Northern Health has welcomed specialist anaesthetists and leading experts in global health for the 2026 Real World Anaesthesia Course (RWAC), showcasing the expertise, leadership and global reach of our Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine.
Held from 26-30 October across Northern Hospital Epping and the Northern Centre for Health Education and Research (NCHER), the course brought together anaesthetists and an experienced national and international faculty to explore the realities of delivering safe anaesthesia in austere and resource-limited environments.
This year’s course was convened by three Northern Health anaesthetists, Dr Tzu-Yen Wang, Dr Amanda Baric AM and A/Prof David Pescod AO, with a further five Northern Health anaesthetists among the course’s 29 faculty members.
A/Prof Pescod said hosting RWAC built on Northern Health’s longstanding contribution to global anaesthesia education.
“Northern Health has a long and proud history of contributing to anaesthesia education in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Bringing RWAC to Northern Health has allowed us to share that experience while learning from colleagues with very different clinical backgrounds. It’s a wonderful example of how our department can contribute to improving anaesthesia care well beyond Northern Health.”
The five-day program combined practical skills, simulation and supervised clinical experience with teaching across draw-over anaesthesia, paediatric and obstetric anaesthesia, sustainability, deployment psychology and the ethical challenges clinicians can face when working with limited resources.
Beyond developing practical skills, the course prepared anaesthetists to work safely and collaboratively within different health systems, recognise local expertise and adapt their practice to local resources and priorities.
Dr Hilda Schutz, an anaesthetist from Samoa and one of the presenters, described RWAC as a spectacular course and said she felt privileged to have been part of it.
“As someone working in a resource-limited environment, I believe there is so much we can contribute to the learning of others. I would love to remain involved and help build on the connections and professional support that have emerged from this course.”
For Northern Health, hosting RWAC reflected a longstanding commitment to global health education, capacity building and professional collaboration. Our anaesthetists and nurses have contributed their knowledge and experience through partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
The course also gave Northern Health clinicians an opportunity to learn alongside colleagues with diverse experience, building connections and sharing knowledge that can strengthen practice both at home and internationally.
Dr Baric acknowledged the work behind the scenes that made the course possible.
“We were fortunate to have wonderful support from Northern Health’s administration, theatre and nursing teams, and particularly Holly Wospil, Administration coordinator, Anaesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, whose contribution was invaluable. The enthusiasm and generosity of so many people across Northern Health made the course possible.”
