Program

DRIVERS 2025 Program

FRIDAY 10 October - Day program

Time	Agenda
10:00 – 12:00pm	OPTIONAL – High School Engagement Session (2 hours) – Traralgon Golf Club This session is proudly sponsored and hosted by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), the Rural Workforce Agency Victoria (RWAV) and the Baw Baw Latrobe Local Learning & Employment Network (BBLLLEN) We are seeking passionate medical students and doctors to support facilitation of this session. A valid Victorian Working with Children Check is required.
10:30 – 11:30am	OPTIONAL – Hospital tour hosted by Latrobe Regional Health and the JMO Society – Latrobe Regional Health Step behind the scenes of regional healthcare excellence and discover the innovation, collaboration, and community impact driving Latrobe Regional Health.
12:00 – 1:00pm	REGISTRATION & NETWORKING LUNCH Traralgon Golf Club
DRIVERS CONFERENCE DAY 1
1:00 – 1:15pm	EVENT OPENING & WELCOME ADDRESS
1:15 – 2:15pm	KEYNOTE Leading Cardiac Care Locally: Dr Derk Pol’s Vision for Gippsland’s Patients Dr Derk Pol General and Interventional Cardiologist ( Includes Q&A session)
2:15 – 3:10pm	ORAL PRESENTATIONS: REFLECTIVE (each 6 mins & 2 mins Q&A) Dr Nayomi Shermila Jayasinghe - Perspectives from a mentor - building capacity, connection, and career purpose in rural junior doctors Miss Yesha Parikh - Nowhere Feels Like Home - Navigating Autonomy and Aged Care Discharge in Rural Victoria Mr Muhammad Abdul Hadi - The Regional Medical Pathway - A Blueprint for Sustainable Regional Medical Training in Australia Mr Matthew Kim - How the experience of interview-based fieldwork for a cohort study on injecting drug use and methamphetamine smoking in a regional town shaped my perspective as a final year medical study Dr Noah Pallot - Being Patient for the Patient - Crafting Communications Skills Dr Kerrilee Young - Reflections from CRSANZ Mission Fiji 2025
3:10 – 3:40pm	AFTERNOON TEA Delight in a sweet treat from The Berry Dairy in Maffra—proudly sponsored by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) (30 mins – including Poster Presentations) Mr Pulasthi Wettesinghe - Optimising stroke imaging in a regional hospital - a clinical audit Dr Nayomi Shermila Jayasinghe - Transforming Rural Diabetes Care - Challenges and Mission Impact of Establishing a Specialist Diabetes Clinic in East Gippsland Ms Catherine Bateman - Does ultrasound place an unnecessary risk on patients seeking early medical abortion? Dr Jamie Lan - Raptor_ED - Implementing a Rapid ACS Pathway to Optimise Rural ED Care
3:40 – 4:40pm	WORKSHOP 1 Rural Obstetrics & Paediatrics Including a newborn resuscitation skills session This workshop is limited to 20 participants Facilitators: Dr Arif Kozgar MBBS, DCH, FRACP, AFRACMA Consultant Paediatrician Director of Clinical Training, LRH Adjunct Senior Lecturer Monash University Dr Antoinette Mowbray BMed. DCH. DRANZCOG. Adv. FRACGP. FACRRM GP Obstetrician Maria Harrison Regional Midwife Consultant & PROMPT Coordinator, Gippsland, Regional M&M Midwife Consultant Lead Gippsland, Regional M&M Midwife Consultant Peer Hume 1 Region & Grampians Region	WORKSHOP 2 Research Foundations Facilitators: Professor Frank Bowden Professor Darryl Maybery
4:40 – 5:25pm	PANEL DISCUSSION This session is proudly supported by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Topic: Centering Women: Research, Reproductive Health & Emerging Insights Facilitator: Dr Paul Brougham MA, MBBS, FRACGP, DRANZCOG(Adv) Senior Lecturer, Monash Rural Health Panellists: Dr Jacqueline McDonnell FRACGP, Rural Generalist, RACGP Medical Educator Senior Lecturer, Monash Rural Health Dr Romey Giles MBChB, FRACGP, MForMed, GCClinEdRACGP Senior Regional Medical Educator Dr Antoinette Mowbray BMed, DCH, DRANZCOG(Adv), FRACGP, FACRRM GP Obstetrician Catherine Bateman Nurse Practitioner Candidate – Sexual and Reproductive Health GP Services - Latrobe Community Health Service
5:30pm	DRIVERS CONFERENCE DAY 1 CONCLUDES

FRIDAY 10th October - Evening program

7:00 – 9:00pm

CASUAL NETWORKING DINNER

This networking event is proudly sponsored by the Australia Medical Australia Victoria (AMA Vic)

2-course meal provided with drinks available for individual purchase

MOMO, Traralgon

Tickets can be individually purchased via the trybooking ticket platform

www.trybooking.com/DDCYB

SATURDAY 11th October – Day program

7:45 – 8:45am	OPTIONAL – Traralgon Parkrun If you enjoy starting your day with exercise, we recommend the Traralgon Parkrun—a free, publicly run event held weekly in Traralgon. This is a self-directed activity, and participants are responsible for their own transport to and from the event. www.parkrun.com.au/Traralgon/course/
8:45 – 9:15am	REGISTRATION & NETWORKING Traralgon Golf Club
DRIVERS CONFERENCE DAY 2
9:15 – 9:30am	WELCOME TO DRIVERS DAY 2
9:30 – 10:30am	KEYNOTE Bridging the gap... Reflections, Revivals and Realities in Rural Care Dr Simon Judkins President of Australian Medical Association, Victoria ED Director, Echuca Regional Health (1 hour inc Q&A)
10:30 – 10:55am	MORNING TEA 25 mins – including Poster Presentations supported by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Dr Nayomi Shermila Jayasinghe - A Case of Rapidly Progressive Neurological Decline Mr Aidan Hanrahan - One Injection at a Time - A Rural Case of Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum Managed with Individualised Anti-VEGF Therapy Dr Isabelle Huynh - A Rare Case of De Garengeot Hernia with Acute Appendicitis - Diagnostic and Surgical Challenges Dr Symrin Oad - Atypical Presentation and Management of Primary Colonic Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma - A Case Report and Systematic Review of Diagnostic Challenges in Rural Setting
10:55am – 12:10pm	ORAL PRESENTATIONS: AUDITS (each 6 mins & 2 mins Q&A) Miss Belinda Zheng - From Triage to Treatment - How Long are Lung Cancer Patients Waiting in Gippsland Dr Grace Yap - Assessment and Management of Malignant Pleural Effusions in a Regional Centre Mr Kumaran Manivannan - Profile of Regional Paediatric Patients and the Prevalence of Childhood Obesity - A Descriptive Audit Dr Hamed Lotfi - Enhancing Colorectal Cancer Care in Regional Victoria - Analysing Optimal Care Pathway Adherence Mr Gerard Kim - Patterns and Timeliness of Patient Transfers from a Rural Emergency Department - A Retrospective Study Miss Seshani Iddawela - Current trends in the Utilisation of the Precision Oncology Program in Gippsland Dr Jasmine Elliott - The 'Goldilocks Medical Clearance' and Audit of Medical Evaluation of Psychiatric Patients Admitted to the Adult Acute Unit Miss Abigail Rowe - Rural Generalist Training Opportunities in Victoria Mr Seth Benson - Retrospective Study of Paediatric Allergy Presentations to Regional Outpatient Clinics
12:10 – 1:10pm	LUNCH 1 hour – including Poster Presentations supported by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Ms Brienna Allman - On-Country Learning Opportunities to Enhance The Cultural Safety of Medical Education in Gippsland Dr Kerrilee Young - Bridging the Gap - Novel 'Pledget' Closure for Atrophic Skin in a Rural Setting Dr Thomas Davis - Single use anaesthetic drug tray use at GV Health Mr Griffan Randle - Messages for Doctors from the Gippsland PHN Health Needs Assessment 2025-28 Mr Mark Gerges - Genomic Testing Uptake in mCRPC - A Retrospective Audit at a Regional Oncology Unit in Victoria Ms Catherine Bateman - No Touch Medical Abortion - Implementation by Latrobe Sexual and Reproductive Health Hub Dr Berny Abrahams - Predicting Postoperative Outcomes in Elective Major Joint Surgery at a Regional Centre - The Role of a Multidimensional Frailty Scale Dr Kayla Gallert - A NUTS Approach to DVT Investigation, as Audited at a Regional Emergency Department Ms Maria Vaz Serra - NEED Digital Health Education Evaluation Project
1:10 – 2:00pm	ORAL PRESENTATIONS: REVIEWS & STUDIES (each 6 mins & 2 mins Q&A) Ms Samiha Arulshankar - Water expanding beads - clinical impacts and management challenges in rural and regional Australian healthcare settings Dr Rochelle Vaz - Traumatic Digital Amputation - A Literature Review on the Digital Dilemma and Outcome-Comparison of Replantation vs Revision Amputation Dr Siri Uddandam - From Malignancy to Masterpiece - Evaluating Full-Thickness Skin Grafts for Nasal Reconstruction in Regional Victoria Dr Shizar Nahidi - Bridging Bush and Brain: A Review of Challenges and Barriers to Mental and Psychiatric Care in Rural and Remote Australia Miss Sarah Hui - Utility of Mobile Health Clinics in the Provision of Cardiac Care Services Miss Jessica Vereker - The perspective of vulnerable populations on palliative care in Australia - a scoping review
2:00 – 2:20pm	AFTERNOON TEA Indulge in a sweet treat from Big Bear Doughnuts—a beloved Gippsland favourite based in Lakes Entrance —proudly sponsored by DR JuMP Medical Mentoring
2:20 – 3:10pm	ORAL PRESENTATIONS: REVIEWS & STUDIES (each 6 mins & 2 mins Q&A) Mr Zhi En Tay - Listening to Country Hearts - Exploring Access to Paediatric Cardiology in Rural Gippsland Ms Samiha Arulshankar - Chemotherapy Uptake in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer - Rural Versus Metropolitan Disparities Mr Jonathon Chi - Representation of Regional Institutions in Cancer Registries in Australia Dr Shizar Nahidi - Brains, Bots, and Boundaries: Navigating the Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Psychiatry
3:10 – 4:10pm	KEYNOTE Remembering Flying Officer John Clifford (Cliff) Peel ( 1894 -1918) rural medical student come aviator whose vision , insight and legacy is the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service ( RFDS) that we have today Associate Professor Bruce Waxman OAM Retired Colorectal Surgeon Former long serving Royal Flying Doctor Service and Victorian Section Board Member (1 hour inc Q&A)
4:10 – 4:45pm	INTERACTIVE DISPLAY & CONFERENCE SUMMARY
4:45pm	DRIVERS CONFERENCE DAY 2 CONCLUDES

SATURDAY 11th October – Evening program

6:30pm

GALA DINNER & AWARD PRESENTATIONS

3-course meal provided with drinks included

Amarti Wedding Venue, Cowarr

Tickets can be individually purchased via the trybooking ticket platform