Celebrating Excellence in Medical Education: Highlights from the Inaugural Northern Doctors Education Awards

Northern Health hosted its inaugural Northern Doctors Education (NDE) Awards Night on Wednesday, 12 November, recognising the outstanding contributions of medical staff to education, supervision, mentoring and research.

The event brought together clinicians, educators and leaders from across Northern Health to celebrate excellence in medical education. Guest speaker Dr Linda Appiah-Kubi, Consultant Geriatrician and Communication Skills Coach, shared valuable insights on creating safer and more supportive learning environments in healthcare from the A Better Culture project.

Director of Northern Doctors Education, Dr Kim Jeffs, acknowledged the dedication of medical educators who contribute to the growth and development of health professionals. Nominators spoke of highly developed teaching skills, support with career advice, connection with opportunities for career progression and support for wellbeing.

“The enthusiasm and generosity of our medical educators ensure Northern Health is a supportive educational environment which enables health care professionals to shine and means that we are a recommended training site in the AHPRA Medical Training Surveys,” said Dr Jeffs.

Dr Susanty Tay, Deputy CMO said, “It is pleasing to see that junior doctors are amongst the nominees for the teaching and education of medical staff and that the supervision of nurse practitioner candidates was also celebrated. This highlights the non-hierarchical, collegiate and interprofessional nature of medical education. I am delighted that passion and contribution in medical education is being acknowledged and celebrated in this inaugural event. I look forward to the future growth in medical education in developing and nurturing the future doctors in our community.”

Guests enjoyed light refreshments and the opportunity to connect and reflect on Northern Health’s shared commitment to education and professional development.

Congratulations to all the nominees and award recipients for their exceptional work. Winners were:

· Excellence in Supervision: Dr Georgie van der Vliet

· Excellence in Clinical Teaching: Dr David Crosbie

· Mentor of the Year: Dr Dominic Chow

· Research Supervisor of the Year: Dr Russell Hodgson

We extend our warm congratulations on behalf of everyone at Northern Health!

Pictured in featured image: Dr Kim Jeffs presenting at the awards.