Newsletter January 2015 Port Macquarie Campus
January 2015
The new academic year has begun and our first student cohort – Year Five – has arrived on campus and begun orientation to Port Macquarie and the Rural Clinical School. The Year Fives begin with a six-month hospital-based program comprising two months each of medicine, surgery and critical care/emergency medicine. 2014 was another successful year for the Port Macquarie Rural Clinical School graduating 18 new doctors. Two of our graduates will be staying for internship in Port Macquarie – Demi Gray and Jodie Wheatley. We wish them all the best of luck in their future careers.
Graduating Class of 2014 The 2014 graduating class distinguished themselves academically. Will Yates won faculty prizes for Phase 3 Examination/Course Work, Paediatrics and Primary Care. Claire MacLennan won the faculty prize for Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Three Port Macquarie students finished in the top 10 across the entire faculty for Phase 3 Clinical and Written Examination – Will Yates, Claire MacLennan and Jodie Wheatley. Will Yates won the award for Medicine and Phase 3 Examination/Coursework across all four Rural Clinical Schools. He also won the Head of Campus Award. Port Macquarie had five students graduate – Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine with Distinction: Will Yates, Claire MacLennan, Jodie Wheatley, Ashfaque Quadir and Madeleine Sheppard. Will Yates also completed his Bachelor of Science (Medicine) with First Class Honours. Ben Cheah graduated with both his medical degree and Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours in Anatomy.
Miranda Shatwell graduated with both her Medical degree and Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours majoring in French. Students weren’t the only ones to garner awards at the graduation ceremony. The Rural Clinical School recognized the following people: Tutor of the Year – Dr Andrew Last. As one student put it – ‘I can’t believe it. This guy can make oncology exciting.’ Honourable Mention went to Dr Mark Romero. Also recognized for the teaching contribution were – Dr Joe McMahon (Primary Care) and Maryanne Smallwood (Ultrasonography Curriculum) Finally, a Special Contribution to Teaching Award at both the Rural Clinical School and the Port Macquarie medical community went to Dr Kevin Alford. The Rural Clinical School recognizes and thanks all those who have given of their time to make the curriculum run so successfully. # 1 UNSW RCS PMQ January 2015
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Joint Health Education Facility The Joint Health Education Facility continues towards completion – hopefully spring 2015.
1 [years one and two] students will complete some of their coursework in Port Macquarie at the Rural Clinical School / Joint Health This year, it is hoped, a cohort of Phase Education Facility. This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Education Investment Fund.
Local Students 2015 This year the Port Macquarie Rural Clinical School is pleased to announce that local students are present in all clinical years – five students in year five; two students in year six and one student in years 3/4 [phase 2].
On the 6th of September 2014, four of our 6th year Medical Students attended a Simulation Competition, at Liverpool Hospital Clinical Skills and Simulation Center. The competition was open to all UNSW Medical Students. Port Macquarie Rural Clinical School team, comprised of William Yates, Mihir Desai, Varan Perananthan and Ashfaque Quadir, won the competition. Well done , guys. Though government change and funding arrangements have necessitated minor adjustments, MEDiSIM Port– the simulation learning environment – will continue to operate from early 2015. We hope to have all previous undergraduate education programs enabled by February 2015. Further graduate and inter-professional training programs will follow shortly thereafter. Primary Care—Workshops The UNSW Rural Clinical School in collaboration with the North Coast Medicare Local and University Centre for Rural Health Lismore has recently run a successful series of workshops - Emergency Scenarios in the Primary Care Clinic. Thank you to all involved who made this program a great success. Upcoming events – Medical Variety Night – keep your ears tuned to this station.
To the administrative staff who keep the school running smoothly; to the medical and allied health staff who generously give of their time and expertise; and to all others who have added to the success of the Rural Clinical School — Many thanks, A/Prof Alexander “Sandy” McColl B.A., B.Sc. (P.T. - Hons), M.D., C.C.F.P., F.R.A.C.G.P., F.A.C.P. Head of Campus Phone 6580 7511 a.mccoll@unsw.edu.au
UNSW AUSTRALIA Rural Clinical School, Port Macquarie Campus 26 Highfields Circuit Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Telephone +61 2 6580 7511 Facsimile +61 2 6580 7500 rcs.med.unsw.edu.au UNSW CRICOS Provider Code: 00098G ABN: 57 195 873 179
# 2 UNSW RCS PMQ January 2015