Dean's newsletter - November 2007

Office moves…
There have been a few room changes within the Edward Ford Building (A27). Please note the following room changes: Professor Bruce Robinson, Dean of Medicine is now located in Room 201. Ms Jennifer Wise – PA to the Dean – now also located in Room 201. Phone numbers and contact details remain unchanged. Mr Tom Rubin – Executive Officer – is now located in Room 232 in Edward Ford (new phone number is 9351 3029). All are located to the left when entering the building.

Later in the year the Medical School Conference Room will return to its previous location in the Room 201 area (adjacent to the Dean’s office).

The Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and his colleagues are now located in the Main Quadrangle A14.

OME gets going
It has been a busy time over the last few weeks visiting many sites within the Medical School (Anderson Stuart and Blackburn Buildings, Westmead, Concord, RNSH and Nepean – of which more below) with colleagues from the Office of Medical Education to introduce Tessa Ho, Leo Davies, Chris Dennis, Michael Frommer and Karen Scott to both staff and students. There is clearly great interest in the changes being introduced by OME to implement the curriculum recommendations and much enthusiasm and commitment – and not a few challenges. The students have been keen to attend as well, particularly interested – as one might expect! – in changes to assessment.

Radiology and ENT get going too…
I have recently hosted dinner meetings with colleagues from Radiology and ENT as well. Both groups have formed themselves into Disciplines and thereby have a direct role in Medical School decision-making. More importantly, they have confirmed their commitment to teaching in the Medical Program and to coordinate the delivery of their teaching across all our sites to ensure high quality education for all our students in our clinical schools. To sense their enthusiasm has been gratifying.

As does Nepean Clinical School…
It was quite inspiring to spend a day at Nepean last week. The formal purpose was to open new research laboratories to cater for clinical School’s growing research activity and a new education centre to provide vastly improved facilities for our Medical Program students. It may not be widely known that Nepean is now taking as many students as our more established Clinical Schools such as those based at Royal Prince Alfred, Royal North Shore and Westmead Hospitals. We have been very fortunate recently to recruit talented new staff in neurology, obstetrics, critical care, surgery and geriatric medicine. Warm congratulations on the growing success of the School are due to Michael Peek, our Associate Dean, and his colleagues.

Congratulations to Professor Leigh Delbridge
Leigh has received the Award for Excellence in Surgery from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. One of these awards is made each year, almost always reflecting a significant ongoing contribution to surgical research from a group within Australasia. As such, the award really is a tribute to the contribution made over the past few years by the University of Sydney Endocrine Surgical Uni based in the Northern Clinical School, recognizing the unit's significant international standing in the area of thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgery.

Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand (formerly CDAMS – Committee of Deans of Australian Medical Schools)
The annual meeting of Medical Deans was held in Canberra on 24-26 October canvassing a wide range of issues of concern to all medical schools. Discussions were also held with representatives of the Department of Health and Ageing, the Australian Medical Council, the Colleges and the Australian Medical Students Association.

Medical Deans is pressing DoHA very hard for specific mention to be made of medical student teaching (and its funding) in the new Australian Health Care Agreements to be negotiated in early 2008.

Good progress is also being made with the Medical Schools Outcomes Database project which will over time yield extraordinarily useful information on the sources of our students, their type of training, their career destinations and more.

At the meeting DoHA specifically asked the Deans to seek volunteers from their Faculties to contribute to the Indigenous health intervention in the Northern Territory. The Department will arrange three-week rotations; students are welcome to accompany staff as well. If you are interested please contact and he will put you in touch with the Department.

Bruce Robinson
Dean

November 2007