NSW AMSA Executive Bid 2015media.amsa.org.au/internal/executive_bids/2015/2015.2 NSW.pdf · easy to...

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NSW AMSA Executive Bid 2015 ______________________________________________________________________________!

!1NSW AMSA Executive 2015 Bid

Contents !Letter from the President 3

Meet the Team 5 Our Ideas - New Executive Structure 7 Our Ideas - Advocacy 10 Our Ideas – Engagement 12 Our Ideas - Structural Sustainability 14 James Lawler - President 16 Matt Rubic - Vice President Internal 18 Brian Fernandes - Vice President External 20 Treasurer - not filled 22 Chloe Boateng - National Coordinator 23 Maria Bilal - Public Relations Officer 25 Jacqueline Ho - Events Coordinator 27 Elise Buisson - Projects Officer 29 Ming Yong - Publications and Promotions Officer 31 Beckie Singer & Joshua Darlow - Sponsorship Officers 33 Supporting Documentation 37


Letter from the President Dear Jessica and AMSA Council,

When I first discovered I was accepted into medical school, I was sitting in an internet cafe in Vancouver. Unable to contain my excitement, but with no-one around me to understand my elation, I changed my flights to come home earlier in order to make our first orientation day for the Joint Medical Program at the University of Newcastle.

In hindsight, I need not have bothered - there was nothing covered on that day which I couldn't have found online, but one thing stuck with me. Trung Nghia Ton, a final year student who was also chair of AMSA's Global Health Network (now known as AGH) gave us some advice: Get involved in student organisations - you'll learn more about health, you'll enjoy your degree so much more, and one day, you'll be the ones who lead the new generation of first year students.

I took Trung's advice, and got involved in my local Global Health Group, as well as AMSA's Global Health Network, where I saw a bunch of people work hard to reform it into what we now know as AMSA Global Health. I was fortunate enough to be part of the AMSA National Executive in 2013. I learnt the difference between governance and management, how to write a strategic plan, and how all of the books I'd read on advocacy and campaigning applied to the real world. I got to present policy statements to the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA) on issues such as Global Health Workforce, Marriage Equality and Health, Mental Health and Drug Reform. I even scored an internship at the World Health Organisation.

I'm indulging myself with this anecdote to highlight that even though I took Trung's advice on my first day, I never could have predicted how much I've grown personally from my experiences with medical student activities over the last 5 years. And it’s with that in mind that I present to you this team of hard working, talented, fun-loving students who will take AMSA to new heights in 2015, and provide a new generation of medical students with ways to get involved with AMSA.

At the time of writing, several of my team-mates are busy preparing AMSA's largest ever Global Health Conference in Sydney. Most of them have developed their skills at the grassroots level like me, and have been involved with AMSA in one way or another - there's a few new faces as well, to ensure AMSA doesn't only look at itself through the frame of what it already does. But most importantly, they're a great group of people, and with Council's approval, I'd be thrilled to work with them next year.

My time within the IFMSA has shown me that AMSA is one of the best student groups in the world. Our amazing National Convention is the largest student-run conference on the globe. By virtue of having a representative from each of Australia's medical schools guide the association, we ensure that AMSA is relatively ubiquitous in its engagement in medical student issues. You would struggle to find another student group who can point to the 2013 Federal Government's $40 million commitment to internships as the rewards for its advocacy efforts.

However, with these successes come a constant set of obstacles for AMSA to navigate. For such a large organisation, we lack institutional memory due to the constant turnover of personnel. We are trying to be experts in finance, governance, law, tax, policy, promotions and marketing, yet we are usually only a group of amateur medical students. And with the push to innovate, each year brings in a whole raft of changes which prevent us from being truly stable.

So please note that this team has new ideas - bringing a new level of creativity to AMSA is one of the strengths of the team-based bidding process - but we aren’t here to re-invent the wheel. We’re here to fulfil AMSA’s strategic plan, take guidance from our elected AMSA Representatives,


work hard and have fun. When we look to change AMSA, it will be with the long term in mind, so that we can build slowly and steadily. Because my team-mates and I believe AMSA is already great, and with our help, it will become greater.

With overwhelming excitement,

James LawlerPresidential CandidateNSW 2015 Executive Team

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Meet the Team James Lawler - PresidentJames is an absolute pleasure to work with - he is down-to-earth, has a laid back personality and most importantly, humble. Don’t take that as any sign of weakness in his leadership skills though. James has earned a reputation within AMSA of getting things done, figuring out how best to do it, and most importantly in a volunteer organisation of AMSA, keeping people happy.

Matt Rubic - Vice President InternalMatt is an energetic, charismatic young man who knows AMSA’s events like no other. He’s spent his time in AMSA as the Deputy Convenor of its National Leadership Development Seminar, and more recently as the Deputy Convenor of AMSA’s largest ever Global Health Conference. Throughout these roles, he’s learned two things really well - how to work with people, and how AMSA works. He’s the perfect VPi for 2015.

Brian Fernandes - Vice President ExternalBrian “What a guy” Fernandes is a calm, honest humble man. He’s also been central to some of AMSA’s biggest projects in recent years - working on student mental health, refugee and asylum seeker health advocacy, and as the Academic Convenor for this year’s Global Health Conference in Sydney. Its the way he was able to convince some truly world class speakers to our GHC this year which makes him an exciting prospect for the VPe role.

Chloe Boateng - National CoordinatorChloe is a the epitome of a team player. She is reliable, nurturing and not afraid to be honest with herself and to the members of her team. In addition to her unparalleled work ethic, Chloe also brings a wealth of experience in logistics, from her time as NLDS logistics officer, and from her time as UWS's AMSA Rep, knows how AMSA Reps across the country can be best communicated with and supported.

Maria Bilal - Public Relations OfficerMaria is perfect to represent AMSA’s public relations - a young, confident future leader who external stakeholders and government ministers will be blown away by. At 19, she’s represented medical students at United Nations and World Health Organisation Meetings - AMSA’s Executive will be a small stepping stone on the way to an illustrious career for her.


Jacqueline Ho - Events Co-ordinatorJacqueline has a reputation in AMSA and her MedSoc for working with incredible efficiency and diligence. Her resume should have taken her more time to acquire, but her time in medical school has been filled with numerous activities at once, always with excellent recommendations from those who work with her. Not only is she perfectly qualified to work as Events Co-ordinator for AMSA next year, she brings a variety of skills to the NSW2015 team.!Elise Buisson - Projects OfficerElise has been a revelation to this team and how it can run projects. She shows excellent temperament being faced with challenges, she's relaxed and easy to get along with, but most importantly, she's a leader who listens. She'll be listening to people across the organisation, and people from outside it to come up with the best procedures for AMSA's projects in 2015.

Ming Yong - Publications and Promotions OfficerMing's skills lie in communication and representation, he's an artist who has an amazing ability to engage people with his work. He's the mastermind behind this year's GHC branding, encouraging you all to jump in and think pink. He has created hundreds of publications, press releases and posters and no matter how much work he has on his plate, Ming is never one to compromise quality.

Beckie Singer - Sponsorship OfficerIf you've been to an AMSA event, odds are you have met Beckie. We have heard from reliable sources that she bleeds orange. Beckie has a contagious enthusiasm that makes working with her or simply being in the same room as her a pleasure. She is a strong asset to this team, bringing her AMSA experience and easygoing yet professional demeanour.

Joshua Darlow - Sponsorship Officer Whilst only in the early stages of his medical degree, Josh is not short of life experiences. He has been involved professionally in event management and sponsorship in his previous life as an agriculture economist. Josh is calm, collective and wise, and that, in addition to his deep silky voice, puts all who is around him at ease.

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Our Ideas - New Executive StructureFunction, not Content In 2015, we propose a new Executive structure, which decreases the size of the Executive, as well as replacing “content” based Executive positions with “function” based ones, (see Table 1).

Reducing the size of the ExecutiveAMSA’s unique bid process allows a great deal of flexibility. Our incoming team is allowed to propose any structure and upon ratification, our team’s structure will be automatically adopted into the regulations and by-laws of the association. This allows great autonomy for our team to decide what structure we will use to manage AMSA, and as long Council believes we can accomplish AMSA’s goals, it becomes concreted into AMSA’s structure.

As such, the structure of the Executive changes almost every year, with a trend of increasing the number of Executive members (see Table 2). This has been driven by an increased Executive workload, but also by a desire for bid teams to demonstrate innovation and new ideas to Council.

Recognising that the number of Executive members cannot continue to grow sustainably, we will move from a 15-person team to a 12-person team. This smaller size will allow better management of our Executive team’s internal processes. It also allows the roles of the Executive to be decentralised to other volunteers; this is particularly relevant with the establishment of our rural subcommittee, our Indigenous subcommittee, and our move to give more autonomy to AMSA Global Health (see “Our Ideas - Engagement”).

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Table 1: New Executive Structure

2014 – 15 Officers 2015 – 12 Officers

President President

Vice President External

Vice President External

Vice President Internal

Vice President Internal

Treasurer Treasurer

National Coordinator National Coordinator

Events Coordinator Events Coordinator

Sponsorship x 2 Sponsorship x 2

Public Relations Officer

Public Relations Officer

Engagement and Promotions Officer

Merged for the creation of

Publications and Promotions Officer

Publications Officer

Information Technology Officer

Will be outsourced to a subcommittee of

students, or a professional service

Rural and Indigenous Officer

Responsibility of these matters will be

outsourced to incoming Rural and

Indigenous subcommittees, and

AGH respectively

Community and Wellbeing Officer

See “Projects Officer”!

Global Health Officer

Secretary will be used to support the internal management of the

Executive


Table 2: Number of Executive Members, past 10 years

The Secretary In 2015, our AMSA Executive will re-invigorate the use of streams to streamline workload and decentralise Executive decision making processes. However, in order to ensure that good Executive communication remains we will look to create the role of Secretary. This will ensure that whilst a lot of our work and decisions occur out-of-sessions, stream leaders will be held to account on reporting back to the Executive, and that action items from meetings are followed up.

But in saying this, there are many variables which we’ll need to consider for the Secretary role - there’s a new structure on our team, the VPi’s role will change, and we’ll be in close proximity to our Executive Assistant. Once we’ve started working within our structure and we’re comfortable with a clear role description for a Secretary, we’ll start looking for one, so that we can best understand the organisational context for the role.

Projects Officer Elise, in the new role of Projects Officer, will provide new strategic direction for the use of projects within AMSA. After consulting with people experienced in project management, project coordinators and past Executives, Elise will bring new processes to AMSA that ensure that existing projects are evaluated properly for their effectiveness and that innovation can occur, that we have effective processes for creating new projects, and that AMSA as a whole can adopt a paradigm shift to how it sees its projects.

Publications and Promotions Officer Our team will merge the existing Engagement and Promotions and Publications portfolios. We will place Ming in charge of the new Publications and Promotions portfolio, and with his expertise in these areas, along with his experience across AMSA, Ming will get to work prioritising our most effective methods of communication with students. He’ll work with the current Executive on reviewing our current branding guidelines. Merging the two roles will create a significantly larger workload, and Ming will investigate ways he can outsource skill-specific work to other volunteers and subcommittees where appropriate to be most effective in achieving his goals.

Outsourcing our IT demands One of the ongoing discussions within AMSA in recent years is how we can get the most from our IT. We have many student volunteers across the organisation with high-level IT skills, yet we have a mediocre website, no smartphone application, and no long-lasting innovations in information technology.

After consulting with many people across the organisation, the reason for this is simple. In a competition of teams, Executives are never elected on the skills of the IT officer, rather

Year Executive Members

2005 10

2006 10

2007 13

2008 13

2009 14

2010 14

2011 14

2012 15

2013 15

2014 15


focusing on the Presidential candidate and other “key” members of the Executive teams. Thus, from year to year, whilst each Executive may have a member with IT skills, the skill-sets of IT officers from year-to-year vary greatly.

Upon election, we’ll begin working with the current Executive and the Board to come up with new IT solutions, utilising volunteers from around the country (which will ensure the highest levels of IT expertise can be sourced) and looking to professional services to provide AMSA with consistent, high quality IT services from year-to-year.

Giving Autonomy to Subcommittees Soon after AMSA’s first Global Health Conference in 2005, students interested in Global Health from around the country began meeting before the conference each year to discuss their work in global health. These students, representatives from local Global Health Groups, then formalised the meetings, and formed AMSA’s Global Health Network, which would meet before GHC each year, elect a Chair and Management Team from amongst themselves, and form plans to work together nationally. In 2010-11, they underwent a governance review, started having face-to-face meetings twice per year, began electing Management Teams separate from their Representatives, and explored their role in representing global health externally. Today, they are a cherished part of AMSA, and they drive much of the medical student experience in engaging with global health at the local and national levels. The best way for AGH to continue to grow and manage its functions responsibly will be to remove the dedicated Executive position which oversees it, and allow the Management Team to be more responsive to its AGH Representatives.

At the same time, whilst rural and Indigenous issues are also important to AMSA, we have largely continued our work on these issues through one executive officer, after its creation in 2005. Without a subcommittee for students

to identify, AMSA hasn’t forged ahead with projects, policies and campaigns in these areas in the same way it has done so for Global Health. Through the establishment of these subcommittees, we’ll hope to find leaders from the grassroots level around the country to drive forward AMSA’s engagement on these issues. Liaising with these new subcommittees, as well as AGH, the International Students’ Network and other existing subcommittees, will be overseen by the VPi.

Upskilling the Executive This section could not be complete without serious thought dedicated to how we, and future executives, will upskill ourselves. This is especially relevant with the relatively short handover before 2015.

Many of us have experienced handovers in a variety of roles within AMSA and outside of it. It needs to be said that poor handover often focuses only on knowledge to prepare officers for their roles, without considering the skills and attitudes needed for new roles. Before 2015, we’ll work together on personal development plans for each other, which address how each of us will work on addressing skill deficiencies for our roles next year, and we’ll identify what these skills are through consultation with external experts and past Executive officers. And most importantly, we’ll be ready to work on this more effective handover model with the incoming 2016 team when it is elected.

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Our Ideas - AdvocacyNew Avenues on Internships and Health Workforce In the lead-up to the lead-up to the 2013 election, the soon-to-be Coalition government committed $10 million per year for 4 years as commonwealth funding for internships across Australia. This is a great commitment, and is the fruits of AMSA’s federal advocacy over many years. However this alone hasn’t ensured all medical students can be future doctors serving the Australian community.

In 2015, Internships and Health Workforce will remain one of AMSA’s top priorities. But we’ll begin to look for the “low-hanging fruit” – the areas where we can make the biggest changes, which will be most beneficial to students. Once elected, we’ll begin working with state Medical Student Councils in NSW and QLD in order to maximise our influence in the lead-up to the respective state elections in March 2015.

We’ll also work harder to better identify which students are missing out on internships. We’ll work with our International Students Network to try to survey and engage with international students in Australia. We need to know where they are from, how many of them are intending to stay in Australia after study and after internship. We’ll also work on evaluating their “Plan B” – giving students who may miss out on internships up-to-date, relevant information about their other options Its this kind of data analysis which is key to AMSA understanding its evolving role in the intern crisis.

And finally, we’ll hold the Federal Government to account. It’s a testament to strong advocacy over many years that $40 million was committed to internships in 2013, but due to broader Federal health funding cuts, especially the abolishment of the PGPPP, its important that we communicate to the Federal government just how important the federal

funding of internships is to the future of Australia.

AMSA, the authority on Youth Public Health Issues As a vibrant group of young, future doctors, AMSA has began working on the health of young people with more vigour in recent years, with particular commendation to our work on student mental health. However, within the association, and more broadly within the public, a culture shift needs to occur if we are to be seen as “the authority” on these issues.

An AMSA which was the authority on youth public health issues would frame their arguments on health and wellbeing more broadly than those which affect the medical student population, or even the student population. We’d consider issues like mental health, sexual health and the death toll from injuries and motor vehicle accidents important public policy endeavours for the organisation. We’d view broader health issues, like non-communicable diseases, as ones which require vital input from young people, especially given statistics such as that less than half of Australian 12-24 year olds meet daily exercise requirements, and only 5% adhere to Australian dietary guidelines. And we’d take heed from international experts on the social determinants of health such as Sir Michael Marmott, who believes that “youth unemployment is a global health emergency”, and advocate to government accordingly to ensure the health and wellbeing of our generation, given that 1 in 3 young Australians are unemployed.

These things are easier said than done, but we know where we are heading. We’ll use the handover period to summarise data from landmark reports such as the AIHW 2011 report on the health and well-being of young Australians, and work with students from around the country to develop the right policies for these issues to present at first


Council next year. We’ll develop projects which reflect our strengths, such as our engagement with young people in universities, and our standing as respected youth leaders nationally. And most importantly, we’ll represent our youth-focused policies effectively to government, media and other stakeholders, so that we’re taken seriously on a broad range of youth public health issues, and so that we’ll be considered the “authority” on these issues one day in the future.

Using our AMSA Reps as the “Local Advocate” Throughout our ideas in this document, you’ll notice a focus on reinvigorating the role of our AMSA Representatives within the organisation. In 2015, we’ll be using AMSA Reps as the “Local Advocate”. As a guide, we’ll be aiming for each AMSA Rep to meet their state and/or their federal MP at least once, and write an op-ed for local print or online media. One of the great strengths of AMSA is that our advocacy can work in a co-ordinated, national fashion, and working with our reps in this way ensures our influence:

• Spans further across the country

• Reaches more MPs, and more members of the public, more often

• Can respond in a co-ordinated approach to multiple MPs at when issues arise suddenly

• Can talk about a broader range of issues

Our first focus with this idea will be in the lead-up to the aforementioned state elections in NSW and QLD, and will ensure that we are building effective relationships with our stakeholders for the long-term.

Listening to students Despite what we feel is a strong vision and solid experience in our advocacy stream, the most important part of our role in advocacy is

that we listen to students from around the country. The current executive has ensured that we’ll hit the ground running with the short handover time, by providing a nation-wide survey of what is important to students, and its this data, along with continuous consultation with our AMSA reps and subcommittees, which will ensure that we accurately represent the thoughts and feelings of medical students around the country.


Our Ideas – EngagementA focus on what we’ll use to engage students When you review the vision for engaging students from most previous bid teams, you see a theme – AMSA likes to talk about how we’ll be engaging more students. Whilst this is important to us, not much of our energy has been spent thinking about what we’ll engage students with.

A quick scan of the organisation shows what we’re good at engaging students with. Our events are world class – we know we’re well known for our Convention and GHC. We’re also good at building leadership, with an NLDS, and a strong Council culture. We’ve also made big strides in engaging students interested in Global Health, student mental health, and in general our advocacy is incorporating more students from all over the country.

But there’s a whole range of areas we should be engaging students where we aren’t. We don’t engage students on rural issues in the same way AGH has forged ahead our Global issues. Most medical students would consider academic and career building issues to be issues to be most important to them, however AMSA has not explored its role as the national student body in providing these resources or services (although our inaugural year of AMSA Academy has been fantastic). And despite the fact that Australian medical schools are recruiting Indigenous students in proportion to the 2.5% of Indigenous people living in Australia, we don’t bring Indigenous medical students together to discuss issues important to them face-to-face.

The next sections on engagement will show how we’ll be using this this philosophy – a focus on what we’re engaging students with – to get results next year. So if you’re an Australian medical student, and you’ve got other ways you’d like to see us engaging with you, please get in touch with one of us, or your local AMSA Rep.

A Rural Subcommittee, and an Indigenous Subcommittee We’ll work with the current Executive to see through the creation of new rural and Indigenous subcommittees within AMSA. We’ll make sure that, where relevant, we’re working closely with relevant stakeholder bodies to do this. We’ll also take heed of the AMSA’s 2010 Organisational Health Review, which listed that one of AMSA’s greatest strengths was that “Face-to-face time gives AMSA its teeth”, and with this in mind, we’ll prioritise a face-to-face meeting with these groups so that we can get the most from them, and that they can give the most back to AMSA.

The Projects Officer As discussed in other parts of this document, we’ve replaced content based Executive roles, such as the Community and Wellbeing Officer, with function based ones – central to that is the Projects Officer. The Projects Officer will take on overseeing activities of AMSA which need to be evaluated regularly. This will include re-evaluating current projects such as the Vampire Cup and AMSA Academy, but also searching for new issues to take on, with a priority on diversifying the projects we use to engage medical students.

Better Utilising the International Student’s Network As highlighted in our advocacy section, we’ll be looking to better understand the demographics of international students studying in Australia to better inform how we can assist them in finding internships. We’ll be using the International Students’ Network to do this, and in doing so also discover how


well we can engage with our International students, and come up with plans to engage with them better.

Prioritising the effective methods of communication As always though, we need to talk about how we’ll engage students as well. By merging the roles of Publications and the Engagement and Promotion Officer under the new Publications and Promotions Officer, we’ll be able to ensure our publications and other media is better engaging students. We’ll use extra volunteers to take over roles such as editing Panacea, and we’ll use statistical data to review which of our publications are being read by students, and which ones can be altered in their timing, structure and content to engage even more students.

Two-way communication with our AMSA Reps We intrinsically take a lot for granted from our AMSA Representatives. They are expected to give us detailed student opinion for our policy processes, and to vote on important constitutional changes often with very little introduction to the context. We also send them a regular email with a (sometimes long) list of events or projects to promote to their students. We’ve spoken to a few of you who are realists - AMSA representatives often make decisions about which events and projects are most relevant for promotion in their local context, and disregard the rest, in order to prevent “information overload” to their students. We’re aware this will occur next year as well - but we want feedback when it does. Our executive will take responsibility for long lists of promotional tasks, and where events or projects are not being promoted by multiple AMSA Reps, we’ll find new, centralised ways to promote them.!


Our Ideas - Structural SustainabilityFinances – we’re not providing a silver bullet Upon reviewing Executive bid documents from the last 10 years, a common theme emerges each year. Due to the fact that AMSA’s financial situation is rarely stable, every bid team proposes to find new revenue streams for AMSA, to enhance our sponsorship, and to manage our finances better. Assumedly, this gives Council and the organisation confidence that these issues will be addressed fully, and will be governed well in the long-term.

Our team is being up-front and honest with the organisation – we’re not here to provide a silver bullet for AMSA’s finances. The financial instability of AMSA is a problem which spans far longer than its institutional memory, and the organisation would be foolish to think this will be reversed in the 12 months of 2015. Our Sponsorship Officers will work hard to meet their targets with Josh’s experience and Beckie’s knowledge of AMSA. Our team will work with the Board to review our budget and finances. But for long-term stability, the Board must come up with a long-term plan for AMSA’s finances – it will be the role of the Executive to manage this and make it a reality.

Using 3rd Council to upskill incoming reps Many members of our Executive have seen multiple Council meetings, some of us many in a row. Some of the main deficiencies we’ve noticed in the AMSA Council model are that during the first Council of the year, many reps have never experienced council before, and are often asked to speak to and vote upon complex and important changes to the organisation, with little to no experience in these matters or within the organisation. The development of a “How-to” guide for incoming reps may alleviate this, but nothing can replace time and experience at Council. In

2015, we’ll work with willing MedSocs to fly incoming AMSA Representatives for 2016 to Sydney for our 3rd Council, in order to upskill the incoming Council members in the processes and culture of Council. We’ll spend breakout sessions at this Council focusing on this incoming group of Councillors as well and explaining to them intricacies such as the role and structure of the Board, so they hit the ground running in 2016.

Refocusing on the AMSA Rep Along with our 3rd Council reforms, we’ll be dedicating more of our energy engaging with our AMSA Reps outside of Council. We’ll make sure that we make contact with AMSA Reps more often, and from different members of the Executive. We’ll also update Council with condensed versions of what is happening with the Executive throughout the year, which will be made easier to collate with our new Secretary role. We’ll also bring together all of the documents relevant to being an AMSA rep in one central repository.

Managing Burnout With our greater appreciation of student mental health, AMSA has become much more attuned to the potential for burnout amongst its volunteers. Despite this, AMSA has been built on the backs of volunteers who work hard for the organisation, because they believe in its value and its worth. Our Executive will use decentralised decision making and meeting processes, particularly by reinvigorating our use of the streams. We’ll use other volunteers outside of the Executive to ensure that our workload is spread between people. But most importantly, we’re a fun group of people – we’ll work hard amongst each other, and amongst the different parts of the organisation to ensure that conflict between people is avoided, as this is truly one of the greatest factors leading to burnout.


#CutOrangeTape Upon the restructuring of the Executive, and the creation of new subcommittees, it is vital that AMSA recognises that its strengths lie in its flexibility and creativity. In creating new process and structures in our organisation, we need to make sure that we don’t create unnecessary bureaucracy, and that processes aren’t slower than they need to be. We won’t expect reporting for the sake of reporting, but use it as a genuine tool to inform ourselves of the work of those volunteers around us. Where new processes are used, we’ll make sure we think critically of their value and necessity along the way. And when we form subcommittees to make our work more effective, we won’t immediately make them institutionalised parts of AMSA.

The Executive – not the suppository of wisdom Whilst this Executive is confident in its ability to manage AMSA, we recognise that our role as the Executive does not inherently make us the most qualified students in the country for all of AMSA’s activities. An incoming Executive needs to consider working with a Convention team which has already been working on its event for 12 months, and subcommittees which are designed to provide the “expertise” on issues such as Global Health and International students’ issues. We’ll work with the many volunteer groups within AMSA to see our common goals achieved – we’ll let our volunteers dictate the direction of their activities and we’ll focus on empowering volunteers, rather than micromanaging them.!


James Lawler - President James has spent his years as a medical student climbing the Orange ladder. From way back in 2010 he was an AGH Rep, and has since had his journey take him all over the country and around the world. It’s this institutional memory of AMSA, coupled with his calm head and keen spirit which has helped him bring together a fantastic team of students for the Executive in 2015.

!I’m truly humbled and honoured that I have the opportunity to work with such a talented bunch of team-mates to lead AMSA in 2015. I’m willing to defer my studies and take a research year in 2015 in order to dedicate sufficient time to the AMSA Presidency.

AMSA

I have met medical students from all around the globe through my adventures in the IFMSA, so I’m truly able to qualify that AMSA is one of the best student organisations in the world. Our advocacy is strong, our engagement is deep, and we work far more professionally than most student groups. In 2015, we’ll build on these strengths, whilst seizing opportunities like state elections to increase our reach. We’ll also fortify some of our weaknesses, to ensure we engage with students more broadly, that we bring our AMSA reps into the fold more often, and that this organisation is structurally and financially stable for the future.

My Team

With all of my years in AMSA to guide me, I was focused on one thing whilst bringing this team together – finding people I’d be excited to work with. My team-mates are hard-working, but they’re also fun, which is vital in a volunteer organisation like AMSA. We’re going to celebrate our successes throughout the year, but we’ll also make sure to celebrate humility, and recognise the times that we don’t have the expertise we need, that we were wrong in our convictions, or that we’ve failed at a task – it’s only with this serious self-appraisal that we’ll show great leadership.

We’ll agree on personal development plans at the start of our terms, and we’ll ensure that they’re followed up throughout the year. We’ll be sure to manage our workloads carefully, and avoid burnout by managing conflict and ensuring that our work is meaningful. We’ll streamline the Executive decision making processes and run effective meetings as well, to make sure that we are efficient as possible with our valuable volunteer time.

Thanks

I’d like to thank my team, as well as the many various current AMSA volunteers and old heads for their wisdom and guidance during this process. With your help, along with a strong Board and Council in 2015, my team-mates and I will raise this great organisation even higher.

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James Lawler - President E| [email protected] M| 0432 396 979 Twitter| @jmslwlr!Education

• 2010-2016e: BMed/BMedSci, University of Newcastle

Employment • 2014: Residential Youth Worker,

Premier Youth Works

• Sep-Dec 2013: Intern at the World Health Organisation Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland in the Health Systems, Workforce and Policies Department

• 2009-13: Waiter, Muse Restaurant Hunter Valley

• 2008-09: Waiter and Shift Supervisor, Terroir Restaurant Hunter Valley

Awards and Achievements • 2011: John McPhee Prize for Medical

Ethics and Law

• 2007: Long Tan Leadership Award

Leadership and Representation • 2013-14: Vice-President External’s

Policy Assistant, IFMSA

• 2013-14: Academic Subcommittee, AMSA GHC

• 2013-14: Advocacy Officer, Wake Up! Global Health Group

• 2013: Global Health Officer, AMSA

• 2013: Member of Task force on Mission and Vision, IFMSA

• 2012: AMSA Global Health Campaigns Officer

• 2012: President, Wake Up! Global Health Group

• 2010-11: Vice-President and AMSA Global Health Representative, Wake Up! Global Health Group

Professional Development • 2013-14: Delegate, IFMSA General

Assemblies (Taipei, Taiwan ’14; Santiago, Chile and Baltimore, U.S.A ’13)

• 2013: Delegate, 8th UNESCO Youth Forum, Paris

• 2013: Delegate, World Health Summit, Berlin

• 2013: IFMSA Representative, World Health Organisation’s reform consultation with non-state actors

• 2012: Delegate, Global Ideas Forum

• 2012, 2013: Delegate, AMSA National Convention

• 2011: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Conference

• 2011: Delegate, AMSA National Leadership Development Seminar

Community and Volunteer • 2011-2013: Group Leader, St. Peter’s

All Saint College Year 10 Retreat

• 2009-2010: Lead Actor in 3 professional plays

• 2009: Volunteer Eco Students Abroad Community Development, Misahualli, Ecuador


Matt Rubic - Vice President Internal Matt has an unprecedented level of internal AMSA experience. He has been Deputy Convenor on two of AMSA’s flagship events, namely NLDS in 2013 and GHC in 2014. In these roles he’s honed his skills as an energetic, friendly, and above all, consultative human resources manager. This, coupled with his working knowledge of the organisation built on attending six AMSA Councils, will ensure the internal operations of AMSA run smoothly and effectively in 2015.

!The VPi is the lynchpin of the internal side of AMSA. In order to hold all of these things together, its vital to bring a good working knowledge of AMSA’s intricacies into the role.

I know AMSA like few others, having been the Deputy Convenor of our Global Health Conference (GHC) and National Leadership Development Seminar (NLDS). You can be confident that AMSA is safe in my hands.

The Team

I’m thrilled to be able to work with this team. Many of us have already been working together for over 12 months on AMSA’s largest GHC yet – at the time of writing this, I’m flat out, but it’s going great!

However, the role of the Executive is quite different to that of an Event team. My GHC team has had the pleasure of coming together on one large project to all work on – in 2015, we’ll be spread across a range of portfolios and we’ll have a much more decentralised workflow. I’ll take the advice of current and past Executives and work with James to ensure we use streams effectively to ensure we are as efficient as possible. We’ll ensure that the Executive meetings are only used to work together on content which is relevant to us all.

We’ve restructured the team significantly, but for the better. A smaller team will help me stay across more portfolios and ensure that more members of the Executive can “manage up” effectively to me.

Changes to workflow and structure

On top of the changes to the Executive, we’ve restructured elements of the association, and I’ll be ensuring the transition occurs smoothly. The most significant changes will be creating new rural and Indigenous subcommittees of AMSA, and no longer having roles such as the Global Health Officer to oversee AGH. It will be up to me to make sure that there is a consistent dialogue between these subcommittees and the Executive, but that we also don’t create excessive, bureaucratic reporting protocols – we’re here to support each other.

With the changes to my role, we’ll look to bring a Secretary onto the team at some point in late 2014 or early 2015. We haven’t rushed this – I want us to get a feel for how communication will work in our new structure before we create a proper job description for the Secretary role.

Volunteer Burnout

The issue of volunteer burnout is a significant one for the organisation, and its up to me to monitor my team to ensure this doesn’t occur. I’ll make sure that we’re building up to meaningful work wherever we can, and that I step in early to mediate any conflicts across the organisation which might otherwise drain our attention and energy.


Matt Rubic - Vice President Internal E| [email protected] M| 0433 595 727!Education

• 2014: Master of Public Health (International), University of Sydney

• 2010-2016: BMed/MD, University of New South Wales

• 2004 - 2009: St Aloysius College

Employment • 2013-2014: Advocacy Intern,

Médecins Sans Frontières Sydney Office

• 2009-2014: Debating Coach and Tutor, St Aloysius College

Awards and Achievements • 2009: The Len Barlow Silver Medal for

Outstanding Contribution to and Leadership in School Life

Leadership and Representation • 2014: Deputy Convenor, AMSA Global

Health Conference

• 2013: Deputy Convenor, AMSA National Leadership Development Seminar

• 2013: Functions Director, New South Wales Medical Students’ Council (NSWMSC)

• 2012: Student Representative, UNSW Faculty of Medicine Board

• 2012: Student Representative Council, UNSW

• 2012: Socials Portfolio Coordinator, UNSW

• 2011: Co-Chair, President and Founder, UNSW Paediatrics Society

• 2010: Secretary, UNSW Medical Student Aid Project (MSAP)

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Professional Development • 2012: Delegate, AMSA National

Leadership Development Seminar

• 2012: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Think Global Workshop

• 2011-2013: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Conference

Community and Volunteer • 2013: Leader, Fiji Village Project

• 2011-2013: Coordinator, Weekend Play Group Volunteering

• 2009-2012 Leader, St Aloysius College Old Boys Immersion Program

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mailto:[email protected]

Brian Fernandes - Vice President External Brian has spent his of medical school advocating for the medical issues ranging from mental health, the training pipeline and medical education and global health.

!As I write this, we’re on the cusp of the AMSA 10th Annual Global Health Conference. It’s worth reflecting on a bid’s inherent time intensive process and commit to realistically consider the merits of the ideas put forward by passionate medical students looking to change the organisation for the better. It’s my hope that next year we have an AMSA executive that grows to celebrate its success and looks for the opportunity to grow with each failure.

Advocacy on all levels

The heart of AMSA’s mandate is to successfully advocate for the interests of medical students across Australia. It’s imperative that all levels of AMSA’s advocacy effectively responds to the needs of medical students around Australia. Our top tier advocacy will focus on formulating compact policy and driving it with affect with politicians on all sides of politics. We will expand the depth of advocacy by engaging with Medical Societies and Medical Student Councils to drive our advocacy messages through a greater audience.

Taking policy to action

Having been closely involved with numerous AMSA Project Teams, I’ve seen the exciting chance to elevate our policy platform and turn it into tangible action for students around the country. Engaging talented individuals from around Australia to represent the key interests of our organisation is a logical step forward in the development of a larger advocacy footprint. In 2015, this vision extends to having our national project teams centred on our key advocacy priorities to drive grassroots and top tier advocacy for AMSA.

Real representation

AMSA needs to continue to innovate on its key message it sends to politicians, looking to be the voice of medical student needs and the broader health of Australia’s young people. Being the definitive voice in this space would greatly accentuate our message and strengthen the call for key policy changes for the betterment of health in Australia.

!!


Brian Fernandes - Vice President External E| [email protected] M| 0433 035 653 Twitter| @brianfern_!Education

• 2011-2015e: MBBS, University of Western Sydney

Employment • Nov-Dec 2014: Intern at the World

Health Organisation Headquarters, Geneva, Switzerland.

• 2014: Scientific Writer, Joanna Briggs Institute, University of Adelaide

Awards and Achievements • 2014: AMSA President’s Award

• 2013: AMSA Wellbeing Cup, UWSMS/GHAWS Blue Week

• 2012: Medical Intern Positions (Private Members Statement), Parliament of NSW

• 2012: NSW Building Inclusive Communities Award for GHAWS Mentoring Program !

Leadership and Representation • 2014: Academic Co-Convenor, AMSA

Global Health Conference Sydney

• 2014: Member, AMSA Policy Review Working Group

• 2014: Community and Wellbeing Liaison, AMSA Student Wellbeing and Mental Health Team

• 2014: Social Media Campaign Manager, AMSA for Refugee & Asylum Seeker Mental Health

• 2013, 2014: Communications Officer, Doctors4Refugees Academic Subcommittee,

• 2014: UWS Representative, Avant Student Advisory Council

• 2013: Community/Global Health Officer, University of Western Sydney Medical Society

• 2013: Public Relations, AMSA Student Wellbeing and Mental Health Team

• 2013: President, Global Health Awareness Western Sydney

• 2011: First Year Representative, Global Health Awareness Western Sydney

Professional Development !• 2013, 2014: Attendee, AMSA National

Convention

• 2014: Author, Bonded Medical Places Policy

• 2013: Delegate, AMSA NLDS

• 2013-2014: Attendee, 4 AMSA Councils

• 2012: AMSA Global Health Presidents Workshop

• 2011 - 2013: AMSA GHC

Community and Volunteer • 2014: Student Representative,

Medicare Local (Wentwest) Refugee Health Working Group

• 2013: Member, Youth Reference Group Headspace Campbelltown

• 2012: Coordinator, Robert Townson High School Medical Student Mentoring

• 2011: Volunteer, Autism Advisory Support Services


Treasurer - not filled !The role of Treasurer is vital to any Executive team, but will be especially important to AMSA in 2015. As aforementioned in this document, AMSA is an organisation which attempts to be professional in finance, governance, tax, law, policy, promotions and marketing, yet is usually only amateur medical students. The role of Treasurer of a near 2 million dollar company requires a specific skill set.

The NSW 2015 team inquired with several students regarding the Treasurer role, but did not find a suitably qualified candidate who was willing to volunteer their time for the role. We don't believe this is an accurate reflection of our capacity to recruit volunteers, or of the candidates we considered - the issue is that the role is demanding, and the skill-set quite specific. If our team had found a candidate willing to take on the role, but without an ideal skill-set, we would have been making an irresponsible, high-risk decision in a year which AMSA simply cannot afford mistakes or poor financial management.

Despite this, AMSA needs a Treasurer, and we believe that the strong volunteer culture which has built this organisation will prevail. We will work with Council, the current Executive and the Board from now until 2015 on an open, nation-wide process to find the person or people who are willing and able to contribute to AMSA in a way which provides it strong financial management in 2015.

Of course, if you are a student who believes you have the capacity to assist AMSA and our Executive in the treasury portfolio in 2015, we encourage you to contact our Presidential candidate, James Lawler, on 0432 39 69 79.!


Chloe Boateng - National Coordinator Chloe brings her passion for AMSA, communication skills and experience in engagement and logistics to the role of National Coordinator. She is dedicated to positive working relationships and strong internal communication.

!Four years after my AMSA introduction and subsequent love affair, I want to be a greater part of the organisation that has been the highlight of my medical education. I’m excited to further engage AMSA Representatives with advocacy and facilitate productive Council meetings.

Effective internal communication

The facilitation of a two-way dialogue between the Executive and Council, so as to create an atmosphere of collaboration as opposed to delegation is a priority. AMSA Representatives will be sent monthly summaries of the Executive’s activity, ensuring that dialogue flows between Council meeting and MedSocs remain engaged with the organisation’s wider activities as well as promoting accountability and transparency. As a team, we’re all about serving Council and our members as best we can and receiving regular feedback is key to that.

Supporting AMSA Representatives

As a past AMSA Representative, I value the role of the National Coordinator to go beyond informing and delegating through weekly emails, and to connect personally with Representatives. I will build on the successful existing communication structure, supplementing emails with monthly individual telephone and Skype conversations, to ensure that Representatives are supported in their portfolios and connected with the organisation.

The role of AMSA Representatives as local advocates and avenues of engagement will be optimised through educational council streams, written resources and Executive support.

Council

Well-functioning Councils are key to the success of the organisation and I believe my background in national event logistics, as NLDS Logistics Coordinator will serve me well in my quest for efficiency and cost minimisation. Guest attendance at Council is growing and it is important to ensure that Council is affordable and accessible for our members, early planning and release of Council logistical information and financial costs is imperative.

Careful Council time management is key to ensuring that we get the most out of our time. Moving towards regular updates from the Executive and less read reports during Council will ensure our meetings proceed more efficiently. A supplementation of existing online pre-Council training in conjunction with wider organisational information will allow Representatives to optimise Council meeting time and ease their transition into the organisation.

An increased number of Presidential and AMSA Representative breakout sessions at Council and increased active discussion between MedSocs between the year will allow them to best utilise their collective knowledge and experience.


Chloe Boateng - National Coordinator E| [email protected] M| 0416 563 892!Education

• 2011-2016e: MBBS, University of Western Sydney (UWS)

• 2005-2010: Pymble Ladies College, Sydney

Employment • 2010-2013: Freelance Photographer

• 2010-2012: Academic Tutor

Awards and Achievements • 2013: AMSA Best Medical Society

Website Award for uwsms.org

• 2013: AMSA Best New Initiative by a Medical Society Award for UWSMS Blue Week

• 2013: Winner of AMSA Golden Ticket Competition

• 2010: Premier’s Medal for All-round Excellence in the Higher School Certificate

• 2010: Pymble Ladies College School Prize for Senior Science

Leadership and Representation • 2014: UWSMS AMSA Representative

(January - July)

• 2014: AMSA National Leadership Development Seminar Logistics Coordinator

• 2014: UWS Australian Medical Student Journal Representative

• 2013-2014: UWS Blue Week Organising Committee

• 2013: UWSMS Publications and Communications Officer

• 2013: Contributor, UWS student submission to Australian Medical Council, Accreditation process

• 2013: UWSMS Website Manager

• 2013: UWSMS MedRevue Backstage Manager

• 2013: UWSMS Halfway Dinner Organising Committee

• 2013: UWSMS Neoplasm Editor

• 2012-2013: UWSMS Social Committee

Professional Development • 2014: Councillor, AMSA Council

• 2014: Delegate, AMSA GlobalEx

• 2014: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Training New Trainers Workshop

• 2013: Guest, 3rd AMSA Council, Sydney


• 2011 - 2014: Delegate, AMSA National Convention

• 2011, 2014: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Conference

• 2012: Attendee, UWSMS Leadership Seminar

Community and Volunteer • 2014: Volunteer Telephone Counsellor,

Lifeline Australia

• 2013: Volunteer, Camden Community Connections

• 2011-2013: UWSMS MedRevue Cast


http://uwsms.org

Maria Bilal - Public Relations Officer The moment Maria began medical school, she raced towards the unique opportunities afforded by AMSA. Within her first year she was advocating for access to Essential Medicines at the UN, and only weeks later she was representing medical students at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. Maria’s effervescence and optimism are only paralleled by her dedication and work ethic, which will enable her to dive into the role of PRO. !Communication is the cornerstone of healthcare and the heart of advocacy. It is at this overlap that I firmly plant my feet. My vision for PRO echoes my personal philosophy; that lasting change comes about through education, engagement and empowerment. All of which can be achieved through appropriate and effective communication. Stepping into the role of PRO requires recognition of the enormous potential of AMSA and an understanding of the intricacies of advocacy and policy. I am no stranger to any of these. I hope to continually build on the successes of past Executives and learn from challenges they faced. Ultimately, I am committed to effectively representing AMSA on the public stage to ensure the maximum scope of impact. !The Ties That Bind PRO is all about relationships. Internal: AMSA’s strength comes from our unity; reinforcing networks within the AMSA body allows us to utilise its full strength. I would like to place focus on increasing grassroots involvement and harnessing the vast pool of volunteers, thus fostering accountability by returning ownership to AMSA members.External: I hope to enhance our current channels of communication with the media whilst also reaching out and cultivating new relationships within the community, media and stakeholders. In 2015, the two states with the highest concentration of medical schools both have elections, so the PRO will take on a pivotal role of creating dialogue on pertinent issues. Executive: The pejorative of the Advocacy Team is to enable, rather than control. The relationships within the Advocacy Team will determine its effectiveness, and hence there is a great premium placed on

cohesion. !I believe that leading a group of leaders means guiding the team towards a shared vision, creating direction and ensuring that everyone is working towards it together. I am proud of the team that James has put together; leading a group of leaders requires a balance between recognising the value of each individual and also building cohesiveness – a task he has accomplished effortlessly. !Listen Up! It doesn’t matter how loud we yell, if they’ve got earplugs, we might as well have said nothing. Media releases are useless if our entire target audience is on Facebook. Journal articles are irrelevant if the blogosphere beat us to it. My aim is to ensure that we innovate, working smart to shape our media presence so that our efforts have the most impact. A focus on systemic innovation will see new ways for the AMSA body to share concerns with the advocacy team, and fresh channels for the advocacy team to exert influence over the public consciousness. I am humbled by the caliber of those who have previously assumed this role. But more so, I am amazed by AMSA. We do not merely recognise the injustices within society; we fight them. We offer passion and exuberance to each and every one of our campaigns. We are connected like no other generation has ever been before. We can mobilise masses in seconds, with unprecedented co-ordination. We share knowledge freely, and we listen openly. As PRO, I hope to firmly position AMSA so we go beyond mere participation to being able to guide the direction of the conversation.!


Maria Bilal - Public Relations Officer E| [email protected] M| 0416 668 091 !Education

• 2013 - 2017e: Bachelor of Medicine, University of Newcastle

Employment • 2014: Academic tutor

• 2010-2012: Receptionist, Hornsby Medical Centre

Awards and Achievements • 2012: Diamond Award, NSW

Government Volunteering Program

• 2011: Winner, University of Sydney US Studies Centre ‘Debate the Future’

• 2010: State Finalist, UN Youth Junior Public Speaking Competition

Leadership and Representation • 2013-2014: Academic Subcommittee,

AMSA Global Health Conference

• 2013-2014: Practical Events Manager, University of Newcastle Surgical Society

• 2013: Academic Subcommittee, University of Newcastle Medical Society

• 2011-2012: Leader, North Sydney Girls’ Model UN Club

• 2011: Australian Scholar, Global Youth Leadership Conference, New York, Washington DC

• 2010: Young Leader, Max Potential Young Leaders Program

Professional Development • 2014: Delegate, IFMSA Delegation to

67th World Health Assembly, Geneva

• Delegate, Youth Pre-World Health Assembly (Universal Health Coverage/Post-2015 Agenda Stream), Geneva

• 2013 - 2014: Contributing Member, UN Major Group of Children and Youth

• 2013: Delegate, IFMSA Delegation to UN Open Working Group on Sustainable Development, New York

• 2013 - 2014: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Conference

• 2013: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Think Global Workshop

• 2010: Delegate, United Nations Youth Association National Youth Conference

• 2009-2011: Delegate, United Nations Youth Association State Conference

Community and Volunteer • 2014: Youth Committee, Eidhi

Foundation Australia

• 2014: Delegate, TEDxSydney

• 2013 - 2014: Member, University of Newcastle International Leadership Program

• 2009 - 2014: Member, United Nations Youth Inc.

• 2013: Member, WakeUp!, University of Newcastle Global Health Group

• 2010 - 2012: Volunteer Pharmacy Assistant, Sydney Adventist Hospital

• 2011: Teaching Assistant, North Sydney Demonstration School

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Jacqueline Ho - Events Coordinator Jacqueline Ho gets things done. On top of her studies as a medical student in 2014, she has taken on being the Treasurer AMSA’s Global Health Conference (GHC) and the Vice-President of her MedSoc. Her board experience is ideal for an EC – she’s also had experience in sponsorship, IT and promotions. In 2015, she’ll use her experience working with people, as well as her positive energy and friendly demeanour, to work in a demanding portfolio of liaising with AMSA’s Events.

!Despite the fact that AMSA’s events have been the greatest source of its attention, engagement and resource expenditure for many years, the role of the Events Co-ordinator (EC) is quite young. In 2015, I’ll use my experience as Treasurer of GHC and across other parts of AMSA to ensure there is good communication between the events teams and the Executive.

An Event team knows its event best

Both the Convention and GHC Convenor take responsibility for their respective events as they take a director’s role on the Board. It’s important for any EC to take this into account when coming up with communication protocols and reporting procedures with these teams. It won’t be my role to take charge of events in 2015 – instead, I’ll make sure I’m ready to support the Events teams, and keep an open line of communication between them so that relevant Executive functions such as Sponsorship, Treasury and the Executive leadership can serve their needs.

The National Leadership Development Seminar (NLDS)

NLDS is one of AMSA’s flagship events, but the issue of how it is managed is a delicate one for the organisation. For the past 2 years, AMSA has trialled outsourcing the organisation of NLDS to a separate Convenor, and in 2015 I’ll work with the current

Executive and the Board to outline the best balance between managing the Executive workload and the accountability and risk of the event. It’s important the EC takes note of this learning experience so we can apply these lessons to subsequent versions of our inaugural Globalex.

Institutional Memory

Our Executive team will help provide institutional memory for the organisation, which is often lacking in AMSA due to the constant, rapid turnover of our volunteers. Most of us had a hand in running GHC, and I’m excited to work as EC in order to facilitate better handover and communication between events teams, whilst providing my own experience as GHC Treasurer to teams. I’m also happy to, where required, work with the Board on better internal policies for our events.

!


Jacqueline Ho - Events Coordinator E| [email protected] M| 0404 304 324!Education

• 2010-2015e: BMed/MD, University of New South Wales (UNSW)

• 2013: Bachelor of Science (Medicine) Honours, UNSW

Employment • 2013-2014: BEST Network Anatomy

Online Adaptive Tutorial Content Creator

• 2012-2013: BEST Network Phase 1 Practical Project Developer

Awards and Achievements • 2013: St Vincent’s Foundation

Independent Learning Project Prize

• 2012: UNSW Medical Society Student Life Award Runner Up

• 2009: Australian Student Prize

Leadership and Representation • 2014: Treasurer, AMSA Global Health

Conference

• 2014: Vice President, UNSW Medical Society

• 2014: Peer Mentoring Coordinator, UNSW Medicine

• 2012- 2014: Online Publications Officer, Australian Medical Students’ Journal

• 2013: National Training Coordinator, AMSA

• 2013: Treasurer, UNSW Medical Society

• 2013: Treasurer, Medical Students’ Aid Project (MSAP)

• 2012: Trainer, AMSA

• 2012: Director of Promotions, MSAP

• 2012: Producer, UNSW Medshow

• 2011: Public Relations Officer, New South Wales Medical Students’ Council (NSWMSC)

• 2011: IT and Public Relations Officer, UNSW Medical Society

Professional Development • 2011-2013: Delegate, AMSA Global

Health Conference

• 2011: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Training New Trainers Workshop

• 2011: Delegate, AMSA National Convention

Community and Volunteer • 2012-2013: Peer mentor, UNSW

Faculty of Medicine

• 2006-2012: Volunteer, Homeless Shelter for Cana Communities

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Elise Buisson - Projects Officer Elise brings to the role a passion for campaigns, events and projects, with a broad range of experience within her MedSoc, GHG and AMSA Global Health. She is passionate about developing sustainable project structures to support the lasting success of all AMSA projects. !The creation of the role of Projects Officer represents a move from content based positions on the AMSA Executive, to function based roles. Throughout 2015, my aim would be to develop the role of Project Officer as a hub of knowledge on project management, working closely with previous and incoming project coordinators in developing strategic direction for major AMSA projects. During the handover period, I’d work with the coordinator of each AMSA project to develop a project plan for the coming year, revisiting this plan at regular intervals to track progress and evaluate future goals. This role is central to promoting the internal cohesion of AMSA’s operations, bolstering the forward momentum of a diverse range of projects.!Sustainability Recent years have seen huge growth in the number and scope of AMSA’s initiatives. AMSA continues to expand, but limiting factors such as yearly turnover of office bearers remain, compounded by the absence of an organisation-wide framework for project evaluation and initiation. We propose a two pronged approach to enacting a paradigm shift in AMSA's approach to project management; first, that the role of Project Officer be responsible for developing this overarching structure, and second, that individual project coordinators be upskilled through online training in project management. This upskilling would occur through internal education, developing abilities in project management and leadership, in the same way that pre-council training enables AMSA Representatives to enter their first council with their best foot forward. Project coordinators can thereby be empowered to manage their projects more autonomously, facilitating future growth in the number of AMSA projects without placing unsustainable burden on the Executive. The Projects Officer, then, would take a reactive

approach to project oversight, by identifying areas for development in individual project coordinators, and supplementing their existing skill sets.!A unified AMSA As Projects Officer, I’d keep an eye on the 'big picture' of AMSA projects. No project exists in isolation, and having the Projects Officer oversee their collective trajectories can protect projects from overlapping timelines, and from inadvertently detracting from the promotion of one another.I'd also provide a source of central support for all existing and new AMSA projects. AMSA Academy, one example of recent project success, represents both a platform for wider student engagement, and a continuing financial asset for AMSA into the future. The Project Officer would consolidate the oversight of projects such as AMSA Academy into a single executive role, an important move to safeguard such assets through sustainable, cohesive project planning.!This role is about reducing the orange tape, making resources directly available to all Project Coordinators, whether that project stems from AMSA central or one of its subcommittees. By engaging new groups of students through rural and indigenous subcommittees, and with a Projects Officer to support the planning and development of viable new projects, AMSA can diversify the ways it engages medical students into the future. This central project support would not detract from the autonomy of the subcommittees; each represents an area of interest and expertise that makes them uniquely qualified to develop a vision for their own projects. Rather, a collaborative approach to project planning would provide an even footing for all project coordinators from which projects could flourish, and deliver lasting benefit to medical students, and to AMSA.


Elise Buisson - Projects Officer E| [email protected] M| 0410 058 629!Education

• 2013-2017: MBBS, University of Western Sydney (UWS)

• 2011-2015e BPsychSci, University of Queensland (UQ)

Employment • 2014: Research Assistant, UWS

• 2012-2013: Crisis Counsellor, Lifeline

• 2012: Research Assistant, UQ

• 2010-2012: Carer, The Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland

Awards and Achievements • 2014: Australasian Society for HIV

Medicine, Scholarship to AIDS2014

• 2014: Scholarship to the Patan Institute of Health Science, Kathmandu

• 2013-17: John Flynn Placement Program Scholar

• 2012-2013: Summer Research Scholar, Queensland Brain Institute

• 2012, 2013: Dean’s Scholar, UQ

• 2011,2012: Dean’s Commendation for Academic Achievement, UQ

• 2011: Ian Hinkfuss Prize in Philosophy

Leadership and Representation • 2014: AMSA Global Health Live Below

the Line National Coordinator

• 2014: AMSA Global Health Representative, GHAWS

• 2014: Campaign Manager, GHAWS Live Below the Line Campaign

• 2014: Member, UWS Medicine Management Committee

• 2014: Coordinator, GHAWS Red Week

• 2013-14: Co-Convener, UWSMS MedCamp

• 2013-14: Member, AMSA Policy Review Working Group

• 2013-14: First Year Representative, UWSMS Executive

• 2013: Member, UWS Medicine Academic Committee

Professional Development • 2014: Delegate, AMSA Global Health

Conference

• 2014: Delegate, AIDS2014

• 2014: Councillor, AGH Council


• 2013, 2014: Delegate, AMSA National Convention

• 2013: Guest, AMSA Council

• 2013: Attendee, UWSMS Leadership Seminar

Community and Volunteer • 2014: Author, AGH Publication Vector

• 2013-2014: Mentor, GHAWS Robert Townson Program

• 2013, 2014: Participant, Live Below the Line Campaign

• 2011-2012: Facilitator, Play Therapy

• 2011-2012: Volunteer Telephone Counsellor, Lifeline Australia


Ming Yong - Publications and Promotions Officer Ming has designed and produced over 200 promotional items for more than 60 events, served as editor or editor-in-chief for more than 40 publications, and has worked as publications and design officer for 8 organisations from international organisations such as the IFMSA to local community charity organisations.

!In the last year alone, I have served as Publications Officer to the GHC2014 Sydney team, Publications Assistant to IFMSA, Public Relations Officer to the NSW Medical Student Council and Publications and Promotions Officer to UNMS. If elected, I am excited to bring everything I have learnt from these organisations, especially what works and what does not, back to AMSA. Having been on an AMSA events team, I also have an appreciation and intricate understanding for the branding and promotions of AMSA’s bigger events which will no doubt be useful when working with the Promotions and Publication Officers of AMSA’s events.

Streamlining timelines and guidelines I’d like to continue Edward Cliff’s efforts in building on AMSA’s strength in promotions through improved streamlining. Using our avenues of communication and promotion in conjunction with each other, whilst carefully managing promotional timelines will allow us to carry out our promotion quickly and efficiently, whilst remaining in control and avoiding advertising fatigue.

A review of the branding guidelines will be undertaken, keeping in mind the need to preserve strong existing branding. Core principles will be kept intact, with the addition of looser parameters. This will allow branding to become more situationally adaptive, retaining a familiar branding feel, whilst encouraging executional variance and individual visual identities of events and publications.

Reviewing the relationship of sponsors with publications and promotions Our publications and promotions should engage both our members and our sponsors, striking a delicate balance between the two. A creative approach needs to be taken, prioritising an effective and engaging sponsorship presence, whilst maintaining the integrity of the publication. An increased sponsor presence could be achieved by branding publications for specific sponsors.

An innovative method of revitalising student perception of sponsorship used previously by student organisations in social media campaigns involves sponsor provision of prizes in exchange for student interaction with online promotions, such as ‘liking’ Facebook posts. If used by AMSA, we can simultaneously boost promotions and increase social media interactions, as well as the positivity of the student-sponsor relationship by rewarding students tangibly and visibly.

Utilising hypeIn the same way AMSA’s advocacy efforts take advantage of the external climate, our internal promotional efforts should take advantage of our internal climate. At certain points throughout the year, member interaction with AMSA peaks, particularly around our major events. Timing release of publications with major events will allow us to further engage our members and increase readership.


Ming Yong - Publication & Promotion Officer E| [email protected] M| 0432 821 777 Twitter| @mingternet!Education

• 2009 – 2016e:Bachelor of Medicine, the Joint Medical Program, the University of Newcastle

• 2014e:Bachelor of Medical Science, the University of Newcastle and the Hunter New England Neuropsychiatry Unit.

• 2010: The International Foundation Program, the University of Newcastle

• 2005 –2009: Malaysian Certificate of Education, Anglo Chinese School Klang

Awards and Achievements • 2014: Nominee (pending results), the

University of Newcastle Work-Integrated Learning Student of the Year

• 2013: Shortlist, the Hunter Postgraduate Medical Institute Award for Best Health Equity Selective Report

• 2013: Runner up, General Practice Training Valley to Coast GP Placement Report Prize

• 2011: The University of Newcastle International Foundation Program Undergraduate Scholarship

Leadership and Representation • 2013 –2014: Publications Officer, 2014

AMSA Global Health Conference Sydney

• 2013 –2014: Publications Assistant, Standing Committee of Reproductive Health including AIDS (SCORA), the International Federation of Medical Students Association

• 2013 – 2014: Public Relations Officer, NSW Medical Students’ Council

• 2013: Project Co-ordinator, AMSA’s Pitch Your Project Competition

• 2012 –2014: Publications Officer, the University of Newcastle Medical Society

• 2012 –2014: Promotions Officer to 10 UNMS Events and Special Events Portfolios

• 2011 –2012: International Officer, UNMS

• 2011 –2012: Councillor, the AMSA International Students’ Network

• 2009: Editor-in-Chief, Anglo Chinese School Yearbook

• 2008: Deputy Editor, Anglo Chinese School Yearbook

Professional Development • 2013: Delegate, AMSA Convention


Community and Volunteer • 2012 –2014: Mentor, the UNMS

Medtor Program

• 2013: Volunteer, the University of Newcastle Language Centre Friendship Program

• 2011 –2013: Assistant, the Joint Medical Program Admissions

Ming’s Full CV and Editorial and Design Portfolio can be found at bit.ly/myongportfolio

!!32NSW AMSA Executive 2015 Bid

http://bit.ly/myongportfolio

Beckie Singer & Joshua Darlow - Sponsorship Officers Sponsorship officers facilitate the mutually beneficial relationship between our membership and our investors. Together, we believe that our skills make us ideally suited to building existing sponsor-member relationships and match-making new ones. !Between us we have the considerable AMSA experience required to wholeheartedly pitch sponsors of the vitality of our organisation and the effectiveness of an investment dollar placed with it. Although different, our skill sets are complimentary and together we make a strong team that is able to represent AMSA as an exciting and professional event organiser, a potent advocate, an influence on its numerous medical student members, and a cost-effective platform for marketing and engagement. We also have the commercial experience to ensure that promises are fulfilled professionally and with excellent result. !Current Sponsors Our strategy with current sponsors will be to quantify and reinforce the value gained from their previous investment. We think this strategy will give us ammunition to increase investment in our organisation and to improve our execution of our commitments. !New Sponsorship Opportunities We see two main avenues for new sponsorship arrangements: !

• The finance and investment sector, Josh has substantial experience with and understanding of this sector and believes that AMSA can find new partners in this space.

• With the more professional internal processes established by previous executives, we hope that previously departed sponsors can be persuaded to re-join AMSA as partners.!!

Create long-lasting relationships with sponsors, simplifying the sponsorship process Sponsorship should be an ongoing entity. Continuity from year to year not only strengthens relationships with sponsors but also ensures financial stability and forward planning for AMSA’s treasury. In line with this, we will continue to push to bring in multi-year deals. This does not only help future-proof but also reduces Sponsorship workload and volatility in year-to-year sponsorship revenue. !Additionally, we hope to simplify the current sponsorship prospectus to decrease time spent in negotiations. A simpler, more modular menu of options for sponsors will make for more satisfied sponsors, reduce time spent in negotiation and afford sponsorship officers more time to pursue additional sponsorship offers, increasing revenue. !Improving and maintaining relationships between executive sponsorship officers and the SRG The relationship between executive sponsorship officers and the SRG is crucial to the success of AMSA’s sponsorship pursuits. In 2015 we will aim to continue the good work of the incumbent sponsorship officers in facilitating co-operation and coordination of event and central sponsorship, utilising the existence of an SRG to its maximum capacity, creating open dialogue between all those involved in AMSA sponsorship and facilitating a cooperative work environment, in which ideas and innovations and shared and issues problem-solved. !We hope to build on the legacy of consultation between events and sponsorship officers to


ensure a good working relationship, but also to maximise the sponsorship potential of particularly AMSA’s large-scale events. !Maintaining the longevity of sponsorship and ensuring smooth handover processes. We wish to continue the trend toward more coherent and professional internal sponsorship processes; we believe that this is vital to satisfying sponsors and retaining and increasing their custom.!When maintaining and strengthening relationships with external professional bodies such as sponsors, continuity and a smooth transition is key. We hope to create frameworks and templates in order to utilise the six-month hand over period to its utmost efficacy. We want to set in place a system, which trains new sponsorship officers quickly so that they feel confident in their roles, and to cope with the yearly departure of knowledge and experience. !We keenly await the challenges this year will surely bring.!!!


Beckie Singer - Sponsorship Officer E| [email protected] M| 0410 292 759 Twitter| @beccalish17!Education

• 2011-2016e: B.Med/M.D., University of New South Wales

Employment • 2013 - Present: Student Ambassador,

UNSW Future Students Office

• Nov, 2012 – Feb, 2013: Christmas Casual, Country Road Bondi Junction

• Nov, 2011 – Feb, 2012: Christmas Casual, Myer Bondi Junction

Awards and Achievements • 2014: Adele and Gildo Pegoraro Award

for Research in Paediatrics

• 2013: “Golden Ticket” competition, AMSA National Convention

Leadership and Representation • 2014: AMSA Representative, UNSW

• 2014: Logistics Subcommittee, AMSA GHC

• 2014: Policy Review, Inter-professional Medical Education, AMSA

• 2013: Junior AMSA Representative, UNSW

• 2013: NSWMSC Representative, UNSW

• 2013: Author – Organ and Tissue Donation Policy, NSWMSC

• 2013: Social Director, UNSW Medshow

• 2011: Year 1 Representative, UNSW Medicine Phase 1 Curriculum Development Committee

Professional Development • 2011-2014 – Delegate, AMSA National

Convention

• 2012-2013 – Guest, 5 AMSA National Councils


Community and Volunteer • 2014: Big Sister, JewishCare Big

Brothers Big Sisters Program

• 2013-2014: Peer Mentor, UNSW Medicine

• 2011-2014: Summer Camp Counsellor, Dover Heights Synagogue Youth

• 2012: Charity Committee, UNSW Medical Society

• 2011: Dance Cast, UNSW Medshow

!!!


Joshua Darlow - Sponsorship Officer E| [email protected] M| 0406 721 134 Twitter| @jmdarlow!Education

• 2013-2017e: BMed, University of Newcastle

• 2003-06: Bachelor of Agricultural Economics (Honours)

Employment • 2010-2011: Conference Producer,

Terrapinn

• 2007-2008: Compliance Officer, Equity Trust, Channel Islands

• 2005-2008: Events Supervisor, Bushido Hospitality

• 2001-2006: Serial farmhand and bartender

Awards and Achievements • 2014: Bush Bursary

Professional Development • 2014: Delegate, AMSA 2nd Council

• 2014: Delegate, AMSA Global Health Conference

Community and Volunteer • 2014: Tutor, Northern Settlement

Services

• 2014: Tutor, UNMS Peer Tutoring Scheme

• 2014: Writer, UNMS Ductus Magazine

• 2013: Volunteer, Newcastle Colour Run

• 2013: Volunteer, Special Olympics

• 2013: Volunteer, YEAH! (Youth Empowerment Against HIV/AIDS)


Supporting Documentation


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!!41NSW AMSA Executive 2015 Bid

NSW AMSA Executive 2015 Bid !43

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