Wurru Wurru Health Unit: MD Foundations in Medical Leadership Program 2022
On the journey to becoming leaders and advocates for First Nations people
Welcome to Country celebration at the Wurru Wurru Health Unit Leadership day.
Listener, influential, empowering, communicator, inspiring, humble, respectful, collaborative - these were just some of the words that appeared on an ever-growing digital word cloud as MD students responded to the question posed by Dr Ngaree Blow, Director of the Wurru Wurru Health Unit: What does it mean to be a leader? And, what does it mean to be a leader in medicine?
Having finished their exams, around 350 MD students in their final week of medical school before graduation, participated in a two day program “MD Foundations in Medical Leadership Program” run by the Department of Medical Education, with the first day dedicated to First Nations advocacy and leadership held the Wurru Wurru Health Unit”, on the 25th October 2022.
After four years, they are the first cohort of students who have fully completed a program of medical education, with Indigenous Knowledges embedded throughout their curriculum.
“With all the injustices in Australian society right now, it feels good to share moments like these watching Aboriginal Elders and leaders send off the next generation of doctors. The ‘Class of 2022’ – we’re looking at you to use this privilege and ‘Dr’ title for positive change,” said Ngaree Blow as she welcomed the students.
For Professor Steve Trumble it was the last time to he would say farewell to a graduating cohort as the Head of the Department of Medical Education, which he led for eight years.
In creating the program he learnt that “…rather than imposing on students what we think they should know, they told us: no way, it’s what we want to know”! His advice to students: “Get out to community if you can. Get out there and do it!”
Wurru Wurru Health Unit, Department of Medical Education team at the Wurru Wurru Health Unit Leadership day.
In the course of the day, the students engaged in activities and heard from Aboriginal Elders and First Nations medical specialists in two separate panels, focussed on Advocacy and Leadership.
For the Leadership panel, the students heard from Professor Aunty Di Kerr, Auntie Muriel Bambitt, Professor Sandra Eades, Associate Dean, Indigenous, Dr Glenn Harrison Aboriginal Emergency Physician, Epworth and Geelong and Damian Bonson, Black Rainbow Atlantic Fellow for “Safer Spaces.” One clear message was: “We don’t have ‘leadership’ we have ‘eldership’”
Students were told by the Elders: “You have to be part of the voice for us. We don’t have enough advocates in the community.”