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August 2023
How good was Med Gala?! đ„°
Edition #8
August 2023
I donât know about anyone else but I kinda forget that August exists until Iâm about halfway through it. But maybe thatâs also Med Gala induced amnesia.
This edition features a recap of a hectic outreach experience in Bourke, a snapshot into Albury livinâ and a Boots To Scrubs lowdown hoedown.
2nd egg laid!!!
A word from CHARMS
Med Gala success
What a special night was had at The Nob! Huge shoutout to everyone involved in organising it but in particular to Grace and Eve who put in so so much work, to our gorg MC Liz, and to Caitlin for her work organising the Halfway Drinks. If you have any feedback on the event get in touch with us, and start planning your outfit for next year. (And if you saw me no you didnât đ)
Med vs Dent also sounded fun, and like the real winner was friendship đ
And how good was Morning Tea? If afterwards you were like âhey, maybe I could speak to someone about my mental health!â Check out the below đ„°
Oceans to Outback is back baby!
Access to prompt, reliable healthcare is something that many of us take for granted. But for those living in rural and remote areas, itâs not always possible. In an emergency, waiting time is critical and can be the difference between life and death.
Oceans to Outback is a fitness challenge that calls on all Aussies to run, walk or ride 79km (the same number of aircraft flying across Australia, saving lives every day) during October and travel virtually between the RFDS bases throughout Australia whilst raising funds for the Flying Doctor.
Itâs so easy to sign up to the Charms team at https://www.oceanstooutback.org.au/fundraisers/csucharms
Sustainability @Charles Sturt
Thanks to everyone who took part in Open Day on campus over the weekend. Being already students and not needing to see the facilities we spent some time chatting to the Sustainability team. Did you know that Charles Sturt has a dedicated team to promote sustainability across our campuses? Did you know that you can join this team? Or just attend events? Check out their socials @SustainabilityatCharlesSturt for things like low waste meal prep and plastic free tips. Below are a couple of upcoming events but if youâre interested in being an Orange Advisor give this a read and then contact them at [email protected]
Summer Hill CreekCare Inc. are also often looking for vollies, email [email protected] to join the mailing list for updates on regen and teep planting days, as well as tube stock afternoons and bird surveys.
Opportunities
AMSA National Exec: Applications close Aug 28th
AMSA Med Ed Research Crash Course: Aug 27th
Chronicles of Critical Care: Online, Sept 6th
NSW MSC Rural Symposium: Sept 23rd
Medical Student Rural Inspiration Conference: Coogee, November 25th
Heidi and Chloe C advising on this event, and Heidi and Jamil attended last year if you want to chat to someone about what to expect
program is looking really exciting!
What's On in Orange
Twilight Markets Canowindra: 3rd Friday of the month
Cumnock Markets: 3rd Saturday of the month
ORM Talks: Dr Ross Crates - The Regent Honeyeater: Wagga Wagga, Sept 8th
The Manildra Show: Sept 2nd
The Cudal Show: Sept 9th-10th
Newcrest Orange Challenge: Sept 10th
Artist Talk David Serisier @ Orange Art Gallery: Sept 15th
Eugowra Show: Sept 15th-16th
Horse Drawn Blossom and Wine Tour @ Nashdale: Sept 15th-16th
The Molong Show: Sept 17th
The Canowindra Show: Sept 22nd
Country Night @ The Blind Pig: Sept 23rd
Orange Wine Festival Night Market: Sept 29th
Baroque Music Festival Canowindra: Sept 29th - Oct 1st
Lonely Mountain Ultra: Oct 14th-15th
Lebanese Night @ Banksia: Oct 6th
The Rainbow Connection
It was Wear It Purple Day last Friday, and we hope you got around it wherever you were! If not, remember that being an ally isnât only for one day a year and have a geez below to refresh your everyday language đ
Going Rural
Bourke
On the 19/07/23 I travelled to the remote town of Bourke which is roughly 500km from Orange. I accompanied Dr Lolitha Basnayake, a GP Anaesthetist, as a part of the anaesthetic team. The three day trip was focussed around the execution of ophthalmology procedures performed by Professor Ashish Agar, a consultant ophthalmologist from UNSW, assisted by his two registrars.
I had the opportunity to administer many cannulas, revise facial and eye anatomy and expand my knowledge of anaesthetic medications.
Whilst my trip was focussed on anaesthetics, on the second day I had the opportunity to scrub in with Professor Agar and assist with a cataract excision and a hydrus glucoma shunt.
A highlight of the trip was my successful execution of a sub-Tenon block. This involved making a small incision in the conjunctiva and using a blunt curved needle (referred to as a sub-Tenon cannula), I administered anesthetic agents into the sub-Tenon space, resulting in the temporary paralysis of the oculomotor, abducens, and trochlear nerves and achieving complete akinesia.
This trip gave me a greater understanding of the importance of rural medicine and the willingness of doctors to travel to these remote areas to help patients who otherwise would not receive such a level of care.
Dr Adhish
Clin School Communiqué
Murray (Albury)
The snow (the modest amount that was there â shout out to global warming) on the mountains around Albury is melting away and the days are getting longer. Itâs hard to believe that Winter is on the out and Spring is fast approaching. There are now more rotations behind us then in front which is a terrifying thought but also a wonderful feeling of progress (and I guess achievement, still figuring out what it is Iâve achieved).
From a Uni perspective, the Murray Med school has never deviated from providing unconditional support, with Annabel Martin always showing absolute commitment to making it a successful program. If you didnât step foot in the hospital all year, you would still have such a good education given the calibre of teachers that we see on a regular basis. The nature of the small cohorts (across all CSU Med) allows us to really become familiar with lots of our seniors, which is a huge benefit when youâre starting on a new team or rotation and thereâs already a familiar face.
Albury has always been a bit of a second home for me, which made it a straightforward decision to apply for its clinical school. In terms of keeping a life outside of medicine, I struggle to think of a more accommodating town. It really does have something for everyone, and the surrounding townships always round out weekend nicely. At the start of the year, I joined the local Rugby League team and it was so helpful in establishing relationships away from the hospital. For anyone moving to a new town next year, I highly recommend rocking up to any kind of social club/team. It makes for a well-rounded day when you can spend it at the hospital and then go to training or a game in the evening.
Lastly, the speed at which the year is going means that very shortly the CSU presence will double across NSW hospitals which is super exciting! Hoping everyone has survived through the Orange cold and still has a bit left in the tank for the home stretch. Cheers!
Dr Footy
Boots to Scrubs
If you havenât already heard about Boots to Scrubs, you need too! The program has been started by the AMSA gender equity committee with CSU students Georgia Goodhew and Chloe Campbell founding the Project. We even have some CSU lecturers who have shared their amazing stories with us so make sure to read those at https://bootstoscrubs.amsa.org.au/. Make sure to follow our social media @bootstoscrubs and point any rural women who are thinking about medicine our way. Here is the low-down.
Australia faces a critical shortage of medical practitioners in rural and remote regions, resulting in poorer health and wellbeing of these communities in comparison to their metropolitan counterparts. Australians living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of chronic conditions and are hospitalised at twice the rate of those living in metropolitan areas. Unfortunately, despite a decline in full time medical practitioners in the country, only 17% of medical students in 2020 indicated that they wanted to work in regional, rural or remote areas. As medical students, we recognise the importance of addressing the inequalities these hardworking and resilient communities face in achieving their healthcare goals.
Numerous remarkable and inspirational rural women already assume pivotal roles in the health of their community; however, there is certainly a great pool of talented country women who possess untapped potential to pursue a career in medicine. The sad truth is that many of these women have been hindered by the lack of adequate support and opportunities to explore this path.
It is for this reason that our project, titled âBoots to Scrubs: Rural Women in Medicine Scholarshipâ, aims to inspire, empower, and support rural women to pursue a career as a rural doctor. By actively supporting and inspiring more individuals from rural backgrounds to pursue medical careers, we can address the pressing need for rural doctors that our communities urgently require. The project consists of two primary components:
Boots to Scrubs Campagin
In 2023 we are taking action and empowering women from the bush to consider a career in medicine. We will be inspiring women through social media while providing all the information you need to apply for Medicine in Australia.
Our nationwide campaign will target schools, universities, hospital networks, and rural medicine advocacy platforms to push these women In the direction of medicine.
Check out our website at https://bootstoscrubs.amsa.org.au/ to gain valuable insight into the GAMSAT/UCAT entrance exams and various university pathways. We hope to provide guidance to you and demystify the often daunting application process.
Boots to Scrubs Scholarship
Stay tuned on our social media platforms for Inspirational stories, useful Information, and scholarship announcements!
Our aim Is to provide first year female medical students with scholarships, accompanied by year-long mentorship by other Inspiring women already In the field of rural medicine. These scholarships help you with relocation fees, textbooks, accommodation costs, online study resources, general living expenses, and all other fees that you encounter along the medicine journey.
The mentorship program will be there to support you through a sometimes daunting first year at university. Your mentor will be a fellow female medical student or medical professional, and this person will act as someone you can lean on when times get tough. They are your person, and we expect you to come to them with whatever questions you may have, big or small!
If you havenât heard of this grand round yet I'd highly recommend. Set on the South Coast of NSW itâs a slow start and low yield in the med skool context but takes some unbelievable turns (not even sensationalising itâs hectic) đ.
If you're interested in contributing for next month's edition get in touch with Heidi on facebook đ
