Director of Monash Rural Health Gippsland receives Senior Fellowship of Higher Education Academy
Monash Rural Health Gippsland’s Director, Associate Professor Cathy Haigh, has recently been awarded a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). This internationally recognised achievement recognises her long-term commitment to rural medical education in Gippsland.
Originally from Ireland, Cathy started her career in the United Kingdom before moving to Australia. Cathy joined Monash Rural Health in July 2008, and since that time, has provided outstanding support to students with her learner-centred approach.
In her role as Director of Monash Rural Health Gippsland, Associate Professor Haigh has developed and maintained lasting relationships with local health services and training providers across the region to create quality placements and educational experiences that meet students' needs in terms of workplace-based learning and mandated assessment tasks.
A particular highlight for Associate Professor Haigh in her experience with Monash Rural Health is the School’s learner-centred approach to teaching with medical students supported to succeed in the classroom, on placements, and in their assessments. She found this most evident during the COVID pandemic, managing the risks that placements potentially presented to patients, to health professionals working under extraordinary circumstances, and to the students themselves, particularly in terms of mental health and well-being.
“I appreciated the unstinting support provided by educators and clinicians to innovate to continue to support learning. I would like to recognise the students' willingness to engage with an adapting educational delivery model, and acknowledge how all stakeholders worked respectfully and collaboratively to achieve the common goal of preparing medical students to progress to practice.”
Along her road to fellowship, Cathy has been engaged with support of simulation based learning to allow students to practice clinical skills, as well as communication and teamwork in a safe environment. She has also engaged with educational theories to provide a learner-centred approach in the classroom, encouraging students to actively recall and apply previous learning in a real world context.
In order to complete her fellowship, Cathy reflected on her practice and appreciated the unwavering support of her mentor and colleagues to helping her achieve this international standard in education
“It is very rewarding to have my efforts in supporting teams to teach students across different contexts be recognised and validated. I feel privileged to be part of the Higher Education Academy at Monash.”
In the future, Cathy plans to continue engaging with developments in education, whether this relates to technological advances or insights into learning and cognition.
“I hope to encourage my team to apply for their own fellowships in recognition of their sterling efforts and that Monash Rural Health Gippsland will be recognised as a centre of excellence in medical education and a highly sought after placement site.”
Dr Tammy Smith, Director of Education at Monash Rural Health congratulated Cathy on receiving her Senior Fellowship:
“This is a wonderful achievement that acknowledges a huge commitment to education and to education leadership. Achieving this level of Fellowship takes time and a lot of hard work. Congratulations again Cathy. This is very well deserved.”