TheAuricleAugust 2014

Our trip to FijiFiji Village Project 2014

A taste of the countryGoulburn, Cooma, Bega

Plus much much more from EnSIGN, ACT Medical Women’s Society, Med Revue and ARMS.

The Social ReportScoop from the Medsoc mole

MedSoc calendar - events you don’t want to miss!

National Leadership Development Seminar

Internship applicationWhat we all need to know!

Dear Students,

You have worked hard and made it to the halfway point – well done. Holidays are within reach and I hope you all make the most of your well-deserved break!

I hope you have enjoyed some of the academic and social activities brought to you by your MedSoc thus far. The last round of the Inter-Year Cup competition saw staff members joining student teams for a morning of soccer on Fellows Oval. And even with a post-exam hangover, first years dominated the field.

There is a lot more to look forward to in Semester 2, including the annual ANUMSS Winter Ball at the Boat House on 18 July. Your Social Rep, Blair Burke, has been hard at work planning an enchanted evening for all!

In addition to all the social activities, there have been interesting policy discussions happening both locally and nationally. One of our own year 2 students is working on developing a national policy on gender equality in medical schools.

I hope you feel like you have gotten to know your MedSoc over the past few months and encourage you to get involved! Interested in policy discussion? Contact Alex Brown at amsa@anumuss.org. Have academic or local advocacy concerns? Contact your Year Representatives or Chris Wilder at academic@anumss.org.

I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and am ready for Semester 2!Lauren O’Rourke

ANUMSS President

President From the

Editors’ noteWelcome to the 2nd edition of the Auricle 2014!

I hope everyone has enjoyed their well deserved breaks and am ready to face all the excitement and challanges of semester 2. The first half of the year has been extremely busy with all the celebrations of the 10th year anniversary of the ANU Medical School, the interyear cup and the amazing events run by all the MedSoc subcommittees. This edition of the Auricle also includes a special piece carefully put together by Lauren, Alex and Chris on what we all need to know about the current internship application process.

Semester 2 promises many more exciting events starting off with the MedSoc ball and don’t forget to save the date on all the other amazing events coming up in the next 3 months. I would like to thank all the fantastic contributors without whom this edition would not have happened – Lauren O’Rourke, Alex Brown, Chris Wilder, Sam Moore, Seren Ovington, Nicole Casalis, Natasha Singh, Lachie Cormick, Ian McConnell-Whalan, Ayesha Arora, Lauren French, Rebecca Irwin, Christina Hodge, Joel Adams-Bedford, Tess Pritchard, Yi Deng, Fiona D’mello, Renata Pajtack, Andy Hua, Rebecca Mathews and of course the MedSoc mole. Thank you for all your contributons. I would also like to especially thank Lewis Tsang for proof reading every article in this Auricle and the first edition.

If anyone has any ideas for an article please don’t hesitate to contact me on u5133323@anu.edu.au. I’m always here to listen to your ideas.

Until the next edition...

Yi Fan TangPublications Officer

The Fiji Village Project is an ANU student initiative that aims to promote healthy communities and ensure sustainable health development. Since it’s inception in 2008, the project has worked with nine different villages to improve water sanitation, health awareness,health education and health services. This January 7 students from ANU joined a team of 60 medical, dentistry and nursing students from across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji for the 7th annual Fiji Village Project.

The 2014 project visited 2 villages in the Naitisiri Province: Tau Levu, the friendliest village in Fiji with the most fantastic views, and Nairukuruku, a beautiful riverside village with an insatiable love of dancing.The villagers welcomed us with open arms, ear-to-ear grins and never-ending bowls of cava in a traditional sevusevu ceremony and were as enthusiastic as we were to get the project underway. This year, the project participants were divided into 4 teams; health screening, health awareness, children’s education and water. The health screening team set up camp in the town halls and spent their time taking blood pressure, visual acuity and blood glucose measurements as well as talking to villagers about their lifestyles and providing counseling about risk factors for disease, recommended lifestyle modifications and future health care options. The health awareness team addressed the key health issues that arose on the screening days in dynamic, engaging and informative presentations on non-communicable diseases and also discussed issues related to male, and female health in small group workshops. The children’s education team engaged the exuberant village kids with activities that aimed to increase awareness about dental hygiene, recycling and caring for wounds. Lastly, the water team worked hard to improve the previously disastrous water supply in Tau Levu by installing 2 new water tanks, refining the old tanks and developing a village committee responsible for maintenance of the water supply.

In addition to the time spent in the villages, we were able to spend time on ward rounds at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital, observing live births and Caesarians at the labor ward and visiting Homes for Hope, a women and children’s refuge in Suva. There was also time to hone our bargaining skills at the market, Tarzan swing into a pristine waterfall and compete in a trans-pacific volleyball/soccer/table tennis championship.

Overall, the Fiji Village Project provides an eye-opening, inspiring and un-forgettable experience. There was a lot of hard work, a lot of fun and a lot of learning. Witnessing the stark contrast between the Fijian hospital and TCH, watching women give birth with no pain relief or family support and measuring blood pressures as high as 230/170 mmHg and BMIs over 35 puts a lot of things into perspective and illuminates the importance what we are learning in med school.

This fantastic project would not have been possible without the support and hospitality from the villagers, the hard work and experience from the ever-capable Fijian students and the passion and enthusiasm from all the international participants. Details for the 2015 FVP are still being finalized, however there are many opportunities throughout the year to get involved and support this incredible international project!

Seren and Sam – 2014 FVP Coordinators

FIJIVillage Project

This year, FVP included not only the visits to the project but also an experience of medicine in death and in life at the Fijian Memorial Hospital. In the morning, we completed ward rounds with a clinician, resident and intern team. Eager eyed enthusiasm was quickly transformed into shock at the first patient we saw - an early-30s male who had suffered a right cerebral haemorrhage. Confusion followed as the team split up to speak to the family and we moved on without further attention to the patient. The reason? The hospital did not have the tools to deal with a haemorrhage, rendering his diagnosis a death sentence.

The afternoon brought about the ‘Ying’ to the mornings ‘Yang’. Having practiced our poker faces, we put on our scrubs and headed into the delivery ward for what was for most of us, our first viewing of live natural and caesarian births. Needless to say, the practice didn’t help, with a mixture of sheer horror, awe and trepidation flashing across our faces until the incredible moment when that little life appeared. I for one will always remember both the lives and the deaths that we saw in Fiji, and the inspiration provided by the doctors working in the hospital and especially the patients dealing with their conditions and circumstances with an iron-willed patience.

FVP 2014 really was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of.

Nicole Casalis (Participant of FVP 2014)

I went to Fiji excited to get an opportunity to help those less fortunate than myself and to contribute to a program that is dedicated to making a positive impact on the world. But FVP gave me so much more than just my quota of philanthropic satisfaction.

Fiji is regarded as one of the friendliest places in the world and I can only attest to that claim. When we arrived at the villages we were told that we would be welcomed as if we were family. I originally took this to be a hollow metaphor but my cynicism was quickly disproved. Almost daily we were welcomed into homes of complete strangers and were treated as family. The locals would often feed us and educate us about the local fruits and vegetables we were trying, they would feed us bowl after bowl of kava and they would sing us songs and get us to “simba” (dance) well into the night. I was even fortunate enough to be shown one of the local swimming areas by some of the village boys, which was one of the hardest 15-minute treks in my life! They really sought to include us in all aspects of their day-to-day life.

The genuine friendliness we were shown was a refreshing reminder of what we can learn from those whom we are supposed to be helping, A lesson that I’ll not soon forget.

Lachie Cormick (Participant of FVP 2014)

Fiji for me was truly one of those awe-inspiring moments. Sometimes it’s not until after the trip, when you take a step back and reflect, that you realise what an experience it all was. The Fiji Village Project epitomised the altruistic nature of medical students from all around the world. It symbolised a willingness to create change and to provide the simple services for which most take for granted. Fiji itself is a lovely country, the people are so friendly and the backdrop of palm trees, eaches, mountain highlands and scattered villages complete the picture. One of the first things you notice is the intense humidity. I remember one day in the highlands where it was 40+ degrees, 95% humidity and we were in a tin room for most of the day, that was an experience. One of my favourite experiences was a rainforest trek to see the dam for the village. There was typical tropical rain and undisturbed terrain and to top it all off, I was able to jump from a tree into a river. As for the Project itself, I couldn’t speak more highly of the Fijian students who were part of the project. They were amazing, talented (you should see them sing and dance) and incredibly welcoming. With 4 main aims: health promotion, health screening, water education and children’s education, I feel we made a positive influence on the villages we visited. If not anything else, I feel our presence alone created a health awareness message to them. We were lucky enough to have some additional hospital rotations organised for us this year such as ward rounds (learning of the many tropical diseases), O&G (observing births as well as c-sections) and learning how to perform pap smears. I feel privileged to have been able to participate in such a project. To have been able to meet and work with such amazing and like-minded students from different nations and to visit such isolated villages in such a beautiful country was an unforgettable experience.

Natasha Singh (Participant of FVP 2014)

National Leadership Development Seminar An Experience in Leadership and AdvocacyIn the month of May, eighty delegates from across Australia descended upon the bustling metropolis of Canberra for AMSA’s National Leadership Development Seminar. Among them, three representatives from ANU made the long and arduous journey from the luxurious James Court Adina Apartments (above Braddon McDonalds) to be greeted with information on all the treasures Canberra had in store, wrapped neatly in medical indemnity insurance advertising. The following three days involved the mutual exchange of ideas through a score of plenaries, workshops, debates and panel discussions providing the opportunity to make new connections with medical students from all around Australia.

To lead this seminar on leadership, Prof Stephen Leeder, Editor-in-Chief of Medical Journal of Australia, led us in a lecture on leadership. This first day of our academic programme boasted a host of distinguished doctors filling our young, fertile minds with ideas of leadership and advocacy. A young crusader among a cast of stars was Dr Michael Bonning, who seems to have led almost every student organisation in Australia, only to follow it up by joining the board of several high profile organisations too numerous to be listed here.

Following stimulation of our leadership cortices, the evening bestowed upon us the opportunity for lively debate with delegates from other universities. ANU’s own Chris Wilson out debated multiple competitors to take away a trophy fit for a Lilliputian.

The second day of the academic programme promised a scholarly feast for our prospective leaders, with plenaries from doctors and leaders ranging from Dr Sally “Feelgood” Cockburn, to A/Prof Brian Owler (president of the Federal AMA), and Prof Ian Maddocks (Senior Australian of the Year). Following a day of discussions, inspiration and meetings with federal MPs as part of a united effort in advocacy by AMSA, it was time to suit up for an end-of-seminar cocktail party at Elk and Pea, followed by a summit of future leaders at Canberra’s legendary Mooseheads.

On the final day of proceedings, the academic program included preeminent leaders such as Dr Philip Nitschke, who shared with us some of his personal experiences with his patients’ final life decisions.

Having fought through the throng of career politicians, ANU’s three delegates came out the other side of AMSA’s premier event blinking at the stark reality of upcoming exams, with a renewed passion for leadership, advocacy, unnecessary use of longwords, and sentences so interminable and elongated that they would make Thomas Faunce blush. AMSA’s NLDS was a fantastic opportunity, and to anyone contemplating applying, consider what you could do with the opportunity to network with students from all over Australia and hear from health leaders from a wide range of backgrounds and specialties.

Ian McConnell-WhalanYear 1

The ANUMSS Medical Symposium has always been a source of great discussion related to the field and the Medical Symposium for 2014 was no less. What made it even better is the ever-so-pertinent and oh-so-relevant topic of medical technology and whether it is eroding clinical skills. To ponder upon and elaborate further on this was an expert panel of widely respected physicians and the evening was facilitated by the charming Dr Frank Bowden.

The old saying that there are always two sides to a coin was well- represented in the panel with clinical skills puritan and geriatrician Dr Sabari Saha, microbiologist Dr Karina Kennedy, prominent cardiologist (and famous for that book) Dr Simon O’Connor, Associate Professor Kieran Fallon on one side and flipping to the other side we saw radiologist Dr Graham Buirski, and intensive care specialist Dr Simon Robertson.

The discussion ranged from debating whether technology was in fact eroding clinical skills at all or whether it enhanced our skills in making a diagnosis. If it was leading to deteriorating clinical skills, then with such huge advances in technology, were those clinical skills still needed? Dr Robertson tried hard at arguing that technology was the way and that clinical skills now had little value. However, tried seems to be the keyword in that previous sentence since he was almost always met with the unrelenting intensity of wit and strength of argument by Dr Saha supported by A/Prof Fallon. Dr O’Connor kept his interjections sparse but highly effective and Dr Buirski had no option but to defend the importance of clinical skills. Dr Kennedy kept the discussion balanced by arguing for both sides. The questions and comments raised by the audience only added fuel to the discussion with Dr Robertson, though working hard to unabashedly support technology, had to succumb to the argument and remember his role in development of clinical skills at ANU medical school.

The evening was filled with great points for consideration and plenty of humour. If it’s any marker of success, the symposium had to be brought to a close as time was over but the questions were not. The nearly packed ‘Audi’torium had an enthusiastic crowd and ANUMSS would like to thank them for their participation. Special thanks to our expert panel and Prof. Bowden for devoting their time and contributing their thoughts to such a hot topic. We hope to see you all again next year!

Ayesha AroraYear 3 Medical Sudent

Medical SymposiumIs medical technology eroding clinical skills?

Medical Revue

The 2014 ANU Medical Revue, Caecal Weapon 2: The Rise of Salmonella, was another success with a record number of tickets being sold. This year, all our donations worth $6,500 went to the Children’s Medical Research Institute towards the investment of a PCR machine.

This year’s performance took the audience on an unforgettable journey into the body, entertaining while also educating us about the function and importance of our immune system in protecting our body from the seductive yet deadly Salmonella De Ville.

In addition to all the cringe-worthy medical jokes and puns, were spectaulcar dance numbers and video cameos from many of the well-known TCH staff members. The song paradies ranged from the Book of Mormon’s inspired ‘Hello’, 1989 Queen’s classic ‘I want it all’ to a Disney classic with Mulan’s ‘I’ll make a man (T-cell/B-cell) out of you’. The variety of songs allowed the show to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. On behalf of the cast and crew, I would like to thank everyone’s ongoing support for Med Revue and hope to see everyone for another exciting show in 2015!

Yi Fan TangCo-producer

Healthy Harden Health Checks

On the 12th of April, 5 ARMS students travelled to Harden to participate in the Healthy Harden health checks. To promote good health, the Kruger Medical Center in Harden opened its doors to the general public for free health screening and check ups. Three first year medical students, Renata, Jazmin and I as well as two second year medical students, Joce and Charmaine, joined the Medicare local representative and the amaz-ing staff at the medical center to take blood pressures, blood glucose level testing, BMI checks and brief histories on members of the community. We were also fortunate to sit in on mental health checkups and skin assessments, which were conducted by the nurses. It was a great experience to work with the medical staff and would love to thank Dr. Jennifer Rahman for inviting us, and the amazing lunch that they supplied.

Lauren FrenchRHSV Coordinator

ARMS updatedCrookwell Rural High School Visit

On the 24th of March, Clara Young, Marc Heggart, Rebecca Irwin and Meg Bansgrove (from University of Canberra) headed to Crookwell. It was a dreary and rainy day but we still had an amazing time with a great bunch of enthusiastic Year 8 students. We ran through a scenario to outline the different health professionals. Then we addressed the perceived barriers to getting into university - known as the 5 M’s - Moving, Mates, Money, Marks and Motivation. The best part was when the students got to participate in the rotating practical sessions, they all especially enjoyed getting their fingers plastered!

Rebecca IrwinARMS President

Social ReportMedsoc MixerMedsoc had some magnificent mixing in March with the annual Medsoc mixer held at Mooseheads! Say that fast ten times in a row! It was a great night with lots of inter year mixing which is a win in our books. The medical students showed us their creative side with over 20 cocktail gastronomy masterpieces invented that the specialised cocktail tasting team “had” to independently judge. There were Haematuria surprises, Barium swallows, Dopamine agonists andBiliarydestructions (Can you guess which block the second years were learning?). In the end the grand title of MedsocMixologist went to Joel Adams-Bedford for his award-winning combo “Gastric Haemorrhage” which was a hit available for taste buds to experience for one night only.

On the dance floor we saw the now “famous moves” from the boys as well as some guest performances on the Mooseheads stage. It was great to see the first years have all become very close and to see their personalities shining through compared to the shy, unsure students that walked into school less than 2 months ago. As always, a great turn out from the second and thirdyears with students coming back from rural to partici-pate in the mixing. We even had a great turn out from the infamous forth years! It was fantastic to see everyone there. It was another spectacular

10 year Anniversary Celebrations

To celebrate, all four years and a few staff members came down to Fellows oval to show off their soccer skills in true world cup style. Who knew we had so many soccer stars? A great effort by the first years who ultimately took out the first place after finishing their exams the day before and after what we were told was a very, very late night. The day continued with tours of the new medical school and a BBQ on the oval, making the most of the Canberra winter sunshine that came out to celebrate.

The evening was one not to be missed, with past and present students travelling from far and wide to attend a once in a life-time event at old Par-liament House. There was fine food, singing and socialising as the doctors and ‘doctors-to-be’ dressed up in their finest to celebrate the University that brought us all together. Those lucky enough to be admitted into the Chamber of Representatives got to witness a riveting night of ‘politics’. The Prime Minister Prof. Frank Bowden and Opposition Leader Prof. Jane Dahlstrom engaged in a heated debate about health care asthe fate of the Medical School was on the line. Fortunately for the students, it was decided that the Medical School would continue to remain open and the students won’t be passed off to the law school, as was previously suggested. It was a memorable day celebratingcollegiality and the opportunity to study what we love – yes it’s challenging at times but nothing worthwhile in life is easy.

See you all the next time we get to dress up and dance!

by the MedSoc Mole...

Surviving the Intership StormWhat you need to know about the new internship changes in ACTThe current ‘medical student tsunami’ has put pressure on medical internship places across Australia. AMSA has done a lot of work advocating on behalf of students to ensure all graduates of Australian medical school receive an internship place upon completing their medical degree. The Internship Application Process in the ACT.The first step in applying for an internship position with ACT Health includes completing the application and addressing all selection criteria. Although this may seem like an obvious and logical recommendation, students have been turned away in the past for not completing all aspects of the application.

A Move to the Evidence Supported Curriculum Vitae The application process for ACT Health now includes the submission of an Evidence Supported CV. Applicants are to fill out the CV Scoring Guide, gaining points in the following areas:• Education• Research/ Publications/ Presentations• Teaching/ Workshops/ Conferences• Work experience

A total of 25 points are available for applicants across all areas and the scoring guide is submitted alongside a CV. The same scoring guide is used for all junior medical staff and not all applies to medical students. You can find a sample scoring guide and clarification of some frequently asked questions on the MedSoc website (http://anumss.org/news/act-health-internship-priority-list-released).

Transitioning from Medical Student to Intern: thoughts from current interns:

Justin Rheese“Despite what people might try to tell you, your internship year is great. It’s exciting to really be part of a team and responsible for your patients.

You continue to learn so much and you get paid to do it!”

Georgina Mata“Breathe! You are NOT expected to know everything. You are, once again, the junior in the medical hierarchy, so ask questions and look things up

when you’re not 100% sure. Even if you’re 99% sure, your patient is your number one priority, so don’t ever feel bad for double checking.”

Mitchell Parker“1. Seriously enjoy med school and the freedom you have! 2. You can never know too much anatomy”

An internship with ACT Health begins with a 5-day orientation program in January. All interns are allocated a core medical term, core surgical term, and core emergency term to meet AHPRA registration requirements. Weekly JMO teaching sessions are held throughout the year to help with continuing education and development.

Interstate Application AdviceThere is no magic formula to guarantee any internship interstate. Depending on the state applying to, where applicants completed year 12, and citizenship status, chances range from highly likely to abysmal. The main advice from the ANU Medical School graduates who have ventured inter-state for their 2014 internship is that you need to know the expectations of the state you’re aiming for. Each state has differences in their application process and the way they decide who gets a spot. For example, New South Wales and South Australia use a ballot system so getting your name in the draw is the primary determinant. In contrast, a spot in Victoria needs a pretty serious CV with thorough supporting documents to even be considered. Most important is to do your research early! You will need to know how to position yourself best for the internship location you’re after.

See the table provided for a snapshot of the internship priority categories across Australia. (*Information for the Northern Territory is not included as we were unable to find complete data)

Lauren O’RourkeAlex Brown

Chris Wilder

Please tun over for more

EnSIGNThe 14th of June saw the celebration of Companion House’s World Refugee Soccer Cup! The day proved to be an enjoyable outing for all involved with fantastic cultural displays, presentations and incredible soccer skills from a wide number of international teams. The event was enthusiastically attended by 5 medical students who provided first aid services on the day and just generally enjoyed the outdoors and sunshine post exams!

This event is just one of the many ways that we hope ANU students will get involved with the work of Companion House, a non-profit community based organisation focused on providing health services and support to people who have sought refuge in Australia from persecution, torture and war related trauma.

We hope to start a number of new initiatives and ongoing relationships with Companion House for the remainder of this year to support the fantastic work they do. At the moment Crossing Borders for Health ANU is collecting donations to restock the over the counter medications cupboard at Companion House so that basic medical supplies are accessible to those who are newly arrived or long-term settlers in Australia. If you have any questions about Crossing Borders for Helath, how you can get involved or how you can donate please contact the current ACT coordinators: Aru: u5135138@anu.edu.au or Christina: u5381506@anu.edu.au.

This year we had a grand total of three people in our ANU Live Below the Line team. Liam Stone, Yi Deng and myself clearly made a winning team. Not only did we reach our fundraising margin, we exceeded it by $49, raising a grand total of $1,449.

Live Below the Line challenges participants to spend only $2 per day on their meals for 5 days just as millions living below the poverty line are forced to do every day. To live on such a small amount required well-planned meals for the entire week and sacrificing luxuries such as fresh fruit and vegetables, spices, caffeine and chocolate. Those who were used to larger portions found the quantity of food more of a challenge. Yi chose to skip breakfast to make sure he had enough food for the whole week.

The effects of our restricted diet were mental as well as physical. Yi found that “it was difficult concentrating and I felt constantly hungry. But the thought of the millions worldwide who have suffered like this for their whole life motivated me to continue”.

Although it was a challenging week, it is certainly a worthwhile cause. The funds we raised will help provide scholarships, renovate schools and train teachers to provide quality education for over thousands of young people in East Timor, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea.

I hope we manage a bigger team and even more fantastic fundraising effort next year. If you need any further encouragement, Yi lost 5kgs in 5 days (I was not as lucky).

Tess PritchardYear 3 Medical Student

This year we have put in a massive effort to get 16 dedicated medical students and friends together in 4 teams of 4 to participate in the Oxfam 100km Trailwalker Challenge! This event raises money for the incredible work Oxfam does with a specific focus on improving the lives of people around the world living in poverty.

We have been training hard for the last 3 months, and will continue to do so up until the big day on August 22 this year. We are all ready and rar-ing to be a part of a world leading team endurance challenge that sees more than 200,000 people walking the world over! We are also incredibly excited about the fundraising potential and publicity that we can generate for this incredible cause and are currently contacting local businesses to offer the opportunity to sponsor or donate to our teams.

So if you, or your business, would like to sponsor us please use the following details to donate to the ANU Medical Students’ Society charitable division where we are collecting funds for our teams to support the incredible work of Oxfam.

Westpac Account Name: EnSIGN Society Cheque AccountBSB: 062-903Account Number: 10480108Receiver Description: Company Name, Oxfam

Christina HodgeEnsign

Red Party is one of AMSA’s national projects which seeks to promote awareness and funding for HIV/AIDS projects around the world. This year EnSIGN is introducing Red Party to ANU. It will involve a social fundraiser at a local Canberra venue.

So on September 19th, get involved, party hard and raise awareness for one of the biggest global health issues around the world. It’s the friday before holidays, so there are no excuses!

Joel Adams-BedfordEnSIGN President

A taste of the Country: first year rural week

GoulburnFormative exam: done and dusted! Now it was time for Rural Week, where we could have a break from an intense first six weeks of medical school. We hopped on the bus and met Marlene, our gorgeous bus driver, and were taken to Goulburn to experience a taste of rural healthcare. Never having been to a rural town before, I wasn’t sure what to expect; I was pleasantly surprised at the wonderful sense of community we encountered there.

Although some of our planned activities were cancelled, such as the tours of the Sheep Station and the Wetlands (because the whole of Goulburn became a wetland from the constant rain), we still welcomed the opportunity to sit back, relax and get to know each other better in a much more laid-back environment (with lots of wine and cheese, of course).

We learned how to plaster each other’s arms and suture pork trotters. We toured Goulburn Base Hospital, and practiced our blood pressure and blood glucose measurement skills on the locals. We dined with the Mayor of Goulburn, as well as local doctors and third year students who shared their experiences with us. We had a fascinating visit to Goulburn Correctional Facility, and learned about important issues in prisoner healthcare. We each had a taste of rural medical practice, by sitting in on GP consultations or following other practitioners around the hospital. We met and learned about the Hume family, the namesake for the Hume Highway, when we visited Garoorigang Historic Home. Several Goulburn residents welcomed us into their homes for some dinner and insights into everyday rural life. And it all culminated in pizza and karaoke on the final night, followed by an early mark the next day, since it was still raining!

For me personally, the most memorable part of Rural Week was meeting a former nurse whose blood pressure I was measuring. She said to me, “The most important thing you should remember as a doctor is to never lose your humanity” – a poignant message in a week where we all learned so much. Thank you to all of the ANU and Allied Health staff involved in Rural Week, and to the Goulburn community for providing us with such a valuable and memorable experience!

Fiona D’mello

CoomaYou could feel the electricity in the air, as a third of the first year medical cohort stepped onto the bus, eager to exchange books for a rural hands-on experience, Cooma did not let us down.

First stop was the very impressive Snowy Hydro Centre, where we not only enjoyed recounting the magnificent achievement of its completion, but also how it united migrants from around the globe, making Cooma one of the most diverse rural communities in Australia. We then had a very grand introduction meeting with the town’s Mayor Dean Lynch and Cooma’s most prominent community group members including the Country Women’s Association and The Lions Club. Most importantly we had our picture taken, “you know you’ve made it in a country town when your picture is in the local paper”.

Day two and three we were put to work. We were paired off with Cooma’s finest Allied Health professionals and educated about the benefits and challenges of rural health care which we will inevitably face in the future. A particular highlight was the opportunity to gain hands on clinical experience including, cannulation, plastering, resuscitation and an eye-opening scenario of a motorbike accident put on by the local emergency operations centre. We were also given the opportunity to take blood pressures at a community stall, needless to say the local’s donation of time and their brachial pulse’s was much appreciated.

However it was definitely not all work and no play. Our “inner elder” was brought out at the bowling club, where the race was on to perfect the rolling technique. The local community members and rotary club opened up their doors for a spectacular night of fine dining and conversation and of course a true trip to Cooma must involve conquering Mount Kosciusko, and so we did.

BegaAt the end of our formative exams, the first year students were sent on their rural week trip. After spending the past 6 weeks sitting through some content-intensive lectures, this was a week to be spent in Bega without any scheduled lectures. Needless to say, we were all excited!

We stayed in Tathra, at a beach side accommodation that had no phone reception (except for the privileged few with Telstra – but even they struggled). Consequently, the Bega group had reverted back into making social interactions prior to the era of smart mobile phones. During the day, we socialized face-to-face and at night we hung out and chatted with friends. To many of us, this was an invaluable opportunity where we got to know our fellow classmates better than ever. Who knew you could build on your friendship without Facebook & Snapchat!

The medical staff at the rural clinical school were amazing. We met Dr Mark Oakley who showed us the lifestyle of a rural GP. He guided us on tours around the Bega hospital and also showed us the hospitality of the Bega community! We also met Dr AJ Collins. He gave us our first taste of grand rounds, presenting a mysterious case of abdominal pain that turned out to be caused by … wait for it… anal perforation! He then taught us how to perform a proper abdominal examination and we got to practice our newfound skill on each other!

The most memorable experience (besides battling the wind and rain on the Tathra beach) was when we did our community blood pressure screening. By then I was sick of measuring perfectly normal blood pressures of my classmates, and when I first felt the arrhythmic heart beat on a patient, my own heart also skipped a beat.

The community in Bega was warm and welcoming. We had a delicious dinner held for us on the night of our arrival and private dinner parties hosted by individual local families. I went to the home of a local orthopedic surgeon. They were a lovely and generous couple. Not only did they feed us to the brim, I also gained valuable insight into the social and professional aspects of practicing medicine in a rural community.

I want to thank all the staff that put together this wonderful experience, and for all the hard work that made this possible! Not only was this an eye opener for us to see what rural medical practice is all about, this rural trip has been a great opportunity for the first years to bond and further forge our friendships! On behalf of the first year students who were fortunate to go to Bega, we had such a wonderful time and would love to re-visit again!

Andy Hua

Ross & Liz Sherlock two generous locals opened up the doors of their home, and gave us a taste of “the good life” followed by discussions of health concerns facing farmers, a very talented sheepdog, and a sheep shearing demonstration. Bruce & Kath Bashford gave us a sheep dog show not to be forgotten, we were amazed at the ability of a puppy to round up a heard of sheep, even though he did take them for a jog around the paddock first.

As rural experience was more than we had ever imagined it could be, and a special thanks must be given to Dr. Wiles and Mrs. Lola for their support and guidance throughout the week. As the bus set off towards Canberra we left not only as individuals with an insight into rural health care and life but also as a team. It was a week which shall never be forgotten.

Renata Pajtack

The

JuggleJuggling is a great metaphor for life. We all juggle many “balls” every day: work, family, friends, social activities, more work, exercise, and so on.

I am a third year medical student with the exciting but daunting prospect of becoming a qualified doctor drawing ever closer. Something I think about most weeks is how will I continue to keep all these balls in the air when I am a doctor.

I know that it is possible because I see amazing doctors every day who juggle hospital time, clinic time, research and teaching commitments, committee meetings, families and much more. I would love to hear from them about how they do it and how they got to where they are today. But, I know that this is never going to be the subject of any of our formal teaching. What’s more, I know that they may not appreciate this type of questioning on a ward round!

Thanks to the ACT Medical Women’s Society’s Juggle event hosted in May each year, female medical students have an opportunity to hear from and talk to inspiring female doctors about their career paths and how they have managed the rest of their lives along the way.

Each year, the Juggle features doctors from many different fields of medicine with diverse backgrounds, families and social lives. In the three years I have attended the Juggle, I have heard from orthopaedic surgeons, pathologists, general practitioners, obstetrician gynaecologists, paediatricians, medical administrators, endocrinologists, sexual health physicians, oncologists, and more. Some of these doctors had their kids during medical school, some after specialist training, some had no kids, and some had never had kids but were now caring for aging parents. Some had worked all over Australia, some had worked all over the world including in war torn Africa and Afghanistan, and some had always worked in Canberra.

The Juggle highlights that everyone’s journey in medicine is different. Some may have not ended up at the destination they planned or expected at the beginning of their career, but are happy that it turned out that way. Others have had detours and bumps along the way, but have inspiring stories about how they have overcome such hurdles to get to a new destination.

I have been to the Juggle each year since I started medical school and I will continue to do so. I have enjoyed it immensely every time, and every time I have taken away a different perspective that I am certain will help me in my own journey.

Rebecca MattewsYear 3 MWS representative

The Juggle was held on 15 May 2014. The ACT Medical Women’s Society (MWS) hosts many wonderful events each year that are open to students including the juggle, cocktail party and presentation dinner. Membership of the MWS is free for all women medical students. If you would like to join the MWS, please contact your MWS year representative First year: Katie Burkitt u5512025@anu.edu.auSecond year: KateMusli u4129058@anu.edu.auThird year: Rebecca Mathews u4370678@anu.edu.au or Jess Hines u5199284@anu.edu.auFourth year: SvethaRao u4947154@anu.edu.au

Brought to you by the ACT Medical Women’s Society

What’s on?August15 City to Surf

21 Surgical Symposium

22-24 ARMS Ski trip: one day and two day trips available

27 EnSIGN Global Health Speaker Night

27-29 Oxfam Trailwalker

30 Scrubs Crawl/Interyear Cup Finals

Don’t miss these fantastic events put on for you by MedSoc and our sub-committees

For more infomation on these events keep an eye on your ANU email and our Facebook group (ANU MedSoc) and Facebook page (Australian National University Medical Students’ Society).

September4 Fiji Village Project: Trivia Night

15 Scrubs Run

17 ARMS Academic Speaker Night

19 EnSIGN: Red Party