Presenters

DRIVERS 2021 Presenters

We’re excited to welcome our inaugural presenters to DRIVERS 2021! Their passion is reflected in the exciting range of papers we’re showcasing. They're presenting on a fascinating range of subjects. Scroll down and have a browse - they're listed here in alphabetical order by surname.

Each presenter’s paper is linked to the conference program page so you can see when they’re presenting and what else is on the program. Visit our program page for more about what’s on.

	Dr Manoj Anandan PGY4 unaccredited Surgical Registrar, Hamilton Base Hospital Appendiceal intussusception with appendiceal-caecal fistula in adult caused by acute appendicitis: Case report and literature review Dr Manoj Anandan studied Medicine at Monash Malaysia and graduated with MBBS (Hons) in 2017. He worked as an Intern in Burnie, Tasmania, with a focus on general surgery before moving to University Hospital Geelong (Barwon Health) in 2020. He is working at Hamilton Base Hospital for a 6-month rotation until January 2022. Manoj is conducting an Australian audit of retromuscular ventral hernia repairs with Mr David Wardill, who is an expert in both laparoscopic and robotic hernia repair.
	Dr Katie Blunt PGY2 General HMO, Bendigo Health A qualitative evaluation of a junior-doctor-led education program for final-year medical students Dr Katie Blunt is a junior doctor based at Bendigo Health with a passion for regional and rural medicine. She completed her clinical placements as a student in north-west Victoria as part of the Monash University Extended Rural Cohort. She has a blossoming interest in a career in obstetrics and gynaecology and is the current bi-national co-chair of the Pre-Vocational Obstetrics & Gynaecology Society of Australia and New Zealand. She is currently Medical Education Officer for the Bendigo HMO Society. Katie is a semi-retired water polo player. She enjoys staying active, traveling and visiting her family.
	Dr Jake Bray-Butler PGY3 Critical Care HMO, Bendigo Health Did you check for a completed resus plan (CRP)? Dr Jake Bray-Butler is a current PGY3 completing a Critical Care year at Bendigo Health. He is interested in pursuing a career in Intensive Care medicine. He is also interested in medical administration, with a focus on quality improvement and digital health. He is a Certified Health Informatician of Australasia and has also completed a Masters of Bioethics and a Graduate Certificate in Data Science. Jake is passionate about rural health. He hopes to use his skills to improve health systems in rural and regional Australia.
	Dr Marc Chia PGY9 unaccredited Surgical Registrar, Swan Hill District Health Emergency surgical transfers from a rural hospital: An analysis of the case mix over three years. Dr Marc Chia is an unaccredited Surgical Registrar currently working at Swan Hill District Health. He was born in Singapore and completed his degree at Monash University. He was initially interested in plastic surgery and became an unaccredited Plastic Surgery Registrar for two years. He found general surgery to be more engaging and made a career switch. Marc aspires to become a General Surgeon and is applying for the 2022 General Surgery Education and Training program.
	Dr Amy Crowe PGY4 unaccredited Surgical Registrar, Bendigo Health How can we address inequalities in rural surgery? A case for expanding regionalised training Cancers of the splenic flexure: Looking for a watershed in the literature, and how we managed a case in a regional centre Dr Amy Crowe is a current unaccredited Surgical Registrar at Bendigo Health with aspirations for training in general surgery. She completed medical studies at Monash University in 2017. While studying she completed placements in Gippsland, Castlemine, Bendigo and Melbourne. Since graduating she has worked in Melbourne and Bendigo. Amy appreciated the diversity of practice in the country and enjoys solving the logistical and social problems that need to be overcome.
	Mr Nathan Dalton Monash University medical student, Monash Rural Health Bendigo Long-term mortality following a medical emergency team call at an Australian regional hospital Mr Nathan Dalton is a final year medical student and research assistant at Monash University. He has been undertaking placements at Monash Rural Health’s Bendigo campus for two years. In 2020 Nathan completed his Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) degree, investigating the mortality outcomes of medical emergency team (MET) patients at Bendigo Health under the supervision of Associate Professor Rebecca Kippen, Dr Cameron Knott, Dr Michael Leach and Dr Zakary Doherty. Nathan has previously co-authored two systematic reviews investigating the incidence and risk factors for postextubation dysphagia. Nathan is looking forward to his internship at Bendigo Health next year.
	Dr Emily Doole PGY4 unaccredited Surgical Registrar, Barwon Health A case of pancreatic pseudocyst as a rare cause of a cystic lesion within the psoas muscle Dr Emily Doole obtained her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Tasmania. She has an interest in rural and regional health, having completed much of her training in regional Tasmania and Victoria. She is an unaccredited Surgical Registrar at University Hospital Geelong. She is currently enrolled in a Masters of Surgical Research at Deakin University, focussing on perioperative care of the general surgical patient.
	Mr Reilly Eddy Monash University medical student, Monash Rural Health Bendigo Baseline audit on elective caesarean section patients for possible ERAS protocol implementation Mr Reilly Eddy is a final year undergraduate medical student at Monash University. He is looking forward to undertaking an internship at Peninsula Health in 2022. He has a specific interest in critical care and surgery.
	Miss Zahara Fainaz Monash University medical student, Monash Rural Health Bendigo The Effectiveness of Public Education Interventions in Improving Outcomes for ACS Miss Zahara Fainaz is studying her final year of medicine at Monash University as part of the Extended Rural Cohort. She was born and raised in Melbourne and has spent the last three years in north-west Victoria undertaking regional placements. Zahara’s clinical interests lie in Psychiatry - she hopes to pursue a future career in this area. In 2022 she will undertake an internship at Bendigo Health.
	Dr Sue Harrison VMO/GPA , Echuca Regional Health & Swan Hill District Health First steps in to rural generalism Dr Sue Harrison grew up in rural and regional Victoria. She had her first experience of rural medicine in Camperdown as an Intern, where she discovered small hospital medicine and GP proceduralists (the world we now know as rural generalism). She moved to Echuca with her young family at PGY3, feeling ‘a bit undercooked’ for her role as rural GP. Since then she trained in the UK in geriatric medicine and anesthetics which prepared her for life as a VMO/GPA. She has an interest in education and workforce, and hopes her work at Echuca Regional Health, University of Melbourne Eastern Resource Centre, Murray City Country Coast GP Training, Rural Workforce Agency Victoria, and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine has helped to assist her younger colleagues along their rural generalist journey. Dr Harrison still works in Community Practice and Emergency Medicine in Echuca and Swan Hill. She also has a small role with the Victorian Rural Generalist Program, developing an education program for PGY2.
	Miss Pia Herrera Deakin University medical student, Wimmera Health Care Group Improving accessibility of medical terminations of pregnancy through telehealth for rural and regional women in Australia Miss Pia Herrera is currently a third-year Deakin University medical student, part of the Rural Community Clinical School. She is completing her third year rotation in the Wimmera region. She is a passionate advocate for women’s health; fuelled and inspired by her current rural setting. She is currently conducting research on how to improve healthcare availability and accessibility for women in rural and regional areas of Australia. Pia hopes to make a difference for women in rural and regional areas.
	Dr Angela Holmes PGY5 unaccredited Urology Registrar/ unaccredited Surgical Registrar, Barwon Health Setting-up a robotic surgery program in a large public regional hospital and the framework of RACS competencies: A perspective Case Report: Intraoperative indocyanine green fluorescence navigation in a robot-assisted partial nephrectomy for a large renal cell carcinoma in a horseshoe kidney Dr Angela Holmes is an unaccredited Surgical Registrar currently working in Geelong, at Barwon Health, with an interest in urology. Originally from Port Macquarie, NSW, she knows the value of strengthening rural health connections and the importance of community engagement for better public health outcomes. She hopes to enter the urology training program with a view to working as a rural Urologist, possibly making it back to her home town. Outside of work, Angela’s interests include travelling around her 5km bubble and perfecting the art of a good sourdough starter.
	Miss Nicola Ivec Monash University MD with BMedSc, Cabrini Health/Alfred Health Investigating first-year graduate paramedics’ reasons for current work location: A cross-sectional, data linkage study Miss Nicola Ivec is a final year Doctor of Medicine/Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) student with a passion for rural health. She has spent a majority of her clinical placement rurally and aims to continue her immersion in rural health wherever possible. Throughout her degree, Nicola has had the opportunity to continue to both work and volunteer her time in a variety of settings to complement her studies.
	Dr Maxwell Jambor Surgical Senior Resident Medical Officer, Royal North Shore Hospital, North Sydney Internal small bowel hernia via a peritoneal defect from laparoscopic totally extra-peritoneal inguinal hernia repair Dr Maxwell Jambor is a senior resident medical officer at Royal North Shore Hospital. He grew up on the Far North Coast and studied at UNSW, including a two-year placement in Albury. He completed his internship and residency at Royal North Shore Hospital and was re-employed as a surgical senior resident medical officer. Max spent the first half of 2021 on the Acute Surgical Unit at Port Macquarie Base Hospital, which has offered fantastic insights into the nuances of regional general surgery.
	Dr Katherine James Clinical Director of Mental Health Services and Consultant Psychiatrist, Mildura Base Public Hospital The roadmap to rural Psychiatry in action Dr Katherine James is the current Clinical Director of the Mildura Base Public Hospital Mental Health Service. Prior to this she was a Registrar of the service. Until 2021 Dr James was also Hospital Coordinator of postgraduate psychiatry training, dedicating time outside of her role to developing a psychiatry training program in regional Victoria. Dr James is passionate about workforce development and training opportunities in regional Victoria. As a clinical director, Dr James makes it her priority to ensure the training program is up-to-date, innovative and providing optimal outcomes for registrars. Dr James is responsible for piloting the registrar training program (accredited) and serves as a role model, mentor and supervisor for trainees.
	Mr Yacoub Jayoghli Deakin University medical student, Wimmera Healthcare Group To jab or not to jab? Addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in rural and regional settings Mr Yacoub Jayoghli is a current third-year Rural Community Clinical School student at Deakin University, completing his clinical placement at the Wimmera Healthcare Group. He has a background in Science, majoring in microbiology and immunology. He is passionate about paediatrics, surgery and women’s health, and has also cultivated a keen passion for rural and regional healthcare practice.
	Miss Cathy King Deakin University medical student, Ballarat Health Services The potential for medical students to work in residential aged care facilities in Australia Miss Cathy King is a final year Deakin medical student at Ballarat Clinical School. She completed her undergraduate degree in pharmacy and her Honours degree in drug delivery at The University of Queensland. She thoroughly enjoys the complexity of Geriatric Medicine. In addition to her medical studies, Cathy continues to work as a Pharmacist and loves the integration of her pharmacology and physiology knowledge.
	Dr Madeleine Leung Year 3 accredited Psychiatry Registrar, Mildura Base Public Hospital Supratentorial problems? Piloting a Consultation and Liaison psychiatric service in regional Victoria It takes a village: How a regional town pulled together for an expecting Aboriginal mother with schizophrenia Dr Madeleine Leung is a psychiatry Registrar at Mildura Base Public Hospital. She is currently in her third year of training, undertaking her rotations in Consultation and Liaison Psychiatry, and Aged Person’s Mental Health. She has completed her internship and all of her training in Mildura. Regional training is important to Madeleine because she believes in distributive justice; regional training can be just as good as metropolitan training, with some added benefits! Madeleine is passionate about bringing regional and subregional health to the forefront and is excited about everything there is to achieve.
	Miss Evita Lie Monash University medical student, Central Highlands Rural Health Achieving best practice in clinical care: Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis audit Miss Evita Lie is an international Medicine student from Indonesia, currently in her final year of Medicine at Monash University. Having grown up in Jakarta, Indonesia, she did not have much rural experience prior to her clinical placement. After spending the first half of 2021 undertaking clinical placement in several hospitals in Gippsland, Evita now has a growing interest in rural medicine and is excited to return to Gippsland for her internship in 2022. She is passionate about evidence-based practice, and an advocate for patient-centred care.
	Dr Ruby Marslen Intern, Bendigo Health Real-world outcomes of immunotherapy in geriatric oncology patients with metastatic lung cancer: A regional single centre retrospective analysis Dr Ruby Marslen grew up in rural Victoria. She has always had a passion for rural and remote medicine, as well as Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Health. As a student she participated in the John Flynn Placement Program and had the opportunity to complete placements in remote Aboriginal communities in Broome, WA. After choosing to complete her fourth- and fifth-year clinical placements in rural and regional Victoria, she continued this commitment by commencing an internship at Bendigo Health this year.
	Dr Matilda Maynard PGY2 General HMO, Bendigo Health Complications post thyroidectomy: An audit Dr Matilda Maynard grew up in rural NSW in the town of Hay. She then went on to study at Monash University and completed a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degree in 2019. Matilda completed her internship at Bendigo Health in 2020, where she is also currently undertaking a general HMO year.
	Dr Joshua McAdams PGY2 General HMO, Bendigo Health A quality assessment of adherence to cardiac catheter lab protocols at Bendigo Hospital Dr Joshua McAdams is currently undertaking PGY2 as a resident at Bendigo Health. He lived and studied in Gippsland for multiple years during his training before completing his Intern year in Bendigo. He is passionate about rural and regional medicine. He has seen first-hand how difficult career advancement and research opportunities can be for medical students and junior doctors in non-metropolitan areas. Josh is excited by the opportunity to be involved in the inaugural DRIVERS conference - he can't wait to see how big it will become.
	Dr Jonathan McCafferty PGY3 unaccredited Urology Registrar, Ballarat Base Hospital Idiopathic scrotal fat necrosis: A rare cause of scrotal pain Dr Jonathan McCafferty is an unaccredited Surgical Registrar currently working in urology at Ballarat Base Hospital. He is hoping to pursue a career in general surgery and will be applying for the 2022 General Surgery Education and Training program. He hopes to work in a regional centre as a General Surgeon. Jonathan likes the idea of having a broad skill set that can be used to help an under-resourced population.
	Ms Mikaela Misso Monash University Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Hons), Monash Rural Health Churchill Healthcare professionals’ perceptions regarding preparation for climate change impacts on healthcare delivery Ms Mikaela Misso is currently working within Monash Rural Health. Her Honours thesis addresses two of her biggest passions: action on climate change and rural health. With a background in biomedical science and goals of entering the medical field, health has always had a big place within Mikaela’s life. She is specifically interested in minimising harms and helping to create the solutions that will increase equity within the healthcare system. These issues are something Mikaela is very passionate about - she will continue to pursue them throughout her career.
	Miss Samantha Mitchell Monash University medical student, Monash Rural Health Bendigo Representation of women at Australian general surgical conferences Miss Samantha Mitchell is a final year Medicine student at Monash University, currently placed at Bendigo Health. She grew up in Ballarat, Victoria, and is interested in pursuing a regional career. Samantha is interested in a career in surgery or critical care and is excited to start her internship at Bendigo Health in 2022.
	Dr Aria Nasteka PGY2 Critical Care HMO, Goulburn Valley Health A retrospective audit of post-operative diabetes control at Goulburn Valley Health A retrospective audit of perioperative management of anaemia in major orthopaedic procedures Dr Aria Nasteka is a PGY2 HMO currently undertaking a critical care year at Goulburn Valley Health, Shepparton. She completed Medicine at Monash University, during which time she also completed a research honours degree and a diploma majoring in philosophy. She is interested in pursuing anaesthesia and/or intensive care training, particularly combining these areas with clinical research. Outside of work and studies, Aria enjoys running in her spare time, and hopes to complete a marathon in the near future.
	Dr Callum Nguyen Intern, Bendigo Health A comparison between general and regional anaesthesia in patients undergoing hip surgery Dr Callum Nguyen is currently an Intern at Bendigo Health. He has a passion for critical care, perioperative medicine and rural healthcare. He hopes to pursue a career in anaesthesia. He is ecstatic to be part of the DRIVERS steering committee, providing an opportunity to recognise excellence across rural and regional Victoria. Outside of medicine, you can find Callum barracking for the Western Bulldogs, attempting latte art and obsessing over film emulations.
	Dr Andrew O'Brien PGY2 Surgical HMO, Alfred Health The growing role of peripheral endovascular intervention in Australia: Current trends, future directions and patient advocacy Dr Andrew O’Brien is a former Bendigo Health Intern who loved his time at the hospital. He credits Bendigo Health’s great hospital culture with giving him a solid medical foundation to pursue any speciality. Andrew is interested in interventional radiology and making the public more aware of minimally invasive procedures.
	Miss Charlotte O'Callaghan Monash University medical student, Central Gippsland Health (Sale) An audit of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis practice in a regional Australian hospital Miss Charlotte O’Callaghan is a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) and Doctor of Medicine student at Monash University currently undertaking her final year. She completed her Scholarly Intensive Placement at Central Gippsland Health, examining surgical antibiotic prophylaxis use and compliance with guidelines.
	Dr James Ooi PGY2 Sports and Exercise Medicine Registrar, Ballarat Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Sports & Exercise Medicine and its importance to regional healthcare Dr James Ooi is a Sports & Exercise Medicine Registrar at Ballarat Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine. After graduating from Monash University he trained at The Alfred Hospital. He is experienced across Physician, Surgical and Critical Care specialties and currently works as Trauma Registrar for the Victorian State Trauma Registry. His driving passion for improved quality-of-life and functional outcomes led James to specialise in Sports Medicine. He has worked in numerous sports. His highlights include working with the Ballarat NBL1 basketball and Western Bulldogs VFL/VFLW teams. He has a personal interest in martial arts, which culminated in becoming a contestant on the 2019 season of Ninja Warrior.
	Dr Laura Panozzo Intern, Bendigo Health Improving the quality of presentations at multidisciplinary team meetings in regional cancer care Anticipatory prescribing in palliative care: a retrospective cohort study using the Care Plan for the Dying Person Dr Laura Panozzo is a research fellow with Monash University, experienced in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. She has published widely in Australian and international journals. She completed a first-class Honours thesis on content and implementation of advance care directives in regional Victoria. Her current research projects centre around Palliative Medicine, Oncology, and rural and regional healthcare. Laura is passionate about building research capacity in regional healthcare services. She hopes to complete physician training in both general and palliative medicine and practise in regional Victoria.
	Dr Jessica Paynter PGY2 Surgical HMO, Bendigo Health The effect of COVID-19 in emergency urological presentations at a single regional centre A rare presentation of Fournier’s gangrene with multifocal necrotising fasciitis: A review Dr Jessica Paynter is currently PGY2 at Bendigo Health. She grew up in the Loddon Mallee region and is committed to rural and regional medicine. She was part of the Monash Extended Rural Cohort, completing all of her clinical placements in Mildura, Swan Hill and Bendigo. She is committed to improving the health and health literacy of people from the bush. Jess is an avid runner and triathlete and has a new-found love for gardening.
	Dr Natasha Pritchard PGY7 accredited Registrar (Year 3 of RANZCOG), Bendigo Health Sex-specific pregnancy growth standards improve the correlation between small babies and stillbirth: A statewide population study Dr Natasha Pritchard is a level 3 RANZCOG trainee living in Bendigo with her husband and two young boys. She is working part-time in obstetrics and gynaecology while completing her PhD in perinatal epidemiology. Natasha’s eventual plan is to combine epidemiological research and clinical practice in regional Victoria.
	Dr Claire Ronaldson Accredited Registrar, Latrobe Regional Hospital (Traralgon) Dermatology presentations to a regional Victorian hospital Dr Claire Ronaldson grew up in Gippsland, Victoria, on her family farm. She has since had many years working rurally. She worked in the central Queensland town of Proserpine as a physiotherapist before completing 12 months of rotations during medical school in Dalby and Toowoomba, in the Darling Downs region of Qld. After graduating, Laura returned to Gippsland to work at Latrobe Regional Hospital. She is aiming to specialise in dermatology and provide a future service in Gippsland.
	Miss Ella Ryan Monash University medical student, Gisborne Medical Centre/Central Highlands Rural Health A potential role for aspirin in prevention of preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction and placental abruption: A case study Miss Ella Ryan is currently in her fourth year of studying a Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine at Monash University. She has a strong interest in regional and rural medicine. She spent the last two years of her studies in Bendigo and north-west Victoria in the Extended Rural Cohort. Ella’s extensive experiences in remote Indigenous communities of the Northern Territory, as well as her experience volunteering with rural school students, refugees, and disabled students, has shown her the importance of quality medical attention for under-served communities. She hopes to pursue a rural career in Obstetrics & Gynaecology or Paediatrics.
	Professor Judy Savige Chair, Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) Victorian Regional Committee Royal Australasian College of Physicians: Rural training in Victoria Professor Judy Savige is a physician and pathologist undertaking research into renal genetics at the University of Melbourne at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and at Northern Health. She is currently Chair of the Victorian Regional Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and also Chair of the Committee of Chairs of Medical Colleges in Victoria. Judy was born in Castlemaine (as were her mother and brother), and her father came from Rosedale, in Gippsland.
	Ms Emma Smith Notre Dame University medical student (Melbourne Clinical School), Cabrini Adult mental health emergencies: A regional hospital emergency department (ED) retrospective audit Ms Emma Smith is a final year medical student and pharmacist. She is currently undertaking research with Rockhampton Hospital in Central Queensland. Emma has a keen interest in critical care, particularly minority groups and populations in regional and rural Australia. Emma is passionate about using audits and research to improve patient experiences and the outcomes of the critical care journey.
	Dr Hannah Sprod Intern, Ballarat Health Services Health care fears, needs and experiences of Australians who practice BDSM Dr Hannah Sprod graduated from The University of Melbourne in 2020. She is completing her internship at Ballarat Health Services. She has previously worked to support children with disabilities as a speech pathologist. Hannah has a passion for advocacy, particularly in the areas of rural health, sexual diversity and disabilities.
	Ms Casey Stubbs Academic Coordinator, Monash Rural Health Churchill SIPs: Bringing together a regional health service and a rural clinical school Ms Casey Stubbs is an academic coordinator/lecturer (3B Sale) and academic lead (3B & 5D Gippsland) at Monash Rural Health Gippsland. She has worked in a rural setting for a number of years, both in an academic and clinical setting. Casey is a Gippsland local and has spent most of her life in a rural and regional environment, with the exception of a few years in Melbourne studying and working in nursing.
	Dr Jessie Zhou Intern, Royal Melbourne Hospital/Wimmera Health Care Group MEDHAX: A digital resource ‘by students, for students’ to enhance integrated learning in sociocultural health for a rural medical cohort Dr Jessie Zhou is passionate about medical education and improving regional healthcare outcomes. Over a period of three years she has worked with Ms Anoushka Lal and Ms Kathryn Yu to create MEDHAX, an innovative online platform aimed at improving the preclinical student experience of evidence-based medicine and highlighting the importance of regional healthcare and the socioeconomic determinants of health.