ANU Medical student support groups

Peer support

ANU Medical Student Society collaborative initiative thanks to the very hard work put in by Luke Manassero (Wellbeing Officer) and Nesha Gezer (MedSoc President 2022). This offers equal opportunities for those NEEDING help and those who can OFFER help to others going through similar experiences.

Medical School Student Support Staff team

A group of year coordinators, Phase 2 medical advisors, and myself as Chair of the Student Welfare Committee who are entirely dedicated to your wellbeing and making your student experience at the medical school a truly positive one. This team is also supported by other faculty representatives from Clinical Skills, the Medical Education Unit, and the Research School of Psychology to provide a more holistic support package. I encourage you to direct any pastoral/wellbeing-related questions, including discussions around TAKING TIME OFF or applying for PROGRAM LEAVE, to your respective year coordinators who will either be able to settle the matter themselves, or if needed will escalate to me as per flowcharts recently added to the Student Support Centre page.

International Medical Student support

Faculty and student representatives who liaise directly with our international medical student cohort to address issues pertaining specifically to this student group. Dr Sivaraj Rajadorai, Palliative Care Specialist, also member of the Student Welfare Committee, and TBA, MedSoc International Student representative, will be happy to address any of your specific queries. 

Below is some concise information and a few key links to queries that have been frequently raised in the past few weeks, which I am sure will continue to be raised time and time again throughout the foreseeable future till normality resumes whenever that may be.

Financial constraints

If you are encountering issues related to financing of:

• Accommodation
• Travel 
• Grocery vouchers  
• Textbook/educational IT resources to support remote study 
• Medical costs

Accommodation

The ANU’s communication regarding the use of accommodation facilities on ANU campus may have generated some confusion and additional anxiety.  Understandably these are uncertain times and all of us are going through a very steep learning curve including administrative, operations, communications and managerial ANU staff who are trying their best to support us all. For more information.

Health and Wellbeing

If you are unwell with flu-like symptoms,

• when should you seek medical assistance?
• when should you get tested? 
• where should you seek medical advice? 
• what should you do if you test positive?

Most common COVID-related symptoms:

• fever
• sore throat 
• shortness of breath
• cough
• lethargy

As you can see, these are very non-specific symptoms and overlap with many other viral-related infections. The prevalence of the seasonal common cold and influenza has not changed and unless you fall under the following categories, you are still more likely to have a simple cold rather than anything else. However, seeing that this nasty new viral infection called COVID-19 has unprecedentedly spread like wildfire across the world, we need to ask ourselves a few more questions.

Seek medical assistance if symptoms have developed:

• within 14 days of overseas travel
• following contact with someone who has COVID-19
• if you have been practising as a healthcare worker with direct patient – even if you have not recently travelled or had contact with someone who has COVID-19
• if you been working or giving a voluntary service in a high-risk industry such as in aged care facilities and residential care facilities

Follow advice given by the ACT Government.

If you feel that your symptoms and situation fulfil the above criteria, and therefore suspect that you may have COVID-19 infection, you should do the following:

• Limit your exposure to other people by isolating yourself at home (if you were not already in home quarantine).
• Call your GP* and let them know you are worried you may have COVID-19. Calling ahead will allow your GP to provide advice and plan for your visit. You should not visit your GP without calling ahead. Testing will be arranged by your GP if they determine it is necessary.
• If you cannot see your GP, you can visit a Respiratory Assessment Clinic. Staff at these clinics will assess your risk of COVID-19 and test you if needed. You do not need to call ahead. Further details of the Respiratory Assessment Clinic closest to you are available on the ACT Government website.

If medical assessment advises you to get tested, and the test comes back as POSITIVE:

1. You MUST disclose this information to your Phase 1 or Phase 2 professional staff contact. The information you disclose will be handled in strict confidence.
2. You will be contacted by the ACT Communicable Disease Control (CDC) team with further advice as indicated on the ACT Government website.

For reference and further information, you may want to visit: 

• https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/covid-19-advice
• https://www.covid19.act.gov.au/home

Wellbeing resources

For further wellbeing resources access here.

Feel free to email Dr Nicola Schembri directly should you have any other queries that have not been addressed.