March 2024

Glimmers

Author

HEIDI ANNAND
March 17, 2024

March 2024

I’ve been reading a little into pain psychology recently and as the momentum of the year seems to start to take over and tumble you down the med school hill I wanted to share a little nugget. Many might be familiar with this but it’s Stephen Porges/Deb Dana’s idea of Glimmers. No, not the Hunger Games character, but kinda the opposite of a trigger; a stimulus that brings on an emotional reaction, but positive. A mini-moment or thought that can remind you of beauty and joy, a small silver lining, or something that just isn’t so bad. You can grow your glimmers by intentionally noticing them, or even seeking them out. Part mindfulness and part self care, it’s a nice way to find and frame things that make us feel safe and regulate our nervous systems. Here’s a short article or check out Deb describing Polyvagal Theory to get started! Glimmers for me include chocolate coated chickpeas and watching dogs interact with their heavily pregnant owners.

Read on and hopefully find some (potential) glimmers below; featuring the ED presentation of the week in Griffith, an opportunity to take part in some research, highlights of Albury/Wagga with RDN, and about our upcoming ✨ Wellbeing Week ✨ 

As always we’re always looking for regular and one-off contributions, including anything from research updates to movie recommendations. If you’re really keen and interested in joining fluoro as an editor (would love someone on the ground in Orange) please email [email protected] 😚 

News from CHARMS

Want to get involved with student advocacy?

Hey Everyone! The SoRM have reached out wanting students for both the Well Being Committee and the Joint Assessment Committee- great ways to have your input as a student heard. If you want to be part of these committees please nominate yourself on the form below. A brief explanation of the committees is on the form otherwise feel free to send me a message for more information.

Committee Sign Up

docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe1BheCUmX2fR-iniI0HNzpTw5TvTtSci6RriiCZb3cY4umKA/viewform?fbclid=IwAR23uCLgLvpwln_i3oN6-OU394ClXPzf-k-5NP46gSshBvC5BsgyFwKMcr4

Support us to support you by letting us know your thoughts and what you want by chatting to us or emailing [email protected] 

Wellbeing Week

CHARMS Presents Wellbeing Week: Reset, Recharge, Refocus

☯️ CHARMS is pleased to announce our first Wellbeing Week, taking place from the 8th to the 12th of April 2024. This marks the first of two wellbeing weeks we have planned for the year, dedicated to supporting the mental and emotional health of our students.

Medical school is a journey marked by challenges and demanding schedules. It's easy for students to become consumed by the workload, often neglecting their own wellbeing in the process. Recognising this, the goal of Wellbeing Week is clear: to provide a much-needed opportunity for students to reset, recharge, and refocus.

In the pursuit of caring for others, it's crucial that we remember to prioritise self-care, and equally important, to support one another in our collective journey. Wellbeing Week serves as a reminder of this essential balance.

Throughout the week, students can expect a variety of activities designed to promote wellness. Highlights include a mental health grazing table lunch as well as onsite yoga and meditation sessions brought to us by Movement Evolution Studio.

We encourage all students to embrace Wellbeing Week, taking advantage of these experiences and connecting with peers. Together, let's cultivate a culture of self-care and support, ensuring that we thrive not only as future healthcare professionals but as individuals. 🧘‍♂️ 

Opportunities

What's On in Orange

  • Orange Farmers Market

    • second Saturday of each month

  • Twilight Markets at the Palms

    • markets in Canowindra, every 3rd Friday of the month

  • NSW Sheepdog Trials at Molong: March 18th-22nd

  • Orange Rainbow Festival in the Park and Street Party: March 23rd

  • Great Volcanic Mountain Challenge: March 24th

  • Dancing with Bees (Talk and performance): March 27th

  • Molong Village Markets: April 1st

  • F.O.O.D Week: April 4th-14th

    • Night Market is April 5th!

  • Millthorpe Markets: April 6th - 7th

  • Tempo by Flying Fruit Fly Circus: April 12th

RDN Cadet Weekend

on the bus

As part of the cadetship program with the Rural Doctors Network, we were lucky enough to go on the first cadet trip of the year to Albury and Wagga Wagga. This trip started out with a bus Friday morning from central station. Our first stop was Goulburn, home of the big merino. We got a tour of the hospital by some local doctors followed by a coffee and yarn with some junior doctors. After this we were back on the bus headed down to Albury. First stop was by the beautiful Murray River at Noreuil park, where we met up with a local Anaesthetist who sold us on the region and why she picked the Albury Wodonga network. After this we were treated to a free pub meal and bar tab to help us get familiar with the social scenes of Albury. The next day we got a tour of Albury hospital and a sit down with the JMOs from the hospital. The JMOs kept reiterating the great workplace culture plus the extra $10,000 a year for being part of the Vic health system.

After this we headed to Wagga where we had an awesome welcome to country and cultural tour from Wiradjuri man Mark Saddler. Following this, we had another bar tab for a networking dinner with other cadets, local doctors and hospital staff. Sunday morning we checked out wagga hospital and had a panel from local doctors. Wagga hospital felt like a metro center from its size, services and modern look. This trip was not only a great opportunity to sus out the regions you want to intern at but also an awesome way to catch up with peers from other clinical schools whilst also having travel, accommodation and food fully funded. Looking forward to doing it again for the Dubbo/Tamworth trip at the end of the month!

Cameron Martin - MDIV

bunch of hot future Albur/Wagga docs

Flavour of the month: Griffith

It has been very sunny out west in Griffith NSW with the days reaching 40 degrees.  The emergency department has been very busy with all types of presentations. This was one of my patients in emergency whose earring became embedded in her earlobe. After some Emla cream and lots of words of encouragement we managed to pull it out safely. My patient then showed off her future surgery skills by performing an earringectomy on a teddy bear pictured below. I think there is definitely a future surgeon in Griffith!!

consent obtained from patient but not for further reproduction

Griffith has many other things to offer one being its world class wineries and Italian food. We have had a lot of fun trying out the infamous pasta and pizzas with the junior medical officers at the hospital. It has been a great way to relax after some long ward round. The Italian hospitality doesn’t stop there if you mention you know Mario at the local food truck you also get free pumpkins, just ask Margaret. No one warned us about the cat heads, but we have had a great time so far and are very keen for the next few years out West!!

molto bello 🤌 

Research Corner

You are invited to join a study on the experiences of CSU medical students with musculoskeletal (MSK) physical examination teaching. I’m conducting semi-structured interviews to explore your perspectives of MSK physical examination teachings. I decided to undertake this study due to my placement experiences and my background of MSK teaching through working as a physiotherapist. The Australian Bureau of Statistics self-reported data estimated that 3 in 10 Australians are affected by musculoskeletal (MSK) condition and an estimated 1 in 6 general practice consultations were for MSK disorders. This is particularly important for doctors training rurally as we will be the first port of call for assessing and managing this high prevalence of MSK conditions.

So please join my study to enhance CSU’s teaching curriculum for future students 😊 

If anyone has any questions about the ethics approval process or anything research related, I’m happy to help!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1enNxcsohvrzFkK6xNxnvIdmpLbmuzpUhukoLKBpRTFE/edit

Richard Liang - MDIV

shoulder exam i think

Central West Hidden Gem

One of my all-time favourite places in the Central West would have to be the Church Bar and Woodfired Pizza in Bathurst. It provides a unique atmosphere for diners with a wood fire in winter and a courtyard to celebrate the warmer months. They also offer an amazing range of cocktails to accompany their wood-fired pizza range and regularly host live, local entertainment for their diners. Their flourishing courtyard provides a secluded escape tucked away from the main streets, while indoors offers quiet candle-lit corners for intimate conversation. Catering to the young and the young at heart, this restaurant has it all. Grab an Abercrombie pizza and a Lemon Tart cocktail, and I assure you, you won’t be disappointed. Hidden away in Ribbon Gang Lane, this absolute gem is a must for anybody visiting the Central West.

Harvey Lew - MDI

Church Bar courtyard

Boots to Scrubs - Orange Info Night

On February 27th, aspiring medical students gathered at the Boots to Scrubs education night at Bloomfield campus in Orange with current CSU students Georgia Goodhew and Katie Long!

The presentation was based around what it truly takes to get into medicine, advice that would have been golden prior to our start at CSU. We spoke about the various entries into medicine and how to overcome the barriers that are associated with each pathway. We encouraged future students that if medicine is something you truly want, it is absolutely possible to get there! 

One of the highlights was the PBL case where attendees were dropped right into the deep end with a case study on cholecystitis, with the patient having to go for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy! The case not only provided a glimpse into the problem solving aspect of medical school, but also allowed people to familiarise themselves with the ever so intimidating world of medical terminology. 

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive with one student saying “I had no plans of doing medicine before this event but am now considering taking a path into medicine”. 

We tried to be as honest as possible about what med school is really like and provide any advice we had on UCAT, GAMSAT, interviews, etc. If you have any great ideas or would like to see any specific content on the boots to scrubs website, don’t hesitate to reach out to us! We are always looking for new ideas and we would love to hear yours and have you on board the journey. 

Reminder to current first years: The Boots to Scrubs Scholarship is currently still open!!! You have until the 31st of March to apply, and there is more than just money up for grabs. The runners up for the scholarship will be provided with a mentor, gift vouchers, and even free professional clothing! 

jump if you love empowering young women

If you're interested in contributing for next month's edition get in touch with Heidi on facebook 💗