14
Careers Career overview — cardiology Careers MJ A Editor: Marge Overs [email protected] (02) 9562 6666 continued on page C2 “Cardiology also has a strong evidence base, which gives us a good foundation on which to continually develop our management of patients based on prognosis.” However, this mix of medicine has its challenges, he says, as it takes time to maintain procedural skills while keeping up academic and clinical activities. Diversity is also a key attraction for Professor Derek Chew, whose many professional hats cover clinical and interventional cardiology, research and administration. Professor Chew is a clinical and interventional cardiologist at Flinders Medical Centre; director of cardiology for three hospitals in the Southern Region of Adelaide; a clinical researcher at Flinders University; and chair of the State Clinical Network in Cardiology. “My roles show the opportunity for diversity and variety in cardiology, and that’s been a big attraction for me”, he says, adding that his roles often interact with each other. “If I struggle with an issue clinically, I can explore it through research. When I need to take that research and turn it into practice again, it’s both a policy and administrative issue.” Professor Chew says young doctors considering a career in cardiology need to have strong people skills and enjoy interacting with patients. “You are helping people to make difficult choices — because not all outcomes are good.” It is also important to be quantitative and to look critically at your own practice.“Cardiologists often portray In this section C1 CAREER OVERVIEW Matters of the heart C2 REGISTRAR Q+A Dr Kathryn Waddell-Smith C5 MEDICAL MENTOR Dr Michelle Ammerer C6 ROAD LESS TRAVELLED The perfect score C7 MONEY AND PRACTICE All a Twitter Cardiology is a growing specialty that can be tailored to your skills and lifestyle F rom the adrenaline rush of saving a life in the wee hours to the satisfaction of building relationships with patients over years, cardiology offers the best of acute and chronic medicine Professor Len Kritharides, head of cardiology at Concord Hospital in Sydney, has enjoyed this diversity, which includes growing opportunities for procedural work. Matters of the heart The inside story What are the insider tips for doctors wanting to train in cardiology? Professor Kritharides is on the specialist training committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) in cardiology and coordinates the matching process for selection of advanced trainees in NSW. He says that while different training centres may vary, all would look for people with strong clinical skills who are committed and are prepared to work well in a team. The appointments are considered very carefully, he says, because people are choosing an advanced trainee who will not only work closely with them for the next three years but, in many cases, will maintain affiliations with their department as a junior colleague and consultant in the years ahead. “So when people make these appointments, it’s an assessment of the person and their potential to contribute to the quality of clinical service in the department during their training, and to the practice of cardiology as consultants in the long term.” Professor Kritharides says the RACP’s cardiology training program also looks at academic achievement, evidence of self-directed learning, teaching and initiative in doing research. “The people who stand out are those who have broad clinical experience, including as residents in cardiology, so they understand the specialty”, he says. “They are very strong clinicians who are compassionate, committed to high-quality patient care, work well in a busy teaching hospital environment and who show initiative and energy.” Once established in the specialty, Professor Chew urges young cardiologists to cast their net widely. He suggests they find opportunities to link their clinical practice with experiences that broaden their knowledge and contribution, but are not necessarily related to patient care. “As you do that, not only does it improve your care of the patient, it improves sustainability in your career.” Professor Derek Chew

Careers A MJ CareersIn this section 6 Aug.pdf · MJ Careers A Editor: Marge Overs • [email protected] • (02) 9562 6666 continued on page C2 “Cardiology also has a strong evidence

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Page 1: Careers A MJ CareersIn this section 6 Aug.pdf · MJ Careers A Editor: Marge Overs • movers@mja.com.au • (02) 9562 6666 continued on page C2 “Cardiology also has a strong evidence

Careers

Career overview — cardiology

CareersMJA

Editor: Marge Overs • [email protected] • (02) 9562 6666

continued on page C2

“Cardiology also has a strong evidence base, which gives us a good foundation on which to continually develop our management of patients based on prognosis.”

However, this mix of medicine has its challenges, he says, as it takes time to maintain procedural skills while keeping up academic and clinical activities.

Diversity is also a key attraction for Professor Derek Chew, whose many

professional hats cover clinical and interventional cardiology, research and administration.

Professor Chew is a clinical and interventional cardiologist at Flinders Medical Centre; director of cardiology for three hospitals in the Southern Region of Adelaide; a clinical researcher at Flinders University; and chair of the State Clinical Network in Cardiology.

“My roles show the opportunity for diversity and variety in cardiology, and that’s been a big attraction for me”, he says, adding that his roles often interact with each other.

“If I struggle with an issue clinically, I can explore it through research. When I need to take that research and turn it into practice again, it’s both a policy and administrative issue.”

Professor Chew says young doctors considering a career in cardiology need to have strong people skills and enjoy interacting with patients.

“You are helping people to make difficult choices — because not all outcomes are good.”

It is also important to be quantitative and to look critically at your own practice. “Cardiologists often portray

In this section

C1CAREER OVERVIEW

Matters of the heart

C2

REgIstRAR Q+A

Dr Kathryn Waddell-Smith

C5

MEdICAl MEntOR

Dr Michelle Ammerer

C6

ROAd lEss tRAVEllEd

The perfect score

C7

MOnEY And PRACtICE

All a TwitterCardiology is a growing specialty that can be tailored to your skills and lifestyle

From the adrenaline rush of saving a life in the wee hours to the satisfaction of building

relationships with patients over years, cardiology offers the best of acute and chronic medicine

Professor Len Kritharides, head of cardiology at Concord Hospital in Sydney, has enjoyed this diversity, which includes growing opportunities for procedural work.

Matters of the heart

The inside story

What are the insider tips for doctors wanting to train in cardiology?

Professor Kritharides is on the specialist training committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) in cardiology and coordinates the matching process for selection of advanced trainees in NSW.

He says that while different training centres may vary, all would look for people with strong clinical skills who are committed and are prepared to work well in a team.

The appointments are considered very carefully, he says, because people are choosing an advanced trainee who will not only work closely with them

for the next three years but, in many cases, will maintain affiliations with their department as a junior colleague and consultant in the years ahead.

“So when people make these appointments, it’s an assessment of the person and their potential to contribute to the quality of clinical service in the department during their training, and to the practice of cardiology as consultants in the long term.”

Professor Kritharides says the RACP’s cardiology training program also looks at academic achievement, evidence of self-directed learning, teaching and initiative in doing research.

“The people who stand out are those who have

broad clinical experience, including as residents in cardiology, so they understand the specialty”, he says. “They are very strong clinicians who are compassionate, committed to high-quality patient care, work well in a busy teaching hospital environment and who show initiative and energy.”

Once established in the specialty, Professor Chew urges young cardiologists to cast their net widely. He suggests they find opportunities to link their clinical practice with experiences that broaden their knowledge and contribution, but are not necessarily related to patient care. “As you do that, not only does it improve your care of the patient, it improves sustainability in your career.”

Professor Derek Chew

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Careers

C2 MJA 197 (3) · 6 August 2012

themselves as knowing the right answer, but so often we don’t, and the ability to be critical about the data or your own perceptions of that data and the ability to translate that into practice will become increasingly important”, he says.

The misconceptionsProfessor Chew says one misconception is that all cardiologists have a heavy after-hours and emergency load.

“We have enough acute-end cardiologists and in some respects we don’t have enough consultative cardiologists”, he says. “There is such a great need for consultative cardiology that those who want to work 9–5 can do so. We need more thinkers than we need doers.”

While much of the after-hours work for cardiologists is procedural, there are also growing opportunities for non-procedural cardiologists, he says.

Another misconception is that it can be difficult to secure a training position in cardiology, but in recent years it has become harder to find enough trainees, he says.

Cardiology has a growing workload and clinical need, Professor Kritharides says. “While people have talked

for many years about how many cardiologists we need, the workload is only increasing, so it’s a busy specialty with lots of growth ahead.”

The big issuesProfessor Kritharides says developments in electrophysiology and electrical devices are transforming the specialty.

Percutaneous treatment of structural heart disease is also a growing area, which will increase the availability of treatments for valvular heart disease to the ageing population, he says. Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons are collaborating to choose patients who should have open-heart operations or percutaneous procedures, all of which are expensive and carry risk.

For Professor Chew, a critical issue is making appropriate decisions about the use of new technologies and treatments.

“There is a lot more that we can do, but we are still learning how to do it well”, he says. “Many of the treatments are invasive and associated with risk, and our populations are getting older and our ability to cause harm is increasing.”

Marge Overs

Training as a cardiologist

Doctors first need to complete the first part of the fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, which includes the clinical exam and written exam. The

cardiology training program then involves three years of core training, after which some doctors will choose to do a fellowship in a subspecialty or a higher degree, or both.

Registrar Q+A

‘‘ The people who stand out are …

strong clinicians who are compassionate, committed to high-quality patient care, work well in a busy teaching hospital environment and who show initiative and energy ”

continued from page C1

Professor Len Kritharides

Dr Kathryn Waddell-Smith is a final-year advanced cardiology trainee at Flinders Medical Centre in Adelaide

Why did you decide on cardiology?Cardiology was my first rotation as a physician trainee, and over the next three years nothing surpassed the experience. I loved the thrill of acute medicine, of intervening and having an immediate outcome. I enjoyed the mix of acute/chronic, young/old patients, and having a group of patients who often wanted the same outcomes as the physicians. My bosses were passionate, intelligent and wonderful teachers, and the nurses were dynamic and caring.

Was it difficult to get onto the cardiology training program?All disciplines look for candidates who have demonstrated a high level of personal and professional integrity and work ethic during their basic training. It is also important to show your commitment to research. For most specialties, you will get a job in your desired field somewhere, but if you want to train at a large teaching hospital, it is more competitive and your CV and interview need to show that you have consultant intentions.

What have you loved about the training program?I’ve loved realising that I’m in the right field. The feeling of belonging is wonderful. I have marvelled at my rapid learning curve, both in knowledge and skills. Despite sometimes being tired and overworked, I am happy — work is interesting, evidence based, challenging, fulfilling and fun.

What have been the main obstacles/challenges?The balance between working, learning, publishing, sleeping, exercising, running a house and spending time with family and friends is difficult and sometimes seems impossible. However, it is a training program and you are being trained for life, not just to be a cardiologist 8 am to 5 pm.

What advice do you have for doctors interested in cardiology?If you enjoy your cardiology rotation, this stimulating and rewarding specialty is well worth investigating. The best course would be to speak to a cardiologist for an honest opinion. The diverse group of consultants at my hospital all enjoy their work. There is so much potential in cardiology — a regular-hours rooms-based clinician, 24/7 interventionalist, teacher, researcher, advocate and policymaker, anything at all!

What are your plans after the training program?I’m in my third year of training and have started a research higher degree, studying adults with congenital heart disease. I’ve been amazed that in cardiology, among all the highly evidence-based practice and huge patient populations, I have found a small group of patients for whom more research and care is needed. I hope to gain experience in managing this growing population through a clinical fellowship. Eventually, I hope to come back to Australasia and help the dedicated clinicians already looking after this group of people.

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C3 MJA 197 (3) · 6 August 2012

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C4 MJA 197 (3) · 6 August 2012

• Flying Doctors • Retrieval Doctors • Staff Specialists • Retrieval Registrars • GP Registrars

We have opportunities for broadly experienced doctors to join our growing service in Western Australia. The work is varied and exciting and offers the opportunity to work with a team of other doctors and allied staff servicing a large area of Western Australia.

Flying Doctors If you are a career doctor or procedural GP with acute care experience, there are opportunities for you to work at our rural bases as traditional flying doctors. We provide a range of clinical services, including:• Telemedicine • Flying medical clinics • In-patient care • Aeromedical retrievalThe work is varied and interesting, provides an opportunity to work in the Australian Outback with a team of supportive staff and mix emergency medicine with rural general practice.

GP Registrar (Meekatharra)A new position has also been created for a GP Registrar at our Meekatharra Base where a wide range of challenging clinical work is accompanied by mentoring by experienced rural RFDS doctors.Applicants will be involved in: • Telemedicine • Routine rural general practice • Indigenous health • Chronic disease management • In-patient hospital care • Management of emergenciesWhilst a training position, competency in the management of acute care presentations, together with current ALS certification is necessary.

Retrieval RegistrarsThere are three accredited positions for retrieval registrars at our Jandakot (Perth) base. They an opportunity to experience rotary and fixed wing work, triage acute care cases across a range of clinical disciplines and experience the logistic challenges of retrieving patients across one-third of the continent. Six and twelve month terms are available from mid 2012.

Retrieval DoctorsIf you are a career doctor with acute care experience, we also can also offer full-time appointments at our rural bases, or in Perth, primarily in medical retrieval.

Staff SpecialistsIf you are a specialist in a critical care discipline such as emergency medicine or anaesthesia, we also offer full time and part-time opportunities to work in our dynamic Statewide retrieval system. You will participate in turbo-prop, long-range jet or rotary wing retrievals, from locations across the entire State and overseas.

You will also assist in our Statewide Clinical Coordination Centre, handling emergency calls, prioritising tasks and providing clinical advice as well as assisting with ongoing training of registrars and other clinical staff.

Permanent part-time appointments are available after an initial period of full time experience.

RequIReMenTS Applicants must be registrable in Australia with significant postgraduate experience. The ideal applicant for a Flying Doctor position will have a minimum of six months postgraduate experience in anaesthetics, obstetrics and paediatrics, coupled with experience in emergency medicine and experience in general practice. Registrars and staff specialists will also have broad clinical experience.

TeRMS AnD COnDITIOnSemployment contracts are normally for a minimum of two years but shorter periods apply to Registrar positions. A formal orientation program is provided, plus opportunities to complete eMST, APLS and other courses. We offer excellent remuneration packages with allowances and salary packaging. A mobile phone and laptop are also provided.

Doctors working in the booming rural areas of the State also receive housing, a motor vehicle, relocation and travel expenses.

All medical staff are indemnified and receive annual leave of seven or eight weeks per year, two weeks study leave and additional procedural skills leave.

Expressions of interest can be sent to [email protected] or contact

The Director of Medical ServicesRFDS Western Operations

3 Eagle Drive Jandakot Airport WA 6164

Telephone (08) 9417 6300

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C5 MJA 197 (3) · 6 August 2012

Medical mentor

Dr Michelle Ammerer reflects on her career in cardiology

I knew I wanted to become a cardiologist early on in my training. I was born and raised in WA and did my undergraduate degree at the University of Western Australia. I did my intern, resident, registrar and basic physician training at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and I was the first female trainee in cardiology at the hospital. I tried a mixture of rotations, but I always liked cardiology the best. The more cardiology I did, the more I loved it. Not many people would be so passionate about a career choice so early on, but it just clicked for me.

I’m the only female cardiologist in WA specialising in angioplasty, but I have never set out to be a trailblazer. My mother is a professional and my grandmother had two degrees. I’m from a family where everyone is treated equally. My sister and I were expected to get an education, to work and achieve the best we could for our ability. My mother has been very influential in making sure we can support ourselves, to be a contributor and to be an equal.

My mentors have had a big impact on my career. I have had such good mentors at Sir Charles Gairdner that I haven’t wanted to work anywhere else or in any other specialty. Dr Steve Gordon, who is now at St John of God, has been my mentor all my career, and he’s amazing. Dr Mark Hands and Dr Eric Whitford, who are colleagues at my practice and have been leading interventional cardiologists at Sir Charles Gairdner, have also been influential. They are all very skilled and have great personalities. Like many cardiologists, they all have a great sense of humour.

Mentoring young doctors is an important part of my work. I’ve done formal mentoring through a University of Western Australia program, but I find it works better informally with people who click with you and are inspired by what you’re doing. As director of the Coronary Care Unit, I oversee the wellbeing of the residents. I’m often the person they come to when they need to talk, and I do all their reports and references. People will ask me for advice years after leaving the hospital.

My career has always been driven by what I love. I love treating acutely unwell patients and dealing with medical emergencies. I’ve probably been better at that type of work than other areas of medicine. There is immediate gratification when a patient comes in having a heart attack and we do a primary angioplasty and save their life. I’d rather do what I love than work in a field with fewer hours and no on-call.

I’m drawn to the variety of cardiology. I’m a director of the WA branch of the Heart Foundation and I founded the Go Red for Women campaign about seven years ago. The campaign, which went national, aims to increase women’s awareness of the risk of heart disease. Few women know that heart disease is the number one killer of women — that women are four times more likely to die from heart disease than from breast cancer.

One of my career highlights was doing the Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, US. It was an achievement just to be accepted into the Fellowship. I had to

‘‘I’m black and white in decision making, which is a good thing because there are no half-measures in interventional cardiology

Dr Michelle Ammerer is an interventional cardiologist and director of the largest coronary care unit in Western Australia, at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth. She is also in private practice at Western Cardiology, based at St John of God Hospital Subiaco. In 2004, Dr Ammerer completed a Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, through the Harvard Medical School.

Labour of love

fly around the world for interviews. One guy who was meant to interview me at a conference in Washington DC stood me up three times. I went to his lecture to see what he looked like, followed him to his hotel, accosted him in the bar and said: “You are meant to be interviewing me. I’ve flown all the way from Australia”. I ended up working with him and six months after I started he told me, “I knew you had it in you then. I didn’t want some girl who might cry or get upset if things didn’t go well”.

The Fellowship was an incredible experience. I learnt so much through the sheer volume of cases and exposure to new techniques. It was also a funny year because I was doing the Fellowship with five men who all had wives and young children so they needed to get home on time. That was before I had children, and I was just there to work, so I always did the extra work and the longer hours.

Cardiology is constantly changing, due to the growing use of devices instead of open surgery and changes in medications, such as antiplatelet agents and anticoagulant drugs. There is always research to read, and disbelieve or believe. It’s a challenge to stay up to date, so it’s important to attend conferences and forums where new research is discussed.

My favourite part of interventional cardiology is also the most challenging. The patients are very sick, but I love rising to these challenges. I guess that’s part of my personality. I’m a stubborn person and passionate about what I do. I’m black and white in decision making, which is a good thing because there are no half-measures in interventional cardiology. I need to be able to think on my feet and make split-second decisions, sometimes in the middle of the night.

Interview by Marge Overs

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C6 MJA 197 (3) · 6 August 2012

Road less travelled

Dr Rowan Thomas has a busy and stressful job as deputy director of the department of anaesthesia at

St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, but he has a dependable antidote — his violin.

“Medicine has its own creative rewards, but it’s important to relax in a way where you can escape from some of the things that you worry about”, he says. “When I play music I think ‘well, at least I’ve got a roof over my head’. It puts things in perspective.”

Dr Thomas is president of the Australian Doctors Orchestra, a group of medical professionals who are also classically trained musicians.

Eligibility requirements are tough — members not only need to be medically qualified, but also must have reached at least grade 8 in their chosen instrument.

Many members also have Doctor of Music degrees, the highest academic award in music, and about one-third have completed their LMus (Licentiate Diploma in Music).

Despite the high standards, the orchestra has more than 600 doctors and medical students on its books.

About 150 players are expected at their next concert, at Melbourne Town Hall on 16 September, which will feature renowned violinist Natsuko Yoshimoto playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. The event is being sponsored by health care supply company, B Braun, with proceeds to be donated to Australian Rotary Health. (More information is available at www.ado.net.au)

Dr Thomas says it’s exciting to play with such a superb violinist as Ms Yoshimoto, who has performed solo at Buckingham Palace for the UK royal family and has played with numerous orchestras worldwide.

Dr Thomas also regularly attends Chamber Music Summer Schools, held

every year at Mt Buller in Victoria, where Ms Yoshimoto has worked as a tutor.

It was at one of these summer schools, in January 1993, that the first steps were taken to create the Australian Doctors Orchestra. While there, Dr Thomas met Dr Miki Pohl, a plastic surgeon who had always wanted to start an orchestra for doctors, and Mr Christopher Martin, a viola player and conductor.

After hearing Dr Thomas play, Dr Pohl decided to establish the orchestra, initially by contacting all his medical musician friends. He asked Dr Thomas to be the orchestra’s first concert master, a position he held for 18 years until two years ago when he became orchestra president.

Dr Thomas began playing viola when he was 15 years old, after his high school music teacher noticed that he picked up Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star on his first attempt, and urged him to pursue the instrument. He joined the school orchestra and was playing grade 6 pieces within months.

He switched to the violin when he was 20 years old, having already worked through most of the viola repertoire, under the guidance of some talented teachers.

Dr Thomas kept up his music practice while studying medicine at Monash University, and started a string orchestra and string quartets, often with other doctors, many of whom now play in the Australian Doctors Orchestra.

He took a year off after 3rd year of medical school to study music in Toowoomba, Queensland, with violinist Spiros Rantos. At the end of the year, Dr Thomas performed the Bruch Violin Concerto on Brisbane radio and has since regularly played with amateur orchestras.

At medical school, Dr Thomas says he often felt different from the students who didn’t have music as part of their lives, but that changed with the Australian Doctors Orchestra.

“In the orchestra, you feel as though you’ve found 150 soulmates and that you are part of a group, and not that unusual anymore”, he says.

Dr Thomas, who has been at St Vincent’s since 1998, also has a Masters of Public Health and a Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics. He has chaired the Victorian Regional Committee of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

He thinks one reason many doctors are musicians is that they often enjoy setting goals and achieving new things.

“It’s just part and parcel of wanting to achieve, engage and develop a special skill”, he says.

Dr Thomas also notes that doctors tend to enjoy classical music, while lawyers prefer jazz. While still honing this theory, he says: “Perhaps part of it is that doctors are trying to find the truth, while lawyers would say that anything can be argued”.

sophie Mcnamara

The perfect score

‘‘In the orchestra, you feel as though you’ve found 150 soulmates and that you are part of a group

Music helps Dr Rowan Thomas to escape the pressures of medicine

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C7 MJA 197 (3) · 6 August 2012

directly in the path of those who really want it, she says.

“Social media channels allow users to receive content on the go in a time-critical fashion, which is particularly relevant to the medical field. Rather than relying on ‘pull’ communication where readers have to search for information, today you can use keyword searching and target the right thought leaders to enable ‘push’ communication that comes directly to you.“

Dr Edwin Kruys, a general practitioner at the University Medical Practice in Geraldton, Western Australia, says Twitter has become a key source of information for him.

“I follow individual doctors in Australia

Money and practice

Social networking is starting to find a foothold in medical practice

All a Twitter

Professionals across all sectors can increasingly be found “tweeting”, “liking” and “sharing” on the job,

and Australian doctors are no exception.Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube,

blogs and online communities dominate the professional social networking landscape — but before you write them off as Gen Y hype, it’s worth considering the potential of these tools.

In a socially networked world, the audience is no longer passively receiving data downloads — the conversation is now two-way, with everyone contributing. Moreover, this flow of knowledge is constantly updated and is distributed instantly to those who most want or need it.

Ultimately, these tools could help to remove the barriers that separate silos of medical expertise — a good proposition for a profession that embraces lifelong learning.

Medical student and social media consultant with Dialogue Consulting, Mr Hugh Stephens, says few clinicians fully appreciate the power of social networking.

“While social networking has been

well accepted into many US clinicians’ lives, both as a tool to engage with patients and as a tool for professional development, many Australian doctors don’t believe in its value”, Mr Stephens says.

However, he says a growing number of doctors are dipping their toe into the social media pool and putting tools such as Twitter and LinkedIn to work in their practice.

The most popular social media applications that Australian doctors use professionally are Twitter and medical blogs, Mr Stephens says, with early adopters discovering benefits such as enhanced information access and professional networking.

Finger on the pulseEven when used at a basic level, social media tools can help doctors by enabling them to keep up with news and research, says Ms Jenni Beattie, a Sydney-based digital communications consultant who specialises in the health care industry.

Tools such as Twitter and Facebook enable new content to be distributed instantly, and, importantly, it lands

WA practice gets social

continued on page C8

However, not everyone liked the tool or opted to use it, which reduced

its effectiveness. The trial was recently halted as a result, he

says.

“My tip for organisations trialling enterprise social networks would be to make it part of the business strategy first and make sure that senior management is on board before you introduce it.”

University Medical Practice in Geraldton, Western Australia has trialled an enterprise social network application, Yammer, to connect staff members across two practices.

Based on the same premise as public social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, Yammer is designed to generate discussion inside a business using a message board.

These conversations are much easier to follow than email, says Dr Edwin Kruys (pictured), a GP at the practice, and they can be searched, organised and filed.

“Yammer is great for having discussions with like-minded people without the world watching over your shoulder. It is password protected and only accessible for people within one organisation”, he says.

Dr Kruys says the trial showed Yammer had a positive effect on the work atmosphere and made the practice feel smaller.

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C8 MJA 197 (3) · 6 August 2012

Careers

C8 MJA 197 (3) · 6 August 2012

and New Zealand doctors in emergency medicine, toxicology and intensive care, and it attracts thousands of regular readers internationally.

Emergency physician Dr Cliff Reid has also created his own blog, Resus.ME, which logs the latest research findings on resuscitation from more than 40 journals and national and international guidelines (see Box).

Medical bloggers such as Dr Cadogan and Dr Reid also use social media tools to distribute links to their blogs as well as other topical content.

Dr Reid says it’s easy to get swamped when you first sign up to Twitter. Pinning down good content is key. It helps to know what sort of information you seek and which people or organisations post on those areas.

To avoid information overload, he says doctors should be selective in who they follow and accept that they can’t read every tweet.

Meeting of mindsSocial network experts agree that the full power of the medium is only unleashed

and abroad, as well as organisations such as the Centers for Disease Control (twitter name @CDCgov), the Australian Medical Association (@ama_media) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (@RACGP). As I do a lot of travel medicine, I use Twitter to follow international disease outbreaks”, Dr Kruys says.

If you’re keen to experiment with social media, Twitter is a great place to start, he says. Twitter users read or send updates, or “tweets”, which are up to 140 characters. Individual users can follow other users’ updates. The real value of many tweets is the links to web pages.You can also follow hashtags on Twitter. When used in a tweet, a hashtag (for example, #ehealth or #ruralGPs) allows people to follow everything that is tweeted about a particular event — say a conference — or on a particular topic. Dr Kruys says Twitter, together with a new breed of specialty medical blogs, is shaping up as a great health education tool.

Content is kingA prominent example of a medical specialty blog is Life in the Fast Lane, an educational emergency medicine site created by Dr Mike Cadogan, from Western Australia (see MJA Careers, 16 July). It offers critical care insights and tips of the trade from a group of Australian

Doctors who blog

Like most medical bloggers, emergency physician Dr Cliff Reid writes and publishes posts about medicine in his own time.

He initially created his blog, Resus.ME, to track new research findings in resuscitation as a personal reference point, but he now uses it to share this knowledge with others in his field.

“I’m committed to keeping it going as others also find it useful”, Dr Reid says.

‘‘As I do a lot of travel medicine, I use Twitter to follow international disease outbreaks

”Dr Edwin Kruys

continued from page C7

when the conversation is two-way.Already a growing number of health

industry professionals actively tweet one another. For instance, Health Care Social Media Australia and New Zealand on Twitter (#hcsmanz) is a chat group that meets online on Sunday night to discuss the use of social media in health care.

For doctors who want to interact with colleagues, there’s also an international database of physicians who tweet (TwitterDoctors.net).

Gated communityBecause of the privacy issues and sensitivity attached to medical subjects, many doctors are more comfortable collaborating with colleagues in a secure online zone.

For this reason closed social networking environments are gaining traction in the medical profession.

Bowral GP and University of Wollongong senior lecturer, Dr Stephen Barnett, has helped to create such sites, including www.e-healthspace.com.au, where doctors can share ideas, work through case studies and access specialist support. About 10,000 doctors, mostly GPs, have joined the site, which has sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies.

“Doctors are much more likely to want to share knowledge and conduct professional interaction in a secure doctor-only environment”, he says.

Follow the MJA on Twitter, @theMJA

Amanda Bryan

“So many people are now doing high-quality blogs and podcasts in their own time for free, and I’m proud to be part of this free-access movement.”

He uses tools such as Twitter to disseminate his posts — and other content such as conference hashtags — more widely.

“It’s a uniquely 21st century experience”, Dr Reid says.

Dr Cliff Reid

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C9 MJA 197 (13) · 6 August 2012

• Work from home anywhere in Australia• Part-time, fl exible working hours• Work with innovative technology

Medibank Health Solutions provides ground-breaking 24-hour healthcare to government and private clients in metropolitan and regional locations around Australia. Our reach in providing our clients with 21st century healthcare is constantly extending and we are interested in speaking with experienced Psychiatrists, Dermatologists, Endocrinologists, Geriatricians, Oncologists, Paediatricians and General Physicians who may be seeking fl exible working arrangements.

Using our innovative technology, we provide you with the modern tools that enable you to work from home, anywhere in Australia.

This fl exible work from home model may suit someone looking to return to the workforce, a parent looking for part-time / fl exible working hours, or a clinician wanting to wind back their practice commitments.

If you are interested in fi nding out more about this opportunity, please contact Dr Ian Boyd for a confi dential discussion on 0403 429 260.

Bla

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0136

PsychiatristsDermatologistsEndocrinologistsGeriatriciansOncologistsPaediatriciansGeneral Physicians

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Careers

C10 MJA 197 (13) · 6 August 2012

Help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Children like Eitan, who wished to be a fireman for the day...

DONATE TODAY!Call 1800 032 260 or visit www.makeawish.org.au

Eitan, aged 4, diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma

HUNDREDS OF WISHES ARE WAITING!

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C11 MJA 197 (13) · 6 August 2012

Australian GovernmentDepartment of Sustainability, Environment,

Water, Population and CommunitiesAustralian Antarctic Division

To find out how you can work in one of the world’s most pristine environments, contact Dr Jeff Ayton, Chief Medical Officer 03 6232 3300 or email [email protected]

Doctors > Remote Medicine >Antarctica

jobs.antarctica.gov.au

Overseas Appointments

£29,705 - £46,708 per annum Ref: 427-MN7888S-SJApplications are invited for a Clinical Fellow in Ophthalmology,suitable for somebody with a minimum of three years’ experience in ophthalmology.

There are six Consultants providing general ophthalmic services to alocal population of approximately 500,000, with sub-specialty interestsin oculoplastics, glaucoma, anterior segment, and medical retina.

You would be expected to participate in both general and sub-specialtyclinics, theatres and lasers.

This post does not have deanery funding or educational approval. Fullstudy leave will be granted. There is no requirement for you to do on calls.

The Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust values and is workingtowards equality and diversity and welcomes applicants from allsections of the community. We also promote flexible working to helpstaff achieve a healthy work life balance.

To discuss the post informally please contact Mr Richard Antcliff, LeadClinician on the following email address: [email protected]

To view the job description and to apply, please visitwww.ruh.nhs.uk quoting reference number 427-MN7888S-SJ.

Closing date: 12 August 2012.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Clinical Fellow (STR) in Ophthalmology

Healthcare you can Trust

Continuing Medical Education

YOU CAN ADVERTISE WITH US!

New Zealand Doctor NewspaperContact Angie Duberly

T +64 9-488 4286 E [email protected]

New Zealand Doctor helps you reach GPs, locums, specialists,

nurses, practice managers, health clinics… and more.

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Careers

C12 MJA 197 (13) · 6 August 2012

79070

ACADEMIC POSITIONS IN RURAL HEALTHSCHOOL OF RURAL HEALTH, DUBBOThe School of Rural Health delivers the Sydney Medical Program in rural settings and aims to give students both excellence in medical education and the benefi ts of a rural lifestyle.

We are seeking to appoint a dedicated professional to be appointed as lecturer, senior lecturer or associate professor in rural health. You will provide innovation and leadership to this world renowned medical education program based at our Dubbo campus. This could be the ideal opportunity for an early career professional to establish themselves within their specialty and develop their career as an academic, whilst enjoying the relaxed, friendly and aff ordable lifestyle that Dubbo has to off er.

Full-time, part-time and multiple appointments will be considered. This includes the option for a part-time position at the Dubbo Base Hospital.

Visit sydney.edu.au/positions and search by the reference number 1098/0712 for more information and to apply.

CLOSING DATE: 26 August 2012

Miscellaneous

NARRABEEN PREMISES FOR SALEGP owned family practice, accredited, principle relocating.Converted house with council permit for use as a doctorssurgery with on site parking.Contains 3 individual doctors rooms, each with a sink. Alsobathroom, laundry-used for filing .Reception area & office, kitchen-converted into staff room,ample space for equipment. At present the surgery is fullyequipped with phone, broadband, electricity and water connected.Convenient Location close to main road & public transport.X-Ray, Pathology, Specialists nearby.

Contact Dr Mary Ridding ton on 9913 7711 or [email protected]

Consulting Rooms Sessions & SuitesUniversity Appointments

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C13 MJA 197 (13) · 6 August 2012

Services

Rural Western Australia offers general practitioners great diversity from the warm Kimberley region in the north to the picturesque wine region in the south.

Come and try before you buy!We have a diverse range of Locum placements throughout the State and can assist with upskilling courses, if required.

E [email protected] | T 08 6389 4500 | W www.ruralhealthselect.com.au

Contact Rural Health Select today!… WE’LL FIND THE PERFECT FIT

Join a leading Australian university

Professor (Nephrology) (REF: 4077)

ROYAL PERTH HOSPITALSCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACOLOGY

The University’s School of Medicine and Pharmacology is responsible for the teaching of internal medicine and its sub-specialities to undergraduate medical students at all teaching hospitals and most secondary hospitals in Perth. This position provides a challenging opportunity for a suitably qualifi ed person in the area of clinical nephrology and research. Applicants must have a basic and specialist (Nephrology) medical qualifi cation and be registered or registrable in Western Australia. The successful applicant will assume a full range of academic responsibilities for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, supervision, research and clinical responsibilities in an area of nephrology. The Department has a special research interest in renal replacement in the indigenous population, home based therapies, renal vascular access and renal hypertension. Applicants with teaching experience are requested to submit a teaching portfolio as part of their application. Some assistance with relocation expenses (if applicable) may be negotiated.

For further information regarding the position please contact Winthrop Professor Gerald Watts, Head of Royal Perth Hospital Unit, on 0415 698 140 or email [email protected]. Alternatively contact Dr Suda Swaminathan, Head of the Department of Nephrology, Royal Perth Hospital on (08) 9224 8018 or email [email protected].

Application Details: For copies of the position description please access the website http://jobs.uwa.edu.au/. Written applications quoting the reference number, personal contact details, qualifi cations and experience, along with contact details of three referees should be sent to Director, Human Resources, The University of Western Australia, M350, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009 or emailed to [email protected] by the closing date.

jobs.uwa.edu.au UWA is smoke free

UNWH00815

University Appointments

www.actionaid.org.au

Help women end hunger!

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C14 MJA 197 (13) · 6 August 2012

MJA Advertisers’ Index

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Australian Medicines HandbookHandbook ..............................................p138

Health 24/7Recruitment ..........................................p154

Macquarie Medical SystemsMedical equipment .............................p184

Pfi zerCaduet..................................................... p126 Prevenar 13............................................. p135

To advertise in the MJA phone: 02 9562 6666