SPOTLIGHT ON MALAYSIA SPOTLIGHT ON MALAYSIA TEACHING STANDARDS: UP TO THE MARK? TEACHING STANDARDS: TEACHING STANDARDS: UP TO THE MARK? TEACHING STANDARDS: Bodies of Evidence Bodies of Evidence TECTING OUR PRECIOUS PATHOLOGY SPECIMENS OUR PRECIOUS PATHOLOGY TECTING O PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS PATHOLOGY SPECIMENS PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS PATHOLOGY PR Autumn 2007 | Issue #11 (inc. gst) $7.50 PathWay Autumn 2007 - Issue #11 Bodies of Evidence: PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS PATHOLOGY SPECIMENS TEACHING STANDARDS: UP TO THE MARK? SPOTLIGHT ON MALAYSIA PRINTPOST APPROVED PP60630100114 People you can count on. People Solutions you need. 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RCPA QAP offer educational support for your quality initiatives: Anatomical Pathology Benchmarking in Pathology z Seminars Chemical Pathology z Workshops Cytopathology z Forums Haematology z Educational supplements Immunology library Microbiology z Educational exercises “ Decrease human intervention. Serology z Virtual Images library Increase results integrity.” Synovial Fluid z Case study exercises Transfusion Accurate results every step of the way. Blood banks have zero tolerance for errors—your results must have the highest possible integrity. The ORTHO AutoVue® Innova takes automation to a new level, dramatically reducing the need for manual intervention. It also improves process control management—maintaining sample integrity at every Quality Systems Certification Organisation No: 9013 stage. Only the ORTHO AutoVue Innova delivers this powerful combination of features and benefi ts. 1-/" , / - ,6 - NATA Accredited Proficiency Testing Scheme Provider Number: 14863 ORTHO AUTOVUE® INNOVA ORTHOSCAN™ ORTHO BIOVUE® SYSTEM ORTHO CQI7 ORTHO RESOLVIGEN 3™ ORTHO-W.I.R.E.™ SERVICES & SUPPORT www.rcpaqap.com.au PathWay #11 - Text 21/2/07 3:56 PM Page 1 Contents ADVISORY BOARD Dr Debra Graves (Chairman) Chief Executive, RCPA Dr Bev Rowbotham Vice President, RCPA Associate Professor Jane Dahlstrom Representative, Committee of Deans of Australian Medical Schools PATHWAY Dr Tamsin Waterhouse Autumn 2007 Deputy CEO, RCPA Issue #11 Wayne Tregaskis S2i Communications PUBLISHER Wayne Tregaskis EXECUTIVE EDITOR Dr Debra Graves COVER STORY EDITOR Kellie Bisset Bodies of evidence: 8 Protecting our pathology museums – a precious medical resource ART DIRECTOR Jodi Webster FEATURES ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Bronwyn Sartori Movers and shakers 14 PUBLISHING CO-ORDINATOR Populate or perish: WA and Qld pathologists are getting Andrea Plawutsky impressive results in reversing the workforce shortage In profile 17 PathWay is published quarterly for the Royal College A magnificent obsession: why Professor David Weedon doesn’t of Pathologists of Australasia (ABN 52 000 173 231) have time for holidays by S2i Communications, Suite 1201, Level 12, 4 O’Connell St Sydney 2000 Hot topics 21 Tel (02) 9235 2555 Fax (02) 9235 2455 Testing times: how the new HPV vaccine will affect the future of PrintPOST approved PP60630100114 cytology Spotlight on disease 26 Clearing the way: a cure for cystic fibrosis still eludes us Foreign correspondence 30 The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Mission, possible: Dr Richard Davey is relishing the challenge of Tel: (02) 8356 5858 his Papua New Guinea locum posting Email: [email protected] Disciplines in depth 33 S2i Communications Pty Ltd Tel: (02) 9235 2555 Getting back to basics: current standards of pathology teaching in Email: [email protected] Australia’s medical schools are far from uniform PathWay Email: [email protected] At the cutting edge 39 http://pathway.rcpa.edu.au The philadelphia experiment: Adelaide researchers are leading the way on chronic myeloid leukaemia Testing, testing 42 A tale of two microbes: pathology’s role in rubella and pertussis FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF PATHOLOGISTS OF AUSTRALASIA OR ANY OF THE FEATURES IN THIS ISSUE OF PATHWAY CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE Cover Professor Robin Cooke, a published expert on pathology museums, www.rcpa.edu.au examines some interesting specimens. PHOTO: GIULIO SAGGIN PATHWAY_1 PathWay #11 - Text 21/2/07 3:56 PM Page 2 7 0 4 & $ - 2 9 0 ' IGDE>86A B:9>8>C: 6K>6I>DC B:9>8>C: JC9:GL6I:G B:9>8>C: I=6IÀH DJG >9:6 D; 6AI:GC6I>K: I=:G6EN# 9OUVE WORKED HARD TO BECOME A $OCTOR 3O YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO CHECK OUT ALL THE CAREER OPTIONS OPEN TO YOU !S A $OCTOR IN THE .AVY !RMY OR !IR &ORCE THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS NOT AVAILABLE IN CIVILIAN PRACTICE #HALLENGING OPTIONS THAT WILL ADD BREADTH TO YOUR CAREER 7ITH A LIKE MINDED TEAM OF DEDICATED PROFESSIONALS YOU COULD BE ASSISTING IN NATIONAL EMERGENCIES 0LUS THERES THE POTENTIAL TO BE INVOLVED IN 5NITED .ATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS OVERSEAS 0RACTICING IN STATE OF THE ART FACILITIES YOU COULD SPECIALISE IN FIELDS AS VARIED AS s 4ROPICAL MEDICINE s 5NDERWATER MEDICINE s 3PORTS MEDICINE s 0UBLIC HEALTH MEDICINE s /CCUPATIONAL MEDICINE !CROSS THESE FIELDS YOU WILL RECEIVE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND BE GIVEN MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES .OT TO MENTION YOUR ABILITY TO WORK UNDER PRESSURE WILL BE SECOND TO NONE 0LUS IF YOURE A 'RADUATE OR ABOUT TO GRADUATE YOULL BE STARTING WITH A VERY HEALTHY SALARY OF PA 0ART TIME OPPORTUNITIES ALSO EXIST IN THE .AVAL !RMY AND !IR &ORCE 2ESERVES WHERE YOULL RECEIVE TAX FREE PAY 7ANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT A FAST MOVING MEDICAL CAREER #ALL OR VISIT WWWDEFENCEJOBSGOVAUDOCTOR PathWay #11 - Text 21/2/07 3:56 PM Page 3 REGULARS REARVIEW From the CEO 4 PAGE 64 Welcome from RCPA CEO Dr Debra Graves Under the microscope 6 News + views The GP view 20 All in the balance: Dr Linda Calabresi LIFESTYLE reflects on the youth of today Travel 46 Conference calendar 67 A happenang thang: Malaysia has even more to offer this year Postscript 68 as it celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence Cutting it fine: an early forensic Private passions 50 pathology pioneer left some room for improvement. Sax appeal: Dr Richard Steele takes some time off pathology to indulge his musical side Travel doc 52 Aegean pearls: Dr Michael Harrison is already dreaming of his next trip to the Greek Islands Working holiday 55 Maltese moments: Dr Jane Dahlstrom won’t forget the magical A HAPPENANG THANG islands of Malta PAGE 48 Recipe for success 57 A class of his own: Tony Bilson reflects on the state of Australian fine dining The good grape 60 Give us this day our daily red: Ben Canaider wonders if you can get too much of a good thing Dining out 61 Good morning: Pathway explores some favourite breakfast haunts Rearview 64 On fertile ground: early pregnancy tests aren’t what they used to be PATHWAY_3 PathWay #11 - Text 21/2/07 3:56 PM Page 4 from the CEO Welcome to the first Edition of PathWay for 2007 or those of you who may be reading it students and the general public. In fact on been driving these changes and plans to Ffor the first time, PathWay is a unique Saturday 3 March, 2007, there will be an establish a Centre of Excellence in magazine in Australian publishing. Now Open Day at the Museum for the general Pathology to help address some of the into its eleventh edition, Pathway is a public. Please see page 7 for details. problems caused by the workforce crisis. publication of the Royal College of There has been considerable In Queensland, Professor Sunil Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) in discussion in the general media in recent Lakhani is rebuilding the University of association with S2i Communications, times about medical school curricula and Queensland’s Pathology Department. and is provided to over 30,000 doctors, concerns over the paucity of pathology Being a Queensland graduate myself, it medical students, health administrators, and anatomy teaching in some medical has been disappointing to see the once politicians and the general public courses in Australasia. In our ‘discipline in excellent department struggling to survive. throughout Australasia. The purpose of depth’ section, the article “Getting back It is really great to see things improving. the magazine is to promote an to basics” looks into this issue. We speak Speaking of academic pathology and understanding of what pathology is and with a number of academic pathologists Queensland, we profile Professor David what pathologists actually do. about their concerns and explore some Weedon, who was a very inspirational Most people are unaware that solutions to try and address them. pathologist at the University of pathologists are the doctors who Academic medicine in general needs Queensland for medical students (me diagnose every detected cancer in the more support to ensure that there are included!) in the seventies and eighties. world and that they are involved in the robust departments in universities to Now a senior pathologist at Sullivan and diagnosis and monitoring of all acute and provide high quality teaching and Nicolaides in Brisbane, his passion for chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, blood research that is so important in assuring disorders and infections.