rhino ramblings semester one

RHINO Ramblings: Semester 1 May 2011

In this Issue:

• The Run down on this Semesters Events

including: Skills Night, Joint Rural Health Club Weekend, NHRSN Perth Trip and lots more.

• Upcoming Events & How you can get

involved! • Meet the Exec and Faculty Reps for 2011!

RHINO Ramblings May 2011

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1. About RHINO……………………………………. 3 2. Contacting RHINO……………………………….3 3. From the Editor………………………………......3 4. Presidentʼs Report……………………………….4 5. Meet the Exec……………………………………5 6. Know your discipline Reps……………………...6 7. Past Events……………………………………….7 8. How to Get Involved……………………………11 9. Upcoming Events………………………………13 10. Placement Stories……………………………...14


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Club RHINO is the James Cook Universityʼs student rural health club. Founded in 2000, it aims to promote rural health issues and opportunities within the all health disciplines of the university. RHINO provides numerous rewarding activities for its members that are both fun and educational. These include trips away to rural locations around North Queensland, guest speakers from around Australia and the world, skills nights, social events, conference attendance and lots more!

Welcome to the first instalment of the RHINO Ramblings for 2011! Over the year these newsletters will keep you up to date with rural health issues, the latest upcoming events in RHINO, the low-down on our past events and plenty of information about how to get involved! This year started of with numerous opportunities for new members to sign on in both Cairns and Townsville. Our barbeques and members-launch party had great success, particularly in growing our interdisciplinary membership. Now running out of both Cairns and Townsville campuses, the calendar has been busier than ever. Our NRHSN representatives have flow to Perth, we have already hosted a skills night and some of our members have been to Atherton for the Joint Rural Health Club Weekend. This instalment, with its new layout, includes details about all these past happenings, upcoming events, how to get involved and heaps more – enjoy!

– Ben Dickson Ramblings Editor

RHINO Publications Officer

Club RHINO School of Medicine and Dentistry James Cook University TOWNSVILLE QLD, 4811. Phone: (07) 4781 4712 http://www.clubRHINO.org.au If you have any questions, please contact your RHINO Discipline Representative (see later for details)

Join Us on Facebook! Just search: Club RHINO or click the Facebook logo.


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While on placement out in Theodore Iʼd often have to drive long distances to visit patients I was seeing or to get back to the cattle property where I was staying. Unlike major cities, in this small town of 600 odd people there are very few road signs and most roads are dirt. Directions from the locals go something like this: “past the big old tree on the left, drive 4 kʼs south, cross the gully, then another 2 kʼs until your turn right by the old crooked tree opposite the rusty petrol barrel”. While it took a bit of getting used to the system worked quite well and you could feel safe in the knowledge that a friendly face wasnʼt too far away if you got lost or hit a roo. Taking the lead from the good people of Theodore, the RHINO Road Map was born (see picture) While there have been the occasional hair-pin turn, windy passages and steep hills, I couldnʼt be happier with the way the RHINO team has come together this year. It has been an absolute privilege working alongside such a motivated, dedicated and organized bunch of folk.

Highlights so far in 2011 have been the inaugural Members Launch Party – how could it not have been a raging success with a slogan like “save a horse, ride a rhino”; MD skills night selling out in under 10 minutes; the massive rhino Nicole made for Cairns; presenting Fran from Health Workforce Queensland with her very own rhino and hosting the Joint Rural Health Club Weekend in our neck of the woods, to name a few. Projects for the rest of the year include developing the Cairns portfolio, exploring sponsorship options and continuing to raise the profile and membership numbers in non-medicine disciplines. On a final note and because I can – Club RHINO is always on the lookout for interested volunteers so if you are keen about rural health and would like to help out drop me a line at [email protected]

– Ebonney Jackson RHINO President


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President Ebonney Jackson Med IV From Kingaroy, QLD [email protected]

Treasurer Mark Davidson Med III From Toronto, Canada [email protected]

Vice–President (Townville) Surabhi Khosla Med III From Brisbane, QLD [email protected]

Vice–President (Cairns) Corbin Barry Dentistry III From Cairns, QLD [email protected]

Secretary (Townsville) Kate Laffey Speech Path. II From Charters Towers, QLD [email protected]

Secretary (Cairns) Nicole Milham Dentistry III From Cairns, QLD [email protected]

Senior NRHSN Representative Jerry Abraham Alex Med III From Shepparton, VIC [email protected]

Junior NRHSN Representative Sigrid Theodore Med II From Ingham, QLD [email protected]

Publications Officer, Ramblings Editor Ben Dickson Med II From Sydney, NSW [email protected]

Indigenous Affairs Representative Ravi Widanapathirana. Med III From Rockhampton, QLD [email protected]

Sponsorship Officer Lindsey Ziegler Pharmacy II From Regina, Canada [email protected]

Membership Officer Jaimie Aslanidis Med III From Sydney, NSW [email protected]

RDAQ Representative Keith Hall Med V From Longreach, QLD [email protected]


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Medicine Representative (Townsville) Nicole Leather Med II From Bundaberg, QLD [email protected]

Medicine Representative (Cairns) Lachlan Gordon Med VI From Cairns, QLD [email protected]

Dentistry Representative (Cairns) Olivia Neate Dentistry II From Cairns, QLD [email protected]

Dentistry Representative (Cairns) Raje Manickam Dentistry II From Townsville, QLD [email protected]

Occupational Therapy Representative Lucy Seiler OT III From Boondooma, QLD [email protected]

Pharmacy Representative Morgan Groves Pharmacy III From Townsville, QLD [email protected]

Speech Pathology Representative Laura Maltby Speech Path. II From Bendigo, VIC [email protected]

Speech Pathology Representative Carly Davis Speech Path. II From Ayr [email protected]

Nursing Representative Christine Conyers Nursing/Midwifery II From Melbourne, VIC [email protected]

WE WANT YOU! We are still looking for representatives for:

• Physiotherapy • Sport and Exercise Science • Psychology

To apply, email Ebonney Jackson: [email protected]


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TOWNSVILLE

Townsville Sign-‐Up BBQs To kick off the year at the JCU Townsville Campus we held 2 RHINO information stalls – one at O-week and another the first week back. At these stalls we let prospective members know what our club is all about, gave out merchandise and information packs and invited students to our future events such as the Members Launch Party and Skills Night. We also provided a “sign-up sheet” and had about 160 students from a range of health disciplines express an interest in joining. So overall, the stalls were a pretty successful endeavour!

– Morgan Groves Pharmacy Representative

Members Launch Party Ready, set, SAFARI. On the 3rd March 2011, RHINO held their annual Memberʼs Launch Party. In the past this event was held on campus in a sectioned off grassy area, however change was in the air with The Riverview Tavern being chosen as the fateful venue. Over 90 people attended the party dressed in safari attire with prizes for best dressed going to Ravi Widanapathirana and Lauren Fowke. The highlight of the night was undoubtedly playing the game ʻfind your matching diseaseʼ. As each person entered the party they received a card with a disease written on it. The aim of the game was to find a person with the matching disease (there were limited matching pairs). Towards the end of the night, those who found their pair got to play a game of Knights, Mounds and Cavaliers with the last remaining pair receiving prizes. The $30 bookshop voucher (lucky door prize) went to Jenna Horswood who was ecstatic “to finally win something”.

Overall, everyone who attended the event had a really great time and a big thank you must go to Morgan Groves, Ebonney Jackson and Riverview Tavern who made the event possible.

– Kate Laffey RHINO Secretary

Rhino Members enjoying the members launch party

Simon Baker-Jones, Tim Bussoletti, Veral Vishnoi and Ben Dickson in their Safari Costumes.


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The Joint Rural Health Club Weekend:

Atherton Tablelands This years Joint Rural health club weekend was held in Atherton. RHINO sent a delegation of 16 students from degrees such as speech pathology, physiotherapy and medicine. In Atherton, they were joined by health clubs from other universities such as Bond, UQ and Griffith. The weekend was jam packed with a brilliant academic and social program. The academic program was highlighted by workshops on advanced cardiac life support and toxic envenomation run by QAS. There were also workshops on suturing, pallative care, stroke rehabilitation and mental health run by various Queensland Health agencies. These workshops were highly engaging and informative for all disciplines and year levels. The social program began the afternoon we arrived and carried on late into the evening with a bonfire on the edge of lake Tinaroo. After an afternoon of sightseeing around the tablelands, the second night was even more eventful with a mafia themed dinner at athertonʼs famous Nickʼs Swiss Italian Restaurant. The evening was hilarious and meeting with locals at the restaurant really showcased how close-knit and friendly rural communities are. In summary the weekend was a great success and a good time had by all. I would strongly encourage anyone to apply for the weekend next year.

– Simon Baker-Jones RHINO Member

Swimming at the Waterfall of Paronella Park

Learning about Advanced Cardiac Life Support

Swimming at the beautiful Lake Eacham

(Top and Right) RHINO Members on the Trip


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Semester 1 Rural High School Visits First stop Cook Town Cook Town School was a great first school to start with as the school went though from primary to year 12. The school was gracious and allowed us to talk to years 9, 10, 11 and 12. We presented in the Drama facilities that had ample room and equipment for our needs. The presentation itself went off with no problems with each of us (Christie, Mark, Ebony and I) taking turns presenting the slides we were comfortable with. Afterwards we divided the group into 4 smaller groups to perform to skills session. The students were wonderful and really got into all the activities. I believe that the hand washing (with UV light) and blood pressure were the most popular. The students also asked many question about a wide range of health professions which was great to see.

The RHINO Team in Cooktown

Mark Davidson demonstrating Second Stop Yarrabah Yarrabah is an aboriginal community with a separate high school and primary school. The High school only goes until year 10. Unfortunately we were unaware of this until just before the presentation. As a team (now with Mitchell as well), we redesigned our presentation to be relative for students who were still several year away for thinking about what jobs they were going to pursue. This meant talking more about things they could do now to open as many doors as possible while still talking about the benefits of choosing careers in health. It worked well resulting in the school requesting we stay a little bit longer to talk to the year 9 and 8s as well. I think with background information on the school and its students or advance notice so we could have done some prior research, we would have better equipped for a presentation to this school.

Yarrabah High School


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Last Stop Djarragun Djarragun is the next closest school to Yarrabah and as we discovered, is where the student from Yarrabah who wish to complete year 12 go. Unfortunately many of the interested students couldn't attend our presentation as they were required in another session. We presented to six very interested students and had two lecturers from the TAFE sit in as well. The students we presented to were completing a nursing certificate though the TAFE and were very interested in choosing a careers in health after school. Seeing as we had a small group, we managed to do all the skills session (blood pressure, Reflexes, and strength measuring) as well as plastering, which I believed we enjoyed as much as the students.

We also networked with the TAFE lecturers (Cindy Pope and Kym Chapman), who were both ex nurses, voiced their interest in helping education students in the wide range of health careers available. They were supplied with the same resources as the schools we have been visiting. As they have a large number of Indigenous students they advised us that they would use the videos in their orientation for students to assist in shown them options and support available in health career due in and after studying. Kym Chapman also inquired about receiving any updates of the resource over time so they may stay involved over the years.

I believe I speak for my fellow team members as well as myself when I say that this trip developed our team working and leadership skills as well as our networking. For example, while in Cook Town we visited the local health facilities. The Doctors were kind enough to give us a tour and explain their role in the local community as well as the surrounding aboriginal communities. We also walked though some case studies detailing the support from the regional and metropolitan hospitals. After which we got to ask about their experience and challenges with working rural. The trip was a great experience with lots of support from Deb while we were on the road. Areas for improvement would be, having some back ground information on the school and community prior to going so we can target the needs of the students and be equipped to advise them on support available to them if they pursue a health career. On behalf of Mark (Med3), Christie (2rd year nursing/midwifery), Ebony (1st year nursing/midwifery), Mitchell (2rd year sport and exercise science) and myself, Iʼd like to say thank you to Health Careers in the Bush, RHINO and JCU for the opportunity to undertake such a rewarding experience!

– Desiree Taylor RHINO Member

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NRHSN Conference: Perth The 11th National Rural Health Conference was held in Perth, Western Australia, on the 13-16 March, 2011. James Cook University and Club RHINO were represented by a selection of staff and students. Recommendations and innovative ideas to secure the future advancement of health services in rural and remote Australia were discussed. The informative and intriguing keynote speakers; interactive panel sessions; and meet and greet activities allowed for a highly engaging conference. Highlights included a themed conference dinner, sponsored by the Hesta Super Fund; morning walks and exercise activities conducted by the Heart Foundation; and sensational performances from local talent groups. The conference enabled attendees to meet and mingle with health professionals, and university staff and students. This biannual conference will next be held in Adelaide, 2013.

– Sigrid Theodore Junior NRHSN Representative

Multi-‐Disciplinary Skills Night In April, Club RHINO held a multidisciplinary skills night. Our skills night gives students the opportunity to learn clinical skills and to network with other students and personnel from a variety of the health disciplines. The night began with an Indigenous guest speaker to introduce matters concerning the Indigenous population, followed by four skills stations. The stations consisted of cannulation, sports strapping, plastering and trauma management. It was a successful night with over 20 allied health and 20 medical students attending. Special thanks go to Surabhi Khosla and her team of students who organised and kept the event running smoothly.

– Nicole Leather Medicine Representative

WANT TO GET MORE INVOLVED IN RHINO?

• Become a Member: To become a member of RHNO click here Note: RHINO Membership is now online, so even if your already a member, you still need to sign up online.

• Join a Sub-‐Committee: If you would like to help organise upcoming events, simply email our President: Ebonney Jackson, to find out how you can become involved. [email protected]

• Apply for a Position: Elections for positions each year run early in semester one – so look out for emails around then. We are still looking foce discipline representatives for Physiotherapy, Sport and Ex. and psychology. To apply email: Ebonney (see above for email)

• Attend an Event: RHINO always has upcoming events, so stay on the lookout for emails and posters around your faculty! For the upcoming events at the moment, see the upcoming events section.


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CAIRNS

Cairns Meet & Greet BBQ The Cairns Club RHINO Meet and Greet BBQ held in week one was a huge success. After handing out flyers and lecture bashing, the attendance numbers was quite astonishing, where we gave out over 70 sausages and bread in just under 20 minutes! (Of course, the hungry Medʼ students took quite a large quantity of these) Nonetheless, there were also students from the other health faculties that attended and got to meet with the existing RHINO Cairns members. Students from Dentistry, Nursing, Sports and Exercise Science and Psychology were present, as well as a number of faculty staff. Personally, I feel the event was most successful with regards to the networking and future contacts we obtained at the event. Students got the opportunity to understand what RHINO is all about and as a result, we obtained over 58 email addresses expressing interest in RHINO, as well as 8 students paid for membership and signed up on the day! Overall, I think everyone had a lot of fun. The music was great, the sausages were being gobbled up, and the RHINO team members were all extremely helpful. Special thanks to Corbin Barry, Nicole Milham, Raje Manickam, Ellen Clarke, Matt Moore, Daniel Evans and all the other RHINO students who helped out on the day, I could not have done it without you!

– Olivia Neate Dentistry Representative

Olivia Neate and Corbin Barry at the RHINO Stall.

The hungry crowds at the Cairns Meet and Greet.


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RDAQ Conference The RDAQ conference is held every year and is an integral part of the rural heal calendar. Comprising of speakers from around the country, workshops and tutorials as well as networking functions and social events, the conference aims to increase communication between the policy makers of the RDAQ and those doctors who are involved in rural practice. From what I have heard, the management committee last year put on an excellent event and people found it very useful and enjoyable. The doctors and students who attend are not always those who work or even have worked rurally. Having and interest and passion in rural health is all that is needed and that is what the conference is designed to stimulate and support. JCU and three other rural health clubs from Qld will be attending along with doctors and the RDAQ committee. There will be a full report on the outcomes of the conference so keep an eye open for this in Rhino Ramblings later in the year.

– Keith Hall RDAQ Student Rep

INDIGENOUS EVENTS Club RHINO is dedicated to awareness of Indigenous Health, and what better way to do this than to understand and celebrate the rich culture of Indigenous Australia.

– Ravi Widanapathirana Indigenous Affairs Representative

Laura Dance Festival Held on the weekend of June 17th – 19th in the town of Laura, situated five hours north west of Cairns, is the biennial Laura Dance Festival. A very successful and celebrated event, the Laura Dance Festival showcases some of the best displays of Indigenous culture in Australia, with exhibitions of traditional dance, song and ceremony for all ages. It is an alcohol-free event, and participants camp at the local grounds, and truly feel part of the experience. Other displays at Laura include workshops on healthy lifestyles, employment and education, and in the surrounding region is a national park and magnificent rock art. This is an event not to be missed, and a wonderful opportunity to understand and experience one of the world's oldest cultures. An email with further information about being part of JCU's trip to Laura will be sent out in early May.

Vibe Alive An annual event, the Vibe Alive festival is an opportunity for teams of young Australians of all backgrounds to express their talents in sports and the arts, and be part of a friendly competition to net them some great prizes too! Held over two days, June 1 – 2, Vibe Alive has been an event taking place in various locations across the country, with this year's locations being Bendigo, Kalgoorlie and Townsville. Stalls during the festival also include those targeting career options, literacy and numeracy and promotion of Indigenous culture. There are also chances for youth to meet great role models, who inspire and provide guidance. An email will be sent out to students in the middle of May about Vibe Alive.

Are You an Online Member Yet? RHINO has recently moved its membership database online. So even if you became a member is previous years, you will still have to sign up online to stay part of RHINO. Just Click Here, or follow the prompts on our website. Http://www.clubrhino.org.au


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A Norwegian Winter In early 2011, I had the privilege to travel to Northern Norway for my Year-2 Rural rotation, which was an incredible experience. It took me 40 hours to get there by plane with 3 stopovers and certainly longer to adjust to the couple of hours of daylight a day with the coldest temperatures I have experienced. It all felt like a fairy wonderland with snow-covered houses, roads and trees and beautiful landscapes. I was fascinated about the Norwegain language and how it was absolutely different to English. I was amazed to find out that the majority of patients preferred to communicate in Norwegain about their health problems as it was easier to express their concerns. At first, it seemed impossible to understand what they were saying but eventually by the end of the week I could read their body language and emotional expressions to judge the diagnosis. Also, I got to witness the Northern lights in Finnsnes skies one week. It was the most spectacular thing I have ever seen and it made me realize how peaceful and tranquilizing their effect was. I also had a novel experience of ice-fishing and snowing swimming on a weekend I spent at a Norwegian cottage in the mountains.

This placement was more than just a clinical and rural health experience for me. It was a period of self-actualization, reflection and preparation for the coming years. I started my placement with great anticipation of travelling a thousand miles to the land of reindeers and the magical northern lights. It was magical when I witnessed the above. However, what struck me the most was the warmth in the hospitality and the welcome I received in a place so cold. From Dr Chaboud and the staff at Finnsnes to Dr Baadness at the University and the medical students, the humility of the Norwegains shone through. I felt safe, secure and in very experienced hands that guided me through the process of settling in a foreign land. At work, I gradually picked up the vast similarities and the distinguishing features between GP practices back home and in rural Norway. I admired the advances in rural medicine in Norway and also reflected on the drawbacks that they faced due to their geographical placement. As I settled into the atmosphere, I begun missing the people close to my heart back in Australia and my thoughts were occupied with the news of cyclone Yasi. This was the time when I wanted to return home and felt homesick. But as the storm passed and I started to prepare for my way back home, I felt sorrow of leaving behind a wonderful place where I learnt medicine, culture and reticence. Despite the language barrier and the constant literal darkness around me, I hold close to my heart the memories of an enriching rural placement that has revised my views and attitude towards life and medicine as a career.

– Surabhi Khosla RHINO Vice-President (Townsville)


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Reflections on Weipa Weipa is a place where time is inconsequential and the atmosphere seems languid. In the wet season, whilst the torrential downpour restricts far-flung travel due to flooded roads, watching the spectacular electrical display of lightning and hearing the rumble of thunder through the sporadic monsoonal rains is truly magical. What began as a mandatory placement in a very remote location during the wet season has become for me a delight and an inspiration. It has awakened a desire within me, to strive towards becoming a rural GP with a true passion towards serving a community that needs it. This placement presented me with the rare privilege of acquainting myself with two local elders – Aunty Thankupi, who is an indigenous artist of national prominence and Aunty Suzy, who is the most senior elder in the region around Mapoon. My acquaintance with numerous doctors and allied health staff at Weipa has highlighted to me the significance of catching sight of the bigger ʻcommunityʼ picture. I also witnessed firsthand quite frequently the vast extent of knowledge and skills possessed by GPs. I was able to practice suturing, cannulation and venepuncture on numerous patients and also carry out quite a lot of history taking and vital signs. The ambulance crew took me out on several of their call outs, and I volunteered to do one night shift every week. Needless to say, it helped me gain insight into the impact of informal community networks and local knowledge on the efficiency of the work of the health workers at the front-line of medical response. As part of working alongside the doctors, I was able to lance lesions, drain and clean wounds, do some plastering, perform biopsies, carry out general inspections, and gain an appreciation for teamwork in a rural setting with limited resources.

Although the dust has settled and Iʼm back home in the comfort of the lazy chair, I still reminisce about my time in Weipa. It was awesome – an experience that I will value for years to come.

– Jerry Abraham Alex Senior NRHSN Representative

Share Your Story! Have you been on a recent rural placement, in or outside of Australia? If so, why not share your stories and photos with the RHINO community, and have it published in the next edition of the RHINO Ramblings! Just Email Ben Dickson [email protected]

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