Leading through empowerment.
School of
Medicine
As someone who has benefitted so much from the medical community, I wanted to give back by allowing others to experience the support and encouragement that I have been fortunate enough to receive. As a leader, I envision myself as someone who empowers others and have achieved this through the inception of various projects which have provided students with the opportunity to hone their skills and lean on their colleagues as they progress through their medical journey. I hope that my lasting contributions to the School of Medicine create better Deakin doctors of tomorrow.
My desire to make an impact through leadership began in my adolescent years. I attended a high school in Dandenong where I was surrounded by students from diverse cultures and different family backgrounds. The privilege of attaining a tertiary education allowed me to reflect on how I grew up in one of the most disadvantaged communities in Victoria. As my experience in leadership skills formed during my tenure as the Vice College Captain of my high school, I yearned for opportunities to support others. Thus, the chance to finally give back presented itself when I began my journey at Deakin’s School of Medicine.
OSCE Near-Peer Project
The Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) is one of the most important assessments in the medical course. It serves as a barrier for medical students to move from on-campus preclinical studies to clinical years in the hospital. As such, it is a major source of anxiety for many medical students. In my second year of medical school (2019) I started the OSCE Near-Peer project. I was called to action by my friends who expressed the need for more opportunities to practice as part of their preparation, but an avenue to do so was not available. As part of the project, we held bi-weekly OSCE practice for all second year medical students. At its peak, we catered for approximately 70 students a week who were able to hone their clinical skills. In addition, I approached some colleagues and formed a committee of generous medical students to compile a bank of “patient profiles”, that can continue to be used for all future years of Deakin medical students. I discussed the possibility of this program to become a resource for all future medical students, so that there will always be more opportunities to practice skills that will help us become better doctors. It was clear to me that this was a project that could transform the way that future medical students prepared for their assessments. It was fulfilling to know that I was working on something that not only helped my peers feel prepared for their examinations, but ensured that students felt comfortable in making their leap to the next stage of their medical training.
We continued the program for 7 months and were able to set a framework to allow the program to be implemented every year. This project was highly successful, with many students attributing our efforts as the reason they managed to succeed in their assessments. Additionally, students from the junior year levels have also expressed their gratitude for the program that we have formed. This has been key for their preparation towards one of the most difficult and high-pressure assessments in medical school.
One of the OSCE Practice Nights in the PBL Corridor at the School of Medicine, KA Building
Weekly reminder of OSCE Near-Peer Practice sessions
"His interest in empowering his peers through academic support has led to a number of instrumental programs that are still being continued at the School of Medicine, including the OSCE Near-Peer Project."
Dr Daniel Marie
Immediate Past President
MeDUSA
"Paolo has made significant and considered contributions to course review processes, including accreditation reviews by the Australian Medical Council, and internal curriculum development processes. Paolo has also led key student support endeavours within the School, including a near- peer academic program which was well-received by students."
A/Prof Laura Gray
Course Director
Doctor of Medicine Program
Near-Peer Teaching
The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique circumstances for medical students who are no longer able to engage in as many clinical opportunities in the hospital. As a third year medical student (2020), it became apparent that students were not receiving the adequate amount of teaching they normally would, yet were needed to step up and take care of patients in the coming years as fully-fledged doctors. With the assistance of the final year medical students, we developed a Near-Peer teaching program that welcomes fellow students and Deakin medical alumni to hold teaching sessions over Zoom. My main role in this program was to rally third year medical students to hold tutorial sessions for our junior medical students. This involved approaching colleagues who were proficient in certain areas of medicine and empowering others to "give back" and share their knowledge with junior medical students who will become our colleagues in the future.
These sessions were pivotal in the preparation of medical students during the peak of the pandemic and became a highly sought resource for future years. The ability to bring together a sense of community during the unprecedented circumstance was inspiring. My chance to use my voice as a leader to bring forth a solution that helped students allowed me to realise the kind of impact I can truly make. By giving students the opportunity to continue their studies remotely and empowering them with support from their peers, they were able to meet the requirements to succeed in their assessments. In 2021 as a final year student, I have improved upon the program and engaged Deakin medical alumni to give their time to help their fellow junior medical students.
Near-Peer teaching by generous 3rd years who shared their insights on how to practice for OSCE assessments.
I actively encouraged 3rd year medical students to volunteer for Near-Peer teaching for 2nd Year medical students who have been removed from campus due the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Only a few months from graduation, my colleagues and I are still benefiting from Paolo’s initiatives within the School of Medicine, especially the OSCE Near-Peer Project and Near-Peer teaching. Our physical examination and history taking skills are second nature to us, and consultants often comment on how well practiced Deakin students are, which can be attributed to the opportunity to finesse these skills in our pre- clinical years."
Ellie Smith
Year 4 Medical Student
Deakin University
School of Medicine Mentoring Program
A final project that I hope to implement before I finish my medical studies is the School of Medicine Mentorship Program (2021). After reflecting upon my last four years of medical school, it cannot be described as anything other than arduous hard work, but the help of others made the process more rewarding. My vision was to restore the strong sense of community that the School of Medicine lost during the pandemic. With the help of fellow passionate leaders within the medical school, we were able to put forth a program that brings together all four years of medical students to participate in a collaborative partnership. The mentorship program would give the opportunity for students to lean on those who have succeeded in their stage of medical training for knowledge, advice and even an ear to share their experience with. I have also made the effort to contact Deakin medical alumni to rally Deakin doctors to participate in the program for final year medical students to build connections at the hospitals that have offered internship positions. Our team have proposed the project to the School of Medicine Dean, Student Progression and Welfare Leads and Unit chairs who were impressed and eager to implement the program.
I desired to create this program because I was fortunate to be inspired by medical students who came before me. They were generous with their time and advice when I needed it most. As a leader, I wanted every student at the School of Medicine to experience this support and restore the collegiality between cohorts that was lost in the pandemic. The aim of this program is to form a community within the School that is collaborative and supportive of each other.
Proposal of a course-wide mentorship program that includes Deakin medical alumni. This was submitted to the School of Medicine on the 11th of August, 2021.
"He is involved in the development of a course-wide mentorship program to strengthen connections within the school, has been involved in the ongoing process of responding and adapting to challenges in professionalism and engagement with the course throughout the year. I believe this not only demonstrates Paolo’s capacity for logistical management and organisation and his dedication to leadership roles, but also a level of emotional receptiveness and connection to the cohort that is unparalleled."
Rachel Tobin
Vice President
MeDUSA