Let's face it. It ain't easy being a Med student. In our quest to get through the everyday grind, it's too easy to neglect yourself. You can be the best med student in the world, but you will be useless to your patients, friends and colleagues if you are sick and burned out. Here, we have provided some information and links to resources to help you with your health and wellbeing throughout med school. Let us know if you have any suggestions or comments by emailing the webmaster at it@medusa.org.au Who can I turn to if I have a problem? Your GP Never underestimate the value and importance of having your own GP. We may think that we can self-medicate and self-diagnose (after all, we're med students, right?) but it is common sense and good medical practice to have your own GP. Many of us hail from Melbourne or even intersate, and we might assume that we can just wait until we go back home to see our own GPs there, but who do you turn to if you need to see someone right NOW? If you're looking for a list of GPs in the Geelong area, you may have discovered that many GPs in Geelong have closed their books to new patients. However, many GPs have very kindly agreed to accept Deakin Med Students as new patients. Check out a list of these GPs under the Deakin - Year 1/2/3 page on DSO and click on the link "Student Support Information" (we can't put it up here for privacy reasons). The GP Assocation of Geelong (http://www.gpageelong.com.au/) also has handy information on health services in the area as well. ON CAMPUS HEALTH CARE Deakin University provides a range of health services to all students, including medical and nursing care. Student health services are cost effective and are conveniently located on Deakin campuses, including the Geelong campus at Waurn Ponds. Medical consultations are bulkbilled. There is limited availability out of hours and during holidays and students are advised not to use this service for routine medical care. A list of Deakin Health Services can be found on the Current Students website: (03) 9495 6011 (24 hours) Not just for doctors, but also for all medical students! VDHP is a confidential and compassionate service for doctors and medical students with health concerns including stress & anxiety problems, substance use disorders, mental health disorders, any other health problems, including physical health concerns. Everyone at some time in their life experiences challenges. These may include difficulties adjusting to a specific change in life (loss, family or relationship changes, issues in the workplace), feelings of depression and anxiety, and turning to alcohol or other drugs in order to seek some temporary relief. Talking about these issues with supportive, encouraging professionals can assist people to develop strategies to overcome these and similar challenges, which can subsequently have a positive effect on all aspects of a persons’ life. The Victorian Doctors Health Program (VDHP) emphasises the importance of early presentation into the program. Whilst many doctors and medical students self-refer, there is another group who are ‘assisted referrals’ – that is they will come to us voluntarily, but on the advice or insistence of a professional colleague, co-worker, hospital or clinic staff, family member, friend, or another concerned person. The VDHP will coordinate intervention and conduct assessments of doctors and medical students who are ill or impaired, including those with problems relating to alcohol or other drug misuse, or mental health problems. We will develop individual management plans and co-ordinate treatment, including arranging appropriate referrals. We will supervise the after-care and follow-up, and if required, plan and assist in re-entry to work. Click HERE for further details on how the VDHP can help you. Mentoring and Peer Support Mentoring and peer support can help to reduce stress for medical students and doctors throughout their professional lives. There is some evidence that the incidence of burnout is reduced. The medical course is physically, psychologically and emotionally demanding and can sometimes be confronting. Most students experience some difficulty adjusting to medical training and dealing with the challenges of balancing medicine and personal life. It can be helpful to discuss these issues with an experienced clinician, either your GP or a medically trained mentor. Dr Jane Opie, the GP Association of Geelong Medical Advisor and a Deakin Medical School Clinical tutor, has generously agreed to act as a mentor for students wishing to discuss issues relating to adjustment to the medical course and career choice. Dr Karen D'Souza, the coordinator of the Doctor and Patient theme, has also offered to assist, particularly for any members of Dr Opie’s tutorial group who would prefer a discussion with someone who is not directly supervising or assessing them. Contacts: Dr Jane Opie - GP Assocation of Geelong - (03) 5222 0800 Dr Karen D'Souza - Deakin Medical School - karen.dsouza@deakin.edu.au AMSA, the Australian Medical Students Association, also provides a mentoring program for all medical students. Click on the following link for details: MORE CONTENT COMING SOON! Recommended Books  First Do No Harm: Being a Resilient Doctor in the 21st Century: Being a Resilent Doctor in the 21st Century Authors: Leanne Rowe and Michael Kidd "First Do No Harm" reframes the traditional doctors' rule, Primum non nocere, demonstrating that it should apply not only to the patients, but also to doctors themselves. With their extensive medical, professional and academic experience, Leanne Rowe and Michael Kidd have created a legacy to be shared with medical students, junior doctors and experienced medical practitioners across all medical specialties. First Do No Harm provides medical students and doctors with information and resources on strategies for self care as an essential element of their professional life. It aims to encourage them to recognize and discuss the challenges facing them, promote self care as an integral and accepted part of the professional life of medical practitioners, and assists them to develop useful strategies for self care. Rowe and Kidd explore the too often ignored issue of physician self-care and highlight the dangers of ignoring this problem. It is a timely examination of the troubles doctors the world over face regarding their work-life balance and receiving mental health care. DISCLAIMER
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