Inaugural CAHS Aboriginal Child Health Immersion Program
Participants in the inaugural CAHS Aboriginal Child Health Immersion Program
08/02/2023
From January 16–20, CAHS extended a very warm welcome to 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student doctors taking part in the inaugural CAHS Aboriginal Child Health Immersion program.
This extra-curricular week of face-to-face learning provided an in-depth introduction to Aboriginal child health, with clinical placements, tutorials, mentoring, reflective supervision, student networking opportunities and meetings with senior CAHS staff.
Whilst busy meeting the CAHS team, a number of students were also meeting each other for the first time, coming from different year groups across all three local medical schools. They were highly engaged and enthusiastic - two students even managed to cross the flooded Kimberley to arrive in time!
Departments involved in hosting and teaching students were Koorliny Moort, General Paediatrics, Cardiology, ENT, Infectious Diseases and Neonatology. Some of the individual highlights for students included attending deliveries at King Edward Memorial hospital and watching an ENT operation - the latter was described as the best way to learn anatomy! Another favourite was attending cardiac clinic and using virtual reality goggles to get a better understanding of cardiac pathology.
The program was also supported by a number of visiting speakers, including representatives from the Australian Indigenous Doctor’s Association, Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Notre Dame School of Medicine Aboriginal Health and University of Western Australian Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health. Members of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons were on hand to provide guidance on specialisation pathways after medical school. Students were financially assisted to attend with a grant from the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association whilst catering was provided by the RACP.
Student and staff feedback from the course was overwhelmingly positive. We hope this is the start of a long-term relationship with child health for each of these budding doctors.
The program will continue to run yearly and will accept returning and new applicants.
Whilst busy meeting the CAHS team, a number of students were also meeting each other for the first time, coming from different year groups across all three local medical schools. They were highly engaged and enthusiastic - two students even managed to cross the flooded Kimberley to arrive in time!
Departments involved in hosting and teaching students were Koorliny Moort, General Paediatrics, Cardiology, ENT, Infectious Diseases and Neonatology. Some of the individual highlights for students included attending deliveries at King Edward Memorial hospital and watching an ENT operation - the latter was described as the best way to learn anatomy! Another favourite was attending cardiac clinic and using virtual reality goggles to get a better understanding of cardiac pathology.
The program was also supported by a number of visiting speakers, including representatives from the Australian Indigenous Doctor’s Association, Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing, University of Notre Dame School of Medicine Aboriginal Health and University of Western Australian Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health. Members of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons were on hand to provide guidance on specialisation pathways after medical school. Students were financially assisted to attend with a grant from the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association whilst catering was provided by the RACP.
Student and staff feedback from the course was overwhelmingly positive. We hope this is the start of a long-term relationship with child health for each of these budding doctors.
The program will continue to run yearly and will accept returning and new applicants.
Last Updated:
08/02/2023