two local haunts that allow me to relax and enjoy a few drinks and nibbles with my closes Medpals.

1. Five Sawyers Is a cuboidal little cocktail bar situated almost dead in the middle of Darby street. Its a great little venue to sit back, relax and either sip on that secret girly pleasure, or ask for something with lots of shots that more closely resembles rocket fuel. The best promo they have running at the moment is $10 Cocktail hour (Sun-Thurs, 9-10pm) but they also have Slider and Cider Wednesday ($16) and $5 Happy Hour (Beer & Wine, Tues-Fri, 5pm-6pm). If you want to know a few of my favourite cocktails I would say in no particular order, Pisco Sour, Espresso Martini, Old Fashioned,

Bloody Mary and Negroni (with Hendricks of course). None of them are on the list, but the bartenders are always happy to oblige me. 2. The Grain store If you are really into your beer and cider, this is the best place in town to go. They have 20 taps, and change all but a few every week. If you like lagers, pilsners, pale ale, dark beers, ciders, you name it, they have something you have never tried before and will love. I tried two awesome ciders last week, one infused with ginger and another infused with pomegranate, delicious.

They have board and card games in the middle of the room to bring back to your cute little booths or hunting tables. And if you are a little bit hungry order their 2 foot sub, it is mammoth in proportions, is only $22 and can easily be shared between 4 people. 3. Beaumont Street Beaumont Street has a huge variety of appropriately-priced good eats, ranging from Thai, to Italian, to Noodle Boxes, to Mexican, to desserts and cakes. If you are after variety, this is the place to be.

4. Darby Street The other well known cafe street of Newcastle, but unlike Beaumont, it has more cafes than anything else. Perfect place for coffee or smoothies. If you are after a meal, it can be a little bit more pricey. 5. Charlestown Square Charlestown may be a bit off the radar, especially if you live in the areas closer to uni or town, but if you are after a quiet dining out experience, definitely give it a go. Suggestions include going to New Shanghai (best dumplings in Newcastle hands down) or Sushi Train, and then head over to Max Brennars for desserts and chocolate.

Thanks for reading guys. If you need any help or recipes just send me an email at: sports@unms.org.au. Toby A

Introductus

speaking of their most shameful moment Imogen Andrews Sponsorship Officer Buying Gray’s Anatomy the textbook in first year just because I liked the tv show - not to help study anatomy. I still haven’t used it.

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Way back when I was applying for locations to go on HES, I put “Africa” down as a country and couldn’t figure out why it got rejected…

Gordon Reid Indigenous Officer

Camille Jeffreys MedBall Convenor

Tahl Zagron Social Convenor

On entering a patients room in the neuro ward of the JHH, I proceeded to ask a patient to put on his shoes and walk a few steps, at which point his wife indicated that he was a double amputee...

I once at an entire tub of ice cream whilst watching Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by myself. The ice cream wasn’t even an awesome flavour...it was just vanilla.

During my first sexual encounter, let’s just say there was some very premature ejaculation ...onto my own face. That’s not the end. I literally announced this story at the OCamp closing last year.

Stephanie Smith Charity Convenor

Josh Diamoy IT Officer

Sasha Mathias Education Officer

That time I fainted in the middle of surgery. In Africa. After scrubbing in for the first time. #futuresurgeon

Nas Abdul BMedSci Rep

I don’t actually have a sense of shame.

OCamp 2012. Let’s leave it at that.

speaking of their claim to fame Ned McNamee Vice President

Rachael Zusek Academic Convenor

Julia Zhu 5th Year Rep

Starting in 2012, and recreating the feat in 2013, to this day I am undefeated at O’Camp Sumo Wrestling. Challengers, make yourselves known.

Founder of the trend ‘reversed wetsuits’. Haven’t heard of it…do you even surf?

My PBL notes with the distinct arial narrow size 12 font and reduced 0.5, 1, 1.5, 1.5 margins.

Joy Kim International Officer

Hannah Sycamore Charity Convenor

Toby Hunt Sport Convenor

Wincoln Tham International Officer

Once upon a time, my dream was to be a female martial art master. I have earned my black belt after training Korean martial art for 10 years! Yes, I’m a tiny scary Asian girl.

The one time when I was super flustered after being pulled over by the cops. When asked if I had been drinking all I could say was “I wish” and giggle.

On the way to OCamp ‘13, A young teenage girl asked me if she could have a lock of my hair. She thought I was Ed Sheeran, our camp bus was a tour bus, and that all the girls and guys were my groupies.

Got to know Ed Sheeran’s twin Toby whose musical talents puts Ed Sheeran to shame.

Laura Drybrough Treasurer Longest tongue of anyone I know.

Ming Yong Scott Craythorn Publications Officer MedRevue Cordinator One time, Regina George punched me in the face. It was awesome.

Once performed Bohemian Rhapsody as a sperm.

Jim Fan Jr AMSA Rep I can’t pronounce my name in Australian because I’m a Kiwi. I apparently call myself “Jum”.

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still speaking of their claim to fame Daniel Lamp NSWMSC Rep Was scheduled to take a flight in the States Sep 11.

Seshika Ratwatte Patrick Fitzgerald Immediate Past President Membership Officer

Ronan O’Driscoll 5th Year Rep This one time, I played indoor soccer with none other than the newly crowned Chess Champion of the World, Magnus Carlsen!

Walked home through Jesmond at night. Survived. #BearGryllsprodigy.

Emma Curé AMSA Rep

Amanda De Silva 4th Year Rep

I have attempted to eat a Macca’s Dinnerbox by myself twice. I have not succeeded yet. But I think this may be the year. Then I will be the smallest person to have achieved this. Fact.

Long story short, an experiment on live anaesthetized toads, a cut to the finger, and sucking on said finger ended with photos of my blood covered, slack jawed, drooling face still being used today in the UNSW lab safety lecture.

In the final romance scene of MedRevue ‘13, I straddled the male lead – an innocent fresher, 4+ years my junior. Then I felt the zipper on my strapless dress break.I somehow kept my dress up for the final song and bow!

Bhavi Ravindran 2nd Year Rep

Anneliese Leerdam MLS Convenor

Sam Green 3rd Year Rep

Baking and icing over one hundred cupcakes for a WakeUp! fundraisers and only eating 20 of them during the day.

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I can open beer bottles with my forearm.

Nick Hewitt Sports Convenor

Finalist in AMSA Panacea’s Bachelor of the Year 2012, thanks largely to ravishing good looks and my infamous kilt (which will be making a return at First Incision 2014!)

I won the inaugural Icosahedron Award at AMSA Convention 2012. Have a think about that.

Alex Tridgell OCamp Convenor As a regular patron on the Newcastle nightclub seen I can claim to have high-fived every DJ in Newcastle.

Lachlan Gan Publications Officer My name is Rod, and I like to party.

Alex Scott AMA Rep

Fletcher Charlton MedRevue Coordinator

I have two first names and I grow a good beard.

I played was in a rock band that toured the east coast and released two EPs and a studio album before entering medicine.

Hannah Coleman 3rd Year Rep I once went on tour with Hanson.

speaking of their best night out Gabrielle David MedBall Convenor

James Wayte President

Being filmed eating on Today Tonight, three times.

Once during Stuvac I went to the Library, watched 8 episodes of Community, went home and still managed to pass my exams.

One time I took my shirt off at an A.R. Rahman concert and they showed me on the Jumbotron. Jai Ho, indeed.

Brooke Clarkson 2nd Year Rep

Jazmin Daniells 3rd Year Rep

Liv Flynn 4th Year Rep

I once proceeded to become slightly inebriated. Lets just say it ended with me spending the night with a block of cheese... This coincides with my most shameful moment...

From the London Underground to Ibiza megaclubs, some of my best nights have started with a BYO at Vietking and ended at Fanny’s (Sorry, Argyle).

Elias Sachawars OCamp Convenor

New Year’s Eve in Edinburgh with a torch procession and Chvrches playing live... And BYO drinks encouraged?

Kim Neubeck Secretary Convention ‘13 – Dancing and partying in a barn dressed as Captain America and then finding out you passed your exams at midnight and celebrating with everyone.

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unms indigenous By Gordon Reid, Indigenous Officer

Hi everyone, my name is Gordon Reid, and I am the UNMS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Representative for 2014. To speak briefly on my role within the UNMS, I represent the needs of both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Medical Students regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, assist in negotiations within the Society and the Health Faculty in the development and progression of the current Indigenous Health curricula, including assignments and placement options for future and current medical cohorts. This year is going to be an exciting one, with many fundraisers and events planned that all can get involved in. These Events will be both interesting and exciting for all, and will help broaden knowledge and exposure to the current health issues that commonly affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in this day and age. Some of these health issues include but are not limited to; heart and circulatory conditions, such as atrial fibrillation and rheumatic heart disease; renal failure; diabetes mellitus and mental health conditions. All of which have drastic effects on both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

MedSoc will also be working with various inter-Medical Faculty groups such as BREAATHHE and Wake-Up in order to provide you with events and gatherings that will further reveal the different facets of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. It is this year, through cooperation and friendship between the Medical Society, The Wolloutka Institute and you, the students, that can help make a difference to the lives of many.

mls: what is it?

By Anneliese Leerdam, MLS Convenor

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The Medical Leadership Seminar is a half day event, held after the Easter break, which aims to inspire and educate our young aspiring doctors. This year we will have speakers from a range of disciplines and covering

several current medical issues. In previous years we have heard from Dr Michael Bonning, Dr Kelvin Kong and many other notable speakers (look them up, they’re impressive!).

Medical leadership is a diverse topic and the seminar aims to show you not only what you can aspire to be, but also that leadership is a critical part of any medical career. Additionally, smaller break-out/ workshop sessions will be lead by the AMA and will delve into topics such as medicine and social media and the doctor-patient relationship. If that’s not enough to get you along, there will be free food (morning tea and lunch) and iLead points will be on offer (if you haven’t heard about iLead yet, it’s worth looking into. Ask someone about it!). Stay tuned to find out more details and programs closer to the date!

1st year rep wanted

By Pat Fitzgerald, 1st Year Rep 2013

What’s it like being a First Year Rep? Two syllables. AWE-SOME! You get to be the voice that makes a difference for your entire year group to the JMP faculty. As a member of both the JMP Student Representative Committee and the JMP Assessment Committee you get to champion the causes of your entire year and have input on: ○○ Assessment quality ○○ Lecture timing, quality, content and delivery ○○ PBL, placement and skills sessions ○○ Tutor feedback

Tutors getting you down? You can make a difference! Lecturers never putting their slides up on Blackboard? You can make a difference!! Can’t get a good sleep-in because PBL starts too early AND finishes too late? You can make a difference!!! Why did I do it? I got to really connect with people and I honestly love that warm fuzzy feeling I get when their face lights up because I’ve solved their problem and made their day! Do you love the warm fuzzies too? I know I do. Have a go and make a difference!

By Elias Sachawars

“No TV and no beer makes Homer something, something.” – Homer Simpson Work-life balance.

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that during my first year, I’d be making money in a super weird way.

It’s a concept that’s hammered into us throughout our degree, from the first waves of greeters on orientation day, through until graduation. An important idea for medical students, who can sometimes be as single minded as Australian coverage of the winter Olympics – face it guys, we’re not good at winter sports, talking up our “star athletes” for two hours before they place 22nd is getting a bit tragic. My point is, like athletes, balance is vital for students, lest their spiral learning quickly spiral out of control.

For some, work life balance means making times for family…friends… loved ones. For others, who are social butterflies like myself, this means letting off steam Wednesday nights out at one of Newcastle’s’ many (see: like, eight) bars and clubs. Whatever your niche, Newcastle nightlife has you covered – from the vague urine smell of the Brewery, to the quite potent urine smell of the Kent, there is a veritable smorgasbord of choices for the aspiring socialite. If you find yourself sitting in the back of HB15 Thursday mornings wearing sunglasses and yelling at Sontag to turn the lights down, you should probably put a bit more emphasis on the WORK portion of the mantra.

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On the flipside, there are many of you that should consider taking the red pill. The chillllll pill, even. You probably don’t even realize that you are every medical student cliché your lecturers warn you about. Every cohort has its share of fly-infly-out students, who shoot back to Sydney every Friday to crush PBL and get their weeks worth of frozen food from their mothers. Not that there’s anything wrong with

that! It’s just another way to approach life in Newcastle - one that focuses intently on our studies to the nth degree. In fact, I’m a little envious of the work ethic and drive of these people - hell, I’d probably endeavor to be the same way if my parents knew how to cook worth a damn. But I can’t help but feel these people are missing out on so much by not taking the opportunity to branch out in these formative years. I’m sure there are plenty of you reading this who don’t need a gentle pushes in either direction – in fact I’ve found JMP meddies to generally be the most well rounded in Australia. Admittedly, I say that with some bias, but I’ve heard enough nerd horror stories from my UNSW friends to be incredibly glad that I showed up to that interview terribly hung-over and wound up here in the JMP. So what was the point of this article you ask? To pigeon hole you as either an unmotivated lay-about or a nerd? Yeah pretty much I guess. They keep asking me to write articles about whatever and I keep CM Punk pipebombing it, because I’m the best in the world. Buy a deck of cards and deal with it. PS. And fuck all y’all non-Australian countries, we’ll see you at the real Olympics.

Elias BigDawg Swagawars “

Elias was Social Convenor in 2013 and among the accomplishments of this fine brown specimen include bagging the most annoying first year award at OCamp ‘11 and bringing Hawaiian shirts back into fashion.

unms social UNMS Social is all about encouraging work-life balance, with an emphasis on life. These ‘social gatherings’ are so much more than exercising your alcohol dehydrogenase and ethanol metabolism, they also provide the opportunity to network with your peers, to meet new people, and to conduct social experiments in a controlled setting. Psych. Tahl is the Social Convenor for 2014, and this year, you can expect these events.

first incision

The first party of the MedSoc academic calendar, this cocktail party is the go-to for new first years to mingle, and for older students to meet new first years. First Incision is easily one of biggest events of the year, so don’t be lameballz and make sure you attend.

halfway party

The big party at the start of second semester to celebrate third years reaching the halfway point of their degree (and so everyone else doesn’t feel left out, we also say it is to celebrate reaching half the year). Apparently, the third years this year really like Vietnamese food, so who knows what could possibly be in store.

the wedding

The Wedding Pubcrawl is a celebration of Medcest, and over the week leading up to this party, a proposal competition takes place to decide who gets married at the Wedding. Last year, Toby and Wayte won the proposal competition and rumour has it that they are now the fathers of a cute ranga baby. Who will be the next Wayoby?

er party

The last party of the MedSoc calendar. The only time med students can go out partying in scrubs, without being called a wank. Because this is the party before thirdies go on HES and everyone else hits stuvac and exams, ER Party has rich tradition of being looooooooose. #whitegirldrunk #getmunted.

wakeup! Welcome to WakeUp in 2014! WakeUp is a group of students with a passion for global health. Throughout the year we’ll be holding lots of events to help empower you, improve the health of all people and forge a sustainable future for everyone.

Joining WakeUp will give you access to cheaper tickets for our events and the opportunity to be part of our subcommittees. Your membership fee will also go directly to funding the purchase of birthing kits for our very first event – Birthing Kit Night.

The easiest way to get involved with WakeUp is to come to one (or lots!) of our events – we have academic evenings, parties, Jazz in the Park, Birthing Kit Night and WakeUp week planned for 2014. There’s bound to be something for everyone. Want to get involved with making a real difference with WakeUp? Why not volunteer at one of our events or join a subcommittee? Be our friend on Facebook to keep up to date with all these opportunities as they unfold throughout the year.

Make sure you keep an eye out for our newsletter too! It’ll turn up in tute rooms, noticeboards and our Facebook page telling you all about what’s going on with WakeUp and global health.

If you want to know more, come and find one of the committee members at our O-week booth, track us down at an event or email us at info@ wake-up.com.au . We’re always excited to hear your ideas, thoughts and questions. Our first event for the year is Birthing Kit Night on the 20th of March at the John Hunter Hospital. We’ll be assembling Zonta Birthing Kits to provide women with clean and safe births. Come and volunteer some of your time to this fantastic cause and help WakeUp kick off the year with a bang!

Introductus

Want to contribute to the next edition of Ductus? Have a love for writing and want your works read? Simply keen to join #TeamDuctus? Send an email our way at publications@unms.org.au! Have a question for someone on the committee? Contact them at: President

president@unms.org.au

Secretary

secretary@unms.org.au

Vice President

vicepresident@unms.org.au

Treasurer

treasurer@unms.org.au

AMSA Rep

Sponsorship Officer Academic Convener Social Convener

Charity Conveners Sports Conveners

Publications Editors Membership Officer

amsa@unms.org.au

sponsorship@unms.org.au academic@unms.org.au social@unms.org.au

charity@unms.org.au sports@unms.org.au

publications@unms.org.au

membership@unms.org.au

International Officers international@unms.org.au Education Officer Jr AMSA Rep

AMA Liaison Officer NSWMSC Rep IT Officer

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Camp Conveners

MedRevue Convener MedBall Conveners

education@unms.org.au jramsa@unms.org.au ama@unms.org.au

nswmsc@unms.org.au admin@unms.org.au

ocamp@unms.org.au

medrevueuon@gmail.com medball@unms.org.au

Or send all your general enquiries to secretary@unms.org.au. The Treasury

Thinking of attending a medical conference in 2014? You may be eligible for up to $500 in assistance from UNMS. This may go towards transport, accommodation, sitting fees, and other costs. Please send an email to treasurer@unms.org.au for funding applications or for all other enquiries or further questions about grants and funds.