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We have often been asked about whether we have materials available beyond our courses and programs and we are very excited to launch our first DVD/download series: Tips for Success. We have professionally produced a number of videos which focus on interview skills in different applied clinical settings as a resource for psychiatry registrars and medical students.

To find out more visit our new online shopping cart here.

PRESENT 2 PASS® WORKSHOP EVE

We are really looking forward to meeting our next group of participants, joining us in Melbourne this weekend four 5th ‘P2P’.
Once again we have a really interesting group convening from many different parts of Australia and New Zealand. Some are first timers and others have experience with the exams, but if previous courses are anything to go by, the mix brings out a really stimulated discussion and educational experience.
Dr Prem Chopra, our resident ‘scary examiner’ is back, and we have written some new cases to discuss and practice. We also hope to spend more time on interviewing skills.
Dr Scott Blair-West will be joining us to run through anxiety and exam technique, and Olivia Hanlon-Stokes will offer her expert advice on style and dress for the day.
If you missed out on a spot, or would like to join us for future Present to Pass courses, please register your interest at our website. Our next course to be held on August 29 and 30 in Melbourne is filling fast.
Best of luck with you exam preparation!

MID WINTER BREAK AND GETTING READY FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR

It’s so nice to have a break away; thanks to my relatives whom I visited in Mackay I managed to have a wonderful retreat for seven days and escape the winter in Melbourne.

CPD is forging ahead with in house programs, a drive stimulated by our many comments and requests for professional programs not found elsewhere.

Our DVDs showcasing interview techniques in Psychiatry are ready for proofing and ultimately for retail, thanks to our fantastic production team and actors that made the cases come alive. We are thrilled with the results and hope they help psychiatry registrars and students of psychiatry alike.



On a sombre note I noted that whilst listening to the ‘Triple J Hottest 100 of all time’ that 4 of the top 10 songs were recorded by artists that chose suicide as a means of ending life. I don’t know why this may be the case, but after listening to such beautiful tracks as ‘Last Goodbye’ by Jeff Buckley, and ‘Hallelujah’ as recorded by the same, I wonder if they realised that they would be missed for more than the years after their demise, and pondered as artists that had so much more to contribute. Mental illness is so under the radar in the masses way of life; yet appears so highly in the arts and in the lives that we owe so much to. Hopefully this dichotomy will lessen and those afflicted by depression will ultimately find the recovery they need.

What do you know about HIV psychiatry?

This is a really big area of psychiatry in America, and there are alarming trends regarding the rise of HIV and the presence of psychiatric illness in people as they live longer with HIV. In particular, the combination of HIV and methamphetamine use is attracting much interest. Our HIV summit in February explored key areas of HIV psychiatry including neurodegenerative disorders, major depression and substance use. We hope to be delivering a similar summit in 2010.

Present to Pass - July 2009

We are already thinking about registrars sitting the October clinical and have opened registration for Present to Pass in July and August. Details on our website. So far we have registrars coming from WA, NSW and NZ. Don’t miss out on a spot, and as our feedback continually shows, it is really very rewarding to meet colleagues from other states and countries.
We are also planning for our second round of P2P OSCE series, and developing case material for 4 more sessions due to run in September 2009. We will cover the following clinical domains; Old age, Forensic, Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, and eating disorders. Remember, you can still access our archives of the first round held in March and April, where we explored the topics of mood, psychosis, anxiety and dual diagnosis. Visit our website for further details.

APA 2009: Only 2 weeks to go!

I am so excited about heading off to San Francisco in 2 weeks for the APA (American Psychiatric Association) meeting. With over 30,000 delegates, it has been described as the Olympics of Psychiatry! Not even a global pandemic will keep me away!