The University of Sydney Clinical School
The University of Sydney Clinical School is a department of the Faculty of Medicine and Health located within The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
It is responsible for over 500 students in the Graduate Medical Program, over 70 postgraduate students (research and coursework) and a large team of volunteer teachers, tutors and examiners comprising medical and allied health staff both within and external to the Hospital.
The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Faculty of Medicine and Health has 30 staff involved directly in teaching, education and research activities and has an operating budget of over $3M
Teaching
As a leader in medical education and medical education research, activities include exploring evidence-based methods of teaching, curriculum development, placements coordination for elective students and junior medical staff, management and coordination of postgraduate students and their supervisors, and the establishment of a successful Master of Medicine (Child and Adolescent Health) course delivered online.
Research
The School also offers clinical and research staff an opportunity to apply for conjoint and clinical titles and provides teaching and professional development opportunities and manages grants, scholarships and fellowships with the Hospital’s Research Office.
The Clinical School encompasses graduate training areas including epidemiology of childhood disorders, social and psychological aspects of child development, genetics research encompassing morphologic, biochemical and molecular genetic investigation of disorders in children, vaccination, obesity, neuromuscular disorders, infectious diseases, indigenous health, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.
Achievements
All grants submitted by University-affiliated staff and conjoints are administered through the University. These initiatives allow research activity undertaken at the Hospital to be captured by the University, which in turn results in the generation of additional revenue for the University, the Hospital and researchers. It results in a change in culture with increasing numbers of clinicians participating in research, teaching and education, and a vibrant and productive environment attracting new research partnerships. This will be greatly enhanced through investment in expanding clinical trials capacity and a shared Hub building—initiatives involving the University and Clinical School, the Hospital and Westmead Research Hub partners.
Key people
A number of research areas of strength within the Hospital include translational research programs led by Clinical School Academic Staff. These include:
- Professor Louise Baur - Centre for Obesity and Overweight Research
- Professor Elizabeth Elliott - Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit
- Professor Andrew Holland - Children’s Hospital Burns Research Institute
- Professor Rachel Skinner - Academic Adolescent Medicine
- Professor Russell Dale - Petre Associate Professor of Paediatric Neurology Research
- Associate Professor Patrina Caldwell heads the Medical Education Research group in a part-time capacity and a researcher with the Centre for Kidney Research
- Professor Ben Marais - Deputy Director Sydney Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity Institute (SEIB)
- Professor Kate Steinbeck - Medical Foundation Professor of Adolescent Medicine
- Associate Professor Hasantha Gunasekera - Academic Leader (Education)
- Dr Shekeeb Mohammad - Unit Coordinator, Master of Medicine (Child and Adolescent Health)