Bendigo paediatrician recognised for teaching impact
Bendigo paediatrician and educator Dr Anna Peterson received the Dr Adele Callaghan Educator’s Award, voted by Monash medical students in the region. The award, sponsored by Monash Rural Health Bendigo, was presented at the School’s Bendigo welcome dinner on Thursday 23 February.
Anna is currently the Children’s Health Discipline Lead for Monash University’s medical program in Bendigo, in addition to working locally as a Consultant Paediatrician. Anna’s connection to Bendigo - and Monash - is long-standing. Not only was Anna born in the region, but she returned as a Monash medical student herself to complete a number of her clinical placements, followed by an internship. She returned to the region after completing her speciality training at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and has been teaching into the Monash program in Bendigo since 2014.
“I love my work teaching and it is a really special thing to be recognised and valued for the work I do, within an organisation that is full of excellent teachers who work hard to give our students the best opportunities”, reflected Anna.
“I have had many brilliant teachers to draw inspiration from during my own time as a student and trainee, and I see my teaching work as an opportunity to take all the "best bits" of the people who have gone before me and teach in the way that helps me learn best - in a positive, encouraging and safe space that hopefully sees a few students inspired to come back to our community as doctors (and perhaps even paediatricians!)”.
Students nominating Anna for the award valued her empathetic teaching style and her commitment to going above and beyond during their children’s health rotations and said:
“Anna goes out of her way to make sure we understand everything and really cares about the student experience and learning. I never felt afraid to have a go or say the wrong thing, which really helped me develop my skills. She ran extra classes and tutorials even though she was very busy, and would take extra time out of her day to explain extra content to students or answer questions. Anna always goes above and beyond to help students learn no matter how busy she is. She genuinely cares about each and every single student she teaches.”
Associate Professor Chris Holmes, Director of Monash Rural Health Bendigo, congratulated Anna on her outstanding efforts in helping train the next generation of rural doctors.
“Congratulations to Anna on this well-deserved recognition. Her passion for teaching is outstanding. Local doctors play a critical role in teaching our medical students, and it’s especially meaningful to have alumni, like Anna, return to Monash and share their years of clinical experience, skills and knowledge.”
The Dr Adele Callaghan Educator’s Award is awarded in memory of Dr Adele Callaghan, a senior lecturer at Monash Rural Health Bendigo who passed away in 2019. Adele was a pioneer in healthcare simulation making substantial contributions to the national NHET-Sim program and was instrumental in its uptake in the Loddon Mallee and Hume regions. She was also a driver for the redevelopment of the Bendigo simulation centre into its current form. In 2020, Adele was awarded her PhD posthumously for a thesis that explored the skills junior doctors require for recognising and managing deteriorating patients.