ELM NEWS

Welcome to the January 2015 ELM Newsletter

In this newsletter

Welcome to the start of the new ELM year
Friends of the Medical School function November 2014
Staff News 2015
Tutor Symposium 2015

Welcome back to all ELM staff and those who contribute their time to teaching in the first two years of the MB ChB programme. This year we will have nearly 600 ELM students enrolling and we will soon be welcoming them during the orientation week on 16 February. Welcome also to new staff who have joined departments in DSM or OSMS and will be teaching in ELM. The year is off to a busy start already with ELM special exams being conducted this week, and preparation under way for this year’s Tutor Orientation days on 12-13 February.

In this edition of the ELM Newsletter we acknowledge a number of staff members who are leaving the Faculty of Medicine and we thank them for their contribution over the years.

On behalf of the ELM Programme we look forward to working with everyone during another busy and exciting year.

Friends of the Medical School Function

In November last year, ELM staff and students gathered in the Hunter Centre to show their appreciation to the 'Friends of the Medical School' volunteers who share their stories and medical illness with the Year two and three students in small group interviews, home visits or clinical teaching every year.

The afternoon tea was attended by over 200 ‘Friends’ along with representatives from the agencies that students visit and carers who come in to be interviewed. All had an opportunity to speak with the students and staff, look at student work and view a clinical teaching room.

Following afternoon tea, we had speeches from the ELM Programme Director Associate Professor Grant Butt, Healthcare in the Community Convener Dr Hamish Wilson and OUMSA President Liz Berryman.

Georgina McArthur, HIC Year 3 Administrator.

Friends of the Medical School enjoying afternoon tea at the Hunter Centre

ELM Staff News:

2015 will see some major changes in ELM and Faculty of Medicine staffing. We are sorry to see the departure of some key personnel who have contributed enormously to the ELM Programme since its introduction in 2008. Tony Egan has decided to retire at the end of May after a long and much valued career supporting medical school staff and students during his role over the years as a Senior Teaching Fellow within the DSM and Faculty of Medicine. His input into the ELM Programme as Assessment Programme Coordinator has been crucial to the success of the Programme.

Sadly Sarah Jutel leaves us at the end of January to move to Fiji, where her husband has taken up an academic post. Sarah has had an outstanding administrative career within the Faculty, beginning as DSM OSCE Administrator, then taking on the role of part-time HIC Administrator in ELM, before her admin role supporting FASC and more recently being appointed as the MB ChB Assessment Manager. A function was held recently to say farewell to Sarah and we wish her and family all the very best for their future.

Associate Professor Geoff Cutfield will be stepping down from his role as Convenor of the Clinical Skills Programme Module in mid March. Geoff has been the Convenor of the programme for the past five years, a position held jointly with Helen Chignell as his Deputy. The programme has greatly improved over this period and recognition of this was the award of Best Programme by the OUMSA in 2014. Geoff plans to continue teaching as a tutor in ELM and looks forward to being able to spend more time with family

E-Cases

Steve Gallagher, who has been working part time for the Faculty as an e-Cases writer, has accepted a new role as e-Learning Facilitator in the Dunedin School of Medicine. Steve and colleague Judith Swan have been developing the e-Cases for incorporating into the Integrated Cases programme module with the assistance of both Faculty staff and local IT company ADInstruments. We have been fortunate to have had Steve's expertise and enthusiasm to drive the project over the past 12 months and wish him well in his new post.

Appointments

We are pleased to have appointed Dr Sarah Holborow as Lead Tutor in Clinical Skills, Year three. Sarah is a medical graduate from Otago and has taught previously in the ELM programme. She joins Dr Ruth Barnett, who is Lead Tutor again for Clinical Skills Year two this year. Lead tutors for HIC are again Stu Chambers and LIs Latta, while in Integrated Cases Aimee Ward (Year 3) and Julia Wilson (Year 2) are returning as their programme module Lead tutors.

Farewell function held for Sarah Jutel, MB ChB Assessment Manager, 21 January 2015

NOTICE: ELM TUTOR SYMPOSIUM:
12 &13 FEB 2015

Dear ELM tutors for 2015,

This is a reminder to sign-up for the 2015 Tutor Symposium. The Faculty of Medicine will conduct one symposium twice for tutors to attend prior to the beginning of classes. This year we are planning something slightly different so we are extending the time a bit. Our theme for this programme is creating inclusive learning communities. More details to follow.

Your choice to attend is either:

Thursday, February 12 or
Friday, February 13.

The day will begin with Coffee or Tea at 9:30am. Please come a bit early and order a complementary hot drink from the Hunter Café. Pick up your name tag and that is your ticket for free hot drink. Lunch will be also provided and we will finish by 3:00pm. This symposium is a great opportunity to meet and chat with colleagues tutoring in the same programme.

To register for the Symposium, please click on this link. Registration is for catering purposes.

It just takes a minute to sign up and you can put this event in your calendar.

It will be held in Room G30 a & b in The Hunter Centre.

With best wishes for a great year,
Tony

Anthony Barrett, PhD
Professional Practice Fellow/ Medical Education Adviser
anthony.barrett@otago.ac.nz

Students studying in the Anatomy Museum

Contributions welcome to philip.tilson@otago ac.nz