Fiona Stanley Accreditation Visit
Associate Professor Alison Jones was invited by the Postgraduate Medical Council of Western Australia to be an external member of the accreditation team, for the new Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth. Accreditation was for prevocational training - interns and postgraduate year 2 positions. The visit was a fascinating opportunity to see how a new hospital takes shape and to understand the amount of planning involved for junior doctor training. An impressive amount of work goes into these accreditation visits and it is amplified significantly when focusing on a new hospital. Alison was given a tour of the new buildings including the Statewide Rehabilitation Centre and spoke with clinicians appointed to leadership positions in the new facility. 

"This was an invaluable opportunity to think about the developments in South Australia, including the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and how we work in partnership to support them with preparation for accreditation" - A/Prof Alison Jones


A/Prof Alison Jones and Dr John Keenan - Deputy Director Clinical Services & Medical Accreditation Lead

SA Health Young Professionals Group
Are you a member of the SA Health Young Professionals Group? The Young Professionals Group (YPG) has members from across SA Health, is free and is open to all SA Health young professionals aged 35 years and under, including junior doctors and other health professionals. YPG members gain access to:

• Professional and leadership development opportunities
• Subsidised and free training, as well as scholarship opportunities
• Opportunities to develop contacts and greater understanding of other SA Health areas
• High profile annual events including the opportunity to network and hear from executive staff
• The quarterly newsletter
• Regular social events

'I wish I was taught this at the beginning of my medical career'

The Professional Development Program for Registrars (PDPR) challenges traditional expectations about how doctors should acquire essential non-clinical skills. Since 2006 nearly 200 registrars have participated in the PDPR program in South Australia. SA MET recently undertook an evaluation of the program using participants responses to workshops and semi-structured interviews with a group of past workshop participants. The results show that this program’s intensive two-day workshops are rated highly by participants and provide skills and knowledge that can be used immediately, together with long term strategies for career development.  A full evaluation report will is available on the SA MET website.

Two Minutes with... Sally Tideman

Dr Sally Tideman is the State Medical Director at DonateLife SA and Director Medical Services (DMS) at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH).

The highlight of my career...  Working seven years in the Northern Territory. Two of these years as a District Medical Officer for East Arnhem Land at Nhulunbuy. Responsibilities included medical officer duties at the Gove District Hospital and providing general practice services to remote indigenous communities. My ‘home’ community was Gapuwiak and when on call I was to provide retrieval services across the East Arnhem Land area including Galiwinku, Milingimbi, Maningrida and Groote Island. My role as Director of Medical Services (DMS) at TQEH and role as State Medical Director at DonateLife SA are also both highlights. I work with medical, nursing and allied health staff, ensuring we provide the best possible care for our patients and their families.

The biggest challenge in my career...  In my clinical career it has been being on call in East Arnhem Land and flying out at night to retrieve critically ill patients. This included circling in the air whilst the community lit the kerosene lamps along the runway for the retrieval plane to land! The challenge in my medical management career is ongoing - working with staff to facilitate the building, maintenance of good relationships and the providing best teamwork possible.
 
The most useful advice I have for a new doctor is...  Immerse yourself in the clinical world. Listen, see and do as much as you can in your early years. Take the risk to ‘go the extra mile’. 

Most significant change in medical education... I'm not an expert in medical education but from talking with colleagues and managing services, one of the most significant challenges is the rapid pace of change in clinical service delivery in tertiary hospitals. The need for training across multiple sites demands high levels of flexibility and coordination.

My tip for medical educators...  Medical staff in training have great energy, enthusiasm and ideas – harness it. In addition, the rich and enduring training opportunities are with patients in environments where there is time to listen and reflect.

In my spare time I... Enjoy time with my family, being active outdoors and the natural environment. If I ever have any spare ’spare’ time I love to read!