Studying medicine will open many doors, including ours

Transcription

1 ORANGE GUIDE

2 Studying medicine will open many doors, including ours Not everyone is eligible to be a client of BOQ Specialist. But you are. As a first year medical student, you re now eligible to join the many doctors who have chosen to trust us with their finances throughout their careers. We ve worked with medical professionals for over 25 years and because we ve taken the time to know more about you, we can do more for you. Visit boqspecialist.com.au/students to find out more. Transactional banking and overdrafts / Savings and deposits / Credit cards / Car finance / Home loans / Foreign exchange Products and services are provided by BOQ Specialist - a division of Bank of Queensland Limited ABN AFSL and Australian credit licence No

3 Contents Welcome to AMSA - P5 Advocacy - P6 Projects - P8 AMSA Executives Events - P11 Council - P14 AMSA Representatives Committees - P15 - P17 - P18

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5 Welcome to amsa Congratulations, you ve made it to Medicine, and the best years of your life are about to start. So you are probably thinking- what now? Medical students are a diverse bunch- we ve all got our own passions, needs and interests. Whatever yours are, the Australian Medical Students Association has a platform to help you pursue it. Passionate about global health? Want access to more educational resources? Keen to meet new people at some of the best studentrun events in the world? Looking to learn skills in health policy? Regardless of what matters to you, AMSA has opportunities set up to make your student experience the best one possible. What can I do now? AMSA is a vibrant student-run organisation that represents, informs and connects all of Australia s 17,000 medical students. Hundreds of medical student volunteers work together to run our professional-standard events, advocacy, projects and publications. Each medical school has an AMSA Representative who can tell you even more about how to get involved. Not only do we run amazing events and programs for medical students, but we are a strong advocacy voice on a political level, protecting you on issues from internship availability, to student mental health, to broader social issues. There are so many ways to be involved with AMSA. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Become a member ( to attend our world-renowned events, access our membership benefits and have voting rights at AMSA Councils. But most importantly, look through this guide, see what you are interested in, and then become a part of it. We re your AMSA! We are a community, and there is a place here for all students. Have a look through this Guide to see what you might be interested in, and contact us at any time. We re excited to see where Medicine and AMSA can take you! What is amsa? 5

6 Advocacy AMSA is a strong voice representing the interests of all Australian medical students to relevant government departments, nongovernment organisations, media outlets, universities and the public, to ensure that medical students concerns are heard. AMSA National Council, anchored by the 22 AMSA representatives, meets three times a year to pass policy on medical education, workforce and public health issues. Any medical student can submit a policy to council, but the process is usually a formal one co-ordinated by the policy officer. Getting involved with AMSA s advocacy helps build the capacity of medical students to effect change. To ensure that your voice is heard, contact your local AMSA Rep and find out how you can get involved and discuss the pertinent issues facing medical students on a local, national and global level. Get Involved! Policies are written (by people like you) and presented at council to be discussed (by people like you).want to get involved? No previous experience required! 1. Respond to a policy team callout (keep an eye on Facebook) to become a policy author - callouts happen around January, April and August 2. Go to an AMSA ThinkTank at your Uni 3. Attend AMSA National Council and take part in policy discussions 4. Contact the Policy Officer at policy@amsa.org.au to find something that fits your interests 5. Have a look at our policies on our websiteif there is something you are passionate about, write an article, and we can help publish it! Types of advocacy AMSA advocates through various platforms, including: Direct advocacy in meetings with politicians, Government departments, stakeholders in medical education Commentary in print, radio, TV and online media Opinion articles in public media, medical journals and AMA publications Open and private letters to relevant stakeholders Submissions to Government and stakeholder inquiries and feedback processes Grassroots student action through fact sheets for contact with local MPs Informing students via the AMSA website, social media and AMSA Representatives Working with our affiliates, including the Australian Medical Association, and the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association AMSA Policy A policy is a document written up, discussed and passed at AMSA council that details background research, AMSA s stance and recommendations around a certain topic. The collection of policies is our policy base and is an integral part of guiding AMSA s advocacy (i.e. how AMSA represents medical students). The scope of AMSA s policy is any topic related to health, medical students or student interest. The policy base is divided into the following categories: A - Medical School Programs B - Medical Education C - Supporting Students D - Graduation and Internships E - Medical Workforce F - Medicine in Australia G - Global Health H - Social and Other Policy also provides a platform for members (like you!) to develop skills in advocacy and policy-writing, and to facilitate discussion of broad issues that affect medical students both directly and indirectly. It s a good opportunity to have a go at analysing big issues with a large degree of independence while also being really well supported by your policy team, and the policy officer. 6

7 Advocacy success Throughout the years, AMSA has played a role in many major advocacy wins, including: Rural health training funding committement from the Federal Government, such as funding for 26 Regional Health Training Hubs and the establishment of the Rural Junior Doctor Training Innovation Fund Creation and continued funding for the Commonwealth Medical Internships program Highlighting the impact of sexual harassment and bullying on medical students during the Senate Inquiry into the Medical Complaints Process Spearheading advocacy on medical student mental health, with subsequent initiatives including establishment of working groups on this issue by Orygen and MDANZ Successful lobbying against the Murray Darling Medical School Advocacy AMSA Councils AMSA councils are open to all medical students. Policies are written or reviewed in time for one of these councils so they can be discussed and voted on by the AMSA reps from each medical school. Policies are written by teams of volunteers (like you!) who research the issue, discuss and decide on the direction of the policy. After the policy is written, it s reviewed by AMSA reps and universities through think-tanks and other processes, and then amended by the policy teams before council. At council, the policy is presented and discussed before being voted on to become part of AMSA s official policy base. If a policy is passed, we pursue advocacy related to it and policy authors can get involved here as well. AMSA s advocacy priorities for 2018 Each year, AMSA council votes to accept the priorities for the following year, which helps to guide the advocacy and policy teams. The 2018 priorities are: Preventing increases in student numbers and the establishment of new medical schools Improving student mental health and wellbeing Guaranteeing the availability of quality internships to all Australian medical graduates Action on sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination in Medicine Improving the quality of clinical schools and placements Opposing the creation of full-fee places in public universities Improving the health of Australia s Indigenous people (including recruitment and support of Indigenous students) Increasing intake into specialty training programs to align with workforce demand, with a particular focus on expanding vocational training in regional and rural areas. 7

8 Projects AMSA Projects each focus on a different, specific issue. They re here to support your learning, care for your wellbeing and work on social issues. Our projects span topics from LGBTIQ health, refugee health, climate change, and everything in between. We also have our annual blood drive Vampire Cup with the Red Cross; our Mental Health Campaign; Gender Equity, which runs our female mentoring program; and AMSA Academy, providing our educational resources. Gender equity At AMSA we recognise that medicine is not immune to gender inequity, despite the 50/50 split you ll see in your university cohorts. Along the lines of #thisiswhatasurgeonlookslike campaigns, our GE project is here to break down gender stereotypes, increase the visibility of female leaders, and to tap into the wisdom and pragmatism of those women who ve gone before us. Whether you want to inspire or be inspired, the year of 2018 has big plans and opportunities for you to get involved. Our Women in Leadership Mentoring Program, which matched over 150 women nationally last year, is undergoing an expansion. Meanwhile plans for a new online module on Gender Equity and Unconscious Gendered Bias in Medicine are underway - watch this space! Also, talk to your medsoc rep about involvement in your local gender equity/women in medicine group. Vampire Cup Vampire Cup is AMSA s annual national blood donation drive - the bloodiest and most competitive of university showdowns on the AMSA calendar. For eight weeks each year the race to donate takes place across Aus and NZ. Teaming up with the Red Cross Blood Service, the number of whole blood, plasma and platelet donations are tallied per university to decide which few will gain glory and bragging rights for the coming year. For more details head to our Facebook page: amsa.org.au/vampire-cup For personal glory, the battlefield extends to individual tallies and social media traction (#bledtoshred2017) with 5 double day Thredbo passes awarded to outstanding participants in 2017! Best of all, VC 2018 has set fresh dates (April 16th to June 10th) to allow more of you to donate pre-flu season and just in time for usual period of annual blood shortages. Take a friend, join a uni group booking and/or make the most of blood van visits to your campus.get ready to roll up your sleeve in 2018 to beat the record of 2393 donations in 2017! Get to know your VC rep and make a group booking to get ahead. During the year VC2018 will also host its bone marrow drive- educating and encouraging potential donors to be involved from in this other crucial Red Cross Blood Service program. Keep an eye out on your university s vampire cup Facebook page for further details. Finally, VC 2018 is proud to announce a new Donate Life campaign as part of its national donation campaign. Watch this space! 8

9 Amsa academy Want to learn more about medicine, outside of the classroom? Ever wondered about all of the exciting aspects of this field that aren t mentioned in your curriculum? If so, AMSA Academy is for you! Created for medical students, by other students in conjunction with expert guest lecturers, AMSA Academy is AMSA s online learning platform. Courses in global, sexual and mental health have been utilised over 500 subscribers in previous years, and are currently being re-vamped for the new year. Interested? Head to academy.amsa.org.au for more information! AMSA Queer Queer people face ongoing barriers to healthcare due to a lack of awareness of queer issues amongst clinicians, societal stigma and structural discrimination. In light of this, the Queer project was recently conceived to educate medical students on queer issues and create a supportive network for queer medical students across Australia, including platforms through which they can be involved in educating their peers. Mental health Student wellbeing and mental health is an AMSA national priority for The recent media spotlight on the mental health of doctors and medical students has reinforced the ongoing need to de-stigmatise, support and prevent mental illness for all our students.) The AMSA Mental Health Campaign (MHC) encourages individuals to share their personal stories and tips and strategies to keep well. The MHC 2018 will place a fresh focus on preventative mental health with the new Activ8 campaign launch underway at your medical school now. The campaign focuses on the 8 pillars of mental health: physical activity, eating, mindfulness, community and connection, sleep, sustainable environment, leisure and self. Check out the AMSA Mental Health Facebook page for ways to get involved, top tips, the latest research and inspiration to embrace the pillar of each month. During October we will relaunch the Humans of Medicine campaign - one of AMSAs most important campaigns which encourages students to share their personal struggles and/or experience of mental illness. Individual posts gain views in excess of per individual post, and go a long way to destigmatise mental illness in medicine. Keep an eye out for wellbeing/blue week on your campus this year brought to you by your MedSoc +AMSA, teaming up to improve mental health at your campus. Keep an eye out for the 2018 launch of the Queer national network for students, the release of an AMSA-first queer-specific education resource for medical students, and a series of LGBTIQ workshops for medical students in collaboration with the Ally network. Keep an eye out for updates on our website: amsa-queer-project 9

10 Events AMSA events are something special. Renowned for their unique blend of educational talks, social nights and leadership development, they are not to be missed! The events calendar kicks off in May with AMSA s premier academic event; the National Leadership Development Seminar (NLDS). NLDS brings together about 90 of Australia s future leaders, focusing on upskilling, leadership, advocacy and political engagement. Next up in early July we have the famed National Convention. Since its conception in 1960, Convention has grown to see over 1,200 students and become the largest student-run conference in the southern hemisphere. This week long event flawlessly blends together academics and social to help inspire all of Australia s medical students. In late August, we see AMSA s Global Health Conference come to life. This event hosts over 700 delegates and tackles the current issues we face. Focussing on innovation and equity in global health, learn what you can do to make a positive difference in the world. Finally, the Rural Health Summit helps draw the event calendar to a close. Scheduled for midlate September, it focusses on all things rural, with uniquely engaging speakers, workshops and networking opportunities is jam packed all these exciting opportunities and experiences. Make sure you don t miss out! 10

11 National Convention 58-YEAR TRADITION. 7 DAYS DELEGATES. Click here to watch the trailer! Where: Perth, Western Australia When: 2-8 July, 2018 How to attend: Online rego, April-May 2018 From July , Perth will be hosting the largest student run conference in the southern hemisphere. Convention is an event like no other, hosting over 1,200 medical student delegates from across Australia and New Zealand. It has a proud 58 year history and for many is the highlight of the medical student calendar. Over the week, students will enjoy a rewarding academic program that showcases everything both within and outside of medicine. Previous notable speakers have included Patch Adams, Catherine McGregor and Osher Günsberg. In addition, the week boasts an unforgettable social program, the emergency medical challenge, workshops, trade shows and much more! Perth Convention 2018 aspires for delegates to discover new parts of life and medicine. It provides a chance engage in important issues, meet incredible, like-minded people, and be inspired to leave a lasting positive impression on the field of medicine in Australia. Tickets sell fast so keep a look out for the official rego dates and guides, so see you on the other side!

12 Global Health Conference engage. inspire. empower. Click here to watch the trailer! The Global Health Conference (GHC) in 2018 is a unique platform for motivated and engaged future health leaders to come together to expand their knowledge in global health and learn how they can be agents for change. Previous speakers have included Nobel laureate Dr Peter Doherty; Dr Stewart Condon, president of Médecins Sans Frontières Australia and Julian Assange, founder of Wikileaks. The conference theme will be See the Spectrum ; it will invite delegates to consider issues facing global health through many different lenses, to broaden their own horizons by engaging with various disciplines and hear from voices that might otherwise struggle to be heard. GHC aims to inspire and empower you to make a real difference in both medicine and the wider community. It is an event like none other and is not to be missed! Where: Melbourne, Victoria When: August 2018 How to attend: Online rego, June-July

13 National Leadership Development Seminar The National Leadership Development Seminar (NLDS) is an annual leadership conference held in Australia s capital and has long been regarded as AMSA s most prestigious academic event. Delegates are uniquely engaged with medical, social, and political issues. The 2018 seminar will bring together 100 competitively selected delegates from across Australia to attend 4 days of practical and inspirational plenaries, workshops and networking sessions led by world class leaders. Previously NLDS has featured presentations from the Chair of the World Medical Association, the Governor-General of Australia and countless other exceptional leaders with a broad range of experience. NLDS provides a unique and intimate forum to discuss issues integral to health, education, politics and leadership, and is designed to shape the medical leaders of tomorrow, both in a professional and personal context. Where: Canberra, Australian Capital Territory When: May, 2018 How to attend: Applications will open late March- early April Rural Health Summit The AMSA Rural Health Summit (RHS) unites over 100 medical students from across the country with the common interest of rural health. As the newest addition to the AMSA event calendar, it has been growing rapidly and is quickly becoming an integral part of rural health initiatives. The Summit s program aims to motivate, empower and inspire students interested in rural health through keynote speakers, interactive breakout sessions, engaging panel discussions and much more. Previous guest speakers have included Dr Sally Butchers, Dr Philip Tideman and many more! The event also has a Cocktail Gala, which is a fantastic opportunity to rub shoulders with like minded delegates and alumni. The third annual Rural Health Summit will be held over a weekend in September Where: Albury, NSW When: Mid-late September 2018 How to attend: Online rego, August

14 AMSA publications is where you can stay informed, get extra resources, and showcase your works! Council AMSA Council convenes three times per year and brings together representatives from all Australian medical schools to discuss matters of importance. AMSA Council is open to medical students, in addition to their representatives, and generally lasts 3 days. It acts as a way for medical students to inform and direct the function of the Executive and sets the advocacy agenda. Council draws medical students from around the country, providing the opportunity to meet likeminded medical students and for medical societies to learn from each other. Moreso, it acts as a platform for updates of various arms of AMSA including advocacy, events, engagement and committees. Sign up to Embolus on your registration form for AMSA, and get our newsletter containing all you need to know about policy updates, advocacy successes, position callouts, event registrations and much more! Follow this link to sign up: Watch our for out Starting Med Guide which gives you some handy tips on how to get through your med degree. Keep your eyes peeled for Panacea, our bi-annual magazine showcasing creative writing, opinion articles, case reports, poetry, artworks, photography, and more, all written by medical students like you! It doesn t have to be medicine related, so get in touch or respond to one of our callouts. For later in your degree when you start thinking about work, we have the Internship Guide, updated each year to keep you in the loop with application processes and recommendations to make the whole process as smooth as possible. Council One for 2018 will be held in Sydney on the 23rd March to 25th March, and Council Two will be held in Perth on the 30th June to 2nd July with the dates and location for Council 3 still in the works. For more information keep an eye out on Facebook (facebook.com/youramsa) or for your AMSA rep s post or . If you are interested in attending, simply register when registration is open (and will stay open for a month or until capacity is reached) and have a chat with your AMSA rep if you have any questions! Publications 14

15 Committees Global Health AMSA Global Health is the peak representative body for medical students global health interests. We are AMSA s largest committee, comprising representatives from all of the universities global health groups. We aim to connect like-minded students from around the country to learn, advocate and inform others about the important public and global health issues facing us today. Our initiatives include action on the fair treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, climate change, sexual and reproductive health as well as the increasing burden of NCDs. We are also the Australian representatives at the International Federation of Medical Student Association (IFMSA) and offer international exchange opportunities as well. So whether it s learning more about global health, volunteering for national projects, taking part in our education and skill based sessions, understanding more about global health advocacy on the national or international level, or simply being involved with an amazing bunch of likeminded medical students, AMSA Global Health has you covered. For whatever your interests, AMSA Global Health is the place to be and we re keen to get you involved. AMSA Rural Health Committee is the peak representative body for ruralbackground students, rural clinical school students, and the rural health interests of medical students Australia wide. AMSA Rural Health supports and facilitates medical students engagement with rural health and advocates for students on rural issues. Throughout the year, the committee coordinates a series of national projects, campaigns, and publications. The Rural Health Summit (RHS) is AMSA Rural Health s premier event. In 2018, RHS will come to Albury, on the banks of the mighty Murray River. RHS showcases inspiring speakers and stimulates discussion, debate, and skillbuilding around all things rural health. If you re passionate about rural health and want to find out how you can get involved and make a difference, don t miss RHS18! AMSA Rural Health will also be at AMSA s other national events, including Convention and GHC, and would love to talk to you about our work and the issues important to you. Keep an eye out for AMSA Rural Health s annual magazine, FRONTIER, to find out the amazing places a rural placement can take you. We also welcome contributors if you d like to write for us about your rural experiences and passions. Be sure to follow us on Facebook ( youramsarural/) and Twitter (@youramsarural) to keep up to date with AMSA Rural in 2018! Rural Health So make sure to stay up to date via our monthly bulletins, our Facebook page as well as our regular publication of Vector. 15

16 International Students network As one of the committees within AMSA, the ISN serves as a powerful advocate for matters pertaining to international students in Australian medical schools. In Australia, 1 in 5 medical students are from overseas, and the ISN strives to represent every one of these students as effectively as possible. We provide a voice for international medical students, ensuring their concerns are heard by AMSA executives, as well as all levels of government and other relevant stakeholders. The goals that have been set out as foundations for the ISN include: 1. To advocate for all international medical students studying in Australia 2. To provide support for graduating international students seeking internship in Australia 3. To provide support for international students wishing to return home to complete internship 4. To assist graduating international students who are unable to attain an internship in Australia in finding employment alternatives 5. To connect current and future international medical students and to inform them of the issues currently facing international students in Australia Some of ISN s highlights in 2017 include negotiating with Minister Dutton s office to ensure all international graduates will have a visa to complete internship in Australia after the abolishment of the 457 visa. We updated AMSA s policy on international students, presented it and had it passed at AMSA council 3. We worked closely with AMSA Central, medical students councils in individual states and the Department of Health to maximize internship opportunities for international medical graduates. We also provided support to these graduates who didn t receive a round 1 job offer by keeping them informed of opportunities all around Australia. In addition, opposing the increase in medical student number and advocacy to certain specialist colleges for reappraisal of their eligibility criteria had also been on ISN s agenda. In 2018, the ISN will continue all our advocacy efforts. The ISN s vision for 2018 is for all the international medical students in Australia to form a community that encourages engagement in AMSA/ISN events, policy making and advocacy while fostering a culture of up-skilling. In the coming year, we also hope to grow our presence and engagement among our students, giving them a true representative voice on a national scale. If you are interested to join our fantastic team and represent international students at a national level, stay tuned for our recruitment announcements towards the end of the year! AMSA MedEd is here to enhance your medical education to help you become an exceptional clinician. MedEd strives to achieve this goal through our two divisions: Research and Resource. Med Ed s research division provides medical students from all walks of life with an invaluable experience to conduct research concerned with medical education in Australia. We will do the tedious work of finding you a supervisor and also assist you all the way along. All you have to do is send in a short research proposal to aswin. shanmugalingam@amsa.org.au to get started. We may also use the results from your research to assist your Medical Society and others advocate to fix and improve various issues in the delivery of medical education. Our impressive collection of student resources will not only broaden your clinical knowledge but also help you ace your next exam. We have a myriad range of resources from engaging videos for the audio-visual learners through AMSA Academy to well-structured succinct notes to those who prefer reading or for quick reference during ward rounds. You can also submit your own notes for other medical students to utilise and show-off all the pretty diagrams and smart mnemonics you have come up with. Visit for more details. AMSA Med Ed 16

17 National Executive Alex Farrel President Victoria Cook Vice president External Jessica Redmond Vice president Internal Jack Mackenzie Treasurer Cathryn Youings Secretary Ashley Bailey National Coordinator Vrushank Bakshi Events Coordinator Sarah Keenan Projects Coordinator Olivia Chang Engagement Officer Lucy Yang Publications and Design Officer Albert Kartawardana IT Officer Ryan Horn Sponsorship Officer Oliver Bogdanovski Sponsorship Officer Joel Selby Public Relations Officer Celest Dines-Muntaner Policy Officer 17

18 Amsa Representatives Johanna Long Kavinda Jinendradasa Jayde Frank Sarah MacArthur Jeigh Tiu Tez Stillerova Shaurya Jhamb Sarah Butler James Kimber George He Linna Huang Andrew Coulshed Jax Nguyen (Freemantle) Tammy Walters (Sydney) Tom Beynon Sarah Twomey Connor Duncan Liam Virtue Gerardo Arwi James Dudas Jack Ashley 18