The final PAH Medical Grand Rounds for 2024 hosted a celebration of service to thank some of the retiring physicians who have contributed to clinical teaching through the PA-Southside Clinical Unit for many years.
University of Queensland (UQ) Medical School Dean, Professor Stuart Carney, and Head of Clinical Unit, PA-Southside Clinical Unit, Associate Professor Claire Ellender hosted the celebration noting that it was a pleasure to publicly acknowledge these colleagues for enabling many to learn from their experience.
Professor Ian Scott
Prof Scott has been a long serving member of the PA-Southside Clinical Unit. He commenced as a Registrar in 1986 and has been committed to clinical teaching since then providing a breadth of clinical knowledge for FRACP trainees. He has championed clinical reasoning throughout the many iterations of the medical program but was always steadfast on diagnostic accuracy and the importance of medical history including a focus on deprescribing and clinical epidemiology. He continues his research directions into clinical AI and is applauded for his commitment to the College and to UQ.
“We enjoy what we do. It has been my great pleasure to mentor students, registrars, and young consultants for many years. I would like to specifically mention the stroke certification received this week - I just wanted to make the point that the stroke specialty started in general medicine with Graham Hall, Phil Aitken and Richard Boyle many years ago, so it is great to see.”
Professor John Upham
Prof Upham’s research has been pivotal in the modern management of asthma. Without the clinical science that has been translated by research groups like John’s, patients with severe asthma would not have access to the lifesaving biological therapies that we know are routinely prescribed today. John has been a long-standing contributor to Year Three teaching and has conducted over 500 long cases over the last 20 years. John’s passion for respiratory medicine has been transferred into the new UQ medical course and the respiratory system now comprises the first eight weeks of the first year as a secure foundation. John was also president of the thoracic society of Australia and New Zealand during a difficult time 2021-2024. Through his leadership, he steered the respiratory community through the pandemic while contributing to UQ and to the broader health system in Australia. John is retiring from clinical work and his role as the Executive Director of Metro South Health Research.
“I have had a full and rewarding career of clinical care of patients, research, and teaching over many years. I can look back on my career with gratitude and a certain sense of excitement as well.”
Dr Rob Eley
Dr Eley has been the Research Manager at the PAH Emergency Department for over 12 years. His career started as a charted biologist and agricultural scientist including several years in Kenya; however, he shifted focus in 2003 when he moved to Australia and joined UQ as a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Rural and Remote Health. From 2015-20, he held the position of graduate coordinator for the PA-Southside Clinical Unit. One of Rob’s many achievements was supervising six PhD students. He has championed allied health research but also championed medical officers building on their research capabilities and translating that into their day-to-day care. Rob has over 150 journal publications, remains an honorary researcher with UQ to continue supervising the next generation of clinician researchers.
“Who would have thought that a career that started with hands up cows’ bottoms would end up as the Emergency Department Research Manager. I must acknowledge the vision of Michael Sinnott in setting up this research manager position along with the support of David Wilkinson in the school, and subsequently Leo, Ruth and Claire. Also, the phenomenal support of Andrew and James and Phil in bringing me into the ED with encouragement to do the things I have done which were different than what was traditionally done.”
Dr Michael Walsh
Michael has been a passionate medical educator at the PAH and UQ for over 20 years; he has taught over 1000 students in the art and skill of the medical long case. His passion for clear clinical history taking and commitment to clinical reasoning has ensured generations of current and future colleagues have this important skill at the end of their training. Michael has continued to work at the PAH Neurology Department and has a large private medical practice at Greenslopes, but a highlight of his career has been a passion for ensuring equity of access to quality medical sub specialty care by regularly attending rural and regional clinics across Queensland. This is incredibly important for our state and important for our university as we seek to ensure geography is no impediment to accessing high quality care. Students attest that you have instilled this important message about equity of access. Michael is stepping back from teaching but will continue his clinical work where he will no doubt continue to influence the next generation of clinicians.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to teach people for so long. They say that we see further by standing on the shoulders of giants and I think Ian Scott who was my first medical consultant 27 years ago.”
Associate Professor Leo Nunnink
Leo is stepping down from his role in the PA-Southside Clinical Unit; however, he will continue the Critical Care Course teaching and clinical work at PAH ICU. Leo has been a pivotal advocate for the inclusion of simulation in the course and medical education more broadly. As an early adopter, he has contributed evidence to the importance of clinical simulation of doctors and other healthcare professionals. As the head of PA-Southside, Leo steered students through the choppy waters of COVID exclusions and successfully navigated a new curriculum for two years. Handing the baton over to Claire Ellender, the PA-Southside Clinical Unit is in a strong position ensuring we had a defined staffing structure and a clear way forward to ensure PA is well placed to be one of the key contributors to the medical program.
“I was driven to medical education because I felt poorly prepared for internship and one of the key motivators for me was that interns that follow could have a better experience if they were better prepared than I was. Later, as a junior consultant in PAH ICU, a friend had come back from Harvard where they did medical simulation and it was at a time when Queensland had just built the biggest skills development centre – the biggest simulation centre - in the southern hemisphere so there was floor space and equipment, but no one to teach it. As a small group, we set up the first interdisciplinary simulation program in the world in Intensive Care and got to see those lightbulb moments for trainees. I wanted to bring that experience to undergraduates. I helped set up the training program and delivered it to about 250 students a year for three to four years. Federal money then brokered an agreement between five health services and the University of Queensland to set up a program that was delivered for almost 15 years to all the UQ students in their final year. It will hopefully continue for the coming years but we are yet to see what role simulation will play in the new program.
While in the role as Head of the Clinical Unit, I got to understand the extent of research and academia that was happening at PA Hospital and that was eye opening for me as a long serving regular clinician. We had so many highly starred, highly able researchers and NHMRC grant winners who truly deserved recognition across the campus.
Headed by Associate Professor Claire Ellender, the PA-Southside Clinical Unit helps train about 200 students from across years three and four of the medical program every year. PA-Southside Clinical Unit is highly integrated with three Queensland Health hospitals:
- Princess Alexandra Hospital
- Queen Elizabeth II Hospital
- Redland Hospital.