50th Birthday Issue AMSA`s - Australian Medical Students` Association

Transcription

AMSA’s
50th Birthday Issue
Spotlight on the history of the Australian
Medical Students’ Association
The history of your Med Soc
Panacea’s Bachelor of the Year
What to expect in 2010
and much more...
The American Express Gold Credit
Card Summer Edition 2009-10
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contents
Welcome from the Editor
Spotlight on the history of AMSA
Welcome from the Chair of the History
Project Working Party
Back to where it all began: the origins of AMSA
The 1982 guide to organising convention
Presidential letter to Panacea, 1968
Back from the brink: How AMSA was saved
Years in review
Thanks for the memories: some of the best
from the last 50 years of Convention
AMSA and Advocacy: Some important issues
we have fought for over the last 50 years
What are the origins of your medical society?
AMSA & the AMA: A short history
2
5
6
8
10
13
14
16
18
20
30
General articles
The year of living orangely: 2009 President’s
Report
Looking forward: 2010 President’s Report
Producing ethical doctors has to begin with
ethical education
AMSA’s National Leadership Development
Seminar 2009
Welcome from the 2010 Executive
Panacea & AMSA’s Bachelor of the Year
Competition
It’s not Miss, it’s Doctor: A history of females in
Australian Medicine
Aviation and Medicine: It’s all about the checklists
Opinion: The future of healthcare in Australia
Doctors should lose
The miracle of life
Four weeks in Mumbai
How I mastered time travel
MedCest: A how to guide
Medicine by the stars
Life in medicine
32
35
Volume 43, No. 2
American Express Gold Credit Card
Summer Edition 2009-10
AMSA’s 50th Birthday Issue
Editor-in-Chief & Designer: Sally Ayesa
Marketing: Jon Noonan & Jeff Ahn
Proof reading: Daina Rudaks & Tom
Crowhurst
Panacea is published by the Australian
Medical Students’ Association
42 Macquarie Street
Barton ACT 2600
Postal adddress:
PO Box 6099
Kingston ACT 2604
36
Phone: +612 6270 5435
Fax: +612 6270 5499
37
38
Email: [email protected]
www.amsa.org.au
40
AMSA Major Partners 2009:
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48
50
51
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55
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Welcome from
the Editor
Sally Ayesa
2009 AMSA Publications Officer
As a preface to this edition’s editorial, I must share that
I have been agonising over this for days, if not weeks. I
have made countless starts but nothing seemed to flow
as I wanted. You may call it writer’s block, but I have a
feeling it has something to do with me not being able
to grasp the best way to introduce such an important
issue of Panacea – the one which celebrates the 50th
Anniversary of the organisation which I have become so
fond of.
Currently, I am sitting in 40 degree heat at a bus stop,
waiting to be taken to Geelong Hospital where I will
hopefully spend an afternoon acquiring a little bit of
experience and knowledge. I have just gotten off the
phone with my sounding board who commented that
it might be appropriate to reflect a little on my life with
AMSA over the past year, as my time as Publications
Officer draws to a close. I have decided to go one better
and reflect on what AMSA has given me over my five
years as a medical student - my own personal history.
My first taste of AMSA came at Perth Convention, 2006.
I was one of the last people to get a registration, six days
after it opened (which is near unheard of today). On my
first night my costume was conservative, white pants, a
striped top and pigtails, with my brown hair completing
what I thought was a fairly decent version of Mary Ann
from Gilligan’s Island. As seasoned conventioneers would
appreciate, I started to gain a little more confidence
and lost a few clothes throughout the week, cumulating
with a corset and fishnets on Underpants & Overcoats
night. Perhaps my most successful night ever, as this was
the night I hooked up with the tall, dark and handsome
Cascade Cup Team Captain from Tasmania. I doubt the
scantily clad 20 year old from back then would have
believed anyone who told her that in two years time
that captain would have been jumping into the Lake at
Albert Park after leading Tasmania to victory. Or that she
would have married the man who she kissed when he
had a Tasmanian Devil safety-pinned to the front of his
underpants.
Charlie & Sally Ayesa
Perth Convention, 2006
and there have been tears and triumphs amongst my
time in office. Regardless, three and a half years and four
Conventions later I can sit back and say that some of the
people who make my life would not have been in it if it
hadn’t been for AMSA.
So, in honour of 50 years, countless memories, countless
friendships and all of the people who have had their
lives changed and driven forward by AMSA, I say Happy
Birthday from a Geelong bus stop in the forty degree
heat.
Some very big
thanks ...
As you can appreciate this is no ordinary issue
of Panacea! Some members of our extended
community have dedicated their time and resources
to help make this issue a true celebration of AMSA.
Special thanks from the editor to James Churchill
(who sat with me for three days scanning in articles
and pouring over archives) and Ross RobertsThomson (for sharing his vast collection of AMSA
memorabilia and providing some great ideas and
insights whenever I needed guidance). A number
of other contributors have donated their memories
and they have been acknowledged within the
pages that follow.
Before you accuse me of being sappy and contrite,
Also, thank you to the entire AMSA History Project
understand that my relationship with medicine or AMSA
Working Party who have provided insight and ideas
has by no means been without the odd bump in the road,
along the way
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welcome from the chair
of the history project
working party
James Churchill
University of Melbourne
Welcome to the Summer Edition of the AMSA Panacea,
this issue celebrating the 50th anniversary of the
organisation.
long time we’ve been having too much fun to think about
writing it all down!
AMSA’s history is simply too important to leave to fade in
Much has been achieved in AMSA’s 50 years. From
the memories of its alumni. Leading the charge to collect
humble beginnings in 1960 as a ‘Convention’ of a handful and organise this organisation’s rich history is the AMSA
of students in sunny Brisbane, AMSA has grown to be an History Project Working Party.
amazing and diverse organisation.
Formed in 2004, the working party consists a group of
Over the years, AMSA has seen changes in name, six
current & past medical students, many of whom have
different logos (that can be found), a New Zealand
served on Executive teams and all of whom share a
Convention and a host of weird and wonderful
passion for this organisation and its rich history.
publications. There has been advocacy on a wide range of
issues, from two-year internships to the introduction of
The goals of the History Project are to organise and
seatbelts in cars.
maintain AMSA’s archives of documents, photos,
publications and paraphernalia, and to create exhibitions
There have been times of great prosperity and times of
of articles from these archives.
the real prospect of AMSA ceasing to exist.
Some of the material you see in this edition has been
That AMSA has grown to be what it is today is a
compiled by members of the working party and
testament to the dedication of medical students past and contributed by AMSA alumni, for which all involved with
present. Some of those to whom AMSA owes its proud
AMSA’s history project are grateful.
history appear on its honour boards of AMSA Presidents
and Honorary Life Members.
It’s through the generosity of those who have written in
these pages, studied in these hospitals before us, that we
These days, when one looks at AMSA, they see
learn about the AMSA of years past.
representation of our members to the highest levels of
government and seminars hosted at Parliament House.
So, if you’re reading this as a medical student, get
They see community initiatives involving thousands of
involved in the events, take action in the advocacy
medical students and unprecedented engagement of
campaigns and read the organisation’s various
members with issues in Global Health.
publications.
They see Conventions entertaining more than a thousand If you’re reading this as an AMSA alumnus, look back on
proud delegates. AMSA now counts its members at more your AMSA days with fondness and consider joining the
than 14,000, across 21 medical schools.
new group set up for the AMSA Alumni - see page 60.
The lists of AMSA’s activities and achievements continue
to expand, year by year. Some of its recent achievements
are detailed in this excellent edition of the Panacea –
itself a magazine dating back to 1968.
In all these achievements in the 50 years of its existence,
AMSA has much to celebrate – the trouble is that for a
Most of all, to anyone reading this Anniversary edition of
Panacea, take pride in the AMSA of today, and the AMSA
of yesteryear.
Happy 50th birthday, AMSA!
AMSA’s 50th Anniversary Issue page 5
Back to where
Members of the first AMSA Executive, 1960
The cohort of students at the first AMSA Convention in 1960
it all began
The origins of the
Australian Medical
Students' Association
Ross Roberts-Thomson
University of Adelaide
It all started back in the 1950s when there was a feeling
amongst medical students that there was a need for a
national or Australasian Medical Students’ Association.
The University of Sydney tried on three separate
occasions to create such a body but couldn’t gain the
required interest from the other states. The pursuit of this
body was then taken up by an energetic committee from
the University of Queensland in 1960, and they were
rewarded for their efforts by positive responses from the
other states.
The primary purpose of the meeting was the formation
of the Australasian Medical Students’ Association. The
term Australasian was justified by the future plans to
involve Otago, New Zealand. The first meeting drew up
a comprehensive constitution which was approved by a
General Meeting. The aims of the Association were:
(1) To serve and represent the Medical Students of
Australasia
(2) To promote co-operation and understanding amongst
Medical Students of Australasia
(3) To encourage interchange of ideas in all fields of
Medical Education and Practice.
(4) When deemed necessary to co-operate with
N.U.A.U.S. and other bodies having similar objectives.
(5) To initiate any new activities deemed desirable.
As part of the Constitution, an executive would be elected
by the Members - the Members being the Constituent
Medical Student Societies - to transact the business of the
Association and to run the National Convention each year.
From the 22nd to the 28th of May 1960, about sixty
interstate medical students descended on Brisbane.
The week was comprised of interesting lectures from
the leading professors and teachers in Brisbane with
“well chosen” social entertainment in the evenings.
The program gave the opportunity for students to form
an opinion of their standard of medical education and
hospitals, as well as to make numerous lasting and
beneficial relationships with students from other States.
Mr A. von der Borch summed up the feelings of the
Convention nicely by saying that “All delegates who
attended the Convention are of the opinion that
the Australasian Medical Students’ Association is a
worthwhile organisation and if it fulfils its aims and
objectives it should be of benefit to us all.”
Based on an article by A. von der Borch, AMSS Review,
August 1960
The 1982 guide to organ
While delving into the vault we have found this gem of AMSA history, and
we have pulled out some of our favourite nostalgic recommendations.
Brought to you by the organisers of the 1980 Sydney Convention....
on setting up the office...
Once you have got your basic committee, it needs an office in which to lounge. You are going to be
collecting a lot of material as time goes on (e.g. 400 convention satchels) and a large office with lots of
bench space was a great asset to us. The Dean was most helpful on this score, ordering the Pathology
Department to make the vacant Professor’s office available (much against their will). You may not be
this lucky but he will fix up something. As you will be leaving petty cash, etc. there, it must be able to
be locked up. You will need it until six weeks after Convention, to finish off accounts etc, and it makes
life easier post convention if your initial request includes this extra time.
A storeroom or something similar will be needed to deposit vast quantities of food and drink towards
the time of the actual event and somewhere handy should be found. A monstrous freezer/cold room is
also an asset. (We gained access to the gigantic freezer in the morgue of the Anatomy Department).
on the academic program...
Generally, the Academic Program should be
interesting and stimulating. Whether anyone
is going to learn anything at Convention is
debateable, but I think that the Academic
Programme should at least attempt to present new
ideas and teach new ways of looking at things.
on adealide at the boat races...
“Suitable drinking vessels” seems ridiculous but a select group of
imbeciles from a medium sized medical school (which shall remain
nameless) to the west of Victoria and the east of W.A. (stripped to their
jockettes) didn’t like the foam cups we provided. (They were hard to
please - they weren’t going to drink the Guiness either) managed to
destroy 500 foam cups and strew their remains the length and breadth
of the paddock before we cottoned on to what they were doing. Tassy
saved the day by going to the pub (10km away) and hiring beer glasses.
Looking back, I have to laugh but at the time I could not believe their
childishness. I nearly fell over backwards when one tried to explain
that the foam cups had a larger diameter so that the angle of curvature
was different from what they had practised on and it would not fit their
lips properly! Therefore they were going to destroy every cup so it
could not be held that day. It does not surprise you that the man from
Guinness withdrew his sponsorship of the other keg, does it?
nising AMSA Convention
on cabaret i.e. the annual catastrophe...
Each society puts on a short act, the best one of which wins the “Variety Cup”. The home team is
at an unfair advantage and is hence not eligible to win the Cup that year. It has the potential to be
one of the best events of the Convention Programme, but unfortunately it never seems to.
Don Rose (Tas. ‘79) gave me explicit instructions on the Cabaret which I now recommend to you.
1) You need an old hall - if you have wall to wall carpet, start saving for your damages bill now.
2) Limit the amount of free alcohol - in Tassy there was free alcohol which people were pouring on
the floor to make it slippery! We charged 20c/glass (ticket system) which is below cost and at least
limited the amount sprayed on stage.
3) Limit the amount of food - half the sandwiches in Tassy ended up on stage, many in the piano.
We supplied only potato chips and twisties which make very poor missiles. People were told to eat
before coming.
4) Remove everything from the hall which is not bolted down or else it will end up on stage.
5) Don’t let any missiles in the door - we failed to detect a case of rotten tomatoes and then got
flack from the DJ when he had instant tomato sauce dripping through his mixer. (Beware of beer
cans and bottles too - they can be lethal). We only served people in foam cups or Convention mugs
- the first is a poor missile and the latter is too precious to throw.
6) If the place has curtains on the stage, take them down and replace them with some old rags
of your own or change your hall or be prepared to pay for new ones after you leave. They are
certainly an advantage in putting on good acts so if even makeshift curtains can be rigged up, it
helps.
7) Make sure you have an adequate P.A. system (40 watts/channel plus) with multiple
microphones for the different acts. If you hire a mixer board and get someone who knows what
they are doing to use it, you will improve the potential for the acts no end.
8) Know where the main fuse box is for the hall. At both Tas. (‘79) and Sydney (‘80) some
drongoes turned off the power in the middle of the acts. You’ll then have to find the right switch to
turn it on again - easier if you have found it before everyone arrives.
9) PRACTISE YOUR OWN ACTS! The only way to lift the tone of the evening is to improve the
standard of acts. This is not hard if some thought goes into it beforehand.
on venues for the social program...
The way I believe to do this is to do more yourselves and organise more private
functions. It would be criminal to inflict an entire convention on any one person’s
private house, but if people were entertained at the private homes of the host city
students in small groups even for one night as was done in the early conventions, you
will save a lot of money. The cabaret is also an inexpensive function but the general
poor standard of acts tends to bring the adjective “cheap” to mind as well. As a result,
it often becomes a revolting, drunken event. Picnics also tend to be less expensive as
you can similarly do more for yourselves. In Barn Dances you can also get away with
older venues, which are cheaper.
Eight years after the birth of AMSA came the birth of AMSA’s signature publication. The cover opposite came
from the very first edition some forty-two years ago.
All those years later medical students across the country, like yourself, are still reading Panacea (although
now you don’t have to pay thirty cents for the experience!) In 1968 the President had a strong focus on
strengthening bonds with medical students overseas and the organisation looking inward to see what
improvements could be made.
Presidential letter to Panacea
(Vol 1. No. 1)
Sir:
It is indeed a great privilege to be able to address every medical student in
Australia, Papua-New Guinea and New Zealand, all of whom are members of the
Australiasian Medical Students’ Association, through the medium of this first
Australiasian Medical Students’ Journal.
In this brief letter some of the more enlightening aspects of A.M.S.A. activities
will be discussed, as well as some of A.M.S.A.’s problems. In international student
affairs A.M.S.A. has shown to be an active partcipant. For seven years it has been
a full member of the International Federation of Medical Student Associations I.F.M.S.A. and has taken part in some of its projects and has sent a delegate to its
annual general assemblies. More recently, however, A.M.S.A. has concentrated
on the South-East Asian region and it took the initiative to establish the Asian
Regional Medical Student Association - A.R.M.S.A. and accordingly reduced its
membership status in I.F.M.S.A. to that of associate member. The four foundation
members of A.R.M.S.A. are the national medical student associations of Australia,
Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.
....
It is clear that there is a definite awareness amongst students in Australia and
Asian countries of the need for international contacts and close cooperation
between medical students of different countries. This is reflected by the
establishment of the Asian Regional Medical Student Association and by A.M.S.A.’s
involvement in it. The success of any such international student body depends
upon the enthusiasm of the member associations and the contribution that the
members are prepared to make.
with thanks to A/Prof Warwick Carter, former UQMS Executive Member
Back from the brink:
James Churchill
How AMSA was saved
University of Melbourne
Throughout AMSA’s 50-year history, there have been
times of great prosperity equalled by times of great
hardship as an organisation.
One of these times of hardship came in May 1988, when
it seemed that perhaps AMSA would cease to exist.
Enter Mr Stephen Tudge and his team of unlikely saviours
from the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
Stephen had not previously been involved with AMSA,
and attended the Council meeting in Adelaide on Sunday
15th of May 1988, as an observer whilst attending
Convention.
It seemed as if AMSA was doomed. The previous
Queensland-based Executive, led by John O’Sullivan,
had reached the end of their term, and while there was
some interest from the AMSA Council in continuing the
Association, nobody was prepared to stand as President.
The prospect of ending AMSA, including Convention and
all of its activities, was real.
Stephen put up his hand to offer to take on the
Presidency where nobody else would do so. He quickly
gained the support of a handful of University of
Melbourne students, who formed his Executive team, and
received the approval of the AMSA Council.
The 1988-89 Executive was born, despite the fact that
none of the team had had any exposure to AMSA other
than the Convention they had been attending.
Their leadership during that 12-month term was crucial to
the survival of AMSA.
In this time, AMSA advocated on issues including
compulsory GP training programmes and two-year
Internships, and two members of the Executive
represented AMSA at a meeting of the African Medical
Students’ Association in Liberia, focussing on AIDS in
Africa.
Most importantly, at the conclusion of the Melbourne
Executive’s term, AMSA was in a strong position and
student interest in the Association had been revitalised.
The Melbourne Executive successfully handed over to
a Sydney team, and Stephen continued to serve on the
AMSA Council as the representative for the University of
Melbourne.
The full Melbourne 1988-89 Executive was: Stephen Tudge
(Melb) as President, Michael Yeoh (Melb) as Treasurer,
Chris Jackson (Melb) and Julian Elliott (Melb) as National
Liaison Officers and Chris Barnes (Monash)
Mr Tudge is currently an ENT surgeon in Melbourne, and
for his contribution to AMSA, was granted Honorary Life
Membership in July 2009. His name is inscribed on the
Honour Board hanging at the AMA Federal Office.
years in
2000
1995
Ever wondered what worried the AMSA of
recent history? When certain changes were
made and what was important to students? We
have tracked down exerpts from presidents’
reports years not so long ago...
The AMSA Executive has developed (or is developing)
comprehensive statements and discussion papers in
several fundamental areas. As well as being used as
the basis for student debate in our publications, they
can all be disseminated electronically. Beyond just
canvassing issues, any policy statement must yield its
own initiatives that encourage students to participate
in events, or alternatively be used to underpin AMSA
representations to decision-making authorities.
Essentially, policy must be acted on. It must enhance
student life or advance the years immediately after
graduation. Currently, we have four areas to focus on:
The issues for AMSA in 1995 included gradually changing
the blokey, beer swilling party image of AMSA Council
(not to mention Convention) and the introduction of
words such as “financial accountability” and (believe it or
not) “budget” into the AMSA lexicon. Much of this work
• Workforce and training regulations
of professionalising AMSA was started by David Evans and
example of action: lobbying to government,
his team in 1994, and was continued in 1995 and 1996.
politicians and medical colleges;
• Medical school and internship accreditation,
The relationship between Convention and Council was
evaluation and curriculum
formalised, the advantage being that Convention ‘Go
action: lobbying to Postgraduate Medical Councils,
sick in Vic’ was held in Melbourne in 1995, and the
Deans of medical schools, presentation to CPMEC
Convention coordinator was also on the Executive. This
and AMC; organizing forum in September to canvass
was the first year of the alcohol optional night at AMSA,
issues with stakeholders.
with a voucher system in place. Convention was a roaring
• Medical student registration
success, with ‘Remier League’ making its first national
action: representation to state authorities drafting
appearance thanks to the work of the boys from Adelaide
guidelines and registration
and of course ‘Joke’, ‘Farce’ and ‘Introitus’. In its original
• Rural health, education and training
form it was required to be (p)ants down or bras out in
action: high school education project; representation
order to (p)lay, and the chair had absolute authority, only
to universities, government, colleges
challenged by the word of the “thumbmaster”.
The AMSA also went ‘online’ in 1995 with the purchase
of a ‘modem’, which when connected to our top of the
range Macintosh 2ci let us connect to the ‘internet’. We
splashed out that year and also bought a third computer
to go with our desktop and our laptop - exciting! AMSA
also paid for a mobile phone for the president, but not for
the Executive.
The University of Western Australia and Notre Dame
University started exploring the possibility of a
new medical course in Perth earlier this year. Good
for graduate students in Perth wanting to study
medicine, but what are the implications for current
medical students?
The inaugural debating competition will be staged
at this year’s Convention in Adelaide. More than ten
teams, one from each university will be selected and
participate in this knockout debate, and receive a
travel subsidy to attend Convention. I hope this will
not only stimulate ideas and provide entertainment
at Convention, but add to the attractiveness of the
week to those who want to do more than socialise.
Come along and watch the profession’s future orators
present their case.
review
I guess I have one final question for all of you. Have
you gained something from AMSA this year? The reply
may not be resoundingly affirmative - but I hope this is
largely due to poor communication, and students being
unaware of many of the new initiatives to assist with life
as a student. Our biggest task is to better communicate
the raft of services and the representative work that
the Executive, the office bearers, and councillors now
perform. AMSA is no longer just a magazine, a convention
and mini-AMA-type representation.
2004
As the demands on AMSA grew both from a membership
point of view (increased total number of medical
students, increased number of medical schools each
with a seat on Council) and in terms of complexity and
quantity of issues it became clear that AMSA’s old and
relatively sparsely resourced model of operations needed
changing. The size of the Executive was greatly increased
as mentioned earlier and by the end of 2004 it was clear
that such an increase needed to be maintained. Two
other strategies were proposed to the AMSA Council to
increase the professionalism and capacity of AMSA to
serve members which were polar opposites in terms of
controversy.
with thanks to
Andrew Perry
Chair, AMA-CDT
to the AMSA President, who in an unprecedented step
had taken the year off medicine to focus full time on
the presidential role. Many within the AMSA Council
interpreted the AMSA Constitution to prohibit any
payments to Executive members for carrying out their
roles. After a tense July Council meeting the Council
voted to both suspend the honoraria payments and to
censure the AMSA Executive for the decision to make
such payments. In a stunning turnaround, and with much
debate, the AMSA Council reversed both its decision
to require the AMSA President to repay the honoraria
payments and in an 8 – 4 split ( the 2/3 majority needed
to make a constitutional amendment) to amend the
constitution to allow payments of honoraria.
The AMSA brand was also given a facelift with a
rebranding strategy centred around a new logo with the
AMSA colour changing from green to bright orange and
the creation of the motto “Connect. Inform. Represent”.
This was accompanied by a change to AMSA’s flagship
thrice-yearly publication both in name – from AMSA
Antics to Panacea – and in its logo. This change was
actually a move back to its original title and logo, as
discovered by the Publications Officer Jan-Paul Kwasik
who had a productive search of the National Library
archives for back issues of AMSA publications. Further
developments included a facelift of the AMSA website
and the origin of AMSA Embolus.
The first suggestion was to create a permanent
secretariat, possibly based at the AMA’s federal office
in Canberra. This was agreed to by the Council as being
a worthwhile initiative and the first steps were made in
this direction with the fruit not being borne for another
18 months. This meant even closer ties to the AMA and
a possible threat to AMSA’s perceived independence
but the Council felt the benefits outweighed what was
perceived to be a relatively small negative.
In parallel with this reinvigorated commitment to
international engagement 2004 also saw the origins
of the medical student global health movement. In
a classic example of the benefits that AMSA provides
of shared ideas the then Vice President Andrew Perry
noted that a small number of medical schools had small
groups focussed on international health and other
socially responsible areas of medicine. This lead to the
proposal for AMSA to facilitate a national international
health conference to be held on the weekend before
The second suggestion was for the AMSA Constitution to Convention in the same city as Convention and in August
be amended to allow for Executive members to be paid
2004 the first meeting of students from Sydney interested
an honorarium to carry out their roles. This was a very
in organising such a conference was held. In 2005 this
divisive issue for the AMSA Council, partially because the conference was held at the University of Sydney with
2004 Executive made the decision prior to consulting with great success, with a sellout attendance of 280 students
the AMSA Council to provide a $20,000 honorarium
and with the event providing the impetus for many
medical schools to set up international health groups if
they did not already have them.
Thanks for the
Some of the best from the last 50 years
of convention
Dear Mum,
I feel much better now, but I’m not sure how that girl got
in my bed last night. I had a good time on the pub crawl,
especially the ride in the shopping trolley, although I
think the policeman disagreed. Today in the lectures I had
a great time (once I had a couple of glasses of water). I
deided to join the army as well! I hope that’s cool with
you. The afternoon had great hands on stuff with massage
techniques and stress management. There were these
funny guys at the pub with an everlasting beer, although
I don’t really know what all of that was about. I have just
been shopping at a lingerie shop for my costume tonight.
I’ve decided to dress as a girl.
Advertisement for
Convention 1979
AMSA Antix,
March 1979
“Letters to Mum” (from AMSA Convention)
AMSA Antix, March 1995
AMSA’s cut-out and keep guide to contraception
Convention Guide, 1989
memories...
AMSA Convention has been the birth of many a legend over the year… La Hei, Pearce, Silbert, Aslan, Dale. But very few
medical students can truly overcome the demands of relationships, study and illness to show the commitment for six consecutive years of dedication. Comley fell to Berger’s Disease, Plastic melted, and many others fell by the wayside. THE LAP
OF THE MAP recognises those brave souls who have shown loyalty to the Convention cause over the entire medical course.
Yes, it’s a special kind of Conventioneer that finishes the LAP:
- Able to sub twice your plasma volume in beers, for seven consecutive nights, and still wake up ready for at least six more
- Brave cerebral vasoconstriction and nausea to actually make it to half the lectures, and then stay awake
- Learn to be at one with your environment – burn those crates, joust with those goalposts, climb that Harbour Bridge, piss on that policeman
- Be prepared to Hawaii Five-O on the sidewalk as the sun rises
- Funnel beers and scull croissants, sorbet and mousse on demand
Of course, the actual requirements stretch far beyond this narrow window of the enigma that is AMSA Convention... just
ask the latest inductee into the AMSA Convention’s Hall of Fame, Dr Matt Howard from Sydney (1992).
The rotation is Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, Sydney ... are you tough enough? You have to go to Convention in each year of the course, or all six as an undergraduate, whichever comes first. Well, keep it in mind boys and girls,
something to aim at. Forget path prizes, that SCUM assignment, that yellow fever and walk the path to greatness.
1. “Now everyone will think that we’re not Convention Sluts”...
anonymous UMMSS President making a formal complaint to Hutchy in
reference to Melbourne’s portrayl as 99%TER and 1% personality in the
Convention introductory video
2. “What... you think I’m easy because I am black?” (as above)
3. “Now that our breasts have touched we can be best friends” Teresa –
to random girl in toilets after ramming her with her yams.
4. “After this week, perhaps I should be reconsidering my sexuality” Lis –
after having won the lesbian kissing competition on pub crawl night.
5. “With that suction baby, you could climb glass walls.” Hutchy after
getting a small taste of the McFrog.
6. Pas&Jen: “Hey, we need to complete the ANU leg of our Lap of the
Map...” Bec: “Pick him... he’s hot and easy.”
7. “I only got FARM and Pas ate two of my BUSHES” Referring to the
ambiguous labelling of our dinner meals.
8. Pas, when introduced to Monash Jesus “Dude! I’ve read all your
books!’
9. “His name is irrelevant... he’s just a statistic.” Justification for forgetting
your pick up’s name
10. Lust night ‘sexy’ SMS message: “Roses are red. Violets are blue. I’m
gonna take a Dump on You” Only a Melbourne boy
11. “AMSA begins at the airport” either referring to the fact that half the
plane was filled with convention delegates, or that upon arrival at the
Virgin Blue terminal in Hobart there was a “PICK UP POINT” (referring of
course to baggage- but for someone gearing up for Convention means
something else...)
12. On the last night, Jesus also miraculously was able to convince
Tasmanian locals that all those in the venue wearing ‘yellow name tags’
were in fact contestants on a new series of Temptation Island being
filmed in Hobart. Fools. They washed his feet in Cascade.
Quotable quotes
Panacea vol. 2, 2004
Lap of the map
Convention Guide, 1993
Dear AMSA,
I am a boy from Adelaide. How do I become a
man in time for Perth Convention 2006?
Boy from Adelaide
Random Guy Answers: Unfortunately,
Convention is only a couple of months away, so
there’s probably not enough time to actually
become a man. What you could possibly do is
make yourself appear to be manlier than you
actually are. Here are a few ideas:
- Shave a receding hairline and use the hair as
tufts of body hair peeking out from beneath
your clothes
- Pay your female friends to talk up how manly
you are. Get them to say things like “(your
name) is so manly” or “(your name) is much
more manly than (some really manly guy’s
name)”.
- Record your favourite phrases from the
manliest actors you know e.g. James Earl Jones
or the guy from Shaft, then at the appropriate
moment play each phrase on a cassette player
you have hiding under your shirt
- Whatever you do, don’t dance, comment on
fashion or drink anything raspberry flavoured
Letters to AMSA
Panacea vol. 1, 2006
AMSA and Advocacy:
Some of the important issues we
have fought for over the years
Sally Ayesa
UNSW
Medical student wellbeing
What should we do with
the drunken student?
AMSA Antix, January 1993
Wellbeing has long been a focus of AMSA, with the
alarming rates of mental illness and suicide among
students and junior doctors something that has become
difficult to ignore. Over the past few years, AMSA (in
cooperation with the New Zealand Medical Students’
Association) worked to publish the results of the Medical
Student Wellbeing Survey, with a new publication
currently in the works aimed at informing students in
Australia and New Zealand of the importance of their
own health.
“Why do medical students, interns,
residents and registrars drink so much?
Are they trying to escape the natural
horrors of clinical medicine, with
which they have to deal with as much
detachment as they can muster? Do they
continue this habit once they are out in
the world as GPs and specialists, either
in private, hospital or academic practice?
Unfortunately they do, but figures are,
of course, hard to come by.”
Dr Peter Arnold
At the time of writing, NSW was in the process of
reforming the Medical Practice Act, which was to make
more provisions for students to study and perform
duties of ascending complexity and importance as they
progressed through medical school. With this in mind,
the issue of drug and alcohol use among students
became increasingly relevant in the context of their new
In January 1993, an article was published in AMSA Antix responsibilities. If the student was to conduct themselves
inappropriately, they could be subject to government
looking at the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse in
medical students and junior doctors. The author, Dr Peter inquiry, just like any other senior clinician.
Arnold, expressed concerns that for the three generations
Perhaps this article represented the beginning of a new
of medical students in his family, there had been little
paradigm shift when it came to the recognition of mental individualised focus on student health and wellbeing.
health and drug and alcohol abuse in students and
junior doctors. Although he did recognise that there was
less of a propensity for constant binge drinking among
students, something put down to the ever increasing ratio
of women to men in the profession, there was still an
alarming rate of problematic consumption in the ranks.
What was also concerning was that there was a culture
among higher academics and mentors that they and the
system, were unable or perhaps unwilling, to intervene
with the lives of students if they continued to pass their
exams and perform in a satisfactory manner.
Blood borne viruses and compulsory student
testing
The Bug, the Blood, the
Government and the
Student
AMSA Antix, May 1993
The ‘Tsunami’ and the rise in medical student numbers
Increased student
numbers: how our medical
schools have ballooned of
late
Panacea, Vol. 2, 2006
Today we perhaps take for granted the gravity of the
HIV epidemic of the nineties. Blood borne infections,
including HIV as well as hepatitis B and C, were brought
to the forefront of media attention and therefore public
knowledge.
At the commencement of 1993, medical students from
the University of Sydney were informed that if they were
infected with HIV, hepatitis B or C they may not be able
to complete the necessary components of their degree
to become qualified as a doctor. This was because of new
laws set by NSW Health stating that employees infected
with these viruses were no longer able to perform
“exposure prone procedures” in the healthcare setting.
In 2006 we saw the coining of a new catchphrase – the
medical student ‘tsunami’. The Federal Government had
announced the creation of 600 new medical student
places across the country; a mix of new places at existing
universities and the creation of entirely new programs
(both graduate and undergraduate).
These positions came in response to lobbying by state
governments who were pushing for extra staff to be
trained to alleviate the pressures of the current workforce
shortages. In response AMSA representatives voiced that
with such a shortage of doctors such a staggering increase
in numbers would put a drain on an already struggling
system and reduce the quality of medical education, and
Unfortunately, there was no definitive definition provided thereby the quality of graduates.
as to what an “exposure prone procedure” actually was,
Others argued that the large-scale influx of students
and confusion and public outrage ensued. AMSA Antix
into the health system could create bottle-necks at
(May 1993) published a piece on the issue.
various points of clinical training. This not only included
the availability of accredited intern positions at the
There was outcry from the NSW Anti-discrimination
Board, the AIDS Council and students alike. The University completion of the degree, but also ensuring that all
students had the proper clinical training and experience
of Sydney hit back saying that there would be no move
to allow them to complete the requirements of their
to introduce compulsory testing of medical students,
degree in the first place.
although they should feel a moral obligation to know
their status when it came to blood borne viruses. Public
debate around liability and student rights followed:
“The recent massive additions to the
medical student population have farreaching effects. We must lobby State
“Cries of discrimination are still heard
Governments to ensure that clinical
in Sydney, and the Sydney University
training is well supported and that the
Student Representative Council
quality of our education remains high.
lodged a complaint under the Racial
It would be grossly illogical if this big
Discrimination Act of 1975 and the
ticket solution to the medical workforce
Disability Discrimination Act of 1992,
shortage ended up doing very little to
against Sydney University.”
address the problem.”
David Evans & David Gracey
Andrew Baldi
Naturally, AMSA came to the table on this issue,
describing that they were collating policy documents
from stakeholders in order to formulate their own policy,
while inviting students to voice their opinions.
AMSA continues to lobby on this issue, with the focus
switching to ensuring that there is equality amongst
intern allocations for graduates, the rights and outcomes
for Australian trained International students and that the
quality of Australian graduates remains high.
what are the
origins of
your medical
society?
While you may be looking
frantically through Panacea for
Med School reports, fear not!
For they are right here!
In honour of the 50th Birthday
of AMSA, and the focus on
history in Panacea, your
university representatives have
worked tirelessly to bring you
the history of your medical
program and medical society.
Adelaide Medical Students’
Society
Flinders Medical Students’ Society
Sam Whitehouse
Alistair Hustig
An inaugural general meeting of the Medical Students’
Society was held at the Medical Theatre of the Adelaide
University on Thursday March 21st 1889, 2pm.
So begin the minutes of the first ever meeting of the
AMSS, at which a handsome group of finely-garbed
bearded gentlemen, speaking in ye olde tongue and
marvelling at their status, proclaimed ‘that a society be
formed’.
It’s quite exciting to discover a dust-covered leather
bound volume with such things hand-written by some
stranger 120 years earlier. And find them we did, during
one of many adventures a group of us had in the Barr
Smith Library Special Collections over the last year. Led by
our AMSS Historian (an official vote-holding position on
the AMSS Committee) and enthused by the imminence
of our 120th Anniversary, we set about reclaiming the
history and nostalgia of our glorious enterprise. And what
a history it’s been…
Some highlights include:
- The group of Adelaide delegates in the 1960s who
took a three-day cruise to Perth for Convention. As their
report in the AMSS Review attests, not one of the bunch
remembers disembarking the boat after a debaucherous
few days at sea.
- The fact that, until amended in the 2005 official
documents review, there existed a position of Stablehand
on the AMSS Committee. This portfolio had full voting
rights and the mandate to “tend the Medical Dean’s
horse”.
- The copious rumours that persist regarding the AMSS’s
premier event, Skullduggery, including gross university
damage, deaths and police raids.
While our MedSoc has celebrated 120 years in 2009, the
faculty itself turns 125 in 2010. Many important people
have passed through the corridors of Frome Rd: Howard
Florey – the patriarch of penicillin; Basil Hetzel – who
discovered the vital role of iodine in the diet; Nobel
Laureate Robin Warren; and Andrew Southcott – Federal
Member for Boothby.
Flinders, the best of both worlds, can be considered
new by the old and old by the new. Whatever your view,
Flinders has established its own reputation and continues
to give unique opportunities to all its students.
The naming of Flinders is truly appropriate for its
location. Matthew Flinders explored and surveyed the
South Australian coastline in 1802 and it is this that our
campus looks out upon with scenic ocean views. His ship,
Investigator, and book, A Voyage to Terra Australis, make
up our coat of Arms.
But let’s talk medicine. Flinders Medical Centre was the
first fully integrated public teaching hospital in Australia
for which building began in 1972. The 62 inaugural
medical students started in 1974 under the guidance of
Sir Gus Fraenkel. His legacy remains with our medical
library named after him. Patients then started arriving in
April 1976 and so the stories and legacies begin. These
only get better with the establishment of the Flinders
Medical Students’ Society in 1979.
Flinders has gone on to establish itself as a leader among
Australian Medical Schools.It created the first Problem
Based Learning program in 1996, while also becoming the
first Graduate (only) Entry Medical Programme. Its wide
rural program began in Renmark (the Riverland) in 1997
with guidance from the now Dean Paul Worley. Today
Flinders students can undertake clinical placements in
a wide range of areas in South Australia, the Northern
Territory, and Victoria (Hamilton). Perfect for the taste of
any medical student we can go for wine (Barossa Valley),
and water (Riverland), hot (Darwin, Katherine & Alice
Springs) or cold (Greater Green Triangle).
There could never be enough space to pass on the packed
history that Flinders has achieved in 36 years. Looking to
the future there will always be change and new initiatives
at Flinders – but these are what we are famous for!
We love our heritage and we love the fact that we have
such easy access to the stories of our past. It enriches us
as a society and has entertained us for countless hours.
Here’s to the next 120 years!
UNSW Medical Society
Vekram Sambasivam
Medical Association of Notre Dame
Sydney
MedSoc is UNSW’s Medical Students’ Society and was
founded to represent the views of the 1500 medical
students at the university. Approaching fifty years
The Notre Dame Sydney School of Medicine was
of service, it represents, supports and protects the
academic, social and political interests of each student as established in 2008 and on the very first day AMSA
helped get the ball rolling in establishing our medical
well as the alumni of UNSW.
student society. In the first few weeks constitutions were
drawn up, name and logo competitions were run, and by
The society has evolved from its humble beginnings
Week 5, MANDUS was born.
as a handful of enthusiastic, idealistic and aggressive
Sarah Lyons
medical students in the sixties documenting their work
in the quarterly MedSoc journal ‘Anal Colic’ (which
unfortunately, is no longer in publication) to the wellestablished society it is today functioning in academic,
social, representative and charitable domains. Pooling the
talent of much of the east coast, MedSoc has a fantastic
cohort of academically, culturally and sportingly gifted
men and women.
The first committee worked hard to set the foundations of
a successful medical society, running a number of events
that brought the year closer together (in more ways than
one as several romances were established…). Some of the
social successes included a cruise, end of exam parties,
but without a doubt the highlight of the year was the
inaugural medball. With an overwhelming number of
staff and students present, entertainment that showcased
student and staff talent and a passionate guest speaker,
We are proud to have a huge number of distinguished
alumni – three of whom were keynote speakers at AMSA’s the ball went far and beyond anyone’s expectations.
And who knew Prof Alperstein could sing AND dance like
50th Convention this year in Brisbane.
that!?!?!
There have been challenges throughout MedSoc’s history
such as the MedRevue fiasco of 1992 which lead to the
formation of MedShow soon after, and more recently
with the three new medical schools in NSW and the
medical student tsunami.
Having a dynamic and competent selection of medical
students, Medsoc will be able to surmount these
challenges and push for further advancement for our
medical students and the community at large.
Rogue publications such as “The Chat” which provided
everything from fashion tips and food reviews to a
gossip and scandal column kept the students talking
at lunchtime, although sadly (perhaps some would say
thankfully??) The Chat has ceased production as many of
the editorial team pack up and move down to Melbourne
for their clinical years. The Chat also hosted the 2009
Welcome Back party, threatening MANDUS’ stance as the
ultimate party organisers. 2009 saw the medical student
numbers double in size, and whilst competition over
the PBL rooms was hot, their academic ability was even
hotter. Or so we were told at every given opportunity. In
’09 the focus of MANDUS shifted slightly with more of a
focus on academic events and advocacy on the students’
behalf. The International Health Study Project was
overwhelmingly successful as were the GPSN club and
surgery society.
Many lessons have been learnt along the way but we
hope that the hard work that has gone into building
events, interest groups, sporting teams over the last 2
years will help build traditions that will be enjoyed by
students in years to come.
University of Newcastle Medical
Society
Vicky Phan
In 2010 the University of Newcastle Medical School
enters its 32nd year. Established in 1978, the medical
school’s creation was the result of a Federal report which
identified that Newcastle would be the most suitable
place for the creation of a new cohort. Starting in 1974,
Professor David Maddison, the then Dean of the Faculty
of Medicine at the University of Sydney was appointed
in 1974 by the Newcastle University Council, before
making the move up the east coast in 1975. His vision was
simple and heartfelt – “a need for a medical school more
educationally sophisticated, [and] which concentrated
much more on learning than teaching; a school which
related much more closely to its community and one
which attempted to better equip the doctors of the
future”.
Hippocampus, Publication of the University of
Newcastle Medical Society, 1981
Some exciting news.. .
Congratulations to University of New England which has become an
independant Medical Society on AMSA Council as of October Council.
We look forward to seeing more of our newest society!
Sydney University Medical
Society
Chloe Boehm-Wilcox
The Sydney University Medical Society began in 1886
with a vision for “the intellectual and social improvement
of the members” and has now amassed a long history
of doing just that (with the added bonus of generously
discounted textbooks).
At the time such ideals resulted in a course somewhat
revolutionary – to quote a 1981 newspaper article
Newcastle “[turned] the traditional method of doctor
training on its head.” Teaching was no longer limited
specifically to sciences in the preliminary years –
Newcastle medical students were introduced to
patients in their first term, a concept previously almost
unheard of. The attitude of revamping course structure
would continue, with such initiatives as the problem
based learning method, student candidate interviews,
introduction of the UMAT test, and the Joint Medical
Program (JMP) also initiatives pioneered by Newcastle.
The Medical Society went on to set up the Sydney
University Medical Journal around 1908 and though it has
had its peaks and troughs, the current Council hopes to
revive and retain this important piece of our history and
our Society.
The accompanying University of Newcastle Medical
Society, established shortly after the commencement
of its corresponding course has similarly followed a
dynamic route. The UNMS was initially created with
the intention to “play an active role in communicating
students’ opinions and desires relating to the course to
staff”, and “helping to bring about effective change and
improvements.” Since its creation it has successfully
continued to do so, and added portfolios geared towards
student wellbeing, events and publications in addition to
advocacy.
Over the years, we have seen positions come and go (and
come again in some cases). Council included a librarian
(without the minor detail of a library) and by 1919 had a
“Representative of Women Students”. Of course, about
thirty years later the position was made “redundant”,
only to be resurrected about fifty years after that in the
guise of the current Career Equity Officer.
Not to be deterred by international hostilities the Society
continued to expand during the Second World War
adding to the ranks of Council. The Society represented
RMOs in industrial disputes during the war and in the
years that followed, created Innominate and in 1951, the
beloved Medical Society Bookshop was born.
The Council endeavours to remain faithful to its creators’
vision, delivering educational and social opportunities
(and a bit of karaoke) to its members.
Australian National University Griffith University Medicine Society
Katie Buzacott
Students’ Society
Tim Lovell
Six years ago, in a purpose built city,
somewhere far far away from Melbourne…
and a little less far away from Sydney… ANU
welcomed its first cohort of medical students.
In those six years, ANU Medical School has
witnessed some amazing and tremendous
students that have laid the foundations for our
societies and their traditions.
The ANUMSS has consistently kept students
connected and entertained with a scrub
crawl, a mixer, a trivia night, and an amazing
graduation ball at parliament house. We have
retained our autonomy from faculty, garnered
their respect, and have successfully advocated
on behalf of the students on numerous
occasions.
ANU’s rural medical society, ARMS, had 75
members within 18 months of starting, and
in 2009 had over 160 members. Those with a
passion for rural medicine have arranged Rural
Show Visits, Speakers Nights, ski trips, and the
extremely popular Bush Dance.
Our global health group has been an inspiration
to watch grow. Although our youngest society,
its flagship event was the Fiji Village Project
that continues to run. They also organised
Teddy Bear Hospital, the Laughter Doctors,
a Global Health Debate, and more recently,
ANU’s first RedParty that raised more than
$20k for a FACS counter for a hospital in the
Philippines.
And what about the ridiculously talented
medical students in our MedRevues!? The
first was titled March of the MedStudents, the
second, the Surgeon of Oz, and the third, Star
Wards: Return of the Medi. ANUMSS has been
a proud backer of the shows, and looks forward
to next year’s, which is already being written!!
ANU’s AMSA Convention attendees have been
a small and proud bunch. One of our largest
cohorts was in attendance for AMSA’s 50th and
our slogan won us best dressed at Melbourne’s
last Convention.
Looking forward to the future and its
possibilities!
Though only five years old, the Griffith University Medicine Society
(GUMS) has grown faster than bamboo into a thriving MedSoc with
us branching (pardon the pun) into academic, social, community,
advocacy and other integral roles. Our executive numbers and roles
have been constantly evolving with changing demands, so we have
added an extra social representative as well as a publication and
community liaison officer.
In 2005, Drew Cronin was appointed our inaugral president. He so
far has proved to be the only male leader – who says there is a glass
ceiling? He was followed by:
2006 Sarah Cash
2007 Alicia Smith
2008 Jessica Clark
2009 Hollie Casey
2010 Laura Stitz, leading us ...
Into the future! The next step for GUMS will be the formation of
different subcommittees, which will help harness the invaluable
resource which is first and fourth years! First years cannot be in
the executive currently due to electing the new executive before
they enrol, and fourth years generally avoid nominating themselves
because the timetable is crazy with several electives and selectives
meaning they may be out of the state or country for many months.
So keep your eyes on GUMS ... evolving faster than that leftover curry
that’s been in your fridge for 3 months!
University of Wollongong Medical Students’
Society
Helen Freeborn
In 2007, The University of Wollongong Medical Students’ Society
(WUMSS) was established by committed and (some may say) slightly
mad inaugural first year students. Our logo was created by the
combined creative efforts of Jeff Masters and Hamish Lunn, with
the husband of one of our academic’s converting it into the graphic
it is today. WUMSS’ provides students with many channels for
communication between year groups and with the faculty. In the past
three years, an amazing array of academic and social functions have
been organised to cater for our diverse student population. 2010
brings what will surely be the start of a fine tradition, the inaugural
WUMSS Med Revue.
In this short period much has been achieved, from our successful
Global Health Group (Wollongong University Health Over Wealth
(WUHOW) raising over $3000 for the ‘Bairo Pite Clinic’ in East Timor)
to our impressive showing at NLDS, GHC and the past three AMSA
Conventions.
WUMSS in 2010 has new challenges, as we welcome our fourth
cohort, taking our medical school for the first time to full capacity.
University of Melbourne Medical
Students’ Society
Rahul Khanna
Don’t let the good looks fool you. The Melbourne
Medical School is not just a pretty face but also the
oldest medical school in our fine nation. Beginning as
the wet dream of Anthony Colling Brownless, the first
cohort landed in 1862. Dear Brownless insisted that
proper medical education needed at least 5 years at a
time when the likes of Oxford, Cambridge and Ediburugh
all operated 4 year courses. The foundation of our fine
school was so monumentous that Pope Pius IX conferred
the knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory the Great on
Brownless, later making him the night commander of the
Order of Pius.
In 1887 we had the first cohort of female doctors
graduating from Melbourne, some of whom went on to
found the Victorian Medical Women’s Society and the
Queen Victoria Hospital, a hospital for women operated
entirely by women.
The Melbourne Medical School was blessed with a fine
MedSoc in 1880, one that has endured two world wars
and shows no sign of tiring. We hope you’ll agree that we
age like fine wine.
University of Western Sydney
Medical Society
Paran Nadeswaran
UWSMS began operating in early 2007 as a result of the
initiative of more than half of the first intake of medical
students at UWS. By mid-year the organisation was
welcoming its foundation president, Gokul Tamilarasan,
and his executive team. The executive teams at UWSMS
have not let inexperience hinder them in any way, having
already coordinated two Medcamps, two Medrevues,
three Medballs, a successful tilt at the NSWMSC Sports
Day, and claiming the Vampire Cup in its first year of
operation.
The Medical Students’ Society of
Bond University
Saul Felber
The Medical Students Society of Bond University is only 5
years young beginning with our inaugral cohort in 2005. It
began with some assistance from AMSA and a lot of hard
work from the initial executive.
We are in the process of creating traditions that we hope
will carry through for many years to come. These include
the annual MedBall reaching its 3rd year this January,
as well as Medcamp which becomes bigger and more
Still in its infancy, the face of UWSMS is constantly
memorable each year. We have developed a healthy
changing. The organisation continues to take on more
rivelry with Griffith University which allows for many
roles, manage more and more events for its members,
and represent medical students on a wide range of issues. sporting and intellectual competititons as well as some
social convening.
Its standing in the community has risen remarkably
since its inception, and UWSMS continues to thrive on
the ideas, input and volunteerism of its members. If the As our inaugral cohort has just graduated we look forward
to growing bigger, learning more from our established
vision and productivity of UWSMS continue to grow at
medsoc friends and providing even more for our
the same rate as they have over the past three years
students.
conservative estimates would suggest that UWSMS will
own a small country within the next decade.
Tasmanian University Medical
Students’ Society
Chris Hercus
The University of Tasmania was the site of Australia’s
eighth medical school. 1965 marked the first intake of
students who were to receive the remainder of their
medical education at the University. The establishment of
a Tasmanian medical school, at the time a ‘bad economic
proposition’, was justified by the fact that for a number
of years the Tasmanian health system had been reliant on
graduates from overseas immigrating to the state to staff
its hospitals, and it was thought this could be remedied
by Tasmania training its own doctors.
The Tasmanian University Medical Students’ Society
(TUMSS) had its beginnings in late 1965 when a group
of students from the first intake formed a committee to
draft a constitution for the proposed society. The Society
was officially formed in March 1966 with the approval of
this constitution. Its membership at the time numbered
about sixty.
Tassie Cascade Cup, then and now
Tassie Presidents, then and now
The modern TUMSS also provides educational
support for students by providing them with tutoring
in skills relevant to examinations, student mentors,
The activities of the Society in its early years were
valuable learning tools and financial assistance to
primarily limited to social functions and the like. However,
attend worthwhile conferences. It has also been able
it was recognised at the time that the Society had the
to contribute to the wider community by running
potential to do so much more. Don Cameron, 1967
fundraising events for various charities and previously
TUMSS President, used his Centaur report of that year to
through IMPACT, a former TUMSS subcommittee
stress that although the social side of medical school life
dedicated to global health issues, which was so
is essential, the Society should aim for higher ideals both
successful they ended up becoming a standalone society.
within and outside the Society, and look to do more for
members both academically and educationally, as well as
In 1967 the inaugural dean of the Tasmanian Faculty of
‘contribute something to help other people’ in the wider
Medicine wrote a message in Centaur which included the
community.
following:
In the years since, the Society has grown at an astonishing
A snobbish officer once asked a newly-commissioned
rate, to the point where it has now achieved much of
lieutenant: ‘Who are your ancestors?’
what Don Cameron saw as possible. It has continued
‘I have no ancestors,’ replied the young officer, ‘I have
to run social events of the highest quality, with some
only descendents.’
attracting up to 600 students, but in addition to this runs
a large number of annual academic and student wellbeing
The twenty or so Tasmanian medical students who are
events, such as medical careers expos and sporting
approaching the clinical phase of their training [the first
events.
intake of medical students at the University], forerunners
of future generations, can give the same proud answer.
TUMSS now also provides academic representation for
the more than 550 medical students at the university
Indeed these twenty or so students who would now be
on a number of different levels, after having first gained
approaching the twilight of their careers, as well as every
representation on the faculty in 1970. It is also in
group of students since, are the forerunners of TUMSS;
the unique situation of representing not just a single
and if the 550 or so current Tasmanian medical students
university’s medical students, but the students of an
were to be asked the same question today they could
entire state, and so the responsibility of representing
answer just as proudly with ‘people who started, and
Tasmania’s medical students to Government and other
continued, a Society we could be proud of.’
external groups has also fallen on the Society.
James Cook University Medical
Student’s Association
2007: SANTE had a Red Party – it was very red – and
successful too; JCUMSA modifies constitution and
restructures Executive in Preparation for 2008; Huge Cull
takes place – core Executive positions slashed left, right
and centre; JCUMSA Places 3rd at AMSA Emergency Cup
Challenge
2008: JCUMSA’s core Executive consists of 8 people, one
of whom (the IPP) isn’t even a medical student anymore!
Presenting Complaint:
JCUMSA revitalises Med Revue – no-one knows when it
10 Year old Med Soc from Northern Australia presents
first began or disappeared – it’s a mystery really.
with increasing severity of Post-Vacation Depression
2009: JCUMSA Places 2nd at AMSA Emergency Cup
challenge; HeadFest changed to be charitable event to
HPC:
raise funds for Headspace; Probably won the Vampire
Roughly 800 medical students represented by JCUMSA
Cup, like in its early days. AMSA still owes JCUMSA a BBQ
have descended on JCU and its clinical schools to
from way back, which somehow made its way to New
continue their pursuit of a medical degree. At 9am
York. No-one will admit, but JCUMSA knows – there will
11/01/2010, nearly 200 students commenced orientation be blood, lots of it!
for clinical years. At 9:01am, the holiday highs of many
had been shattered, secondary to the boring droning of
Social Hx:
associate professors and clinicians. Signs and Symptoms Med Ball since 2000; Clinical Party since 2000; Med Camp
included: snoring, reminiscing the sights and sounds
since 2002 – it gets better and better every year; Maggie
of sun-soaked beaches and snow-covered terraces
Island, Airlie Beach, Mission Beach and that place outside
and experiencing an orange visual aura. Post-Vacation
of Charters Towers; Halfway Dinner; Trivia Night; Sign-on
Depression as a diagnosis was made all the more likely by
the very emphatic wish of students that they wanted to
EtOH:
be “anywhere but here.”
5-10 “Hell Punch” Bins/night/event – moderate
Christine Pirrone & Dani Bersin
Past General Hx:
2000: JCUMSA was born – unsure of exact DOB (N.B.
get 5th year to perform MMSE - ?Psych referral); AFL
Match b/w JCUMSA and TROPHIQ. No score is recorded,
but little doubt JCUMSA won – it’s just that awesome.;
JCUMSA got itself an AMSA Rep – perhaps one of the
greatest positions ever created on a Med Soc Executive
2001: JCUMSA created a logo and constitution –
both have since changed, go figure! First JCUMSA
Merchandise: Stubby Coolers – once again, just that
awesome; First “Femoral Pulse” newsletter published;
First contingent to AMSA Convention
2002: 1st Med Camp – HUGE success; Ectropic Beat –
annual publication 1st Halfway Celebrations for Class of
2005; JCUMSA Annual Debating commences – where
legends are made and reputations forever tarnished
2003: JCUMSA applies to be incorporated
2004: JCUMSA incorporates. Still doesn’t have much of
an idea what this means or its implications, but it seemed
like a good idea at the time.; JCUMSA successfully lobbies
JCU to move Faculty of Medicine Health and Molecular
Sciences Graduation ceremony to December from 2005
onwards.
2005: 1st Graduating Class of JCU MBBS Degree; JCUMSA
Website launched – it’s very Green
2006: Enormously huge Executive now consists of 21
people; Otherwise not much...
consumption?
Psych Hx:
HEADFEST: JCUMSA Mental Health Awareness Week
(2002, 2007, 2009); Dr Sally Cockburn (aka Dr Feelgood)
visits JCUMSA on the sunny shores of North QLD (2007)
Summary:
10 year old Med Soc from Northern Australia that has
been growing rapidly and steadily, both in academia and
social interaction. The achievements of the Med Soc to
date indicate it is well grounded to expand and thrive in
all its endeavours in the coming decade.
The Post-Vacation Depression appears to be a transient
frame of mind and will be cured by engagement in
JCUMSA Sign-on’s, Clinical Cocktail Parties, AMSA
Debating Series and a celebration of 10 years of
Australia’s favourite Med Soc.
Plan:
1.Arrange JCUMSA “Sign-on’s” at all 4 sites by end of
February
2. Med Camp in early March
3. Elect new representatives for the 1st year freshers –
they don’t know what they’re in for!
4. Celebrate 10 years of Australia’s favourite laid back
Med Soc – all siblings welcome!
5. Do NOT admit – we don’t need QLD’s hospitals filled
with even more medical students!
Western Australian Medical
Students’ Society
Claire Meyerkort
The year was 1946…the Hills Hoist was invented, the
bikini was unveiled, Australia beat England in the Ashes
and the inaugural meeting of the Western Australian
Medical Students’ Society (WAMSS) was held. The story
of WAMSS is a unique one, as the medical students’
society came to fruition before the university had actually
founded a medical faculty.
Western Australia had long been sending its budding
young medical students over the border to study in
Adelaide, Sydney or Melbourne, as WA was without
its own medical school. Following World War II it was
decided essential that Western Australia educate and
train its own future doctors. Therefore the first medical
students’ committee was formed. Several prominent
members of UWA and the Western Australian community
at large banded together to “investigate the possibility
of establishing a Medical Faculty in the University of
Western Australia in 1947.” Through passionate medical
student efforts - campaigning in newspapers and on radio
- and with the help of the community to raise funds the
vision was realised and a Medical Faculty was established
ten years later. Now, over half a century later both the
UWA Medical Faculty and WAMSS have grown and
continue to flourish.
While the society in the early years was very different to
the WAMSS that exists today, it is also fascinating to note
some of the traditions that have continued on through
the years. In 1962 the annual Boat Trip was held, with
over 300 students attending. Three-dozen ‘vessels’ and
six jugs were broken and the event ran at a significant
loss, prompting the despairing committee to consider
“eliminating supper” or “reducing beer provision” in
future years. This year (47 years later) over 300 medical
students attended WAMSS’ Rivercruise, where ‘vessels’
were broken, damages incurred and we (the somewhat
despairing committee) are again looking at ways to curb
this enthusiasm in the future. Surely WAMSS will find a
solution sometime in the next 47 years?
University of Queensland Medical
Society
Jonathan De Silva
The University of Queensland Medical Society was
established in 1936 as the Queensland Medical Students
Association (QMSA). Changing its name to the University
of Queensland Medical Society (UQMS) in 1943, its
terms of reference was, and continues to be “To advance
and protect in all ways the interests of graduates and
undergraduates of the University of Queensland.”
The UQMS was established by a concerned and driven
group of medical students which included, among others,
Russell Neville (QMSA Foundation President), Douglas
Gordon (later Dean of the Faculty of Medicine), Max
Hickey (later Professor of Anatomy and Warden of Union
College), and Fred Schwarz. Their foresight was a first
step in the establishment of the undergraduate society,
which was to become, and remains, the most significant
and professional of all undergraduate bodies within the
University of Queensland.
The UQMS was also the trail-blazer in equity for resident
medical officers. In 1944, it was a proactive stakeholder
in the Queensland Industrial Court, helping to secure
better working hours and rates of pay for first year
resident medical officers in the Brisbane and South
Coast Hospitals. Since then the UQMS has maintained
a vigorous and respected voice in the development of
service conditions, collegiate outreach and professional
standards in the broader domain of medicine. To
help achieve this, the UQMS established the national
Australasian Medical Students’ Association in 1960,
expanding the promotion of the Hippocratic spirit of
medicine and support for medical students, from a state
to a national level.
The UQMS has also maintained a significant charitable
role throughout its history, providing an “in house”
training infrastructure for young graduating doctors
wishing to serve their colleagues as well as advancing
opportunities for self-training and extended experience in
the collegiate medical world.
Monash University Medical
Undergraduate Society
Dan Yore
A Medical Society (MedSoc) can come a long way in just
five years. Even though its heritage dates back over a
number of decades, its the society’s recent history that
has seen it propel itself into the stratosphere of medical
student representation in Australia.
Medical Student Association of
Notre Dame Fremantle
While always being a successful and powerful MedSoc,
the MUMUS of the early “noughties” represented a
society that was fragmented into autonomous pre-clinical
and clinical societies and lacked adequate representation
to represent its members optimally at both a student and
faculty level.
The School of Medicine was granted ongoing
accreditation by the Australian Medical Council in 2004
with the first cohort of 81 students beginning the MBBS
program in 2005. As a Problem Based Learning (PBL)
course the subject matter is integrated rather than being
in discrete components and is delivered in such a way as
to be clinically relevant. There is an emphasis on social
justice including a service component. Students also
enrol in theology, philosophy and bioethics as part of the
university’s core curriculum.
The 2005-2006 period saw a number of progressive
committees - that ultimately turned out to be littered
with future AMSA leaders - who took it upon themselves
to look inside the heart of the society. By 2006 MUMUS
had reorganised itself into one streamlined organisation
spanning all five year levels.
MeDUSA - Deakin University
The years immediately following the creation of “MUMUS
Inc.” saw a considerable refinement of committee
roles and responsibilities. The society’s constitution,
With the birth of a medical school comes the birth of a
governing rules & regulations, financial organisation
and relationship with the central Student Union were all medsoc. For Deakin, the 7th of February, 2008, saw the
delivery of a 220 kg 3 person bouncing baby steering
substantially overhauled.
committee, guided through labor by a visiting AMSA
contingent. This committee, consisting of Daniel Alban,
One of the greatest successes over this period has been
Lauren Boucher and Mary McKinnon, was given the
the development of a robust representation structure
with the Medical Faculty. A truly synergistic relationship neonatal milestone of creating the structure, position
descriptions and electoral process for the mature
has been thus garnered between the two groups with
committee.
MUMUS sitting on more of its faculty committees than
Steve Kunz
any other MedSoc in Australia.
Through various meetings, discussions, debates and
controversies as symbolic of childhood as of politics, the
The 2008-2009 period saw yet another flux of growth
final structure was decided upon, an impartial returning
with the institution of number of successful society
officer appointed, and the 18th of March was decided
initiatives that have already established national clout
on as judgement day, or the showdown at the KA3.406
and ilk. The Monash University Surgical Interest Group
Corral. Speeches were made, votes were cast, and by the
(MUSIG), The MUMUS Community and Wellbeing
end of the day we had a 10 person committee eager to
Portfolio and the AMSA ThinkTank have immediately
captured the imagination of the Monash medical student take its first steps.
community with a number of other interest groups in the
Their major task, beside deciding on a name other
pipeline for the years ahead.
than the vehemently rejected DUMS, was creating a
constitution, becoming incorporated, and doing whatever
The society is currently in the phase of successfully
building capacity and empowering its members with the it was that Medical Student Societies do. For MeDUSA,
this proved to be a ball, end of exam parties, wellbeing
ultimate aim of achieving sound engagement with the
student community as well as ensuring the society’s long- evening, sports sessions, charity events and med revue,
and it has been building on this foundation ever since.
term sustainability.
AMSA
&
the
AMA
AMSA &
the AMA:
A short history
A short history
status that each organisation has given the other to
attend its meetings and Councils. The AMSA President
sits on AMA Federal Council and since 1993 has been a
full voting member. This is no small deal – the Federal
Council is the highest authority within the AMA and
governs what the Association does. Every Federal
Council meeting the AMSA President submits both
a written and verbal report to this Council and casts
their vote to help determine the direction of what is
Why was it that the AMA went to such lengths to organise indisputably the most influential medical lobby group
one of its meetings around a medical student function?
and what many observers describe as the most powerful
union in the country.
The short answer is so as to enable all the AMACDT
members to attend, pay respects to and celebrate AMSA’s
50th, and the long answer is the subject of this article in The AMSA President, or their nominee, also sits on the
this special 50th anniversary edition of Panacea.
majority of the AMA’s many committees and councils.
The committee at which their input is often of greatest
impact is that of the AMACDT, of which this author is
The AMA and AMSA have a long history of working
the chair. AMSA and the AMACDT share many common
together to represent doctors and those who are about
issues such as quantity and quality of intern places, access
to become medical practitioners. It is no surprise that
the AMA is intensely interested in medical student affairs to supervision and teaching, and curriculum standards
– what happens to medical students can and does have a for prevocational doctors to name a few. Through the
AMACDT AMSA and the AMA are collaborating on a joint
profound effect on the future of the medical profession
publication entitled “A Guide to Working Abroad for
and these students are the future members of the
Association.
Australian doctors and medical students”.
On July 11th and 12th 2009 the AMA Council of Doctors
in Training (AMACDT) held one of its four annual faceto-face meetings in Brisbane. The location and timing
of this meeting was very deliberate – the location was
that of the AMSA Convention for that year and the date
was that of AMSA’s 50th Anniversary celebrations at
Convention’s Gala Dinner at Movie World on the Gold
Coast.
In recognition of these mutual interests the AMA and
AMSA have over the years forged strong links, both
formal and informal, which enable each to better
represent and advocate on behalf of its members.
AMSA always sends a delegation of predominantly
Executive members to the AMA’s annual National
Conference and has now established a traditional
highlight of showing an AMSA video, something started in
2004 by then president Matthew Hutchinson.
The most obvious link is that of official representative
In turn the AMACDT Chair is an official observer at
all AMSA Council meetings, and is invited to present
at AMSA events such as AMSA Conventions and the
annual AMSA National Leadership Development
Seminar. Further collaboration includes the opportunity
to contribute to AMSA publications like this one so as
to raise awareness of issues relevant to both medical
students and junior doctors.
and events where this work is done. They continue to
impress me with their dedication and experience beyond
their years. And as a past member of the AMSA Council,
it was very special to be able to attend AMSA’s 50th
Anniversary last year. I have no doubt that AMSA will
continue to play an important role for medical students
in the years to come, and that the AMA and AMSA will
continue to benefit from their close relationship.
In what is a further example of the formal links between
the AMA and AMSA, Shayne McArthur, AMSA’s inaugural
Executive Officer since 2007, is based at the AMA’s
Federal offices in Canberra which increases the synergies
between the two organisations.
Dr Andrew Perry
Chair, Council of Doctors in Training
Australian Medical Association
Inaugural AMSA Life Member 2007
AMSA Vice President 2004
As Chair of the AMACDT I get to witness first hand AMSA AMSA Sponsorship Officer 2002
playing a critical role in the medico-political and medical AMSA Council Member 2002-2004
education arenas in Australia by attending and working
Founder and member of the AMSA History Project
alongside their representatives at the multiple meetings Working Party
From AMSA to AMA...
Many prominent AMSA members have gone on to be elected to significant positions within the AMA further
reinforcing the common issues that make people members of both organisations. Examples include:
Dr Tony Lawler, spent 2 years on the AMSA Council from 1994-95 as the University of Tasmania representative
before graduating and joining the AMACDT as the Tasmanian delegate whilst an intern. Tony went on to become
the AMACDT Chair from 1996-1998 representative and in a feat not accomplished before or since was elected to
the AMA’s Executive Council in 1998, made up of just 6 people. Tony subsequently became the President of AMA
Tasmania in 2003. He is now the Deputy Medical Director of the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Dr Chris Merry, a University of Melbourne graduate, started his AMSA career in 1994 as AMSA National Coordinator
(then a paid position for a medical student willing to take a year off)before becoming AMSA President in 1995.
He went on to become AMACDT Chair in 1999, and was AMA Victoria Vice President in 2006. He is now a CardioThoracic Surgeon in Melbourne.
Dr Sarah Whitelaw was AMSA President in 1996 whilst a student at University of Queensland. She was the AMA
CDT Chair from 2000-2001, and subsequently joined the AMA Queensland Council. She is an Emergency Medicine
Physician at the Gold Coast and is heavily involved with the Qld Health’s Queensland Medical Education and Training
unit.
The 2010 AMACDT Council is chaired by a former AMSA Vice President Andrew Perry, and has three AMSA
Presidents (Dror Maor from 2005, Rob Mitchell from 2007 and Michael Bonning from 2008).
The year of living orangely
Words from the 2009 AMSA National President,
Tiffany Fulde
It was the year that Frank Macfarlane Burnet was jointly
awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine, and became the
inaugural Australian of the year, John F. Kennedy defeated
Richard Nixon, becoming the youngest man elected U.S.
President, and a little-known English band changed their
name to The Beatles. But far more importantly, against
this revolutionary backdrop, at around the time that
Harper Lee released To Kill a Mockingbird, our favourite
1960s icon was born – AMSA, the Australasian (now
Australian) Medical Students’ Association.
conditions for our international students, and tried to
contribute to advocacy and education on some of the big
issues for healthcare such as health reform, and climate
change, with an educational campaign that has received
international praise and interest. Global health is an
ever-increasing part of our activities, this year focussing
on the Millenium Development Goals.
This year, we have also placed increasing focus on
Best of luck for the coming year and Happy Birthday!!
AMSA has continued to grow in 2009 both publicly, and
within, with the launch of new publications, the launch of
our Alumni Association, and the continued development
As you can tell from this special edition of Panacea, we’ve AMSA’s structure, so that it best represents and connects
with our members.
turned 50, and we’re very excited! This year has been
a very special year for AMSA – our golden jubilee. It has
The beauty of AMSA is that there is something in the
been a time to take stock and celebrate our past, our
organisation for every one of our 14,500 members.
achievements and our traditions.
From our publications, to our events, our advocacy
and representation to our community projects, and
Over the year, as I have travelled around the country, I
member benefits, AMSA is for all of us. We are a dynamic
have heard countless fond memories of AMSA, heard
organisation and are looking to you to help us shape the
tales of train-rides in the 70s, possible connections
next 50 years of AMSA.
to the CIA in the 60s, rallies and debates, and various
shenanigans. One thing that has struck me is the regard
Over the year, many people have remarked to me on the
and respect that students of the past (now doctors) and
evident camaraderie between medical students. AMSA
present hold for AMSA.
is very proud to have a role in forming these friendships,
and bonds that can last a lifetime.
As much as this year has been a time to mark how far
we’ve come in fifty years, it has also allowed us to realise
To those of you who have just joined the family,
how much the AMSA of today has in common with the
welcome, and to everyone who has been part of AMSA
AMSA of the past. As ever, we are a group which exists
over the last fifty years – thank you for making it into the
to connect, inform and represent Australia’s medical
peak representative body for medical students that it is
students.
today.
In 2009 AMSA’s top advocacy priorities have been the
A special thank you must go to the 2009 Executive, our
availability of quality training places, in light of the
Executive Officer Shayne, AMSA Council and the many
increasing numbers of medical students, and raising
AMSA Committees who have helped AMSA to connect,
awareness and overcoming the stigma surrounding
inform and represent Australia’s medical
the pressing issue of medical student wellbeing. We
students in 2009.
have achieved greater awareness in both these areas,
and were the only student group to present at a recent
conference on Doctors’ Health. Incredibly, when I spoke The issues facing medical students and the future of
to Professor David Scott, the first AMSA President, at our health care continue to grow, but with more of us
than ever before, we have the chance to have an even
birthday bash in July, he said that these were two of the
stronger voice and shape the medical education
main issues which inspired the formation of AMSA in
and care that we want to see for the next fifty years.
1960.
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Looking forward
Words from the 2010 AMSA
National President Ross Roberts-Thomson
What do the handheld calculator, the computer mouse
and silicone breast implants all have in common? Not
only have I held them all in my hand sometime this
week,they were all invented after AMSA began! It is crazy
to think what happens in fifty years.
political sway than the AMA or any trade union, but there
are some more realistic objectives that I think AMSA can
actually achieve.
Apart from becoming financially and legally secure (which
is sooooo boring!), I think AMSA can truly become the
Let us leave aside fifty years of change for just a moment, experts on medical students. It sounds stupid seeing
and consider the changes medical education in Australia as we are students, but we need to have the evidence
has seen in the time that I have been a medical student. and data to back-up our claims and policy. We live in an
When I was a bright-eyed first year (just six years ago)
evidenced-based world, and AMSA needs evidence in
there were no private medical schools, no full-fee
order to advocate for all students effectively. Evidencedplaces, and bonded medical places had only just been
based AMSA will be coming to an inbox near you soon.
introduced. There are now five private medical schools,
bonded places are everywhere and full-fee places have
We also need to invest more in students. Whether it
come in and are on their way out again. All that in just six is through wellbeing advice, interest groups or events,
years! Multiply that by 8.3 (recurring) to appreciate the
AMSA should be part of every medical student’s
magnitude of change that AMSA has seen in its – our –
overall education. AMSA already has had some great
lifetime.
achievements in these areas, for instance, you may not
be aware that AMSA currently has many global health
So where will AMSA be in another fifty years, or even
activities and information available to students through
another six years? I have my own personal thoughts that the Global Health Network, which is gaining more and
include a massive pimped out building and having more more momentum with every passing day. Also, our rural,
indigenous and international student activities are set to
grow in the future as well, with new initiatives already in
the pipeline for 2010. But, of course, there is more that
AMSA could do for students here, so watch this space.
Finally, AMSA needs some direction, some forward
planning. With the turnover of Council and Executive
occurring annually, we need a strategic plan to set and
maintain us on a straight and prosperous course. It’s
something we’re looking to do very soon. This process
will require input from all medical students to make it
relevant and worthwhile. This strategic planning process
will start in 2010 and will involve every AMSA Rep, every
MedSoc and every student, so make sure you keep an eye
out for your opportunity to be involved!
After these first 50 years of AMSA there is a lot to reflect
upon. I’d like to thank the 2009, and all past Executives
and Councils for their hard work and successes. In 2010
we’re looking to build another prosperous chapter into
AMSA’s history books, all the time remembering that
every success could only have occurred because we have
been able to stand on the shoulders of giants.
Happy 50th AMSA!
Producing ethical doctors has
to begin with ethical education
Jamie Alexander, AMSA National Vice President 2009
AMSA knows that the issue of intern positions for
international students is important to Australia’s medical
students. Many internationals come to Australia to study
medicine with the expectation that a job will be waiting for
them at the end of the degree. However the doubling of
medical students from 2005 by 2012 has meant that what
was a sure thing is no longer. AMSA and Australian medical
students care about this issue, but apathy from government
is difficult to overcome.
AMSA has been inundated with comments from our
international colleagues recently. They complain that they
have been kept in the dark about the difficulties likely in
receiving a job. They comment that they are surprised that
there is a job shortage since they always hear that Australia
requires more doctors. It is hard to disagree given that the
doctor shortage was behind the massive increase in medical
students.
Government sees the public of Australia saying “so what?
Why would this concern us?” and so with little political
consequence, does nothing. AMSA answers these questions
by presenting a number of reasons that it should concern
Australians for two reasons. Firstly, the futures of many
of these students become clouded if they are unable to
receive a job at the end of their degree. There is potentially
nowhere for them to practise and at the least, will force
them into relocation. Secondly, and this reason will appeal
to those less concerned about the ethics of the situation,
this problem risks causing a large dent in Australia’s third
largest export: international tertiary education.
“I was under the impression when I applied to Medical
School that it would be relatively straightforward to stay
on as a doctor as this was a profession that was (and still
is according to a July 19th statement from the AMA) in
great demand here.... I have spent a great deal of money
on tuition and feel quite a bit cheated that I might not get
a chance to work as a doctor in a country that I have come
to see as home (and where I have met my partner)..... My
job prospects in Canada are bleak. My home province of
British Columbia only takes on 18 international medical
graduates”
When you consider these factors, it is easy to realise that
studying medicine in Australia is not as attractive as it
once was. Given that these students often pay upwards of
$200 000 for the privilege of studying medicine and then
contribute around another $100 000 to the economy for
the cost of living over this time, it makes sense to choose a
country which will guarantee a job upon completion of the
degree. This of course, becomes problematic for Australia.
Consider these comments made in an open letter to John
Della Bosca (NSW Health minister) by another international
student:
“We began our degree and nearly finished it under the
impression that we would receive internship training
in Australia. Without internship we cannot achieve
registration. Without registration, our degrees are useless
and we cannot work as doctors – here or anywhere else.
There are very few countries that accept overseas trained
graduates into internship placements”
Universities make a large amount of money from
international students, and medical students are no
exception. Due to relatively poor government funding,
income derived from these students funds research,
teaching, and infrastructure projects. Universities can ill
afford to lose this valuable income.
What would be the costs should internationals decide
to take their money elsewhere? There are no exact
figures available but if we assume that the average cost
of a medical degree is $200 000 over 4-6 years for the
approximate 2700 international medical students that
reside in Australia then it calculates that they bring in over
Understandably, universities seek to protect this income.
$100 million dollars in tuition fees to our economy per
Unfortunately this has resulted in a lack of obvious
year. The costs of living increase this figure substantially.
transparency regarding future job prospects. Whereas in the Not a number to be sneezed at anytime, especially not in
past an international medical student could expect a job at the middle of a financial crisis. Any decent superannuation
the end of their degree, the tsunami of medical students has firm will tell you that this level of income requires
ensured this is no longer the case.
protection!
Many graduating international students will have difficulty
practicing anywhere if there is no job available here.
Consider our North American cousins. Australia is home to
over one hundred Canadian medical students. I received
a letter from one recently which I thought illustrated the
situation perfectly:
In the future, solutions need to be found, and the best
solutions in the eyes of government will be the ones that
are cost neutral or cost minimal. AMSA has a number of
ideas, and will be discussing these at stakeholder meetings
in 2010.
AMSA’s National Leadership Development
Seminar:
Victoria Cox
Canberra 2009
On the evening of the 6th of September, 72 troops from
around Australia gathered at the Nation’s capital, eagerly
anticipating the acquisition of as much knowledge as
could be condensed into the following three days at
the annual National Leadership Development Seminar
(NLDS).
The wealth of knowledge and experience that the
speakers presented throughout the three days was
what made the seminar so beneficial. Plenary speakers
included: The Hon. Nicola Roxon MP, Minister for Health
and Ageing; Professor Jim Bishop, Chief Medical Officer
(Commonwealth); Dr Andrew Pesce, Federal President,
Australian Medical Association; Dr Christine Bennett,
Commissioner, National Health and Hospitals Reform
Commission; Mr Hugh Evans, Director, Global Poverty
Project; Dr Peter Spitzer, Director, Clown Doctors – The
Humour Foundation and Dr Mick Adams, Chair, National
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
sample of the evening’s festivities. The third and final
night began with an AMSA Riverside Rave (glow-sticks
included) after which the AMSA contingent moved to an
underground karaoke bar. After preparing Hawaii Five-O
on CD, USB and via Bluetooth, it became clear that it was
literally impossible for the venue to play our anthem on
stage, even after a cash bribe. Consequently, plan E saw
30 delegates acquire the microphone and launch into an
acoustic rendition of Hawaii Five-O – until said individuals
were quite literally thrown off the stage.
What a fantastic couple of days – we definitely got
amongst it Burley-Griffinside. Every medical student
should endeavour to attend NLDS, it is an amazing
opportunity to learn with likeminded individuals from
across the land and sea. Special thanks must go to the
AMSA Executive and Shayne for hosting us for an inspiring
couple of days.
These were amongst many plenary speakers eager to
inspire delegates with many stimulating messages.
The quality of questions saw many of the speakers
take the time to stay back and entertain enthusiastic
delegates. We were lucky to have such a broad variety
and depth of individuals who together, have and will
continue to influence the many facets which build the
Australian Health Care System. Our afternoon session
in Question Time of Parliament House saw a personal
acknowledgement from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd! Highfive!
One of the highlights of the Seminar was when delegates
had the opportunity to go head-to-head and debate the
passing of hypothetical bills. The evening was chaired
by a retired senator in Old Parliament House. This was
once again an entertaining spectacle with humorous
arguments presented from both sides of politics. One
of the more light-hearted debates was whether or not
Tasmania should be removed as a state of Australia - and
saw the role-playing Deputy Prime Minister call for a vote
of no confidence in the PM and proceed to cross the floor
with nearly the entire party! It was also in this sitting that
the artistic skills of our delegation were immortalised
with a version of Hawaii Five-O in Old Parliament House –
coming soon to a Facebook screen near you.
An AMSA report could never be complete without a
wElcome!!
As the AMSA Executive for 2010, we are very excited about what the future holds for this
glorious Association. We love AMSA as much as you do (although perhaps Ross does a little
more than everyone else) and this year it’s our aim to engage, educate, evolve and excite to
ensure that the AMSA you know and love remains successful and relevant.
Engage
and your ideals for the future.
AMSA IS ALL ABOUT YOU - the medical students of
Australia. In 2010 we want to re-invigorate the AMSA
Subcommittees at each of your local MedSocs. We want
to get you excited about AMSA. We want to hear your
AMSA Rep voicing your opinions at National Council. In
fact, we may as well cut to the chase:
We want you!
So head along to amsa.org.au and make it your home
page, or not, but do check it out and SUBSCRIBE while
you’re there.
Educate
Do you prefer House to Harrisons? Want to stay informed
but don’t like reading? Want to look 10 years younger in
10 days? Well, in 2010 AMSA’s got you covered (maybe
not the 10 years younger part, but who wants to go back
to high school anyway?). There’s a revamped website
waiting for you at amsa.org.au, as well as episodes of
AMSAtv, waiting to inform you of AMSA’s Big Issues at the
comfort of your own desk.
Coming to you later this year will be a guide on Working
Abroad and an Electives Database, so you can toss the
UBD and get yourself some Lonely Planet guides instead.
Plus, there’s plenty more in the pipeline.
We want to better represent you, but we’ll need your
help. To have your voice heard and to find out about
other ways in which AMSA is evolving check out
amsa.org.au.
Excite
Get prepared to be surrounded by videos, posters,
newsletters, magazines, flyers and every pick-up line
we can muster – there are opportunities-a-plenty to
get involved in AMSA and meet medical students from
around the country...so where the bloody hell are ya?
Stay alert for a calendar of MedSoc event dates from
around the nation, so that you can take advantage
AMSA’s Open Door policy and crash MedBall in
Tasmania. They love visitors down there, and who
knows? Maybe you’ll spot someone from across the
party; hopefully, they’ll only have one head and be your
Knight in shining armour. Check amsa.org.au for the
details.
2010 is going to be e-normous (get it?). We can’t wait,
and we hope you can’t either.
Ending
One final thing we should mention before we go: we
just are, from rAdelaide! Actually nobody calls it that in
Adelaide but anyway, it’s heaps good.
Evolve
We live in an evidence-based world and we practice in
an evidence-based profession. It is therefore no longer
sufficient for AMSA to just be the peak representative
body on medical students in Australia – we must evolve
to become the peak authority on medical students in
Australia. This drive is termed our Evidence-based AMSA
initiative, and it means we will be doing everything we
can to learn more about you, your opinions, your issues,
Any questions? [email protected] / www.amsa.org.au /
go there!
Looking forward to a jam packed 2010 with you.
Yours,
The 2010 Executive
Panacea &AMSA’s
Throughout the dying months of 2009 one competition captured the hearts of medical students across the
country. You nominated them, then voted for them, wasted valuable study time and now we are pleased to
bring you the winner and the finalists for Panacea’s first Bachelor of the Year Competition. Congratulations
and thank you to those who were nominated and those who were chosen as finalists, and to one very
special Tasmanian who has been crowned Panacea’s Bachelor of the Year for 2009. Swoon!
And the winner is...
Davidd
Ransley
Tasmania
Why should you be Panacea and AMSA’s first Bachelor of the Year?
Apart from being a genuine, honest and nice Tasmanian boy, I have represented Australia at world
championships for sailing, have a pilot’s licence, and volunteer for a number of charities from St John’s
Ambulance to the Red Cross. I captained the Tasmanian Debating Team to a controversial second place at
Convention ‘09, was a member of the Tassie Cascade Cup team and am the logistics portfolio holder for
Convention 2010. In my spare time I train for triathlons, meaning I have a swimmer’s trunk and cyclist/
runner’s legs, as well as a sailor’s tan.
What will you do if crowned Panacea and AMSA’s Bachelor of the Year?
I would occasionally drop the bomb when I needed a bit of extra help. “You like long walks along the
beach? Oh cool. Well I won AMSA’s Bachelor of the Year. Single? Why, yes I am.”
What is your idea of the perfect first date?
Chicken breat with red wine jus, and pumpkin and haloumi risotto. There is probably not a better smelling
combination, plus it is quick and easy to cook and doesn’t demand all of your attention.
Bachelor of the
Year Competition
But we can’t forget our other nineteen finalists
Congratulations guys!
Amit Verma, Monash
Aniket Nadkarni, UNSW
Bod Vickers, USyd
Chris Parker, Monash
What would you cook a girl if you had her over
for dinner?
Dessert - I make the best baked strawberry and
chocolate cheesecake, ever.
How would you like to save the world?
My philosophy is most problems can be solved
with a hacksaw, or a swift backhand to the face.
I’m not sure how effective that would be on a
global scale though.
My best moment in medicine was when... a
nurse confused me for the paediatrics registrar
and subsequently gave me her number and
asked me out for coffee. My most embarassing
moment was when she found out I was a
medical student.
My best moment in medicine was... having a
ninety-something old lady say that if she was
ten years younger and I was ten years older
maybe I’d have a chance with her.
David McGillivray, UQ
Ed Cooper, USyd
Falk Reinholts, UWA
James Churchill, Melbourne
Joel Menzies, UNDS
Kieran Owens, UNSW
What is your idea of a perfect first date?
A nice sunset dinner at a restaurant perched on a
cliff overlooking the ocean followed by a moonlit
walk on the beach, and then sexy times.
What would you cook a girl if you invited her
over for dinner? A steak. It’s the perfect test
really because if a woman can’t appreciate a
well cooked piece of prime meat then things
are probably not going to work out between us.
My best moment in medicine was....
Discovering the word gubernaculum, it’s a real
word!
My most embarrassing moment in medicine
was... I have no shame.
Doing medicine has been my dream and goal
for as long as I could remember. To finally be
studying what I love - I can’t imagine anything
better. I am a volunteer Surf Life Saver, I work
with the RPA Liver Transplant Unit and like to
keep my life balanced with a run each day.
My most embarassing moment in medicine
was... sleeping through two alarms to arrive 45
minutes late for a 3 hour neuroanatomy exam.
The impressive feat was taking only 6 minutes
from bed to desk.
My best moment in medicine was...
Probably during my brief palliative care rotation. I was awed by the sensitivity, competence
and awareness of cultural rituals displayed by
the palliative care staff I was placed with.
Panacea&AMSA’s Bachelor of
the Year Competition
Lucas Bailey, Wollongong
Marcus Handmer, UWS
Michael Shun, Deakin
Nelson Granchi, Adelaide
My best moment in medicine was...
The patient was hospitalised, recently
widowed, elderly and lonely, yet had a beautiful
story to tell. All it took was the time for
someone to listen and I felt privileged to hear
it.
My most embarrassing moment in medicine
was... I turned up on the first day to find
someone else from my interview group
completely gob-smacked that I actually got in.
She immediately got on her mobile phone and
called her mum. When we later became friends
she told me that conversation literally started
with “Oh my God, Mum. You won’t believe it,
that guy from the interview I told you about
somehow got in...”
What would you cook a girl if you invited her
over for dinner?
Duck à l’orange, a salad nicoise and a glass of
moët. Herb bread on the side. Phone off the
hook.
Apart from being breathtakingly handsome I
am a very well rounded individual. Apart from
completing my first clinical year I performed
both on stage and in a band at the AMSS Med
Revue and Adelaide University Medical Orchestra concert (playing that lady-killing instrument,
the trombone).
Nicolas Jorgensen, UQ
Phil Jaksa, ANU
Rick Davis, Monash
Sam Murray, Newcastle
I suppose the world does have a conspicuous
lack of dinosaurs at present - so I guess that
could be improved upon. I’m not saying it’s
going to be like Jurassic Park or anything, but I’ll
probably watch the movie a couple of times to
get some ideas.
Ideally, remove the poverty, starvation and
illness. Realistically, I think starting small,
working in remote rural communities and
making a change to their world would be a
good start.
What would you cook for a girl if you invited
her over for dinner? I don’t rate myself as a
chef. Knowing me I’d probably try and cook
something really elaborate and fail. In which
case we would end up having sandwiches. So
my answer is sandwiches.
MacGyver style - in less than an hour I’d end
poverty, cure disease, reverse global warming
and outwit an evil tyrant hellbent on world
domination, armed only with a Band-Aid, a
gumboot and a blonde mullet.
Simon Harley, Adelaide
If you could invite six people from throughout time to dinner, who would
they be? Jamie Oliver to cook. Ricky Gervais to be the master of ceremony.
Nelson Mandela to say grace. I think having both the Spartan King, Leonidas
and the Persian King, Xerxes, at the same table would be interesting too. Mr.
Mandela could bring a friend, I would trust his judgment.
It’s not Miss.. it’s Doctor.
A history of females in Australian medicine
Elise Coker
AMSA Public Relations Officer
University of Sydney
When I tell people that I am a 23 year old
female medical student, very few people laugh,
fall off their chair or even gasp in horror.
as opposed to speciality areas. These differences allow a
more unique and varied workforce, which is beneficial to
patient care.
In recent times however, both universities and specialty
colleges have been working towards aiding females in
their career pursuits. Areas that were once predominantly
male dominated, are addressing women’s needs and
concerns; most important were flexible hours and an
improved lifestyle. In 2002, the Royal College of Surgeons
became committed to ensuring that female students
were at no disadvantage to their male counterparts. This
has resulted in a large increase in female surgical trainees.
Yet this would not have always been the case. In 1885,
Australia’s first female medical student was admitted to
study at the University of Sydney. However, Dagma Berne The increase in female medical students has seen the
was criticized so heavily, that she was forced to leave
development of women’s medical societies and surgical
Australia and complete her degree in Edinburgh.
groups. These groups exist in universities across the
country and allow students to discuss the role and
Females now represent 55.8% of medical students across options for females in medicine, and to meet inspirational
the nation; a huge increase from 43.6% in 1989. This
women in this field.
increase in student numbers is resulting in an increase
in female practitioners- yes they are passing the course! Great progress has been made for women in medicine
Women’s career choices and employment characteristics since the first female medical student began in 1885, as
differ to those of men; females tend to work in
a result of many inspirational and motivated women, as
metropolitian areas and favour general practice
well as the support and initiatives of universities and
specialty colleges. Yet,
more must be done to
ensure that females are
accepted and supported
across all fields of
medicine.
As a representative of
all Australian medical
students, AMSA believes in
equity for female medical
students and encourages
that we continue to work
towards this goal.
Aviation & medicine:
David Ransley
it’s all about the checklists
University of Tasmania
Before medicine, my first love was aviation. I was flying
planes before I could drive a car. Mum used to have to
drive me to the airport so I could go flying on my own.
Aviation and medicine are both difficult professions, the
lives of others rely on your skills and knowledge. But
aviation has a different approach to preventing mishaps,
an approach that is only now starting to pervade the
medical field.
Most pilots will have heard the story of the Boeing Model
299. In a sky populated by twin and single engine planes,
the Model 299 was revolutionary in its complexity. Its
four engines and myriad controls and gauges made it a
difficult plane to fly. In July 1934 it was being tested in
front of the top brass of the American military, making a
normal takeoff roll, rotating and beginning its climb-out.
Then, before the eyes of those watching, it stalled, rolled
onto its side and plummeted to the ground. The accident
investigation found the cause to be a gust-lock not being
disengaged, “pilot error”, with many conceding it was too
complex to fly. But the pilots wanted this plane, it was
faster, and could fly further, than any plane of the time.
The pilots needed to find a way to make sure everything
was done in the correct sequence, with nothing being
overlooked. Their solution to this problem was to make a
checklist, or more correctly four checklists: takeoff, cruise,
pre-landing and post-landing. The Model 299, or as it was
later named, the B-17 “Flying Fortress” went on to fly
over 2.8 million kilometres without a serious accident.
11.3/1000 catheter-days to 0, staff were understandably
surprised. Checklists similar to this have been trialled at
a range of US hospitals this year, with staggering results.
But does the medical profession have the humility to
accept that a simple checklist can have such an effect on
patient care? If a drug company made a drug with effects
as drastic as this it would revolutionise treatment, but
maybe the simple approach is better.
Like aviation, medicine places great emphasis on correct
procedures. Whether it is scrubbing-in for surgery, filling
out paperwork, or putting in a central line. Unfortunately
for pilots, there is no scope for clinical judgement, the
Checklists are a great idea in the aviation industry, but
flight is either safe or it is not. The aviation industry has
do we need more pieces of paper to fill out while saving an amazing focus on safety, and even though it would
lives? Catheter infection rates vary between ICUs, but
be almost impossible to apply in the medical field, we
to say that one in ten central venous catheters will
can learn some of the lessons that pilots have. Checklists
become infected when left in for ten days would not be
might mean more paperwork for already overworked
unreasonable. An intensivist in the US has come up with a doctors, but when they produce such astounding results
supposedly novel idea, to use a checklist. It goes like this: in activities seen as routine and simple, their effect
1) wash hands with soap 2) clean skin with chlorhexidine cannot be overestimated. A culture of safety, with
3)place sterile drapes 4) wear sterile mask, hat, gown
significant funding for programs to increase safety, has
and gloves, and 5) put a sterile dressing over the catheter given Australia arguably the safest aviation industry in
site. Then what? That’s it! Oh, and the nurses were told
the world. While changing the practices of doctors is
to make sure ALL doctors followed the checklist, a role
difficult at the best of times, the numbers truly speak
they took on with fervour. When this trial lowered the
for themselves, checklists save lives, and are coming to a
infection rate at Johns Hopkins Hospital from
hospital near you.
Gabe James
University of Sydney
There’s a rash of healthcare reform happening. It’s reform
that begs questions - what will healthcare look like in 20
years? What will doctors be doing? What will my specialty
of choice be?
The medical student ‘tsunami’ had a palpable impact
on our awareness of medical workforce issues. But until
many students lost internships, few realised how serious
it was. Is it possible that as doctors we are guilty of
sticking our head in the sand? Or are we blinded by the
illusion of our invulnerable status?
The impending tsunami of Nurse practitioners will expose
our folly. Australia has 250,000 registered nurses capable
of becoming nurse practitioners with only 1.5 years of
training. They will be prescribing and treating in a range
of therapeutic areas if the USA and UK are any indication.
It makes the medical student tsunami look like a splash in
the bath.
As a future doctor I welcome this development. It has
been made possible by legislative changes introduced
by the current labor government after years of intense
Nurses Federation lobbying. But it also marks the first
step in the evolution of healthcare in Australia towards a
more consumer-oriented and market-responsive industry.
I very much hope it breaks the cycle of futile regulatory
changes.
The F
Healt
Aust
Doctor
As we speak, health care practitioners are bickering over
who should be able to prescribe, treat and - generally make the most money. We talk about multidisciplinary
care, but as soon as nurses try to do something
innovative, we shove our stethoscopes down their
throats. We call for change in healthcare, both to limit
burgeoning costs and to address shortages, but can
government reform deliver this change while we hold
them to ransom?
Since the introduction of Medicare in 1985 there have
been at least 20 major reviews of Australian health
systems. They’ve created and disbanded structures, toyed
with MBS payments, and introduced various tracking
Systemic reviews of the health system all identify the lack
systems and quotas. Yet the core structures and service
of money, poor hospital planning and weak primary and
delivery is unchanged.
preventative care as our biggest issues. They go on to
propose solutions. But these solutions offer more of the
Compare this to any other service industry. In the last
same - burdensome government regulation.
20 years has the way you service your car, ordered
your computer or planned your holiday changed? Most
Let’s look at this example from the National Primary
certainly. You get better service for less. But to see a
Health Care Strategy. It proposes we improve primary
doctor is harder and more expensive than ever. Why?
health by:
Healthcare is over-regulated. While other markets evolve
1. Better rewarding of prevention.
to meet consumer needs, healthcare is a political and
2. Promoting evidence-based management of chronic professional guild turf-war. In the name of quality, we
disease.
doctors restrict our training numbers and control the
3. Supporting patients with chronic disease to manage market. In doing so we have created a secure cocoon
their condition.
that prevents us understanding the health consumer and
4. Supporting the role GPs play in the health care team.
‘gaps’ in the market. We are like a central bank with no
5. etc etc etc
competitors.
Future of
thcare in
tralia:
rs Should Lose
an opinion piece
Who could disagree?
But how do we achieve these blue-sky ideals? Ultimately
they are all top down attempts at changing a complex
system and a myriad of patient and healthcare provider
behaviours. NSW health has increased bureaucracy
staff by 70% this decade. Yet little reform was achieved.
Doctors carry on unruffled.
medical error is caused by us). But the bottom line is
that consumers are sick to death of waiting in surgeries
for hours just to get a script or a referral they knew
they needed. They will flock to any new services and
technologies that usurp our control of healthcare and
begin to decide for themselves what works.
Around the world new models of primary healthcare are
emerging to cater for such gaps in the market: ‘minuteThis stagnation led to recent calls for one decidedly
clinics’, pharmacy vaccination services, mobile clinics and
different approach: pay-for-performance. This, they hope, a raft of consumer oriented technology.
will create incentives for better service delivery.
Most doctors are oblivious to these developments.
I’m not an economist, but the concept of incentives is
Indeed, how many of you know the Revive Clinics
fairly obvious to anyone, as are the perverse incentives in in Western Australia? Next year they plan to launch
healthcare. While introducing an NHS style performance- hundreds of clinics delivering basic medical services - all
management system might increase quality marginally,
staffed by nurse practitioners. Did you know that as of
we are still stymied by an inflexible workforce. Even
November 2010 we should have around 1200 nurse
the USA, paragon of the free-market, has excessive
practitioners with MBS and PBS rights?
regulations around medical workforce. As in Australia,
they are a consequence of doctors dominating health
It’s time doctors understood market realities. As a group
legislation.
we have to think more about meeting patient needs. We
need to restore the imbalance of power between doctors
That is why the advent of nurse practitioners is a
and patients by empowering them with information and
significant coup.
treatment choices. Only then will the cost of healthcare
decrease and Jo Citizen’s sense of motivation and
Doctors whine about how bad nurses are and how little
investment in good health grow.
experience they have (while blithely ignoring that most
words and artwork by Antionette Mowbray
University of Newcastle
elective report
four weeks in Mumbai
Aniket Nadkarni, UNSW
Mumbai, India, is the loudest, liveliest, most colorful,
smelly and busy city in the world.
entering the MICU. The MICU is a strange place where the
doctors and nurses were relaxed despite the desperate
conditions where nearly every single patient monitor is
Although I was born in Mumbai and have visited many
blasting alarm bells and there is barely standing room
times since, working in one of Mumbai’s general hospitals between each ICU bed! There is no such thing as ‘the
was a completely different experience. Being posted
5 moments of hand hygeine’ at this hospital and 10
under the medicine department at KEM hospital I was
minutes of the ward round were spent one morning with
based in the medical intensive care unit, the emergency the head of ICU appreciating the latest alco hand wash
department and the medical outpatients’ clinics.
pump bottle.
There are some simple differences between Australia and The best example of the inability to maintain hygiene is
India which made working in Mumbai a great learning
the four legged visitors roaming the hallways. The dogs
experience.
and cats that made the hospital their home often had
me wondering if there was a veterinary ward somewhere
First of all there is the sheer patient load that exists due
that I hadn’t noticed. One day I arrived at MICU only to
to the population. The entire population of Australia
see a rat-catcher there showing me his prize in a mousecould fit into the city of Mumbai and it would probably be trap.
less busy than it is now. The result of this is that diseases
that occur 1/1,000,000 don’t seem so rare when you
have a city with 20 million residents. The best example
“Chuva!” he said to me - the Hindi word for mouse.
is the OPD clinic where the small waiting room is filled
“Ap ke pas hain esa?” - do you get this over there? - he
with at least 400 people at any time of day. The doctors
asked me.
are forced to often see two patients at once, while a third “Nahin. Hospital meh nahin rath hain” - not in the
patient will be rushed into the room because the waiting hospital, I told him!
room outside is filled to capacity. Academically however,
it was very interesting to see patients with conditions like It was the first time I had seen a rat in a hospital.
Tetralogy of Falot, cavitating tuberculous lesions, cerebral
malaria and Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Finally there is the matter of economics, in which India is
a relatively poor country compared to Australia. Despite
The second basic difference is hygiene and infection.
this, my hospital treated the thousands of patients that
Medical education for patients from low socio-economic came under its roof each day for free. With the limited
backgrounds involves telling people they shouldn’t
money that the hospital had, they made sure every
urinate or defecate in front of their houses and they
resource was spent on the patients, from the machines,
should wash their hands before they eat. Even with the
instruments and medicines that would help treat them
better educated population the sheer number of people all at no cost. Anyone from the children in the slums of
per household and the climate allows diseases like
Dharavi, to medical staff themselves could walk in to
Tuberculosis and Malaria to spread very easily.
receive the best medical care the hospital could provide.
I was completely put off on my first day by the infection
control protocol, which in a seemingly Hindu manner
demanded that everyone remove their shoes before
It was a completely humbling experience being at KEM
hospital. It certainly made me realise what I take for
granted in Sydney, it taught me a lot about medicine and
was a hell of a lot of fun!
How I mastered time
travel
Jared Panario
Newton guffawed at the idea. Einstein thought it
impossible. Hawking denounced it as heresy. Oh yes,
time travel has been beyond the grasp of the ordinary
genius for millennia. Many have attempted. None have
succeeded. Until now.
So I was stranded in the present. A proverbial boat
without a fourth dimensional paddle. I had reached
a crisis point. If I didn’t rectify the issue, I would be
the laughing stock of the medical student populace
of Australia. I wouldn’t be able to show my face
at Convention forevermore, for a wave of rotten
I, only I, have discovered the true secret of time travel.
tomatoes and vile glares would rain down upon me.
And I feel it is my duty, nay privilege, to divulge this
My professional career would be in tatters, and the
momentous discovery to the sacred brethren of AMSA.
only option left would be to move to a remote Siberian
For what use is climbing the peak if there is no one with province and open up a scented candle store. Sure, the
whom to share the view?
living would be meagre, but it would be honest. And
maybe, in time, I could court the postmistress Svetlana
You may begin pondering why your incoming Publications and rear 16 aquiline children who would eventually take
Officer has spent all his spare time devising such utter
over the chandlery business.
innovation. My mind wandered onto this idea some
months ago. After writing the article about watching
But I digress.
TYYITD (10 Years Younger In 10 Days) I came to be aware
of the grievous error of ever watching this abhorrence in You can see I was quite perturbed by the situation. After
the first place. I am deeply scarred, a mere shell of the
sitting under my thinking tree for hours teasing my
man I once was. Ah, the halcyon days pre TYYITD. Those noodle (and also thinking a fair amount), I came up with a
were fairer times. How could I make this better? How
sore noodle, but absolutely nothing associated with time
could I ever be the upstanding man I once was?
travel.
You can imagine me sitting in a loft apartment in Krakaw
in the middle of a bitter snowstorm. The loose, exposed
slate shingles let in blasts of cruel air, with a ragged
hessian sack my sole insulation. Maybe the scene is in
black and white or something equally noir and wanky. I
smoke my last cigarette and whisper “Por que?” before
the light extinguishes in my eyes. Fin. Ok, so that’s not
actually happening. But it is happening to my soul.
In exasperation, I collapsed on my bed. All night, I tossed
and turned. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the time
troubles. With every new answer, there were thirty
more questions that needed answering. Finally, in a fit of
exhaustion, I collapsed into an inky sleep. It was then that
I had a most curious vision.
I was walking through a yellow wood, and came to a
divergence of two roads. I chose to take the one less
After months of obfuscating procrastination, mindless
travelled by, and that made all the difference. After
meandering and fruitless research, I came to an epiphany. following this track for some time, I came across an open
There was only one solution. I mused, to fold the
field filled with opium poppies. My lids grew heavy.
spacetime continuum to accommodate my being into a
Drifting off, I heard the faint sound of a tacky American
past world and prevent myself from ever watching that
sitcom theme song playing. A ball of pink smoke curled
revulsion in the first place. Sheer genius.
towards me from the shade of the trees. At first I was
alarmed and wanted to run, but its sinuous movements
In my mind, nothing made more sense. Feverishly, I pan
were so alluring. Like a lava lamp, like a lava lamp.
scoured the internet for every last glimmer of hope of
time travel. Black holes, worm holes and cosmic strings
Of course, the pink smoke solidified into Barbara Eden,
were abound but alas, each of these came up wanting.
who pseudo-belly danced her way over to me and did
Singularities, like Convention, are not conducive to
that blinky thing with the noise that she does. Suddenly,
real life, cosmic strings are the hippie crystals of the
the blueprints to the perfect time machine were in my
sky, and the less said about putting parts of myself into
hands, and I awoke in a daze.
unknown holes the better (I’m just thankful the axolotl
relinquished).
It was so simple!! Hurriedly, I grabbed a napkin and drew
the rough outline for the time machine. And all I needed
was:
- one plastic flamingo, hot pink
- 30m of garden hose
- Hannah Montana: The Movie CD
- the carrot from a snowman’s nose
- masking tape
- cigarette lighter
- 2 ice cream waffle cones (empty)
- 47 paper clips
- several felt cut outs of the numbers 0-9
- 1L petrol
- cylinder of Argon (Ar)
- 42L microwave, front door removed
- pink glitter (optional)
First things first, take the HM CD out of the cover, and
take it to a well-ventilated area away from thoroughfare.
Douse disc in petrol and burn that spawn of Satan into
molten PVC. It doesn’t have anything to do with the time
machine, I just think we all need to do our part to rid the
world of terrible taste. And while you’re at it, burn any
albums containing the following artists: Lil Bow-Wow (or
is he just Bow-Wow now?), Taylor Swift AND Kanye West,
and last, but by no means least, Scandal’us. Even if it’s
just one song on a Christmas album. In fact, especially
if it’s on a Christmas Album. I get made to listen to a
plethora of these come every December. Paul McCartney
has marred Christmas forever. Wings can bite me.
With that out of the way, return to the shed and get
cracking on the design shown:
It all works upon subatomic particles that I like to call ghooch
particles (which are halfway between hanus units and khlam
quarks). These particles regulate the fourth dimension of time
in a heptamerous fashion as follows:
sin{1 - x ( b u ) x ^ (x – 1) - x
(u - f) (e (a b (u – f ^ ξ) - a (u - f) x) + (β.u - f) )}
[u = -----------------------------------------------------------------]
Ω/x
Where u = the velocity of time, b = the median instantaneous
waveform of electron particles in given medium, and so on
and so forth. It follows from here then that in an accelerated
(by open microwave) inert environment (argon) compressed
to a triangular helical pattern (as shown on the flamingo) u
begins to fluctuate weakly.
Then, with the accentuation by the attached conical
structures with undulating surface (i.e. the waffle cones) u
becomes wildly variable. However, without a circumlocutory
inhibitor, ghooch instability is soon negated by the larger
khlam quark waveforms. This is where the irrefragable
biometalloid roundment comes in (also known as the chain o’
paperclips n’ hunk o’ carrot).
This prognathous apparatus deflects the inherent khlam
wave, whilst at the same time directs seaborgial hanus
units through the cylindrical ring of activated ghooch
particles. This, according to the new teachings of thallasocrat
Zwitterion, gives unstable u values direction.
Thereby use of stylised felt numericals within the cylinder,
an exact ghooch state is actuated. Glitter particles ensure a
smoother transition of spacetime, but are not essential.
And hey presto, a working time machine is in your hands. Just
straddle the flamingo, turn on the microwave for 90 seconds,
and you’ll be in the time of choice. NB: make sure alfoil pants
are worn to avoid microwave damage to fascia.
However, I have an ethical crisis on my hands. I have not yet
used the time machine, FlaminGoer ™, and question its place
in our world. Do I simply go back to before the last edition
and achieve my initial goal, or go further? If so do I use this
creation for altruism, or self?
And if I choose to use it, how can I ever be an accurate
Publications Officer? How can the annals of history ever
be taken seriously ever again if I have the power to change
them? Do I deal retribution out for wrongs not yet done,
meet my past, or future self? How will my actions affect
spacetime? Will I in using it create alternate universes from
which there is no escape?
Ensure waffle cones are at exactly 45 degrees, if even
a second out there will be dire consequences for all
involved, i.e., tearing of spacetime fabric and ending of
existence of all matter.
I don’t want to end up like Sliders (anyone remember that
show? Had the guy from Crossing Jordan in it). Please help
me fellow AMSA members, the FlaminGoer™ and I need your
guidance.
MedCest: A H
Felicity Rees
Monash University
Ten easy steps to MedCest...
1. Attend a med function. Options include a medball, any MedSoc
function, or of course Convention... anything social with med
students in attendance. And preferably with some free/cheap drinks
The phenomenon of MedCest
on hand too.
is more than just folklore; it
2. Wear something that you would not normally wear to uni.
is an empirically observable
(Interpret as you will).
behaviour and, indeed, a
necessary part of your medical 3. Have a drink.
4. Have another drink.
education (and as of now, a
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you feel deliciously seductive.
proper noun, capitalisation
compulsory). Whether you just 6. Lower your standards. Who do you think you are to refuse a fellow
meddie, anyway? All MedCests are equal. Well…, most are, anyway. (I
want to try before you buy or
am confident that all readers can think of one or two that were …well…
you are a commitmentphobic
not quite so publicly acceptable).
repeat offender, it is vital to
7. Choose your target. This is one of the most important steps in
approach a prospective fellow
this tried-and-true method of MedCest. To maximise your chances of
MedCester without shame.
We’ve all been there, done that, success, it is recommended that you select someone that you have
observed drinking but is still sober enough to dance/talk coherently
after all.
(also minimising the chances of this person vomiting on your dress/
shirt/shoes/face.) For further advice regarding subject selection, see
For starters, let’s make
the “Tips and tricks for the struggling MedCester” section below.
one thing clear. There is no
8. Manoeuvre yourself into a potential MedCest scenario. The author
excuse for not participating in
MedCest. The sole exception to recommends the following:
this is rule is an individual in an - The dancefloor. (An old classic).
- A secluded corner ‘chatting’ with your prospective fellow
established relationship at the
MedCester.
beginning of their degree that
lasts until after they graduate…. - If applicable, outside in the beer garden/courtyard etc.
The following are not recommended (but by no means disallowed!):
and then, well, they could
- The bar queue (though this is not impossible).
always go on a break. If you
think you are too good/classy/ - Amongst a large group of fellow meddies (again, this has been
dignified/sober for your fellow done).
- At a dinner table (yet again, a precedent has been set for any of you
meddies/MedCesters, then
who wish to set yourself a challenge).
think again (or drink more).
- Maccas on the way home after the function (surprisingly commonly
utilised).
To help those of you who are
9. Indicate your intentions to your target. Start off subtly; brushing
new to med, or at least new
your hand on your target’s hand/waist is all that’s necessary as an
to MedCest, I’ve used the
initial icebreaker. Escalate the contact – from a more lingering touch
observations I’ve made of my
to a permanently placed hand to the inner thigh etc.
friends and colleagues (not
10. Commit MedCest. Take advantage of a moment of physical
to mention my own personal
proximity to make eye contact with your target. (While dancing this
experiences) to construct a
is quite straightforward. During conversation a good moment is when
step-by-step guide so that you
you are both laughing – simply lean forward towards your target and
too can experience MedCest
make eye contact at this point. Then lean even closer. Try not to fall
success.
over.) From this point, there’s no looking back…...
How-to Guide
Now that you’ve achieved MedCest, you can take it
where you will…your place, his/her place, the cubicle
with an ‘out of order’ sign in the ladies’ room…use your
imagination.
Now that you are ready to go out into the world and
reignite the MedCest flame, I would like to offer some
words of advice regarding appropriate post-MedCest
conduct. By all means glow inside with pride at your
efforts, but it is not, however, advised that you boast
to others about your accomplishments. MedCest is
something that we must be modest about, as is true of all
the great achievements in life. The only exception to this
is the highly acclaimed (yet still not officially recognised)
true ‘Lap of the Map’. In this scenario, it is recommended
to merely state the university of origin, theme of the
night and at which Convention the incident took place.
In all other situations, however, the author recommends
the following. While debriefing about the night, avoid
mentioning your fellow MedCester’s name, instead only
commenting on other MedCestuous incidents. If asked
directly whether you achieved success yourself, the best
reply is simply “No comment” or “I don’t recall”. (Not
only is this modest and unassuming, it also supplies you
with a slightly enigmatic air, which is alluring and places
you in good stead for future MedCest with your fellow
debriefers…or just illustrates you as the binge-drinker you
probably are).
Tips and Tricks for the
Struggling MedCester...
- If you’re having trouble finding a potential
MedCest target, look harder! If you’ve ever seen
that person in a lecture theatre, in the common
room, or sleeping at the morning’s plenary
session, they are fair game, so go for it!
- MedCest does not require you to be gender
With this method, every single one of you can achieve
specific. Broaden your horizons. It could be fun.
MedCest success. If you are still having trouble, however,
It could make Katy Perry happy.
do not despair. We offer you some handy hints to make
- If you’re struggling to get back into the
MedCest that much easier to achieve.
MedCest game after a previous backlash, then
maybe the Secret MedCest is for you. MedCest
can be a private affair as well as a public one,
after all. And next time, maybe don’t select
someone from your tute, or who you carpool with…
- And when all else fails…, turn to liquid courage.
The author would like to add that MedCest incidents
in which you were unaware that the other individual
involved was a med student until after the incident took
place are known as fate-determined MedCest, and are
normally a strong indicator for true love.
Good luck, and remember, MedCest responsibly.
didn’t know who I was
or what made me happy,
but the psychologist helped me deal with it.
I
Help someone find a way back from depression and anxiety.
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for the signs
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medicine by
the stars
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Katie Buzacott
Griffith University
Pisces
Having trouble deciding which
speciality to pursue? Don’t
worry, it’s all in the stars.
LIBRA
Clearly gynaecology. Apart from the obvious connection
with a leading brand of tampon, unless decades of
dodgy sanitary pad TV advertisments have lied to me,
menstruating involves copious amounts of blue liquid.
The birthstone for Libra is the sapphire. Sapphires are
blue. The circle is complete.
Scorpio
Psychiatry. Obviously anyone whose star sign is
represented by a couple of fish going around in circles is
going to be a little bit loopy. If you can’t beat ‘em, join
‘em and charge ‘em dearly for the privilege!
Aries
Sheep are woolly. Jumpers are made from wool. Old
people seem to wear and knit a lot of jumpers, so
logically Aries should become geriatricians.
Taurus
Stubborn to the end, lazy, and knows where money is to
be made. Dermatologists love dealing with stubborn skin
lesions.
Gemini
Scorpions are pretty poisonous, so David Attenborough
has lead me to believe anyway. If you’re bitten by one,
The Twins. Geneticists love twins. Maybe you should be
I imagine you should go to the emergency department,
a geneticist?
where your friendly Scorpio ED doctor will be only too
glad to cure what ails you (but only for the next half hour
or they’ll get bored and be distracted by something shiny
– oh look, kidney dish).
Oncology. Too easy. My 2 year old cousin could’ve
figured that one out, and he’s not the brightest lightbulb
in the microscope.
Some guy riding in on his horse, randomly shooting
arrows into people? If that’s not a general surgeon, then I
don’t know what is.
Apparently these people are firey and stubborn.
Obviously going to go into medical adminstration, where
they can roar and preen their manes, while the rest of the
Hard workers who go about their day with goat driven
herd goes about its business, trying not to get eaten.
motivation. All physicians must therefore be Capricorns.
Just don’t let them eat your pocket or stethoscope.
Cancer
Sagittarius
Leo
Capricorn
Virgo
Aquarius
Urology. Having trouble with your waterworks? Who
better to see, than an Aquarius, the water-bearer?
Replace that big urn that you see with all Aquarius figures
with a bedpan, and you’ll be getting the picture.
This is an earth sign, so maybe that means you’ll be
treated like dirt? If so, then your calling clearly lies with a
bulk billing GP superclinic.
Life in Med
Kevin Phang
UNSW
From the title, it is beyond obvious that the next few
thousand words of this essay would only be the very tip
of the iceberg of what the author will experience as he
progresses further into the realm of medicine. Before
you go any further, take a step back....this bloke seems to
be an inexperienced freshman who just wants to blurb
about his hectic life. Would it be worth my spending the
next few minutes reading a ridiculous story that has only
just begun? So, the warning was outright lucid and frank
and what seems to be medically ethical has already been
put forward. Out of your right to informed consent, nonmaleficence, utilitarianism, you have just been politely
prompted to consider the greater good of your time with
no intended harm prior to reading this essay.
Henceforth the life begins with a medical interview,
the euphoria of successfully getting into med-school,
ending abruptly with the first step into the lecture hall.
I just realised that I stumbled into academic quicksand.
The notion of being sucked into a dark endless pit of
information is simply horrifying for any student. How
do you stay afloat in quicksand? Simple, just relax...
Now I begin to wonder which doctor quipped, “Listen
boy, the hardest part of medicine is getting into medschool.” That 60 year old paediatrician must be mad. He
probably got paid too much to be a kid again and now
he is going bonkers. Or, the way I see it his textbook was
half as thick as mine now. What is the whole point of
studying medicine if according to my dean at the first
plenary, “80% of it is going to be forgotten when you
graduate”? I guess it happens to most students when
they graduate. No one remembers every detail they
learnt in kindergarten but they certainly did know how to
write and count. That is the beauty of learning.
time consuming discussion groups. More intriguing in
medicine is the assumption that information relayed to us
will enter our brain by simple diffusion. Now would you
find it hard to relax?
Coming back to the interview, it was forty minutes
of serious interrogation. The question of what made
you choose medicine is almost inevitable. My motives
were clear cut, that I was interested in the teachings
of orthodox Western medicine, and most importantly
applying them to practice as a career. It may seem
too idealistic but obviously other factors influenced
my choice of such a career; genuine intention to help
others, relatives who are in the medical field, inspiring
television programmes , a stepping stone to a myriad of
other specialisations, honestly... a decent pay and the
notion that being a medical doctor is a noble profession.
Through several years of medicine, these goals have been
revisited and transformed with objectives on a wider
scale. What do I mean?
I figured that mentioning my clinical experience here
would be ideal, mainly because it has been the most
exciting and stimulating experience on my part. Clinical
training in hospitals has revealed the true value and
worth of being a doctor; an indispensable driving force
working in symphony with the entire medical team and
allied health professionals for the homeostatic balance in
public healthcare. Somehow one of the most important
terminologies in medicine just slipped my mind and
snugly placed itself into the previous sentence. That is
right, ‘homeostasis’ is one of the fundamental goals of
medical treatment, to bring the human body back to its
optimally balanced state. Somehow, the norm always
gets surpassed with financially thirsty pharmaceutical
companies infringing on the medical community like an
insatiable vulture. It is all about optimal performance,
improving health and the life where more is good.
So, miraculous treatments such as nasal delivery
technology are constantly churned out to improve your
It is awfully easier said than done when it comes to the
performance... in bed. Vitamin supplements come in
real situation. If students abhor studying, why are they
megadoses to increase the value of your urine, weight
called students? I would agree with a note that students loss concoctions to burden your liver and a plethora of
enjoy learning, especially with my highly appreciated
other ‘alternative’ medical therapies. The question is,
medical course. The content was infinite but definitely
do you believe in evidence-based or testimonial-based
appealing to any med-student, boring interesting lectures, medicine? Following 48 hours of endless work, the
literally gross and fascinating anatomy tutorials that may already stressed out doctor have just been mutilated
induce cerebral hypertrophy from information overload, even more by a patient complaining of useless drug
complicated laboratory practicals and partially useless
prescriptions or unbearable side effects. What about
those St. John’s Wort, garlic or ginseng supplements your
icine
spouse or parents gave you? How about the 8 hour plane
ride and bungee jump after complaining of a backache?
The one human quality I must criticise and even of myself
is our non-compliance, which is the bane of all medical
treatments.
They never warn you about the impending ‘medical
student syndrome (MSS)’ that will constantly plague
any sane individual who decides to study medicine. It
happens when you experience 3 out of 5 symptoms and
according to the DSM-IV you self diagnose positive for
disease? Thus the never ending paranoia a med-student
has and one of the reasons why we practise hedonism
when it comes to end of exams, “drink and be merry
for tomorrow we die.” Sadly speaking, we wake up the
next afternoon with a hangover, mild fatty liver and half
the knowledge of what we knew yesterday. Did you
know that it would also be possible to tell what medstudents are learning that semester by their lifestyle?
If Johnny cuts his drinking habits while Liz starts to go
on a Mediterranean diet, chances are that they are
studying about alcohol related diseases and obesity.
Although short-lived, I must admit that this MSS induced
lifestyle change has brought on a higher level of selfconsciousness. Too often we take our bodies for granted
these days, until the onset of worrying symptoms which
will set the layman or MSS afflicted med-student off
frantically to the GP expecting a miracle cure. Needless
to say, we should also expect Saint Peter to let us through
the automated gates of heaven.
streets are chock-a-block with nothing, not even a
shadow of a living Homo sapien. Alright, maybe I was
over exaggerating myself but even the slightest cough
or sneeze is taboo. Hospitals will be bursting with
coughing patients, already violating the principles of
public health. Those who think they have the swine,
bird or some ‘animal-named-after-just-so-you-will-noteat-it’ flu contract it while those who really have the flu
spread it. How harmonious would it be then, spreading
the contagious ‘love’ to everyone? Now that is a definite
entry into heaven. The “take home message” which is
the only phrase when students pay attention during
lectures is to gain more knowledge on major health
issues such as infectious diseases and visit the GP with
progressively worsening symptoms. Aforementioned,
the social stigma about refraining from consuming an
animal with a flu named after it is also due to the lack of
education in the community. On the other hand, it might
just be of the notorious influence of the media to blame,
as animal named flu has been coined up and somewhat
unrecognised by the medical community.
Alas, you have successfully made it to the conclusion and
I must say that the past 7 minutes of your time is only
a small inkling of life in medicine. There is a multitude
of knowledge, experiences and tribulations I have yet
to encounter. I have not had the luxury of relaying
much about ‘uni-life’ but it is an integral part of any
medical graduate given the enormous magnitude of
diversity in people of different cultural backgrounds and
personalities we interact with and the eccentric student
As far as you have come reading this essay, you might
operated activities we carry out all count towards the
notice that I have been bombarding you with provocative doctor of tomorrow. Nonetheless, certainty remains that
questions. So let me just rhetorically state that all of us
completing med-school only marks the beginning of the
are meant to kick the bucket one day, it’s just the matter real journey into the life of medicine. Now that was not
of how and when. We humans are so afraid of suffering
too far-fetched, was it?
and disease that whenever an influenza pandemic strikes,
So...you’re graduating and leaving your student days behind? Well, just because you are making your way
in the big wide world doesn’t mean that the Association you have grown to know and love throughout your
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Medical Indemnity Protection Society Ltd.
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