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The results of a survey by Monash's Centre for Rural Health will be used to build up a demographic profile of female rural doctors and their needs.
Centre for Rural Health senior lecturer Ms Jo Wainer (pictured below left) said the survey had included 140 of the state's female GPs and 18 women specialists working in rural areas, 33 per cent of whom were Monash graduates.
"The survey included questions about the attractions of rural medicine, the impact of family responsibilities on clinical practice, what training the doctors believed they needed and what changes they considered necessary within rural medical practice to assist them to become, and remain, rural doctors," she said.
The Commonwealth-funded Rural Workforce Agency of Victoria will use the survey data to develop and implement programs to support women in medicine in rural areas.
Ms Wainer said the survey found that 62 per cent of female rural doctors entered rural practice because they were attracted by the environment, 24 per cent because their partners had jobs in the country, and 18 per cent because they enjoyed the opportunities that came with practising medicine in country areas.
She said the results showed that those women who grew up in the country were also likely to return there to practise, with 40 per cent of the respondents saying they had been raised in a rural area.
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Rural
Gp Dr Gillian attends to a patient.
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Supporting innovative teaching and learningTwelve projects underlying the university's commitment to student-centred flexible learning have received grants totalling $1.85 million from the 2000 Strategic Innovations Fund (SIF). Half the funds have been distributed from SIF, which were provided by the University Foundation, and the remainder from the relevant faculties. SIF was established to develop Monash's commitment to the further pursuit of innovation, quality, efficiency and effectiveness in course delivery. Deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and Planning) Professor Alan Lindsay said this year's projects were consistent with Monash's strategic direction outlined in Leading the Way. "We want to emphasise innovation and flexibility in teaching and learning that will give students more study options in terms of pace, place, time and style of learning," he said. "Our priority is to build on Monash's strengths and the excellent work already done by the faculties to enhance and further develop our quality programs and resources." The projects that have received grants include:
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| Ms Dorothy Kapetopoulos
with the image she developed for a women's fashion label. |
Almost 70 final-year graphic design students will display their works in an exhibition later this month.
Titled Fresh, the exhibition will run from 28 November to 4 December in the Art and Design building on Caulfield campus.
Among the works on show will be a design for the cover of an annual report for a women's fashion label by Ms Dorothy Kapetopoulos.
The sixth edition of the Designers' Designer Calendar will also be launched at the exhibition.
The calendar will feature works by the major award winners of the Victorian Design Awards, a state government initiative administered by the Design Institute of Australia.
Australian Graphic Design Association Victorian president Ms Helen Watts will be guest speaker at the exhibition opening, which will take place at 6.30 pm on 28 November.
For further details, contact extn 32165.
New biotechnology courseStudent demand has led to the creation of a new undergraduate interfaculty course, which will commence next year. Faculty of science student adviser Dr Kathy Lefevere said the new Diploma of Biotechnology (Research and Management), which will be funded with a Strategic Innovations Fund (SIF) grant, will cross over the faculties of Science, Medicine and Engineering. The course would comprise four compulsory core subjects as well as electives including genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry and biotechnical engineering. Because it is a flexible delivery course, some subjects will be offered through distance education and over the summer. Dr Lefevere said she had received many inquiries over the past year from young people wishing to study biotechnology. "This course is a response to student demand but we've also done a little bit of market research and found it would be something that's attractive to employers." She said great emphasis had been placed on what industry and employers require from graduates. To this end, subjects covering areas such as project management had been included to give students a better idea of what was required in the workplace. The course would also include a component involving industry-based learning. "A new Science in Action research project will enable students to do a project in biotechnology in industry or research laboratories across the university," she said. Meanwhile, the Monash Institute of Reproduction and Development is offering the Graduate Diploma in the Biotechnologies of Life next year. Beginning in 2001, the program will be available as a part-time distance education course and will be open to graduates from any field including law, science, arts and business. A key feature of the course will be an ethics subject that will provide a forum for students to discuss their own and community attitudes to genetic manipulation. The course comprises six other subjects relating to the law, plant genetics, conservation, animal genetics, human reproduction and contraception, and patents. |
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| Faculty
of Engineering safety officer Mr David Baker making a habit of being green. |
A new 10-point plan for a Monash Green Office has been developed by a group of students undertaking a certificate in environmental change management, in conjunction with staff from Occupational Health, Safety and Environment.
OHSE environment project officer Mr Elya Tagar said the plan included tips on waste minimisation, energy efficiency, purchasing and recycling.
"For example, simply putting every computer on stand-by mode would reduce the university's greenhouse gas emissions by more than 300,000 kg per year," he said.
"And if every staff member turned their office lights off for an hour each day when they go to a lecture or out to lunch this would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 250,000 kg per year."
The plan was developed as part of a pilot study that aimed to produce and test a Green Office Program for the university.
For the study, the students undertook an environmental assessment of four Monash departments and complemented the findings with research into energy and resource conservation.
Each department was rated on its 'green' performance against each of the 10 points in the plan and given recommendations on how to reduce their environmental impact and improve their rating.
Mr Tagar said OHSE was planning to roll out the Green Office Program to all university departments in the next few years.
"The program will help the university achieve its environmental commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Waste Wise and Greenhouse Challenge programs signed in March this year," he said.
For further details about the plan, contact extn 55710.
The new South Africa campus is taking shape and will be ready to welcome its first students in February 2001. The building will house a 250-seat lecture theatre, tutorial and computer rooms, a library, and student services and recreation areas.
Long-time Faculty of Medicine staff member Professor Grahame Taylor is retiring from Monash after more than 30 years' service to the university.
Professor Taylor is the faculty's deputy dean, associate dean (Teaching) and medical education professor.
He said one of his career highlights was having been given the opportunity to be involved in developing and implementing the current medical course as well as various health sciences courses.
A farewell function for Professor Taylor will be held on Thursday 30 November at 4.30 pm. Anyone wishing to attend should email Mary.Fisher@med.monash.edu.au for details.
Associate Professor Neil Hallam is also retiring from Monash, after almost 30 years with the Department of Biological Sciences.
His first appointment at Monash was as a Botany department lecturer in 1971, where he established research programs in plant cell structure and phycology.
A farewell dinner for Dr Hallam will be held on Friday 8 December at 7 pm. For further details, contact Ms Carol Logan at carol.logan@sci.monash.edu.au by 24 November.
Monash University will officially close from 21 December 2000 to 1 January 2001.
The university's last working day will be 20 December 2000 and the first working day next year will be 2 January 2001.
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