Dean's Newsletter - March 2008

Congratulations to.....

Professor Cris dos Remedios from the School of Medical Sciences on having been elected Secretary General of the International Union for Pure & Applied Biophysics, a six year appointment, and on receiving the Bob Robertson Medal for service to the Australian Society for Biophysics.

Cris, Brett Hambly and others also led a mission to secure the 2014 Congress of the International Union for Pure & Applied Biophysics to be held in Brisbane and won that competition at the IUPAB Congress in Long Beach on 4 February.

Professor Tim Lambert on his appointment as a member of Board of the NSW Institute of Psychiatry.

Dr Stacy Carter who has been appointed as Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Research in Health - a position supported by Sydney Medical School, School of Public Health the Centre for Values Ethics Law in Medicine (VELiM). This is a new and (in Australia) unique position and one that we hope will lead to Sydney/VELiM/SPH becoming a world leader in Qualitative Research in Health.

Ms Hannah Nancarrow who works with the Smokecheck program in the School Public Health and has been invited by the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action (FAIRA) to attend a training program for young Aboriginal leaders at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, 21 April to 2 May 2008, in New York. Oxfam Australia is sponsoring Hannah's trip.

Ms Sharon Bonython-Ericson and Mr Chris Lawrence, two emerging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public health researchers who have both been awarded Fullbright Scholarships to further their studies for twelve months in the United States.

A new Office of Postgraduate Medical Education
I am delighted to announce the next stage of my reform of the Medical School’s educational enterprise. The Office of Medical Education (OME) led by Tessa Ho is now well established and has as its primary goal the implementation of the changes arising out of the Medical Program curriculum review. It is, however, also important that the Medical School is well represented in the reforms taking place both prevocational and vocational postgraduate training. Therefore I am complementing OME with a sister organization, the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education (OPME).

One consequence of this change is that the group formerly known as CIPHER will cease to operate. The OPME will take responsibility for strengthening the links with the professional Colleges. The OPME will continue developing and delivering a first class Master of Medical Education. It will establish close collaborative links with members of the Medical School and others in the various Schools in our Faculty and other Faculties who are also undertaking educational research. The Medical School has a number of opportunities to add to its reputation as a leader in the area of medical educational research. For example our investment in Patient Safety should see the Medical School become a leading research and teaching hub in this field within Australia and overseas.

Associate Professor Chris Roberts Associate Professor Simon Willcock will lead the new group as Co-Directors. Simon will be known as the Coppleson Director of Clinical Education. This will bring Simon’s extensive experience in this area and preserve the Coppleson name which has a good reputation in continuing medical education. More information will be coming directly from the OPME in the near future.

I look forward to working with OPME in a period of productive scholarship, research and community engagement.

Bruce Robinson
Dean