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Navigating Medicine with a Physical Challenge

Dinesh was the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland and the second person to graduate medical school with quadriplegia in Australia. Dinesh earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) prior to completing his Doctor of Medicine (MD) at Griffith University. He has completed an Advanced Clerkship in Radiology at Harvard University. Halfway through medical school, he was involved in a catastrophic motor vehicle accident that caused a cervical spinal cord injury. As a result of his injury and experiences, Dinesh has been an advocate for inclusivity in medicine and the general workplace. He is a founding member of Doctors with Disabilities Australia. Dinesh is currently a resident medical officer at the Gold Coast University Hospital. He is a lecturer at the Griffith University and adjunct research fellow at the Menzies Health Institute of Queensland. He has a research interest in spinal cord injury, particularly in novel rehabilitation techniques. Dinesh is the Gold Coast University Hospital’s representative in the Australian Medical Association Queensland’s Council of Doctors in Training. He is a member of the scientific advisory committee of the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation, disability advisory council at Griffith University, and the Ambassador Council at the Hopkins Centre. Dinesh was the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service’s Junior Doctor of the Year in 2018. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019.

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Guest Articles

The competency matrix and the use of reflection and reflective practice to develop your learning and understanding.

Guest Article by A/Prof Stuart Lane

In the most recent edition of AMSJ I discussed the concepts of intellectual humility, growth mindset, and situational awareness, and their roles in the development of a person’s professionalism and professional identity. In this edition of AMSJ I will discuss some theories of reflection and reflective practice, which are required to utilise the concepts previously discussed, and enable the optimal development of your learning and professional development. In doing this I will discuss the competency matrix, which is a learning development theory that is referred to frequently in healthcare learning, especially in the context of simulated learning environments. I will also discuss some of the flaws in the current theory that are preventing the recognition of optimal reflective practice.

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Medical Careers Guest Articles

An Interview with Professor Alicia Jenkins – Endocrinologist, Researcher and President of Insulin for Life

In this issue of the Australian Medical Student Journal, we are fortunate to interview Professor Alicia Jenkins, a Clinical Endocrinologist at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, Director of Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre and President of Insulin for Life. She was also recently awarded the prestigious ADS Kellion Award, which acknowledges an outstanding contribution to diabetes research, clinical or service areas. Prof. Jenkins provides us with an insight into the field of diabetes and endocrinology, the benefits of undertaking research, as well as her charity work for Insulin for Life.

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Original Research Articles

Change in the cardiopulmonary exercise testing response in patients with coronary artery disease who do not choose to participate in cardiac rehabilitation

Nikhil Kumar and Andrew Victor report a decrease in aerobic capacity in patients who do not participate in cardiac rehabilitation.

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Original Research Articles

Organisational process and patient factors contributing to hospital outpatient clinic nonattendance

Organisational and patient factors which may lead to hospital clinic non-attendance at two sites were examined to identify opportunities to reduce rates of missed appointments.

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Review Articles

Intravenous Magnesium Therapy Treatment of Severe Asthma in Adults

This article systematically analyses the evidence behind the use of intravenous magnesium sulphate in adults with severe acute exacerbations of asthma.

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Feature Articles

AHPRA, Mistrust, and Medical Culture in Australia

From nearly the moment that medical students take their oaths, the assault on one’s mental health begins. Students understand that they will make sacrifices to study medicine, but the understanding that the medical field may take a significant mental health toll is generally overlooked and underappreciated. Many factors leading to this demise have been well-described in the literature, yet, a doctor’s mental health is often not discussed, silenced by both professional and societal stigma. This is a worldwide issue with some disastrous consequences. For example, in the United States alone, an estimated 300-400 doctors commit suicide each year, more than doubling the rate of the general population. This is equivalent to an entire cohort of medical students, making the profession among the most dangerous in the country. In Australia, doctors experience significantly high levels of psychiatric morbidity, which typically manifest as depression, anxiety, burnout, and suicidal ideation, eroding both their personal and professional lives. Many doctors do not seek help for mental health conditions, largely due to stigma as well as an unfounded fear of a notification to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). This essay will outline issues surrounding concerns that doctors with mental health issues may have regarding AHPRA and discuss the mistrust that persists in contemporary medical culture in Australia.

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Feature Articles

Biopsy of the skin

This article takes the readers through the key theoretical knowledge and practical aspects required to correctly choose a skin biopsy site, method of biopsy and to safely performing a punch skin biopsy. The immediate and long-term complications of skin biopsies are also explored.

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Feature Articles

BT shunts, Berlin Hearts and Brave Decisions

Reflection of a paediatric cardiac surgery elective demonstrating high-level care. Unravelling the broad systems at play that influence clinical outcomes through the lens of history, innovation, and present-day communication strategies.

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Feature Articles

Collaboration between doctors and veterinarians for the greater good of all species

Improved collaboration between doctors and veterinarians is needed to tackle challenges facing human and animal health. This article discusses the history and importance of One Health.

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