Armadillo Issue 8

ISSUE 8 - TERM 1 2012

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Ive been spending my time in Term 1 representing you guys at lots of meetings, including all the JMP Committees, Curriculum Renewal Steering Group and SRM Executive meetings to name a few. Your feedback is as important as ever, so rest assured that your collective voice is always being represented on internal UNE and JMP, State and National levels. In addition to all of this, I have the pleasure of overseeing all UNEMSA business and activities. The 2012 UNEMSA Team has really excelled, and I would like to congratulate everyone for the dedication they have shown in their positions, especially those who often go unrecognised for the hours of work they put in. You all know who you are, and I thank you very much.

The Med schedule has been absolutely packed this Term, between all the Social, Academic, Sporting and AMSA events. My term began with the White Coat Ceremony; memorable mostly due to Flynnys questionable interpretation of the orb and sceptre. Next up was OCamp, and as usual the mentors took the FSU/GAI mentality very seriously. Soon after we had First Incision, which I foolishly decided to attend before doing an overnight drive to Newcastle to make my 5am flight to Melbourne for AMSA Council with Anne-Marie. I hope that my 43 hours without sleep demonstrates just how much I love UNEMSA... After that mammoth weekend, we had lots of Academic events,

AMSA Thinktank, Body Balance sessions and lots more in between. I am proud to say that I have managed to attend every UNEMSA event so far this year - lets see if I can keep that record going for the duration of my term as President!

We have lots more in the pipeline for Term 2: Med Week, what is set to be our biggest ever Medicine Charity Ball, our first ever OSCE Day combining all five years of UNE Meddies (something I can say for the first time ever!), Cricket Day, Futures in Med and much, much more.

Before I sign off, Id like to thank ALL of you - from Freshers to fifth years - for making my job so enjoyable. Youre an incredible bunch of people and I am very proud to represent you.

Until next time,

Georgia Carroll President

UNE MSA

MEDICAL

STUDENTS

UNE MSA

MEDICAL

STUDENT S

Its April. The foliage is beautiful, the wind is freezing and PBL groups are at least seven working problems down, with exams looming. How did this happen?! Where did the time go?

Im going to need you to stay calm, and keep reading. Not only is this issue of the Armadillo beautiful to look at, its also a handy reminder of the many, many awesome things UNEMSA and its members have already been up to in 2012. Fresh young med thing, iPad in tow, or grizzled third year, it never hurts to be reminded how lucky we are, and how much there is to get up to in a town with two sets of traffic lights.

If you find this issue of the Armidillo lacking, remember that contributions are always welcome! Send it all through to [email protected]; these are OUR events, OUR perspectives, OUR stories.

Keep it real, dont get salty!

Char Seneviratne Armadillo Editor

Presidents Welcome 1From the Editor 2Social 4Med Week Memories 5Academic 6First Incision 7GPSN Photobooth 8Sports 10Charity Champions 10GPSN 11AMSA Update 12The Fifth Fleet Arrives 13O Camp 15O Camp Awards 16FutureMed 17NSWMSC Cocktail Party 17NERCHA 18My Nepal HES Experience 195 Things to be Excited About! 20Calendar 20GP Prac Experiences 21

2 UNEMSA Armadillo | Volume 8 2012

UNEMSA MEDREVUE 2012SUPPORTING THE ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE

Committee Needed! - Email Eli at [email protected]

UNE MSA

MEDICAL

STUDENTS

UNE MSA

MEDICAL

STUDENTS

Are you interested in helping out with planning and organisation, promotions, writing, music, backstage, acting, dancing, singing, selling popcorn, film production, heckling the performers, selling tickets or anything else? Sign up today at the Med Common Room or email Eli, everyone is welcome!

The year started with First Incision, where for the first time, we had five years of students represented. The night started with the opportunity for UNEMSA members to hear from our great sponsors for 2012 and cheer for UNEMSA FC as they received their trophies from the 2011 season. With the smell of the barbeque outside, it wrapped up fairly quick before we all waited in the very long line for a sausage (or vege burger); the wait was made that much more pleasant by the opportunity to cheer on Maddie Gramlick, who was participating in the Worlds Greatest Shave. Proceeds from the barbecue also went to a Great Shave participant, Sophie Dunkerton.

The last sausage disappeared, and it was time for the festivities at Booloominbah to take off. UNEMSA members contributed to this in fine style, from getting increasingly more creative at the GPSN photo-booth to cutting weird and wonderful shapes on the dance-floor; a perfect introduction to med-life in Armidale. The second event for the year was Med Week, which was, as always, fantastic, and kicked off this year with a Heroes and Villains party at the White Bull. It was a perfect way for first years to forget all about their midsemester exam, and its a fair assumption that the Tuesday night locals didnt know what to make of the more weird and wonderful getups.

Good thing for those locals then, that Wednesday nights Anything But Clothes party was held at Earl Page College; Im going to have to blow my own horn here (and yes, it sounds vaguely like an elephant noise) because as fantastic as your efforts with bin bags were, I dont think anyone will forget my costume. 2012. The Year of the Elephant.

Thursday. Graffiti Pub Crawl, where, armed with pens and wearing white t-shirts, Armidillos proceeded to slander each others reputations by way of some quite unique and creative word-games, as well as drawings. After drawing on ourselves through the Newie, the Wicklow, the White Bull and the Kilda, we were grateful to have the Kilda bus dropping us home.

Friday was recover and regroup day, because Saturday was the day the world ended! Or at least we pretended, with the last night of Med Week being an Armageddon party at Mary White. There was blood, there was gore, there was even one wee pyjamad lass whod always wanted to die in her sleep. This was also the prelude to Slave Day, as the endgame of Armageddon was to obtain as many tokens as possible, by any means possible, to be able to control UNEMSA president and vice president for a whopping 24 hours. There was some truly commendable negotiation, teamwork and skulduggery going on, and in the end Kirsty Palmer took it out.

Sunday was Sports Day, run by Erin Pither, which was a success and supplemented by being able to watch Georgia and Linus carry out various tasks. The less I say, the more you can imagine, but suffice to say, med students are an imaginative bunch.

The next event we have coming up is of course the Annual Charity Ball, which will be held on the 19th of May. This years theme is Masquerade, and its shaping up to be a fantastic night to cap off a fantastic semester.

Cheers,Jacob HamptonSocial Convener


Med Week for the first years started a little stressful, with our first ever-medical exam on the Tuesday morning. The cancellation of Anatomy thatevening was more than welcome as our weary brains needed a little respite - and respite we found at the Heroes and Villains party, where there were more than a few Harry Potters, Poison Ivys and even a generic creep, complete with jeans and joggers.

Wednesday night was a much-anticipated night with the ABC anything but clothes party. Held at Earl Page College, this was a fantastic night full of dancing and many gowns were on display, made from the most luxurious bin bags. No one will forget the costumes especially the elephant

Thursday night was pub-crawl graffiti night, after bussing our way into the Newy and finding our slave/master. We bestowed some truly creativecomments upon each others white shirts, and some even got creative on peoples skin, which did not come off as easily as the shirt did. it took me three days to get rid of my body art. Friday was a well-needed rest day, although there were some unofficial ironing parties held!

Armageddon Party was held at Mary White College on Saturday night, where there were more than enough zombies and fake blood to last us the rest of the year. We found ourselves bargaining and at each others mercy for tokens to win the President and Vice President as slaves! Kristy Palmer was skillful enough to win these two and was slave master for the next 24 hours.

Sunday was our final Med Week day and we finished this off with Sports Day and an Aspire bake sale. Georgia and Linus were Kristys slaves, one of them taking a dip in the pond at Mary White and the other making a very pretty princess!

Med Week 2012 was one of the most fantastic experiences the first year students have had the privilege to participate in within the medical student cohort. We cant wait for Med Week 2013!

Chyna Williamson1st Year


Thank you so much to everyone who came along, and I hope that you found them informative and entertaining! I would also like to thank the various members of UNEMSA committee that have helped to ensure events ran smoothly, as well as our sponsors, who, as always, are invaluable to us.

So far this year UNEMSA has run Surviving Medicine night and Futures in Medicine night, with a fantastic response from our members, in terms of attendance and participation. Drs Lauren Cone and Nick Martin both gave interesting and informative talks about their medical careers, and their experiences; the video supplementation was great, and we were priviledged to hear from both of them.

PASS sessions have also been running regularly for the first years; attendance at these has been great, in no small part due to the quality of the teaching provided by second and third years; you know who you are, thank you so much.

Stay tuned for more Academic events guys, and thank you for your support!

Sung Ju Baek Academic Convenor


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Once again GPSN ran their successful photobooth at First Incision and here are some of the best shots!


Our funding, your skills together we can make a difference

Always on your side

2012 MIGA Elective Grants Program for medical students

Supporting Medical Students in Developing Communities

$2,000 to fund your elective plus $1,500 to supply medicines or other aid

Applications close Friday 31 August 2012

For more information and an Application Form visit www.miga.com.au or scan the code with your smartphone

Med Students across the years are learning how to calm their breathing and enhance their flexibility with a few slightly strange positions, captured by Georgia Carroll for your enjoyment.

Our inter-year sports competition which rounded up Med Week at Albies was a great success. Although a final superior year level was not determined the second years dominated ultimate frisbee and touch with stand out performances by Ed, Mac and Jono. A huge thank you to Kristy who kindly brought along her slaves for constant entertainment throughout the day.

Coming up in second term we have a very exciting initiative, the UNEMSA Charity Cricket Day brought to you by MIPS! Bringing together the best Bradmans in Medicine, come along to see students and doctors don the pads and disgard previous status to battle to be crowned winners. I hope to see you all there, recovering from Med Ball in whichever state you may find ourselves.

Over and out.

Erin Pither Sports Convenor

Since 1998, over a million people have shaved or dyed their hair as part of the Leukaemia Foundations Worlds Greatest Shave fundraising campaign; in the last 14 years more than 120 million dollars has been raised. These funds go towards the Foundations main work, which is that of providing free practical and emotional support to people with blood cancer and their families, as well as investing millions in research.

This year, three UNEMSA members joined the cause; Sophie Dunkerton, Julian Georges & Maddie Gramlick all shaved off their luxuriant locks (and one legendary beard). They raised a flabbergasting $25,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation, and earn mad respect for basically volunteering to go through Armidales winter with one less protective layer; we couldnt be prouder.

Another cause adopted by Armidillos is that of Live Below The Line, which attempts to raise awareness of the extreme poverty in which a quarter of the worlds population lives in. Jonathon Stacey, Eli Stalidzans, Maddie Gramlick and Gwen Palmer are going to be living on $2 a day from May 7 - 11th. They would love your support, and if you have any spare cash, please donate! All proceeds go towards funding schools in Yangis and Kumbareta, Papua New Guinea.


The year began with a GPSN introduction for first years, closely followed by our ridiculously popular sign up stall at UNEMSAs First Incision. We had ice-creams, lollipops, an amazing, fancy-dress, photobooth, and managed to increase our members by 70!

The following weekend, two representatives from GPSN UNE, Char and myself, went along to the Breathing New Life Into General Practice Conference held in Canberra. We spent a few days learning tips about to how boost members, how to create fun events, and brushed shoulders with a few celebs; Michael Kidd, John Murtagh and The Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for Health!

On the 26th of April, GPSN UNE held its annual Trivia Night! Student teams of ten, and two knowledgeable faculty teams, rocked up to Lazenby Hall, dressed to impress. We had the House of Panda in panda suits, Triviarrrrrrpirates, Gender Bender transvestites, and This is not a drill team dressed in hazard gear material to name a few! There were heaps of prizes up for grabs - special thanks for GP Synergy for supplying a few - and heaps of pizza, subway, and marshmallows to keep everyones belly content. Congratulations must go to the two faculty teams, who managed to dominates and take out first and second place of the student targeted trivia questions.

Coming up on the 19th of May, is OSCE Preparation bought to you by UNEMSA and GPSN UNE. Come along, for some extra exam prep, vital practice, lunch, and freebies!

For more information about our up coming events and scholarship opportunities, check out our websitewww.gpsn.org.au. Keep connected to your local GPSN by following our page at http://www.facebook.com/GPSN.UNE.

Anne-Marie GuiderGPSN UNE Ambassador


After council, the hype around Perth Convention 2012 started to reach fever pitch, culminating in the great Rego debacle of 2012. A special mention goes out to Dave Townsend, who was the first Ranger to make it through the first round of registration. Despite most UNE Rangers suffering from PTSD after rego attempt one, a second round of registration was highly anticipated, and I am very pleased and excited to announce that twenty seven UNE delegates will be living it up in Perth come July! GAI and FSU, Rangers!

AMSA at UNE is also pleased to announce a new position to the UNEMSA committee. We now have a Junior AMSA Representative. Congratulations, Chyna Williamson!

Just a taste of a few AMSA achievements for 2012 include the publication of 2012 Intern and Residents Guide, and tackling big issues such as, the need of more funding to train future doctors, and the warning of the impending internship crisis! To find out what else AMSA has been up to ask me, your AMSA Representative, or head to http://www.amsa.org.au/big-issues-guide.

Stay tuned for our next thinktank!

Anne-Marie Guider AMSA Representative


5432 ANY STREET WESTTOWNSVILLE, ST 54321

Orientation week was largely determined by the college you were fortunate (or not fortunate) enough to end up at; for some this initiation was a more pleasurable experience than others. During this week we had the official UNE welcoming ceremony and white coat ceremony, where we received our iPads and white coats. Class started and we were thrown into a whirl of introductory lectures, PBL, public health and professional practice classes . Most students also chose to do the Anatomy elective, and found themselves spending their weekends in the process of dissecting.

O-camp was our first JMP event, an orientation camp for 1st years from both Newcastle and Armidale. Here we were issued shirts and mentors for the weekend, introduced to the sport of remier and given the opportunity to explore and enjoy Port Macquarie. The Global Health Challenge run by UoNs global health group Wake Up! was awesome.This was a great bonding experience for all the first years across the JMP and we are very thankful for those who organised and co-ordinated this for us.

After settling into our new homes and course, work began to pick up in the end of term one. We were lucky enough to receive some UNEMSA organised Peer Assisted Support Sessions (PASS). With a public health assignment and Med Science exam waiting on our return from Easter break, we would have been feeing pretty sorry for ourselves

if it werent for the exciting prospect of Med Week. Med Week was a UNEMSA organised week of social, themed events and a sports day with an ASPIRE bake-sale. This was a great way for all the years to get to meet and socialise with one another, and watch the treatment meted out to the President and Vice President who as slaves were submitted to the merciless rule of first year Kristy for a day. Med-week was extremely successful and enjoyed by all first years and there is equal excitement for the upcoming Med-Ball.

Our first year UNEMSA representatives, as elected in term one are Harrison Brand and Georgie Burrough and Junior AMSA representative Chyna Williamson. Each has been actively involved in communication and organisation for first year centred issues.

Now into term two were focussing on the upcoming exams and have mostly had some sort of clinical exposure, which seems to have been an exciting, rewarding and positive experience for all. Its been a great year so far and were incredibly thankful to everyone who has been involved in organising events and the academic help that we have benefited from.

I look forward to a great year continuing throughout this term!

Georgie Burrough1st Year Rep

UNEs fifth fleet came to Armidale (many never before), a mix of high school leavers, gap years, mature age and full and partial degree completers.


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Dressed optimistically in thin cotton outfits and shorts - unfortunately, this year, like every other year, a light drizzle had started over Port Macquarie as we rolled in to meet our UON counterparts and commence bonding, by way of meeting your mentor groups and trying on nifty camp t-shirts. There were even a few brave swimmers, and unsubstantiated rumours of a few skinny dips!

On Saturday UONs global health group, Wake Up! put the first years (and some mentors going above and beyond the call of duty) through their paces, from sexual health awareness poster design to landmine avoidance. Some of the challenges in the global health challenge were hilarious to watch, some were incredibly frustrating (trying to fill a bin with water using leaky containers), but all were designed to get us thinking about global health in the context of medicine.

The rest of the afternoon was a mix of beach sports, sneaky naps and the piece de resistance

- sumo wrestling to get our competitive juices flowing before a night of remier and impromptu boat-races. Our very own Georgia took on UoN medsoc president Steve Hurwitz and lost by a very narrow margin.

Saturday night may have resulted in some blurry memories, but Sunday mornings awards helped jog a few minds as well as establish some interesting reputations; we had plenty to talk about over Subway lunch, before hopping on the bus to head back up to Armidale. Was a good time had by all? I wouldve canvassed the bus for opinions on the way home, but everyone was fast asleep within twenty minutes of hitting the road, which I think speaks for itself.

A big thanks goes out to Lyndal Benny-Jose for organising all the food to feed our ravenous, sometimes-hungover mob, and to the UNE mentors, who all pulled their weight, some going above and beyond to make sure O Camp was memorable; and of course, the indomitable Vic Phan for pulling it all together.


Proudest Walk of Shame Harry BrandLoudest FresherRachel RonthalMedicines First Lady Robbie MilledgeExcellence in Ball Sports Georgia BurroughCommitment to GAI Linus ArmstrongDedication to an All-Nighter Persis Samuel and Bluey BaeeInternational Relations Award Steph Wiltshire and Latecia BoddeyDouglas Greer Memorial Award Will StobieCougar Award Georgia CarrollMost Lightweight Member of an Austin Gentlemens Club Aadil Dougie RahimBest Burgeoning Bromance Alex Senor Chang Kim and Henry LawMost Bizarre Behaviour Annan Lloyd


In terms of what I wanted to get out of the workshop, FutureMed was excellent. It was, however, quite obvious that this was the first year it had been run. The running theme of 21st Century Professionalism was not very well defined; the speakers did not seem entirely sure what they were meant to be presenting on, often beginning their presentations with Im not sure if this is what you were after, but

The breakout sessions were excellent, and allowed for a lot of interaction. It was interesting to compare the different course structures, and learn, from a students point of view, what seemed to work and what was generally hated by all. The variety in the presentations was also really great. Both the students and practitioners gave presentations from a wide array of backgrounds.

From a students point of view it is always good to be thinking about the bigger picture, and the exciting pathways in medicine that lie ahead. The most inspiring presenters, my peers and I agreed, were the paediatrician: Dr Elisabeth Murphy, the GP/Journalist from MJA and Christian Nguyen who spoke about using business skills in medicine.

Despite needing a few improvements, the FutureMed workshop was a refreshing and motivating experience. It was well worth the trip and I hope it is run again next year.

Hestor Stokes 2nd Year

Sally Ryan had done an excellent job of getting UNE hyped up for it; in fact, everyone was extremely hyped, and tickets initially sold out before the UNE contingent had been able to purchase tickets. Thankfully, NSWMSC released another batch of tickets, and a twenty-strong group represented UNE at the Eastern on Saturday night, which is no mean feat. It was an excellent night, with over 600 attending and interesting hijinks had by all.

The Medsoc Meet that was held during the day was also well populated by UNE medsoc members; as an attendee I can say that it was an invaluable experience. It can get a bit isolated being out in Armidale, so I fully encourage all of you to make it down to the next event being organised by the NSWMSC, the Annual Sports Day, which promises to be bigger and better than ever!


New England Rural Health Club for Health Alliance, NERCHA, has been very busy this year undertaking two Rural High School Visits (RHSV) at both Tamworth and UNE. On each occasion six students from a range of health faculties ran activities and answered questions in the aim of promoting an interest and encouraging a future career in rural health. Both events were highly successful and we look forward to our third RHSV in Kempsey this May.

Another major event hosted by NERCHA was Close the Gap Day. Innovatively offering cupcakes with the opportunity to personally decorate them, NERCAH raised approximately $200! UNE students were also encouraged to place a hand print on a poster as a sign of recognition of the disparities between indigenous and non-indigenous health.

NERCHA greatly looks forward to its upcoming Rural Health Evening on the 11th of May. It is a brilliant opportunity to hear from inspiring rural health practitioners and network with fellow health students. If you wish to further youre involvement in NERCHA or participate in any upcoming RHSV or Indigenous Festivals please contact Erin Pither, the Medical Representative, for more information.

Erin PitherNERCHA Medicine Portfolio Holder


The New England Rural H

ealth Club for Health

Alliance is made up of me

dical, nursing, pharmacy

,

psychology, social work

and Biomedical students

that have an interest in r

ural health.


Our first placement was in the public hospital there, which had about 400 beds for 2.3 million people. Conditions were very basic, with only the ICU having machines that go beep. But, this is the purpose of HES, to see what its like where medicine isnt as well-supported as in Australia and where diseases eradicated in Australia are still prevalent. It can be confronting to watch someone fit non-stop because of a parasitic infection in their ventricles, see people with end-stage meningitis, see people not get healthcare because they cant pay and watch people bleed out after car crashes. But, again, this is the purpose of HES, to realise that these inequalities exist and stimulate us to make change.

After 5 weeks we returned to Kathmandu to try out a few weeks in the Surgical Department of Patan Hospital, a semi-private hospital in southern Kathmandu. It was a stark contrast to Pokhara.

The team took us in with open arms, letting us scrub in and assist in operations, including us in rounds, and even, on occasion, turning up on a Saturday morning at our accommodation to go sight seeing. This is where another major component of HES comes in...adventuring. In Pokhara, we got to trek to local villages, watch the sunrise over the Annapurnas, paddled around the lake and see The World Peace Stupa, and in Kathmandu we visited some of the holiest temples of Buddhism and Hinduism and venture into rural Nepal to see rural hospitals. Sure the power would go out for hours at a time because of load shedding, and sure we sometimes had to have cold showers for weeks on end, and sure we couldnt drink or eat most of the street food, but when you are standing under a huge spire with Buddha eyes looking over the Kathmandu Valley as eagles glide and dive around you and monkeys run around beside you, these things dont really matter.

The HES placement really does show you something youve never seen before. It makes you passionate about what the world has to offer and what you can do to help those who havent been as fortunate. No matter what you do, be it international health, Indigenous health, drug and alcohol, gerontology or even just something locally, you will most likely leave a lasting impression on you and will effect the path you take. I know personally, I cant wait to get back to Nepal...

Cale Lawler 4th Year

UNEMSA Charity Masquerade Ball

Rumour has it various third years are hell-bent on going out with a bang, which, in Armidale (and this particular cohort) has always lent itself to Grade-A entertainment. With more attendees than ever before, and masks a prerequisite, all signs point to a great night out with good karma attached UNEMSA is raising funds for Armidale Hospital.

The Rotary Book Sale Held from the 12th to the 19th of May at the Armidale Racecourse, its a reliable source of great finds; Ive heard of copies of House of God for 50c and awesome old textbooks for a couple of dollars apiece.

erth Convention

Firstly, its being held in erth, so you know that only the hardcore Rangers will be making the trek (lazy/poor Rangers are holding out for Gold Coast 2013, which is a perfectly valid choice, thank you). Secondly, if you havent heard, AMSA is chartering a PLANE to fly Rangers to erth, and to be completely honest, I would pay a large amount of money to see video footage of that flight, if only for Yogi at 30,000 feet. Thirdly, this years Convention Mole is excellent value, and you should all read his/her blog & follow his/her tumblr.

Global Health Conference This year its in Cairns, a city in which one overexcited third year swears up and down live chickens are fed to alligators at zoos. This third year is ironically notorious for spinning tall tales, but Cairns is beautiful and tropical regardless of what happens to the chickens, and GHC always manages to deliver in terms of an academic program, and as previous attendees can attest, the quieter social program is helpful in that you can remember all the ways in which your mind was opened afterwards, without having to wait for exposure through facebook (zing!) GHC will be held in September of this year, so stay alert for more information as the year progresses.

Winter Sports

More specifically, UNEMSA FC have begun their 2012 season, which means that on Sunday afternoons your study break should probably involve heading to the SportsUNE fields to cheer our teams on. UNEMSA FC have a reputation to uphold, firstly as fine teams and secondly as excellent entertainers your time will not be wasted.

11 MayNERCHA Rural Health Evening

12 MayUNESS Suturing Day

19 MayUNEMSA Practice OSCE DayUNEMSA Masquerade Charity Ball

20 MayUNEMSA Cricket Day

2-7 JulyAMSA National Convention, Perth

10-11 AugustNURHC Rural Health Conferences, Victoria

15-19 SeptemberGlobal Health Conference, Cairns

UNE MSA

MEDICAL

STUDENTS

1 2 3 4 5


Lucy Parsonage (Port Macquarie) Heard a heart murmur in a two year old girl Saw a 40 year old woman get diagnosed with

breast cancer Did a home visit to a lady with motor neurone

disease Took blood Felt a baby in a womans belly and listened its

heart with a Doppler Saw a pus-filled abscess lanced

Anne-Marie Guider (Cessnock) What I learnt on Rural General Practice

Placement There are a lot of skin cancers in Australia Local anaesthetic is not an intra muscular

injection Cessnock has a lot of heroin addicts Drug reps bring lunch Circumcisions are painful to watch... even

without a penis ILY rural GP

Rachel Seaniger (Inverell)Here are a few things I got to do/see in Inverell,

Natural delivery of twins Positioning of a chest drain Cataract surgery Endoscopy/Colonoscopies Pilonidal sinus abscess removal with a skin flap

repair IV cannulation and anaesthetic prep and

delivery Finger amputation D + C Wound debridement and repair

Lucy Donlon (Newcastle)Antenatal visits were particularly enjoyable - I measured fundal heights, found heartbeats, and entertained siblings-to-be. I have also since found out that one lady named her baby Lucy (Ill pretend that this had something to do with her memorable consultation!)

Jamie Cone (Singleton) Assist in cesarean. Learn how to do lumbar puncture View removal of gallbladder and uterine polyps. Lots of PAP smears Lots of antenatal checks Baby checks Immunisations Lots of Cryotherapy Geratric care: went to the aged care facility a

fair bit Lesion removal

Georgia Carroll (Armidale)Lots of Paps, cutting out skin cancers, free dinner with lots of GPs and Tanveer Ahmed.

Char Seneviratne (Tintenbar)You cant tell a surfer to stay out of the ocean til his ear infection clears up and expect him to listen (ha!)


GP Prac Experiences3rd Years have been out in the real world doing extended GP placements. Here are some of their experiences of General Practice

Krystal Dinh (Port Macquarie)I was lucky enough to have undertaken my first GP placement on the coastal town, Port Macquarie. Here I attended the Waniora Medical Practice for two weeks, learning the basics of General Practice. Both the doctors and nurses were incredibly welcoming, and always eager to teach. Over the two weeks, I was able to perform a number of procedures including suturing, biopsying, applying cryotherapy, performing pap smears, and carrying out allergy sensitivity tests.

Additionally, I injected what felt like the whole Port Macquarie population with the Fluvax, in preparation for the upcoming winter season. During my free time, I was able to explore the beautiful town that Port Macquarie is, the best of course being the remarkable beaches and amazing surf.

By far, the most rewarding aspect of my Port Macquarie placement would be the patients, all of whom have incredibly large and warming hearts. I could not have asked for a better place to kick off my general practice experience.

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Armadillo Issue 8