Research and Scholarship Activities - August/September 2026

Come along and discover the research and scholarship activities on offer in the Department of Medical Education (DME) in August and September 2026.  Where session recordings are available you can access them on our DME Research and Scholarship Training Hub.

Click here to view the recordings

Thursday 6 August (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research Focus Roundtable
Title: Widening Access to Medicine: What Works, for Whom, and Why? A Realist Review
Presenter: Dr Emma Bartle (The University of Western Australia)
Overview: Widening access to medicine is often framed as a problem of supporting individual applicants, yet persistent inequities suggest deeper systemic barriers. Drawing on a realist review of 32 studies, this session examines the mechanisms through which selection pathways influence diversity outcomes across contexts. It will consider how current approaches may reinforce the status quo and explore implications for research, policy, and practice.
You can access the accompanying paper here.

Thursday 13 August (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research Training Focus Roundtable
Title: Enriching research practices through knowledge about Indigenous research methodologies
Presenter: A/Prof. Joanne Bolton (The University of Melbourne), Prof. Louisa Remedios (Australian Physiotherapy Association), Prof. Shawana Andrews (The University of Melbourne)
Join Professor Shawana Andrews, Professor Louisa Remedios and A/Professor Joanne Bolton in a conversation about ‘Enriching research processes through knowledge of Indigenous research methodologies’
You can access the accompanying paper here.

Thursday 20 August (1-2pm)

ANZAHPE Online Professional Development
Title: Turning Teaching into Scholarship: Research Pathways for Health Professions Educators
Presenter: Prof. Sandra Carr (The University of Western Australia)
Register at this link

Thursday 27 August - No Roundtable due to AMEE Conference

Thursday 3 September (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research Focus Roundtable
Title: Creative Enquiry: Body Mapping as an Art-Based Approach in Health Professions Education
Presenter: Dr. Cam Marshman (Monash University)
Overview: This session provides an overview of body mapping as an art-based approach to research and education. Body mapping involves the creation of a visual self-portrait using colour, collage, symbol and metaphor to explore lived and embodied experiences. Cameron will provide an overview of body mapping and will draw upon a diverse range of examples from his own work exploring felt experiences of compassion, personal and professional identity formation, and collaborative reflexivity. This session will include an opportunity to discuss how art-based approaches can be used in medical education and health research

Thursday 10 September (1.00-2.30pm) - extended session

Session Type: Research Training Focus Roundtable
Title: How would use of AI in qualitative research affect its quality?
Presenter: Prof. Walter Eppich (The University of Melbourne)
Overview: During this workshop, we will explore the potential upsides and downsides of using AI in qualitative research in health professions education. What are possible benefits and harms? We invite you join the session to discuss this hot topic that is not without its controversies.

Thursday 17 September (1-2pm)

ANZAHPE Online Professional Development
Title: Disability Inclusion: Everybody's Business
Presenters: Laura Gray, Gisselle Gallego, Lise Mogensen, Bryony McNeill and Louisa Ng
Register at this link

Thursday 24 September (1-2pm)

Session Type: Scholarship Focus Roundtable
Title: Beyond the big overhaul: Weaving continuous and sustainable renewal into health professions curriculum practice
Presenter: Dr. Michael Poulton (The University of Melbourne)
Overview: Curriculum renewal is often framed as periodic large-scale reform, but what if renewal is better understood as an ongoing, dynamic process? Drawing on multiple theoretical perspectives, this interactive roundtable explores how curriculum renewal behaves within complex educational systems. Join colleagues in examining practical ways to foster sustainable change and share strategies for navigating the tensions, challenges, and opportunities that shape curriculum practice.

For further information, please contact Ms Andrea Meyer:  andrea.meyer@unimelb.edu.au

To download the Research & Scholarship Activities flyer for August/September 2026, click here