Medical Deans Projects
[MSOD] Medical Schools Outcomes Database and Longitudinal Tracking Project
INDIGENOUS HEALTH PROJECT
[LIME NETWORK] Leaders in Indigenous Health Network
[MEDED2009 CONFERENCE]
[STUDENT STATISTICS] Medical Deans National Student Statistcs information
INFECTIOUS DISEASES GUIDELINES
OVERSEAS ELECTIVES
Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand has a growing portfolio of projects, ranging from the Medical Schools Outcomes Database, to the curriculum framework in Indigenous health now adopted by all medical schools, and the biannual conference on medical education.
Most projects are overseen by a Working Group or a Steering Committee comprising Deans, medical schools staff and/or stakeholder representatives. The project working groups/steering committees are responsible for developing the project aims, goals and outcomes, and generally overseeing progress.
The Secretariat is responsible for providing project management and administrative support to the project working groups/steering committees and implementing the outcomes where appropriate.
Several of our projects attract Commonwealth funding and employ full-time project staff.
Summaries of some of Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand major projects are below:
In 2002 Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand (Medical Deans), formally the Committee of Deans of Australian Medical Schools (CDAMS) partnered with the Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) in the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) to establish and implement the CDAMS Indigenous Health Curriculum Development Project, later referred to as the Medical Deans’ Indigenous Health Project.
The Indigenous Health Project was hosted by Onemda VicHealth Koori Health Unit at the University of Melbourne and consisted of two phases.
Phase One
The major aim in phase one was to develop a nationally agreed curriculum framework for the inclusion of Indigenous health into core medical curricula.
Outcomes included:
A national audit of medical schools: To assess existing Indigenous health content in curricula and its delivery context. A National Audit and Consultation Report was published in August 2004 and used to inform the national curriculum workshop where the issues implicit in developing an Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework were considered. Hard copies of the Audit document and the curriculum framework are available from: Medical Deans’ Secretariat Phone: +61 2 9036 3363; Email: admin@medicaldeans.org.au.
Development of the CDAMS (now Medical Deans) Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework: Consisting of a number of guiding principles, suggested subject areas and key student attributes; ten key pedagogical principles which enunciate the basic approaches most likely to produce successful content and contexts for learning; delivery and assessment guidelines, suggested processes for curriculum development and resources. and capacity most likely to produce success.
As each Medical School has a unique pedagogical and curriculum approach, the framework was developed as a flexible guideline that could be used to contribute to the meaningful learning experiences of students and staff.
Establishment of a preliminary network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous medical educators: To lead and encourage curriculum implementation. This network is now referred to as the Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME) Network. A discussion paper on the LIME Network was developed as a means to stimulate further development and eventual implementation of a sustainable network of medical educators.
Phase Two
Phase two of the project commenced in July 2004 and aimed to consolidate the linkages that had developed in phase one into a sustainable, functional and effective network of medical educators and to further develop and implement Indigenous health content in medical curricula, using the Curriculum Framework as a guide. Outcomes included:
Endorsement and accreditation of the Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework:
All Deans of Medicine formally endorsed the Curriculum Framework and it was included as part of the accreditation guidelines of the Australian Medical Council (AMC). This means that all Schools are required to report on the implementation of the Curriculum Framework as part of their regular accreditation requirements.
Development and trial of the Critical Reflection Tool (CRT): an internal quality review process to support medical schools in ensuring the quality and effectiveness of their Indigenous health curriculum and Indigenous student support initiatives.
Facilitation of Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) / Medical Deans’ Agreement for Collaboration: through which AIDA completed an audit of Medical Schools to assess their Indigenous medical recruitment and retention approaches.
Development of vertical integration of Indigenous health curricula with the Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils (CPMEC): building on and adopting the approach of the CDAMS (Medical Deans) Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework in their development of a national approach to generate postgraduate medical curricula.
Collaboration with the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA): to develop an implementation strategy for AIDA’s Healthy Futures Report which recommends best practice for the recruitment, retention and support of Indigenous students in medicine.
Establishment of the LIME Network: formalised at its inaugural conference ‘The LIME Connection’ in Fremantle, June 2005 and convened again at the LIME Connection II in Sydney in 2007. See: The Statement of Outcomes and Intent
Launch of the LIME Network Website: an online resource established to promote LIME Network membership and to provide resources and share information about quality and effectiveness in Indigenous health curriculum development. The website also provides information about the LIME Connection proceedings and registration.
The Medical Deans Indigenous Health Project was completed in 2007. However, the LIME network became a stand alone project forming part of the broader Medical Deans “Closing the Gap” program, and has secured three years funding from the DoHA until 2011.
The 'Closing the Gap' program aims to create a forward agenda for the Medical Deans in line with the government's commitment to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and provide health equality for Indigenous Australians
Over the next three years the LIME Network Project will seek to establish a continuing national presence that encourages and supports collaboration within and between medical schools in Australia and New Zealand to support the development, delivery and evaluation of quality Indigenous health content in medical education with the aid of the Medical Deans Indigenous Health Curriculum Framework and the Critical Reflection Tool. It also seeks to build multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral linkages to provide quality review, professional development, capacity building and advocacy function.
The LIME Network Project will convene LIME Connection III in late 2009.
Following an Expression of Interest call, the Onemda Koori Health Unit, University of Melbourne has been contracted to host the LIME National Project for Medical Deans.
In 2001 Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand brought together experts in infectious diseases from each medical school to develop and publish a set of guidelines for medical schools policies. The guidelines provide direction to medical schools in the development, implementation and review of their infectious diseases policies and programs. Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand’ “guidelines for infectious diseases policies and programs for medical students” document can be read as a best practice standards and allow medical schools the flexibility to adapt and or implement them in accordance with their own existing policies and programs in the development of new programs.
Medical schools have a responsibility to develop and implement a thorough infectious diseases policies and programs. The National Health and Medical Research Council, the Australian Medical Association and the Australian Medical Students Association have developed a series of broad policies regarding the screening, immunization and management of infectious diseases and blood-borne viruses. The Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand guidelines are in accordance with the NHMRC, AMA and AMSA policies but are targeted specifically at medical students. The Australian Medical Council has endorsed the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand guidelines in neck either lines for assessment and accreditation of medical schools.
Guidelines for Infectious Diseases Policies and Programs for Medical Students
In 2003, Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand convened a one-day workshop bringing together staff responsible are implementing or overseeing the medical schools overseas electives programs for students. The workshop participants develop the framework for what will soon be the full set of guidelines for overseas electives policies and programs.
The general principles of the guidelines include;
- Encouraging information sharing and communication amongst medical schools at a national level.
- Collecting and maintaining accurate and up-to-date resource at an institutional level facilitating informed decision-making, maintenance of the highest standards of cultural respect.
- Insuring national and international placements should be intellectually stimulating and culturally enriching, and
- Finally insuring medical students should not lower their standards either ethically or clinically.
| 