Research and Scholarship Activities - May / June 2025

Come along and discover the research and scholarship activities on offer  in the Department of Medical Education (DME) in May and June 2025

Thursday 1 May (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research and Scholarship Roundtable Research Training Focus
Title: Sharpening reflexive practice in health professional education research
Presenter: Dr Charlotte Denniston, University of Melbourne
Overview: Indulgent navel gazing or important research practice? This session will explore reflexivity in health professional education research. Participants will be prompted to reflect on their own experiences with practicing, reading and writing about reflexivity.  
Link to accompanying paper

Thursday 8 May (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research and Scholarship Roundtable Scholarship Focus
Title: Cultivating innovation-launching allied health placements in a new and large MD program: lessons from the frontline
Presenter: Dr Venkat Reddy, University of Queensland
Overview: This presentation will explore the design and implementation of a 14-week allied health placement for second-year medical students in the University of Queensland’s MD program. It will outline the logistical challenges of coordinating placements across multiple specialties and settings, the strategies used to foster interprofessional collaboration, and key lessons learned. Attendees will gain insights into the benefits of early interprofessional experiences and practical considerations for integrating similar initiatives into medical curricula.

Thursday 15 May (1-2pm)

Session Type: ANZAHPE PD
Title: How do I... leverage GenAI to enhance my teaching and learning experiences?
Presenters: Kayley Lyons, Andrew Bartlett and Cory Dal Ponte  
Register at this link

Thursday 22 May (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research and Scholarship Roundtable Research Focus
Title: Implementing EPAs for interns using an action-research methodology
Presenter: Prof Christina Johnson, Monash University, Monash Health, Visiting Fellow University of Melbourne
Overview: This presentation will explore Prof Johnson's research into EPAs. At Monash Health in 2024, they piloted EPAs for interns in 11 units across four major specialties between terms 2-4, as part of the National Framework for Prevocational Medical Training. To undertake this major change, they used an action research methodology to execute plans, analyse quantitative and qualitative data on the impact, then revise the plans collaboratively with key stakeholders across 10 week cycles.

Thursday 29 May (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research and Scholarship Roundtable Research Training Focus
Title: Observational studies in health professional education research
Presenter: Assoc. Prof Jo Tai, Deakin University
Overview: Sometimes surveys, interviews, or focus groups just aren’t enough to study a phenomenon, so what else can be done? Observational studies can be designed in a range of different ways to generate rich insights and perspectives. This session will offer a basic overview of some of the ins and outs of observational studies in health professions education research.  
Link to accompanying paper

Wednesday 4 June (See times below)

Title: Discovery 4 - DME Research and Clinical Scholar Student Presentations
Location: EJS King Theatre - Level 3 Building 181, Parkville Campus, University of Melbourne
Details: Four sessions as follows. Session 1 - 9:00 AM to 10:15 AM. Session 2 - 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM. Session 3 - 12:05 PM to 2:30 PM. Session 4 - 3:00 PM to 4:55 PM.
Contact: Carey Wilson for more information (carey.wilson@unimelb.edu.au).

Thursday 5 June (1-2pm)  Online Only

Session Type: Research and Scholarship Roundtable  Research Focus
Title: How student placements can positively contribute to workforce development
Presenter: Kirsty Pope, Monash University
Overview: Kirsty will share her research on the contextual factors that influence the capacity of an organisation to take students and the impact this has on workforce development. She will outline the Appreciative Inquiry methodology used to collect data and the Foucauldian discourse analysis employed to explore the broader historical, social and political contexts under which ‘what is said’ has come to be established as true or false about student placement capacity

Thursday 12 June (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research and Scholarship Roundtable Scholarship Focus
Title: Exploring professional identity development in doctors through specialisation
Presenter: Dr Shemona Rosario, University of Melbourne
Overview: Shemona is a medical practitioner, medical educator, and health professions education researcher who has recently completed her doctoral thesis exploring professional identity development in doctors while navigating specialist career pathways. She is presenting her PhD thesis work on professional identity development in anatomical pathology training, with exploration of the opportunity to address healthcare workforce shortages and targeted recruitment in specialist training.

Thursday 19 June (1-2pm)

Session Type: ANZAHPE Member Networking
Title: Tips for writing a high-quality research grant in Health Professions Education
Presenters: Megan Anakin, Betty Chan and Elizabeth Bourne  
Register at this link

Thursday 26 June (1-2pm)

Session Type: Research and Scholarship Roundtable Research Training Focus
Title: Policy analysis: an underutilised methodology in health professions education research
Presenter: Dr Sarah Meiklejohn and Prof Claire Palermo, Monash University
Overview: Policies shape many of our practices in education and health care yet its influence and varied application is rarely considered. As a currently underutilised methodology, this session will share valuable insights into the potential value policy analysis may offer health professions education research, exploring key steps and considerations through the lens of recent case study examples from Australia.  
Link to accompanying paper

To download the Research & Scholarship Activities flyer for May/June 2025, click here