5th ANNUAL ANZ STUDENT CONFERENCE

March’s Melbourne event promises valuable information

A pre-event Meet and Greet on Friday evening, 6 March, will launch the fifth annual OUM Student Conference and Graduation in Melbourne, Australia. Last year, 60-plus attendees gained important information, learned new skills, made new friends, and saw colleagues earn their medical degree.

Programming similar to last year’s is on tap again as a result of positive evaluations from the 2019 event. One of the most important aspects of attending the conference is the opportunity to connect with classmates, graduates, faculty, and staff. Past attendees have stressed the importance of making these professional connections, as well as the invaluable friendships that develop during each conference.

Taffy Gould, Founder and Chair of the OUM Council, will welcome attendees on Saturday morning, 7 March. The sessions  get underway with “A guide to how to maximize your learning in the hospital setting,” presented by Dr. Viali Lameko, Vice Chancellor, followed by “Applying to practice in Australia through EPIC and NZ Pathway,” presented by Joy Braun, Registrar.

Much of the morning and early afternoon will feature Part 1 and Part 2 Clinical Skills Sessions presented by Dr. Paula Diamante, Director of Faculty Affairs, which will include differential diagnosis of several systems. The Research Symposium will take place after the lunch break. Dr. Randell Brown, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Director of Research, together with Dr. Daria Camera, Assistant Director of Research, will discuss OUM’s Research Program and students will make oral and poster presentations of their research projects. Our returning guest speaker, Dr. Majid Gondal, AMC and RACGP examiner, will present an extended session this year with tips on preparing for the AMC 1 and AMC 2 Exams.

Perhaps the most anticipated portion of each year’s conference is the OUM Graduation Ceremony held late Saturday afternoon. Attended by graduates’ friends and family, as well as their OUM colleagues and faculty, graduates each typically say a few words, most thanking the members of their support system who took the medical school journey along with them. Twelve students are anticipated to march in the Graduation ceremony.

Sunday’s programming includes three simultaneous OSCE sessions, involving various specialties, facilitated by Dr. Gondal, Dr. Meshach Kirubakaran, Dean for Australia, and Dr. Chellam Kirubakaran, Paediatrician. OUM alumni also will be presenting at the conference, in the afternoon.

The conference is again being held at the Melbourne Best Western Airport Motel & Convention Centre. Questions may be directed to Joe Korac.