MeDeFactsvolume 14 number 3 September 2008

EDITIONS OF MEDEFACTS CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE AT WWW. MEDDENT.UWA.EDU.AU

continued on page 10

Vietnam looks to Aboriginal centre for inspirationThe Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health

(CAMDH) has carved such an international reputation that it has prompted 15 medical education delegates from Vietnam to make a study tour to Perth.

CAMDH has made a name for its success in the recruitment and retention of Indigenous medical students and the development and implementation of Indigenous health curricula.

As a result, the US aid group Pathfinder International, involved in medical education in Vietnam, asked CAMDH earlier this year about the possibility of a study tour to UWA.

Remembering a mentor by a scholarshipDr John Harriott, who trained students in pharmacology

and anaesthesia for many years, has generously provided a scholarship in memory of one of his University mentors.

The “John Harriott BMedSc scholarship in honour of Professor Mary Lockett” remembers the Foundation Professor of Pharmacology and is one of the first of the 11 Foundation Professors Bachelor of Medical Science scholarships to be finalised.

At a ceremony where he signed a Deed of Gift, Dr Harriott said Professor Lockett was the first woman to be appointed as a Professor at UWA.

Over the Top to promote healthFourth-year UWA medical undergraduate, Andrew Webster, traversed more than 1500kms in the Northern Territory with a team of other Australian university students to encourage secondary school students to consider a career in health. The group is (from left) Melly Lewis, program co-ordinator, Simon, health science student from Wollongong, Ashling, medical student from Melbourne, Andrew, medical student from UWA, Nick, medical student from Brisbane, Jess, speech pathologist from Albury and Sally, nursing student from Darwin. Story page 12.

continued on page 9

Time out from working to pay the rentGraduate entry medical student James Preuss will not have to

work all hours to pay the rent during his demanding degree and may have time next year to do some research, thanks to a generous scholarship.

He is the inaugural recipient of the Country Women’s Association Rural Medical Scholarship, established this year to award $10,000 annually to a rural medical student in need of financial assistance.

The scholarship, which is open to undergraduate or graduate students, is held by the successful recipient for the duration of their course, provided satisfactory progress is made.

The CWA State Conference last year decided that a scholarship should be set up with the aim of encouraging rural students to study medicine and practise in country areas.

Mr Preuss is a graduate entry rural bonded medical student from Albany whose first degree was in biomedical science at UWA, majoring in pharmacology and physiology.

“I always wanted to do medicine,” he said. “I did my Honours in pharmacology and got a really good Honours project at Royal Perth Hospital in the anaesthesia department and that really guaranteed the fact I did want to become a doctor.”

Although Mr Preuss worked part time during his initial degree, the workload for the initial 26 weeks of the Graduate Entry Medical Program precluded continuing work.

“The scholarship will definitely make my life easier,” he said. “I won’t have to worry about working to pay the rent and I can just concentrate on my studies and hopefully next year get into more research.”

Mr Preuss said he would like to return to the country after graduation to provide some kind of service to the community where he grew up.

Country Women’s Association of WA State President Pam Batten said it was hoped the scholarship would raise the awareness of the role of the CWA.

“And it was a delight to hear him (Mr Preuss) on the other end of the line when he was notified he was to be the recipient,” she said.

Ms Sue Pougnault, the Faculty Student Support Coordinator, and Jed Handmer of the Country Medical Foundation greatly helped in setting up the scholarship.

Research is first step in psychiatry teamwork with SingaporeResearch into the pressing problems of alcohol abuse and

mental health in old age will kickstart a collaboration between psychiatrists at UWA and the National University of Singapore in a move that follows similar overseas links forged by the Faculty.

Following two visits by the Head of The School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, Professor Sasha Janca, to Singapore in the past year to explore possible official ties, the School last month hosted two academic members of the NUS Department of Psychiatry. They were Head of Department Professor Kua Ee Heok and Research Director Professor Ng Tze Pin.

Professor Janca said the successful visit resulted in a decision by the two groups to begin a collaborative relationship by conducting research, applying for joint grants from national funding agencies such as the National Health and Medical Research Council and international organisations such as the US National Institute of Mental Health, and writing joint research publications.

“Research is step number one,” he said. “We will start with projects in the areas of old age psychiatry and alcohol abuse.”

If the research activities prove successful, the two groups hope to move to more formal ties with a Memorandum of Understanding and organise post-graduate student exchanges and teaching visits. “Our academics would go to Singapore and their academics would come to Perth to teach our undergraduate students, to give a lecture or a PBL session and so on,” Professor Janca said.

“We also talked about post-graduate training and whether the two post-graduate training programs can be somehow linked and teaching and training exchanges organised.”

The School established official collaborative links with the Department of Psychiatry in the Chinese University of Hong Kong last year and is in the process of establishing a similar rapport with the Department of Psychiatry in the Semelweiss University in Budapest, Hungary.

The relationship between the Psychiatry Departments at UWA and the Chinese University of Hong Kong reflects a broader link that has been established between the Medical Faculties of the two universities, which has been recognised with a formal MOU.

“The Dean (Professor Ian Puddey) went to Hong Kong and signed it on behalf of the Faculty,” Professor Janca said.

“It is a part of a larger endeavour to build the bridges between our Faculty and other Faculties in Asia.”

The School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences is a World Health Organisation Collaborative Centre for research and training in mental health, one of the few in the WHO Western Pacific Region.

Country Women’s Association of WA State President Pam Batten, CWA medical scholarship recipient James Preuss and Deputy Dean Professor John Newnham.

From left: Professor Ng Tze Pin, Research Director, Department of Psychiatry, National University of Singapore; Professor Sasha Janca, Head of School of UWA Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences; Professor Kua Ee Heok, Head of Department of Psychiatry, National University of Singapore.

-By Cathy Saunders

MeDeFacts September 2008 The University of Western Australia2

By Professor Ian Puddey, Dean

The

Dean’s

Desk

I very much enjoy photographing our abundant profusion of wildflowers and so

spring is a special time for me. A time when weekends provide priceless opportunities for trekking through remnant bushlands in the suburbs, hiking along trails on the Darling escarpment or driving further afield into our midwest and southwest in search of the amazing diversity of flowers that burst forth every year. However, the predictability of this remarkable annual event and its beauty has occurred this year on a background of equally remarkable scenes of tumult, sudden change and unpredictability on our political and financial landscapes. It can be easy to be distracted by such events rather than remain focused on the things that really matter. In the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences I sense a growing disquiet as we face new budget restraints in harder economic times, a new State government with a yet to unfold agenda of change in direction for the health reform process and a Federal government about to take action in relation to wide-ranging education, health and innovation reviews with as yet unforeseen effects on what we do and how we go about doing it. So what are the things that matter (apart from really enjoying this special time of the year and its splendour)? This Faculty has a long tradition of consistently meeting its three core objectives - delivering the uppermost quality in health and medical education, maintaining a health and medical research agenda characterised by international excellence and making a difference to the quality of life of all Western Australians through clinical and community service of the highest calibre. We have been delivering on these three objectives for more than 50 years. A focus on maintaining that delivery for the next 50 years is a full time agenda for all of us and sees the current turmoil pale in consequence against striving to achieve and enrich these outcomes.

Anyone who enjoys wildflower macro-photography knows that the difficulty lies in achieving an image which keeps most of the flower in focus. I recently attended a photography course where as a novice photographer I was given some clues. I was taught how to best select the focal point for each photograph in relation to an understanding of the depth of field – one third of the depth of field being in front of the object and two-thirds behind it and with a unique depth of field in relation to each lens. I was also taught particular tricks to deal with the vagaries of changing light and shadow on a cloudy day and others to deal with the sway of a wildflower on a windy day. Of course we have similar assistance in keeping things in focus in relation to the objectives of this Faculty. Firstly, the process for developing our next Operational Priorities Plan (OPP) is well underway. The OPP for 2006-8 is drawing to a close and a five-year OPP for 2009-13 is now being developed. This process defines our depth of field – it gives us realistic but aspirational targets to shoot at in relation to our objectives in education, research and research training, community engagement and the management of our staff and resources. Secondly, the Course Structure Review process continues and the final report has now been published (and is available here http://www.coursestructuresreview.uwa.edu.au/ ) with substantial local and national publicity in relation to its proposed changes. This document is an excellent read and I believe embracing its recommendations will deliver a new spring at UWA as well as help us keep our focus during the

cloudy and windy days ahead. Its driving motivation is to deliver the highest quality tertiary education possible at UWA and its proposals will have far reaching consequences for the future of this Faculty with recommendations for a change to graduate degrees in each of our current professional training areas (medicine, dentistry, podiatric medicine and health sciences) on a background of three-year broad-based undergraduate degree offerings. I commend both the OPP process and the Course Restructure Review to your ongoing interest and engagement. Keep the focus and smell the wildflowers!

Getting things in focus Keeping things in focus

The University of Western Australia MeDeFacts September 2008 3

Marilyn Poole (left) and Aaron Raspa, reception staff from the Oral Health Centre of WA, display the previous accreditation certificate which is soon to be updated.

The Oral Health Centre of WA has successfully jumped through high hoops to win a four-year accreditation by Australia’s key

health organisation accreditation body, confirming the quality of service it provides.

In awarding the accreditation, the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) said safe and quality care was a cornerstone of the care provided by OHCWA to patients.

“Importantly, evaluation and improvement was embedded in the work culture,” the report said.

OHCWA Business Manager Stephen Home said it was a great outcome and affirmation of the quality of the services provided.

“This is the third time we’ve been accredited but the bar is being raised each time so it is not simply a matter of maintaining standards, rather we have to continually raise our standards,” he said. “In that sense we haven’t retained our accreditation but secured it again.

“You only need to fall short in one area of priority and you may miss out. It is not something you take for granted.”

Every year, 50,000 patient visits are made to OHCWA, which amounts to an average of 200 patients passing through their doors each day.

Mr Home said a huge time commitment was required to prepare for accreditation but it was worthwhile.

“Going through the process forces you to examine and improve everything you do,” he said. “The types of things they look into are fundamentally about ensuring that the health and safety of patients are properly catered for and protected.”

For example, the surveyors look at the full gamut of clinical service provision, including the process for diagnosis, the extent to which patients are fully and properly informed of the proposed treatment and consent to it, the quality of the actual dental service provided, patient safety, follow-up care, and management of risks. Not surprisingly after the recent national focus on events at Bundaberg Hospital, a strong emphasis has been placed on ensuring that clinicians are fully and properly trained for the specific tasks they perform and guidelines, or “credentials”, are established to prescribe the scope of clinical privileges of each clinician.

In addition they survey a range of administrative support services such as human resource management, finance, information technology, the maintenance of plant and equipment, and patient management services such as reception functions, clinical record management and complaint management.

In their report, the surveyors noted the dramatic inroads made in the waiting lists for orthodontic patients, which have been cut from three years to zero by the introduction of extra screening

clinics on weekends (see story in September 2007 issue of MeDeFacts).

“The outcomes of the marked reduction in the orthodontic waiting list through screening sessions, the development of a triage system, the availability of ‘emergency’ appointments during office hours and provision of an emergency service on weekends are impressive achievements in prioritising the clinical needs of the community,” the surveyors reported.

They also made mention of the new IV sedation clinic introduced to treat patients who are fearful of the dentist or cannot sit still in the dentist’s chair and who would otherwise have to undergo a general anaesthetic (see story in June 2008 issue of MeDeFacts).

“Action being taken to progress the treatment of phobic patients is a good example of the review of appropriate care settings for patients,” the surveyors said.

Some of the other notable achievements by OCHWA which “particularly impressed the surveyors” were the development of a staff induction package, implementation of a Staff Climate review, creation of Dental Clinic Assisting training positions and sponsorship of overseas trained dentists to overcome staff shortages, use of staff excellence awards, excellent patient records management and an excellent IT service and intranet site.

The Director of the Oral Health Centre and Head of the School of Dentistry, Professor Paul Abbott, said that while the process of seeking accreditation entailed an enormous investment of time and effort by many people, the benefits made it overwhelmingly worthwhile. “We could not achieve this result without the commitment and hard work of everyone at OHCWA and every member of staff should rightly take great satisfaction from this outcome,” he said.

The ACHS, established in 1974, is the leading independent authority on the measurement and implementation of quality improvement systems for Australian health care organisations.

One door closes, another opensThe Country Medical Foundation has shut up shop after almost 20 years of supporting students but has made a parting gift to fund 10 scholarships. It has donated $260,000 to the University of WA to establish a trust to finance two scholarships in perpetuity and eight existing scholarships until 2010.

CMF chairman Ken Pech said the scholarships were to help medical students throughout the course of their studies who aimed to practise in the country once qualified.

“The money was mainly raised by country people, both country Shires and country businesses such as Wesfarmers,” he said. “So if a student is going to get a scholarship or a benefit, they should then be expected to go back to the country. It is usually allocated to a student who has already displayed some ability and some dedication to the task of studying and some interest in going to the country.”

Mr Pech said the CMF was very happy with the new arrangement. “Medical students and the rural and remote areas will still benefit substantially,” he said.

The scholarships are given to country students, usually for a period of several years until they enter their intern year, and are aimed at helping take the pressure off them, possibly paying their board in Perth.

High hoops for top dental care

continued on page 5

MeDeFacts September 2008 The University of Western Australia4

Fiona Stanley Launches Healthy Babies projectA holistic care program for women with schizophrenia and

other serious mental illnesses, who face big challenges when they become mothers, has been initiated by a new mental health translational research unit.

Healthy Babies for Mothers with a Serious Mental Illness is the first package produced by the new Clinical Applications Unit (CAU) based at the Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry (CCRN).

The Healthy Babies package is an antenatal intervention to reduce risks and improve reproductive health outcomes. Women with serious mental illness, who often have risky lifestyle factors such as smoking, use of illicit drugs, poor nutrition, and failure to access antenatal care, are at high risk for pregnancy and birth complications that increase neurological developmental risks for their children.

The Healthy Babies project was launched by Telethon Institute for Child Health Research director Professor Fiona Stanley at the Heathcote Cultural Precinct in Applecross in July.

Professor Stanley said there had been an often-tragic neglect of this vulnerable population and praised the dedication and commitment of CCRN, which is part of the School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, to improving the health of people with mental illnesses in WA.

The package promotes a holistic care approach, providing women with a consistent and known team of health care support workers. The “small known team” approach includes the women’s community mental health clinician, a named midwife at the antenatal clinic and a general practitioner if the client chooses a shared-care option of antenatal care. This small team operates among a potentially larger team that includes the psychiatrist, obstetrician and hospital social worker.

The program was piloted with 18 women with serious mental illnesses from three North Metropolitan Area Health Service (Mental Health) community clinics and three public maternity hospitals last year.

Professor Fiona Stanley and Dr Yvonne Hauck at the program launch.

It was such a success that it provided the impetus for the formation of a specialist Childbirth and Mental Illness (CAMI) antenatal clinic at King Edward Memorial Hospital. The CAMI clinic now provides state-wide support for these at-risk women.

The team behind the creation of the program is Dr Yvonne Hauck of Curtin University, Dr Daniel Rock of CCRN, Ms Tanyana Jackiewicz of the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, and Professor Assen Jablensky, director of CCRN.

They have also devised a set of clinical guidelines to aid in the management of the reproductive and pregnancy needs of female patients with serious mental disorders.

Project manager Dr Hauck said research had shown that women with serious mental illness did not always seek out the antenatal care they needed.

“The clinical guidelines we’ve formulated will assist health professionals, especially community mental health clinicians, in ensuring their pregnant clients have access to the best possible antenatal care,” she said.

The Clinical Applications Unit is using local mental health research findings to develop effective care coordination programs for patients with complex needs in a range of areas, including sexual and reproductive health, co-morbidity, suicide and deliberate self-harm, and clinical assessment of psychosis.

The Healthy Babies project’s website can be accessed at http://www.nmahsmh.health.wa.gov.au/projects/healthybabies.cfm. Documents available for download include the Framework Overview and Clinicians’ Manual and clinical proformas for client history, referral and management.

“They can’t go and live with Mum and Dad,” Mr Pech said. “The scholarships are so they can concentrate on studying and not have to be distracted by going to work at Hungry Jack’s or Chicken Treat. We want them to go through and go through well.”

The 10 scholarships are usually allocated to students in Years 4, 5 or 6. The amount was originally $10,000 annually but when it became unsustainable it was reduced to $5000 annually.

The CMF is closing down partly because the funds it originally raised are dwindling and partly because other organisations are now providing scholarships, including the Country Women’s Association, John Flynn and Rural Australia Medical Undergraduate Scholarship (RAMUS) scholarships.

However, it had been successful in encouraging country students to enter Medical School and to provide a funding model for Commonwealth country medical scholarships, Mr Pech said.

“The CMF successfully lobbied and achieved more places in Medical School and changed the criteria for entry,” he said.

It initially raised more than $1 million and it was hoped the interest on it would make the funds self-generating but this changed when interest rates dropped.

“It has been topped up by some shires,” Mr Pech said. “Just before we closed down there were several shires still donating to us but it wasn’t enough because we were handing out something like $80,000 each year.”

Former CMF chairmen have included former Wesfarmers chairman Harry Perkins and Sir James McCusker.

The University of Western Australia MeDeFacts September 2008 5

Graduate entry students share international prize Research comparing the learning styles and coping

mechanisms of undergraduate and graduate entry medical students has won two 5th year UWA medical students an international prize.

Andrew Thompson and Chris Lomma shared the Australia and New Zealand Association for Medical Education (ANZAME) 2008 Undergraduate Student Prize of $750.

Moreover, they were invited to present their research, titled “Learning styles, coping mechanisms and stress levels of undergraduate and graduate entry medical students: do these vary with modes of entry and do they change over time”, at a plenary session of the ANZAME Conference held in Sydney in June.

Associate Professor Sally Sandover, who supervised the research and until last year was the co-ordinator of the Graduate Entry Medical Program (GEMP), said the research findings would be presented to the Faculty’s medical curriculum committee.

“It is hoped the material will be used to assist staff in evolving learning environments and teaching strategies,” she said.

The Faculty’s Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning, Dr Naomi Trengove, said the students did a brilliant job with their research. “They certainly did the Faculty proud,” she said. “It is very interesting and valuable research. It will help reinforce the concept of encouraging deep learning.”

Andrew Thompson, a graduate entry student who is a qualified physiotherapist, said he planned to continue his involvement with ANZAME, specifically looking at ways to improve and support post-graduate training in private practice-based physiotherapy and how to improve the preparedness of undergraduate physiotherapy students for work in private practice.

“I am hoping to pursue a career in orthopaedics and my future research is likely to be directed in this area as well as in medical and physiotherapy education,” he said.

Online Health Professional Education courses hit the markThe advent of online units in the Health Professional

Education postgraduate courses has swelled the number of enrolments from interstate and rural WA.

Whereas units were offered face-to-face when the courses started only 18 months ago, many are now available over the internet.

Dr Margaret Potter, Senior Lecturer in the Education Centre, said the initiative had provided greater accessibility for learners.

“Given the vast majority of postgraduate students continue to work full-time and study part-time, offering the option of online study has increased the flexibility of the program to better accommodate the work and life demands on those involved,” she said.

Since the courses started in February last year, a broad range of health professionals have participated in the courses, including registered nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, a social worker and doctors from emergency medicine, surgery and paediatrics.

While the suite of four courses for health professionals includes a Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Masters by Coursework or Research, it is the Research Masters degree that has attracted the most interest. “A number of postgraduate students are engaged in educational research that will make a significant contribution to teaching and learning within and across health professions,” Dr Potter said.

“If you teach undergraduate and/or postgraduate students, have involvement in staff training within your workplace and want to improve your education-related knowledge and skills, these postgraduate courses in Health Professional Education may be of interest to you.”

More information is available at: http://www.meddent.uwa.edu.au/go/Edcentre-courses or contact Sharon Hyde at sharon.hyde@uwa.edu.au.

Andrew Thompson (left) and Chris Lomma at the conference

(From left) Mrs Caron Shuttleworth, one of the Masters students with Dr Annette Mercer, senior lecturer in the Education Centre

Chris Lomma, a qualified lawyer and graduate entry medical student, said he hadn’t yet decided field of medicine to pursue. “But I really enjoy meeting patients so it will be something with lots of patient interaction,” he said. -By Cathy SaundersFor the research findings, see story page 7.

cc

a

MeDeFacts September 2008 The University of Western Australia6

GEMP students are “deep” learners Undergraduate medical students tend to try to avoid or alter

situations in order to cope with stress while their more mature colleagues who are graduate entrants favour solving the problem.

These are among the findings of award-winning research conducted by two medical students.

The first stage of the study into the approaches to learning and stress coping strategies was conducted by Andrew Thompson and Chris Lomma last year for their 4th year research project. They gave three validated questionnaires – looking at approaches to learning, stress levels, and ways of coping - to 177 year 1 and 2 undergraduate and 58 graduate entry medical students at the beginning of the academic year.

Research supervisor, Associate Professor Sally Sandover, conducted the second stage of the study, conducted at the end of the year. The aim is to obtain data to help provide students with a better learning experience. “This information would equip staff in how to deliver courses to students with previous study, work and life experiences,” she said.

Entry to the Medical School is via the Year 1 undergraduate program for school leavers or the graduate entry medical program (GEMP) for mature age students entering the year 3 undergraduate program after a bridging course

The study findings showed undergraduate and GEMP students had a preference for deep learning over superficial learning at the beginning of their course.

However, GEMP students had a significantly higher preference than year 1 students for deep learning.

A deep learner is defined as being intrinsically motivated to cover the subject and superficial learner as being motivated by fear of failure and desire to pass the exams, often using basic and rote learning.

At the start of the year, the GEMP students were less stressed than the year 1 and 2 students.

Their coping styles also differed. Year 1 and 2 students favoured the confrontative method, which is an aggressive effort to alter a stressful situation, and the escape avoidance method, which

involves efforts to escape or avoid the problem.

The GEMP students used planned problem solving to alter the situation.

“These could be age-related methods,” Associate Professor Sandover said.

Female students, regardless of age, sought social support to cope with stress while males used the distancing method, which involves detaching oneself from the stress.

Although the GEMP students had a significantly greater number of life stressors, and were learning in an intensive bridging program, the stress levels of undergraduate and GEMP students were similar at the conclusion of the courses.

And despite their stress levels, GEMP students maintained a focus on deep learning and used problem solving approaches to help them cope with stress.

But undergraduate students had no preference for deep over superficial learning by the end of the year.

“This information should be used in planning the course delivery and assessment, particularly when mature aged students make up a large proportion of the cohort,” Associate Professor Sandover said.

This year, stage three is being conducted by another group of 4th year students who are doing a follow-up of the same cohort.

Fact file: GEMP intake in 2007

60 students

Aged 20-48 years, mean age 26-28 years

Half students from interstate /OS

Variety of background disciplines. engineering, music, law, arts, physiotherapy, science, nursing, accounting

Some students had part time jobs, some ran private businesses, some had families and small children

All overwhelmingly enthusiastic and privileged to be in course. Most had wanted to study medicine for a long time.

WITS ABOUT YOUOur medical quiz is kindly supplied by Emeritus Professor Bernard Catchpole, the second Professor of Surgery appointed to the Faculty.

Questions:

1. Weaning time in animals occurs when the young bite their mother’s nipples and get driven away. When then, on that basis, is human weaning time?

2. Why is the lithotomy position so called?

3. What is “scrofula”?

4. Scrofula was also called “The King’s Evil”. Why?

5. The secretory/motility complex, which sweeps from oesophagus to caecum between meals, has a periodicity of about 100 minutes. What other complex has a similar periodicity?

Answers page 14

b

bc

c

aa

-By Cathy Saunders

b

bc

c

a

The University of Western Australia MeDeFacts September 2008 7

Persistence pays – third time strikes gold for scribeA final year UWA medical student has stayed at an overseas

university medical centre described as “a city inside a city” and carried off an international prize while there.

Sonakshi Sharma spent two weeks at the World Health Organisation’s International Summer School in Oncology for Medical Students in Groningen, Netherlands, where each student presented a poster on an aspect of cancer in their country.

Ms Sharma’s poster on “Cervical Cancer in Australia: Prevention is Better than Cure” trumped entries from the 28 other students to win the award for the best poster – the WHO Collaborating Centre for Cancer Education (WHO-CCCE) Award 2008. The abstract of her poster, which focused on the new vaccine and the national cervical cancer screening program in Australia, will be published by WHO.

“Lost” graduatesThe University has lost contact with approximately 10 per cent of all graduates of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health

Sciences. This means that the Faculty can’t get in touch with those graduates for reunion invitations, updates and alumni events.

If you know someone who hasn’t received any invitations or copies of MeDeFacts, please inform Ms Fabienne Vonarburg on (08) 6488 4211 or email fabienne.vonarburg@uwa.edu.au. Alternatively, please direct them to the website where they can update their

contacts - http://www.development.uwa.edu.au/update

Don’t forget to update your details yourself. UWA and the Faculty don’t want you to miss out.

She attended the Summer School in July as part of her prize for winning the Cancer Council Australia’s national essay competition this year for her essay titled “Cancer prevention is better than cure.” Ms Sharma has come runner-up in the competition for the past two years.

At the Summer School, she had the opportunity to meet 28 other medical students from four 22 different countries across four continents.

“The summer school was a really great experience,” she said. “Each day was divided into a stimulating academic program at the University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) during the day and very enjoyable social program at night.”

The only university medical centre in the northern part of the Netherlands, UMCG has 1300 beds, making it one of the largest hospitals in the country. It is considered a fine state-of-the-art hospital.

“The UMCG is sometimes called ‘a city inside a city’ because of the architecture, with covered streets that lead to the nursing units and outpatients clinics,” Ms Sharma said. “I thought it looked more like a shopping mall and it was designed in such a way to make patients less aware that they are in a hospital.”

Every morning, the academic program began with a cancer patient who shared their experiences, the diagnosis and the treatment options with the students. This was followed by interactive lectures in the morning, covering a specific type of cancer each day. In the afternoons, the students presented their posters.

“I found it very interesting to learn about how cancer care differs among these countries,” Ms Sharma said. “I felt proud to be representing Australia because our cancer screening programs and treatments are among the best in the world.”

The Summer School had deepened her interest in oncology, she said.

The summer school group in the Netherlands

Sonakshi Harma with her winning poster

MeDeFacts September 2008 The University of Western Australia8

And last month a group of representatives from two medical schools, two secondary medical schools, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Department of Ethnic Minority Policy, the Ministry of Health and Pathfinder International made a week-long visit to Perth. The delegation included one Vice Chancellor, three Deans and two Vice Deans.

CAMDH Senior Lecturer Dr David Paul said the delegation was particularly interested in learning how to increase the proportion of their ethnic minorities entering and completing medical school.

“In Vietnam, there are considerable health disparities for some ethnic minorities from the remote mountainous regions in the north and the Central Highlands,” he said. “There are also significant workforce issues with significantly fewer medical practitioners and other health care workers than are required. There are also very few medical practitioners from ethnic minorities.”

In Vietnam, the government, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Education and Training have begun implementing a number of policies to help address the situation.

As a result of the study tour, the Vietnamese delegation would take back some valuable lessons, including the advantage of having a level of financial and moral support as great as that provided to CAMDH by the Faculty, Dr Paul said.

“Another lesson is the relevance and value of having a centre such as ours that is focused on recruitment, retention and curriculum issues within the Faculty,” he said. “So it is more than just policies, it is actually providing solid infrastructure to enable it to happen.”

While in Australia training in Indigenous health was provided to all medical students, it appeared to be different in Vietnam.

“There seems to be more of a focus there on specifically training ethnic minority groups rather than including in the curricula issues confronting ethnic minorities for all students

within the course,” Dr Paul said. “By the end of the study tour, the delegates had concluded that it was important to broaden the scope of their curricula including providing in the field educational opportunities for all students. The study tour group had also developed a detailed strategic plan aimed at addressing the key issues of concern.

“In addition, the delegates used the opportunity of the study tour to begin to work collaboratively, across their multiple universities and locations, to better address the health care and health care workforce needs in remote areas of Vietnam.”

In return, the WA team had learnt that there were many more similarities between Vietnam and Australia in terms of health disparities for minority groups than expected. Further, they learnt that the Vietnamese government appeared to be much more financially supportive of training in Indigenous health than the Australian government.

The finding would be used by CAMDH to lobby Federal and State governments for specific funding.

“The funding for most of what we do comes internally from the Faculty, with only limited external funding coming from government,” Dr Paul said. “The level of support we get from the Faculty has been fundamental in enabling us to achieve the substantial gains that we have made.

“However, given the Federal government’s stated commitment to building the Aboriginal health workforce, it is hoped that they will see the logic in supporting those who train the health workforce.”

The trip is likely to be the groundwork for ongoing exchanges.“That would enable us to share our knowledge and skills a bit more and maybe help some Vietnamese medical schools develop stronger support programs,” Dr Paul said. “We have also discussed with the delegation the possibility of student exchanges for electives, for example.”

The Vietnamese visit was funded by Pathfinder International.

On the last day of the study tour, all the visiting delegates were presented with a “thank-you” package, including a T shirt that everyone promptly put

on. The delegates are with CAMDH Senior Lecturer Dr David Paul, second from left in front, and Associate Professor Helen Milroy, who is seated

next to him.

Vietnam looks to Aboriginal centre for inspiration - continued from page 1

Aboriginal inspiration

The University of Western Australia MeDeFacts September 2008 9

“Her appointment followed that of the previous nine Foundation Professors by several years, pharmacology having been taught by a handful of lectures by pharmacists, based purely on prescribing,” he said.

Professor Lockett presented as a softly spoken, gentle person, who was both liked and respected.

“Is there any truth in the rumour that she was mechanically challenged, driving her new VW Beetle for several days with the windscreen wipers going because she could not turn them off?” Dr Harriott quipped.

“However, she obviously had the qualities to establish a department in the old timber and fibro building near Agricultural Science and added yet another valuable discipline to the Medical School course.”

Professor Lockett had a considerable influence on Dr Harriott, who won the pharmacology prize in 1967, undertook anaesthesia training and progressed to teach in pharmacology in the department for three years part-time, then anaesthesia trainees for 20 years and post-graduate dental students preparing for the Master of Dental Science in oral surgery. He also taught and examined medical students in anaesthesia and served on the Drug and Drug Research committee at Royal Perth Hospital for more than 10 years.

“How fitting it is that the Chair in Anaesthesia has been established in the School of Medicine and Pharmacology,” Dr Harriott said. “This scholarship will be available within the Medical School and will be available to all branches of pharmacology.

“However, I particularly encourage the academic staff in anaesthesia to view this as an opportunity.”

The Faculty plans to award the first scholarship in 2011, the year that would have coincided with Mary Lockett’s 100th birthday. She was born in March 1911.

Faculty Development Officer Fabienne Vonarburg said by sheer chance it was discovered during research for the signing ceremony that Mary Lockett had relatives in Perth.

“A niece enquired at the University archives just two weeks before the ceremony about their aunt,” she said. “Somehow the family must have sensed that their aunt would be honoured with a scholarship in her name in perpetuity.”

Two of her nieces, Beth and Mary Eggleston, attended the ceremony.

As reported in the June issue of MeDeFacts, retired medical Professor John Pearman, his wife Rosemary and children Timothy and Fiona have donated $120,000 in honour of Professor Neville Stanley, Foundation Professor of Microbiology, who was a friend and mentor to Professor Pearman. The family will have naming rights in perpetuity for the scholarship.

The Faculty hopes to award four of the 11 Foundation Professors Bachelor of Medical Science scholarships within the next two years.

(from left) Beth and Mary Eggleston with the bas-relief of their aunt, Professor Mary Lockett

Remembering a mentor - continued from page 1

Deputy Dean Professor John Newnham, Dr John Harriott and Associate Professor Fiona Lake, Head of the School of Medicine and Pharmacology, after the signing of the Deed of Gift

Gift TableThe Foundation Professors Bachelor of Medical Science Scholarship Program

Each BMedSc scholarship in honour of a Foundation Professor in perpetuity requires a total donation of

$120,000

Commitments received

Required to set up in perpetuity

John & Rosemary Pearman BMedSc scholarship in honour of Professor Neville

Stanleyset up in perpetuity

John Harriott BMedSc scholarship in honour of Professor Mary Lockett set up in perpetuity

Professor Eric Saint $91,675 $28,325

Robert Milne BMedSc scholarship in honour of Professor David Sincliar $73,673 $46,327

Professor William Macdonald $6,200 $113,800

Professor Josef Lugg $5,000 $115,000

Professor Gordon King $3,000 $117,000

Professor Wilfred Simmonds $2,000 $118,000

Professor Cecil Kidd $1,000 $119,000

Professor Cecil Lewis $0 $120,000

Professor Rolf ten Seldam $0 $120,000

General Pool $3700

Commitments received as at 27 August 2008

MeDeFacts September 2008 The University of Western Australia10

Desert Dentistry – making a differenceA dental research, service and education centre is small in

size but big in impact, making a difference to the oral health of Indigenous people in the outback.

The Centre for Rural and Remote Oral Health provides oral health care services for a number of Aboriginal communities, ranging from Roebourne in the north to Warburton in the east of the State.

One of the Centre’s small team of dedicated dentists, UWA graduate Dr Aaron Thomas, said he felt privileged to be looking after some of the most dentally-neglected members of the community.

“I really enjoy working closely with Aboriginal Health Workers and supporting community health promotion activities,” he said. “This area of work provides many opportunities and challenges and has certainly allowed me to hone my skills in the fundamentals of diagnosis and pain management.”

Professor Marc Tennant, Director of the Centre, said it was a small, closely integrated centre in the School of Primary, Aboriginal and Rural Health Care that had been operating for almost eight years.

“The Centre continues to strongly contribute to the research, education and service goals of The University and to the wider national agenda focused on improving the oral health of rural, remote and Indigenous Australians,” he said.

“On the research front, the Centre has been very productive since its early achievement undertaking WA’s first comprehensive rural oral health workforce survey and has become WA’s most active oral health research group.”

Dr Estie Kruger, leader of the Centre’s research program, said the research complemented the Centre’s services.

“It provides government and the wider national agenda with data that gives an evidence-base for the development of tailored oral health services for rural and remote communities,” Dr Kruger said.

Dr Kate Dyson, manager of the clinical program, said this area of work attracted consistent interest among graduating dentists, many of whom had been involved in rural placements with the Centre as students.

“A growing number of private practitioners are becoming involved as well, finding the short escape from daily routines invigorating and hugely rewarding,” she said. “The opportunity to share their expertise and contribute to the growth of something so clearly worthwhile has great appeal to many dentists.

“It’s also a good way to be a little adventurous and see ‘the road less travelled’ in the WA outback.”

Dr Suanne Lam, a UWA dentistry graduate, agreed. Suanne said while the job could be challenging at times, it was reassuring to know that there was always a strong support network in Perth providing back-up advice if ever it was needed.

Dr Aaron Thomas and Dr Suanne Lam; in Mawarnkarra Health Service in Roebourne.

A plinth in the Foundation Professors’ Memorial Walkway has now been given its finishing touch with a list of the donors to the Walkway, which features bas-relief sculptures of the 12 Founding Professors of the Medical and Dental Schools.

Apart from the plaque acknowledging the donors, the plinth now also holds a plaque in recognition of the artists, award-winning husband and wife sculptors Joan and Charles Walsh-Smith. The walkway is located between the Oral Health Centre and the Medical and Dental Library on the QE11 Campus.

The University of Western Australia MeDeFacts September 2008 11

Attracting students to a healthy careerA fourth-year UWA medical

undergraduate who joined five other university students from around Australia to promote health careers to secondary schools in the Top End has encouraged all health students to do the same.

Mr Andrew Webster was in the Northern Territory for a week during which time the group visited seven schools, spoke to 226 students and covered more than 1500kms.

They were participating in the Northern Territory Rural High Schools Visits program (NT RHSV), which is organised by the General Practice Primary Health Care Northern Territory group.

Mr Webster, who is this year’s Australian Medical Students’ Association representative in WA, said he was inspired to volunteer because he had benefited as a teenager from the corresponding Rural High School Visit program run in WA.

“The reason I am studying medicine today is because I attended one of these RHSV workshops when I was a

high school student,” he said. “Hence, I have a strong belief in the usefulness of the program in attracting students towards careers in health.

“Since entering medical school, I have been a regular participant in these workshops as a leader and I have always found them to be great fun.”

His colleagues in his NT trip in May were a post-graduate medical student from the University of Queensland, a post-graduate medical student trained in physiotherapy from the University of Melbourne, a Health Science student from Wollongong, a Speech Pathology student from Albury and a Nursing student from Darwin.

Their itinerary included St John’s College and Darwin High School, Kormilda College, Jabiru Area School, Katherine High school, the Wurli Wurlinjang Health Clinic, Nhulunbuy High School on the Gove Peninsula, and Yirrkala clinic.

“We also had a tour of the Gove Hospital,” Mr Webster said. “I am definitely going to try and get a placement here at some stage - they get to do some amazing medicine.”

At the various high schools, the group aimed to engage students in a group discussion about careers in health. “We did this by constructing a PBL (Problem Based Learning) scenario which was relevant to the students,” Mr Webster said.

“Judging from the evaluation forms we received back, it was evident that the students absolutely loved the workshops. Perhaps more importantly,

a large proportion of students indicated that they were considering a career in health more favourably following our visit.”

Mr Webster said careers advice could be difficult to come by at some schools, particularly in areas where the majority of students do not complete the TEE.

“This is one of the great benefits of the program – interested high school students are able to talk to current university students about their life and studies,” he said. “This helps quell some of the fears school leavers often have such as managing finances and moving away from home. Most are very pleased to hear that going to university is a real possibility and that there is money and support out there to help them do so.”

Although it was a hectic week, there was time for sightseeing.

“We were able to go to some of the waterfalls and National Parks in between sessions and this made the trip even more enjoyable and memorable,” Mr Webster said.

“I would fully recommend any health student to apply for this fantastic opportunity. It’s challenging and different plus the NT weather is great in May.”

Two trips are organised every year - one to the Top End, usually in the last week of May, and one to Central Australia, usually in the first week of May.

Anyone interested in participating can email Melly Lewis at melly.lewis@gpphcnt.org.au.

The six health students enjoy some “downtime” at Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park: They are (from left) Jess, Ashling, Andrew, Nick, Simon and Sally.

MeDeFacts September 2008 The University of Western Australia12

Professor John Newnham with (left) assistant manager Ms Euni Hayelock and Mrs Raie Bradshaw, a volunteer worker for nine years at the King Edward Memorial Hospital café, which will soon ban junk food. All profits from the outlet, which is staffed largely by about 70 volunteers, go to research.

Clearing out the junk for better healthThe new anti-junk food ban being imposed in the State’s public

health facilities is entirely consistent with research findings into the origins of chronic disease, which show our environment in the womb impacts on our health, according to a Faculty Professor.

Professor John Newnham, Head of the School of Women’s and Infants’ Health, said the ban was vital in the fight against obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Research into the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), one of the Faculty’s five research priority areas, showed that these diseases had their origins during fetal life.

“A fetus that is exposed to high blood sugar levels in the mother is then predisposed to obesity and diabetes itself,” Professor Newnham said. As a result, diabetes in a mother had to be meticulously controlled during pregnancy. “One component for addressing this issue is for us to start aggressively approaching obesity and diabetes and food practices,” he said.

Under the State government initiative, all unhealthy food and drinks must be removed from hospital, clinic and community health centre cafeterias, kiosks, vending machines and ward trolleys by January 1. Staff meetings and fundraising events will have to be junk food-free.

The ban will apply to soft drinks that exceed 300kJ a serve, deep fried food, and chocolate bars and other confectionery exceeding more than 600kJ a serve. It includes crisps and corn chips.

“A lot of food is being removed and it is just going to be just healthy food (left),” Professor Newnham said. “It is going down to a very small chocolate bar, maybe the size of a Freddo frog, but there will be no piece of chocolate bigger than that.”

The initiative was reminiscent of the campaign that eventually led to a decline in smoking rates, he said. He was the obstetrics representative on the Australian Council on Smoking and Health in the 1980s which was behind the push for smoke-free areas. “I think we are now in the early stage of somehow having to reproduce the public health campaign that was run and is still running on smoking, now with food,” he said.

It was an important first step but if it was the only step, it would not work. “This needs to be the first of many steps and it is a long and hard path to take but it has got to be taken because we have to address obesity and diabetes at the earliest time in life,” he said. “That begins in our hospitals.

“We have to make sure we are providing only healthy food and only healthy examples, and then this message has to permeate from our health care institutions and our schools right out across the community. It is the beginning now of a public health campaign that is going to have to last for decades.”

The new rules are a result of an advisory body set-up in November 2006 after Princess Margaret Hospital banned junk food from its cafeteria and vending machines. Public Health Association national president Mike Daube said the rules would make WA’s health system the strictest in the world.

CTEC the “go-to” centre for medical education adviceThe Clinical Training and Education Centre (CTEC) has assumed

a brand new identity to better reflect its wide arc of influence and mark its merger with the Faculty’s Education Centre.

“CTEC is seeking to establish itself as the go-to person for medical education advice,” CTEC Director Professor Jeff Hamdorf said.

The new CTEC brand of a central aqua circle with grey arcs symbolises a hub of medical educational expertise close to customers, partners, stakeholders, and industry with plenty of overlap between them.

The new ID was launched at an event attended by guests including Faculty Dean Professor Ian Puddey and CTEC Foundation Medical Director Emeritus Professor Richard Vaughan.

Professor Hamdorf said the previous image was very anatomical and did not reflect all the activities of CTEC. “As we work with the Health Department, we are a hub not just as a service provider but we advise on activities in Western Australian health,” he said.

“Within the Faculty of Medicine and in the University fabric, we consider ourselves key advisers on various aspects of medical education as well.”

Professional activities are extensive, including courses in health education and an array of Masters degree courses. “For example, the Masters student Professor Karen Simmer and I are supervising is developing a curriculum for neonatal paediatricians which we fully expect to be taken up across Australia,” Professor Hamdorf said. “So CTEC is influencing the way the neonates of Australia will be cared for.”

The integration of CTEC on the main UWA campus with the Education Centre, which is located within the Faculty on the QEII site, has been ongoing for the past 12 months. “Integration is very challenging when it occurs over two sites,” Professor Hamdorf said. “What will happen to finalise this is to get the Education Centre staff relocated to the Crawley campus.”

CTEC, a medical and surgical skills training centre, opened in 2000 and has since trained more than 20,000 health professionals from Australia and the Asia Pacific region in crisis management and procedural simulation courses.

Faculty Dean Professor Ian Puddey with CTEC General Manager David Edwards at the CTEC branding launch.

The University of Western Australia MeDeFacts September 2008 13

?

QASThe West Australian: Professor Michael Millward, Head of Cancer Trials at the WA Institute for Medical Research, is QAS a treatment in which a 52-year-old US man with advanced skin cancer was injected with billions of his own cloned immune cells and made a full recovery was potentially very promising. “Certainly if it is an effective treatment it would be a very significant advance but we need to see results in many more than just one patient,” he said.

Professor Leon Flicker, Director of the WA Centre for Health and Ageing at UWA, is QAS people over the age of 50 could prevent their memory from deteriorating and potentially delay dementia by carrying out simple aerobic exercises such as walking or dancing for 20 minutes each day, as shown by WACHA’s world-first study. “People don’t have to run a marathon to get the benefits,” he said. Co-researcher Professor Osvaldo Almeida, Professor of Old Age Psychiatry, said the results suggested regular physical activity had a positive effect on brain metabolism.

Associate Professor Roger Hart, of the School of Women’s and Infants’ Health, is QAS it is well established that exposure to substances in the womb influences long-term health. He was commenting on Edinburgh University research which found the reproductive system of male fetuses as early as eight weeks’ gestation could be damaged by chemicals found in perfumes and scented creams used by the mother and could lead to infertility or testicular cancer later in life.

Associate Professor Lin Fritschi, of the WA Institute for Medical Research, is QAS about six in every 1000 people diagnosed with a melanoma would develop a second melanoma each year, according to a study of more than 50,000 cases of melanoma carried out by WAIMR and others. “People with melanomas thicker than 2mm were over 50 per cent more likely to have a second melanoma than patients with thinner melanomas, but those with melanomas less than 1mm thick were still at significant risk,” she said. Dr Kieran McCaul, of the WA Centre for Health and Ageing, said the data showed current treatment guidelines needed changing. “Currently, it is thought that most people with melanomas less than 1mm thick only need two years of follow-up after their diagnosis,” she said.

Answers to the quiz on page 7

1. Eight months after birth when the upper incisors erupt.

2. It allowed perineal incision to be made, beside the urethra into the bladder, through which the stone was extracted.

3. Tuberculous cervical lymphadenopathy.

4. A touch from the king’s finger was thought to cure it.

5. Rapid eye movement (R.E.M.) sleep.

Professor John Newnham, Head of the School of Women’s and Infants’ Health, is QAS pre-labour rupture of membranes (PROM) could be easily managed but was a significant problem and there was always the risk of infection. He was commenting on a study by the UWA School of Population Health which found elevated nitrate levels in the tap water of some Perth suburbs could increase the risk of PROM. Professor Newnham said even though a link was made, there was no need for pregnant women to switch to bottled water. “We haven’t proved it, we now need to see it replicated in other populations,” he said.

Clinical Professor Carol Bower, Head of Epidemiology at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, is QAS it is not clear why children of women with diabetes have a higher risk of birth defects. She was commenting on a US study which showed women who have diabetes before pregnancy are up to four times more likely to have a child with a birth defect than women without diabetes. “But if your blood sugar is well controlled, then your risk is well reduced, so it’s clearly something to do with that,” Clinical Professor Bower said.

Dr Fang-Xu Jiang, of the WA Institute for Medical Research, is QAS a new technique used in mice by scientists at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute to transform common pancreatic cells, or exocrine cells, into beta cells that produce insulin was probably some time off being adapted to human cells but was a key step towards curing diabetes.

Australian Doctor:Professor Leon Flicker, Director of the WA Centre for Health and Ageing at UWA, is QAS doctors should consider non-pharmacological strategies such as cognitive therapy and exercise in depressed older people. He was commenting on a study he co-conducted of 21,000 general practice patients aged over 60 which found those taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, were 55 per cent more likely to report a single fall, 66 per cent more likely to have multiple falls and 52 per cent more likely to injure themselves from a fall than those not using the drugs.

Professor Tim Davis, of the School of Medicine and Pharmacology, is QAS there is something about being a type 1 diabetes male that predisposes them to a rate of bone mineral density loss that is equivalent to that in a post-menopausal female. He was commenting on a five- year study he conducted of 53 patients which found the reduction in bone mineral density at the femoral neck occurred at the same rate in men with type 1 diabetes as in older post-menopausal women with type 2 diabetes.

the word is out - faculty in the news

Q u o t e d A s S a y i n g

MeDeFacts September 2008 The University of Western Australia14

The School of Surgery steps up to help

From bandages to bulletsThe UWA medical student-run organisation known as

LINCS (Local and International Needs Contribution Scheme) is again preparing to send much needed medical supplies to the developing world.

The aim of LINCS is to match the surplus of unused medical supplies from WA with the needs of health care institutions in communities with limited resources around the globe.

This is achieved by enlisting the help of medical students travelling overseas during their international elective terms.

LINCS, now in its second year of operation, is a Global Health Groups sub-committee of the WA Medical Students’ Society (WAMSS) and has the backing of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the UWA Office of Development and the Hackett Foundation.

As part of its fundraising activities, LINCS will hold a Benefits Evening on 8 October with the theme “From bandages to bullets; the ethics of aid in conflict zones.” It will feature key-note speakers, doctors and medical students experienced in the provision of medical aid to developing countries who will describe the complexities of medical aid and their personal experiences.

During the evening, LINCS will announce the hospitals and clinics it will help this year.

LINCS committee member Patricia Le, a fifth year medical student, said final year medical students embarked on elective terms abroad every year, many choosing placements in hospitals and clinics of the developing world.

Research teams within the School of Surgery have been busy in their spare time raising funds to support two local community-based health organisations, the WA Cancer Council and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of WA.

This gave them a unique experience of the challenges and rewards of providing medical care in these settings.

“Of particular note is the lack of basic equipment, which is often taken for granted in our own healthcare system,” she said. “As a result, students undertaking their elective in the developing world are given the opportunity to ask their recipient hospital or clinic to provide a wish list of medical equipment that is required. These range from basic supplies such as disposable gloves, dressings or cannulas to more sophisticated items such as pulse oximeters and ECG machines.

“It is the task of LINCS to fulfill these wish lists. In doing so, LINCS hopes to achieve its aim of helping to improve developing world healthcare.”

LINCS co-ordinator Michael Ma, a sixth year medical student, said the broader aims of LINCS were to foster relationships between UWA medical students and the hospitals and local clinics which students visited.

“It is also a way of expressing UWA’s gratitude for the generosity of these hospitals and clinics which host our medical students,” he said.

LINCS members, who range from years 3 to 6 of the medical degree, involve themselves in many other activities, including promotion to the medical student population of current developing world health issues.

Donations to UWA for the LINCS project are tax-deductible. For further information please contact lincs@wamss.org.au.

The School of Surgery’s Mad Hatters Morning Tea was held in May as part of Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea fundraising event run by the Cancer Council. It is one of the largest and most successful events of its kind in Australia.

The hat parade and morning tea treats helped raise $255 for the Cancer Council.

A team of eight “steppers” swapped a Sunday-morning sleep in for their running shoes in June to participate in the local fundraising event, Step Up for MS.

Held in the Perth CBD, the challenging event involved climbing 1,096 stairs up Central Park Tower. The School of Surgery team successfully completed the 53 flight-climb and in doing so raised $1,175 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of WA.

The LINCS committee

The University of Western Australia MeDeFacts September 2008 15

MeDeFacts

Medical Students paint the town Red The Red Party thrown by UWA medical students has proven a hit for the second year running and raised more than $16,000 for charity,

with donations still being counted.

The party is organised entirely by the WA Medical Students’ Society to raise money and awareness for HIV/AIDS and is supported by the WA AIDS Council and partner student societies across the State’s universities. All profits are donated to Oxfam Australia’s South African AIDS Orphan Nutrition Program.

“Across South Africa, it is estimated that 1.5 million children have become orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS,” Red Party co-ordinator and UWA medical student, Robert Marshall, said. “The Red Party contributes to improving these children’s quality of life and also draws attention to the HIV/AIDS pandemic devastating these areas. We are supporting Oxfam Australia’s South African AIDS Orphans Nutrition Program, as they provide food, skills and support for these children whose lives have been torn apart by HIV/AIDS.”

Now in its second year, the Red Party is one of WA’s biggest inter-university parties at the Leederville Hotel and is a sell-out night.

In addition to the party itself, the Red Party project aimed to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS through “Red Aware” events held throughout August. These included a panel discussion of HIV/AIDS, giving an interesting perspective on living with the virus. A screening of the documentary “A Closer Walk” gave an insight into how the disease has dramatically affected parts of Africa. Finally “Paint the Town Red”, a week-long promotional campaign, saw dozens of red-themed characters and performances on the Oak Lawn at UWA.

FACULTY OF MEDICINE, DENTISTRY AND HEALTH SCIENCESThe University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009

Ph: (08) 9346 7323 Fax: (08) 9346 2369 Web site: http://meddent.uwa.edu.au/Dean - Professor Ian Puddey - Deputy Dean - Professor John Newnham

Faculty Manager/Assistant Editor - Susan Henshall (08) 9346 2680 - email: susan.henshall@uwa.edu.auEditor/Writer - Cathy Saunders (08) 9349 8190 or 0403 813 830 - email: catscan@optusnet.com.au

CONTRIBUTIONS: We aim to make the newsletter relevant to as many members of the Faculty as possible, and to achieve this we welcome contributions of articles, photographs, letters, feedback, story ideas and humorous medical or dental anecdotes.

Please email your contributions to the editor at: catscan@optusnet.com.au

Paint It Red – medical students assume red-related identities and prepare to carry out performances during the Paint the Town Red campaign.

MeDeFacts September 2008 The University of Western Australia16