News/Events

International Postgraduate Paediatric Certificate & Diploma in Child Health Information

The Children's Hospital Westmead and the Coppleson Committee at Continuing Medical Education, University of Sydney have released their June 2009 information regarding the International Postgraduate Pediatric Certificate & Diploma in Child Health.

Please download the PDF information packet and application form here.

Victor Coppleson CME Series Launched

The Medical Alumni Association (MAA) and the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education (OPME) launched the Victor Coppleson Continuing Medical Education Seminar series.

Over seventy people were welcomed by the Dean, Professor Bruce Robinson, Dr Paul Lancaster, President of the MAA, and Associate Professor Chris Roberts, Director of the OPME. Distinguished guests included Malcolm Coppleson representing the Coppleson Family.

Dr Paul Lancaster gave an illustrated talk about Victor Coppleson and his remarkable career.

Professor Ian Hickie Professor of Psychiatry, and Executive Director of the Brain & Mind Research Institute, gave the inugural lecture on the Mental Wealth of Nations.

Watch this space for future seminars.

Patient Safety Education - Where Are We At?

The Patient Safety Education Forum which was held on 9 March 2009 was a huge success for all involved. The Minister of Health, The Hon John Della Bosca opened this important seminar emphasising that ‘the importance of patient safety education and training is now centre stage’.

Key speakers from undergraduate, prevocational and vocational sectors, the Clinical Excellence Commission as well as the Medical Board discussed the level of current patient safety education as well as spoke of the challenges in this area.

Please follow the links to download the full programme and speaker’s bios. OPME is planning to host another national Patient Safety event next year. For those of you who are interested in attending this event please email to subscribe to our event mailing list.

2008 OPME Annual Report Released

The OPME has arisen out of an extensive restructuring of the Faculty of Medicine’s research and education enterprise. The unit was formally commissioned in March 2008. The goal of the OPME is to position the Faculty as a national leader in postgraduate medical educational research and development. It reflects a substantial investment by Faculty to ensure it has a major voice in a rapidly changing postgraduate education and training area. In eight months the OPME has developed a focussed strategic direction around four themes

• Research and Development; with expertise in teaching and learning and assessment, patient safety, and professionalism
  Continuing Professional Development for the medical and healthcare Workforce
• Consultancy in Curriculum and Program Design; locally and internationally
• Community Engagement; representing the values and commitment of the Faculty within the postgraduate education and training arena

The Annual Report 2008 can be found here

Review of Clinical Teaching Capacity – Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney

14 July 2008
There is concern that there will be a shortfall in the number of available and proficient academics to engage with teaching and learning in the University of Sydney Medical Program in the near future. This shortfall may arise because of the number of senior clinicians expected to retire within the next few years, the lack of junior academics and junior clinicians with teaching capacity within the Faculty, and the increasing demand on clinical teachers arising from the recent curriculum review. In particular there is also a noticeable lack of female academics and senior clinicians which needs to be addressed.

The Dean of Medicine has requested a review into the current academic profile of the Faculty and the future capacity within the clinical disciplines and in each clinical school to deliver the new medical curriculum. This review will identify such issues as current and future staffing gaps and requirements, including in the procedural disciplines. It will also provide information to generate recommendations on how we can build future teaching capacity in the Faculty, identify ways to increase the recruitment and up-skilling of junior academics, and improve the support provided to our academic staff.

Data will be collected via a questionnaire and interviews. The questionnaire is designed for academic and volunteer teachers and will record current and potential future clinical teaching activity. Interviews will be conducted with identified participants including the Associate Deans, Heads of Clinical Disciplines, senior staff in the Office of Medical Education, and other faculty including junior staff.

Project Steering committee: Prof Michael Kidd, Prof Ben Freedman, A/Prof Tessa Ho, Prof Louise Baur, and Prof Kathryn North
Project team: A/Prof Chris Roberts, A/Prof Jill Thistlethwaite, and Koshila Kumar from the Office of Postgraduate Medical Education
Project duration: May – Nov 2008

If you wish to find out more about please contact or