Ahoi there me heaaaaaarties! I hope ye all had a fine time last month and have partooketh in the jolly olde tradition of International Talk Like A Pirate Day! To be sure, to be sure, it has been far too many high tides since the UWSMS eMUWS docked at yer inboxes. Shiver me timbers a lot has happened since she last hit land! We had a right jolly time at Red Party with the rum flowin and the feet a tappin, and a fair bounty was raised in good cause. We pillaged the scurvey dogs aboard the other Medical vessels to claim glory at the battle of MSC. A band of brave buccaneers trod the boards at Med Revue and just weeks ago you chose a new crew to take the ropes of The Madness of the Western Seas! Already, the adventurous voyage for the year ahead has been mapped and Batten Down the Hatches we’re in for some exciting sailin!
Aye, tis been a great honor, to be yer cap’n this year and I must thank all hands on deck for getting aboard on all our adventures! A ship is only as fierce as it’s crew, and no man alive could aaarrrrsk for better than mine! Fair winds me hearties in the rough and testing seas ahead, and may Davy Jones look over yer until we meet again my friend, to share a rum at Medball’s End.
-Sean "Scurvy" Williams
In this edition:
 o Med Ball tickets on sale!
o Survey Results feedback
o 2nd Year feedback session
o Leadership Development Seminar
o UWSMS Handover
o Medsoc Room acquired!
o Sports Day Report
o Med Revue
o Red Party
o IFMSA conference
o PharmaPhacts
Medball Tickets on Sale
The premier social event of the UWSMS calendar is fast approaching! The third annual UWSMS Medical Ball is set to be bigger than ever before with three years of elegant and dashing UWS Meddies getting their party on to celebrate the year that’s been with the friends that made it. Tickets include all food and alcohol and are ON SALE NOW, don’t miss out!
The beautiful Menangle House just 10 minutes by carriage to get there, it is sure to be a classy affair, for a while. Will you meet a mysterious masked man? Did you catch her eye, or was that a sequin? The phantom of the opera sings as Zorro parries, Batman swoops as bank robbers scurry. Masks abound in a sea of formality, the night dissolves in a Venetian reality. What beauty hides behind that mask, more importantly, will you be there to ask?
Medsoc Feedback Survey
Thankyou to all those who responded to the Medsoc Feedback Survey that was online last week. Your well-considered responses are invaluable in helping us to reflect on the year that’s been and improve for next year.
The general comments were very positive and some common suggestions were:
o More streamlined and frequent communication
o More frequent updating of the website with photos, articles and academic resources
o Earlier promotion of events and opportunities
o More events that promote inter-year camaraderie
UWSMS LDS
Thank you to all those who attended the second annual UWSMS Leadership Development Seminar on the weekend. The day was highlighted by engaging sessions from our new dean Alison Jones who talked about team building and medical teams, our new Prof of Paediatrics John Whitehall who has practiced medicine in more countries than many can name and Dr Andrew McDonald MP. Congratulations to AMSA Rep Paran and Past President Gokul for putting together an excellent program. We hope to hold next year’s LDS at a time when members aren’t so stressed about OSCEs and exams!
UWSMS Handover
On the long weekend last Monday, the outgoing and incoming students on the UWSMS Executive met for Handover. A whole day of discussion ensued with much sharing of ideas and advice. The enthusiasm of the new executive was bursting at the seams and by the end of a productive afternoon, an exciting preliminary calendar chokka block full of events had been planned out. Without wanting to give too much away, next year is set to be the best year yet for UWSMS as we grow and gain more experience and the outgoing exec is very confident that the new crew will do an astounding job – well chosen!
MSC Sports Day!
Congratulations to everyone who attended the MSC Sports day down at the Bondi dust-bowl! It was a fantastic day for UWS, really rattling our bigger neighbors to claim victory in the touch and tug’o’war, and place second overall! For all the action from the day, read the full report by 2009 sports reps Craig and Tom.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION
Next year Medsoc will have a shop-front-office in the Med Building! Tim Wills, Senior Executive Officer of the Med School and avid UWSMS Supporter, has arranged for Medsoc to move into the room on level one, directly opposite the common room as you look out across the hub. You know, the one with the red counter and roll-down shutter door? While we have yet to determine how exactly it will be used, it will be ideal for things like selling you guys tickets and t-shirts, advertising events and making Medsoc a more visible representative body for all medical students.
2nd Year Academic Forum
Last week, UWSMS held a forum for 2nd years to discuss a number of academic and other issues that have arisen this year. It was great to see around 60 people turn up to share their opinions and offer suggestions and potential solutions. On Friday last week, members of the UWSMS executive met with new dean Alison Jones, SEO Tim Wills, Prof of Med Ed Ian Wilson and Fiona Pacey to pass on the consensus of this forum. The meeting was very productive and the new dean and all present were very receptive to our comments. Real change and action is sure to result and so a big thank you to all second years who got involved.
Academic Blog
The final blog of the year had a huge turnout. In case you missed it, take a look at some of the entries here Past Entries . Many thanks to all of you who contributed this year, and congratulations to all winners. The winners for the last round will be published online shortly.
The clinical blog will return next year, and with an extra hundred med students is likely to be full of interesting encounters. Watch this space.
IFMSA Conference
AMSA is now calling for applications to attend the IFMSA General Assembly, to be held in Bangkok from 7th-13th March. This is an excellent opportunity for Aussies to attend an IFMSA GA as it is right on our doorstep!
AMSA is also calling for applications to attend the IFMSA Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting that will also be held in Bangkok from 16th-21st March.
Applications for both conferences close on 31st October 2009, click here for more information
Red Party- $4574 raised!
A big thankyou to everyone from across the years who came to Red Party! It was great to see the dance floor packed with a massive UWS crew from all years. We certainly outdid the other unis in terms of attendance and costumes! A massive $4574 was raised to go towards the African AIDS Foundation and the Clinton AIDS Initiative.
Planning has already commenced for next year’s Red Party, which will be massive as all the Sydney universities, including USYD combine forces!
Pharma Phacts Survey
Pharma Phacts is a new independent campaign being run by medical students to raise awareness about the pharmaceutical industry and its interactions with the medical profession. Pharma Phacts was borne out of the IFMSA General Assembly in Tunisia in March of this year, where a number of Aussie med students realised that our level of awareness about the issues surrounding pharmaceutical sponsorship was limited.
Pharma Phacts is conducting a survey about medical students and their attitudes to pharmaceutical marketing. There are 10 easy to fill in questions please go to:
Pharma Phacts Survey
2009 Med Revue
2 sold out nights. 2 acts of comic brilliance. 2 directors of superb creative vision. 2 much nudity. Really, what more could anyone want from a revue? “Slums Hog Medicare” blew audiences away, including even students from the USYD med revue “Slumdog Medicare” who were amazed we could pull off such a show without rehearsals almost every night in the lead-up months. Cast and crew must be congratulated on their hard-work, managing to pull together a fantastic show with just a few stressful rehearsals. Congratulations to directors Cass Brown and Chris Selvaraj, Producer Marcus Handmer and Stage Manager Chloe Morgan. Watch this space for Medrevue 2010! Check out some of the videos! |
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