The rewards of creation
“Wherever the art of medicine is loved,
there is also a love of humanity.”
Hippocrates, circa 5th century BC
At NewMed, we are excited about our mission. We take pride in knowing that our contribution will play a role in helping to shape the next generation of clinicians and researchers. We support those who step forward to make a difference in the lives of fellow Australians and to advance Australian standards of care.
We care for each other across the several locations where we work. Mostly medical doctors, we each model care in our own way, in the time we take to plan and implement this MD program for our future students. Whether online, or working together in our office or at all-in workshops, we embrace creative thinking, deliver our role outcomes and respect diversity.
Leadership
Professor Stephen Tobin
CEO and Dean
Stephen is a highly acclaimed educator and surgeon who has championed innovative and collaborative approaches to the teaching of medicine. He practised as a general and colorectal surgeon in regional Victoria and held senior medical academic roles including as Dean of Education at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and Associate Dean of Clinical Education at Western Sydney University School of Medicine. He is Clinical Advisor to ACHS.
Bob O’Connor
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Bob is an accomplished leader, building teams for success. He led the QUT Graduate Business School for over a decade, achieving global accreditation and recognition of the MBA and Executive Education portfolio, and championing innovation in the field of leadership coaching. His initial career was in information technology, culminating with a 2000 ASX company float.
Professor James Fraser
Program Director
James is a clinician and medical educator with specific interests in assessment and feedback to support learning, and diversity, equity and inclusion in medical education. He is a Rural Generalist having worked in regional and remote regions of Queensland, as well as metropolitan Emergency Medicine practice. James has previously held senior roles in several Australian medical programs and is currently the National Director of Assessment for the Australian College for Rural and Remote Medicine.
Faculty
Professor Lambert Schuwirth
Professor of Medical Education, AI & Digital Health Stream Lead, and Evaluation Lead
Lambert is a medical educator with a passion for assessment and medical education research. He studied medicine at Maastricht University in the Netherlands and after some clinical years, he returned there to work with the Department of Education Development and Research, where he became professor of medical education. In 2011, he moved to Adelaide Australia to become strategic professor of health-professions education at Flinders University.
Dr. Rachelle Levi (PhD, GCHE)
Year 1 Lead
Rachelle is an experienced educator in the field of Biomedicine, with a specialised background in Pharmacology, having obtained her PhD from Monash University, and a GCHE from Australian Catholic University. She has been teaching for over 15 years in key academic roles, and has a passionate interest in the application of pedagogies and curriculum alignment in medical education.
Associate Professor Mohit Shahi (MBBS, MD)
Year 2 Lead
Mohit is a dedicated academic pathologist with over 18 years of clinical and teaching experience across several countries. With expertise in pathology and histology, he has contributed to curriculum development and program accreditations. Recognised with student-led teaching awards for excellence in education, Mohit is committed to fostering student engagement by innovative teaching strategies with a focus on aligning course content with industry standards and preparing future healthcare professionals.
Associate Professor Sue Hawken (MBChB, DipObs, FRNZCGP, MHSc, PG Dip Prof. Sup)
Year 3 Lead, and Leadership & Professionalism Stream Lead
Sue is an experienced medical educator, general practitioner, and professional supervisor. She led the personal and professional skills domain at the University of Auckland’s medical programme and has held multiple educational leadership roles in the RNZCGP. Sue is a learner-centred clinical teacher who parallels and models being learner-centred as a ‘way in’ to being patient-centred. She is enthusiastic and passionate about supporting all participants in the learning environment – the patient, family, learners, and the supervisors. Sue has published widely on factors related to developing the professional clinician.
Professor Hayder Al-Aubaidy, (MBChB, MSc, PhD)
Year 4 Lead, and Research & Evidence-Based Medicine Stream Lead
Hayder is a distinguished medical practitioner, researcher, and educator. He’s known for researching nutraceutical supplements’ role in Type 2 diabetes management and reversal. Hayder has held key academic roles, including Course Coordinator for Health Sciences and Discipline Leader for Human Anatomy at La Trobe University, and as the Year 3 Coordinator in the MBBS program at the University of Tasmania.
Associate Professor Iulia Oancea (MD, PhD)
Assessment Lead
Iulia is a highly experienced medical educator and researcher with a medical training background. After completing her PhD at the University of Queensland, Dr. Oancea took the lead on research projects and continued her role in medical education. Iulia is drawn to curriculum innovation by her passion and empathy as an educator, with experience in the design and implementation of medical curriculum for large student cohorts.
Dr. Sharee Stedman (MMBS, FRACGP)
Communication & Clinical Skills Stream Lead
Sharee is an experienced medical educator with a strong background in Clinical Medicine and General Practice. After earning her medical degree from the University of Tasmania, she dedicated a decade to clinical practice in diverse urban and rural communities across Queensland and Western Australia.
Sharee’s passion for teaching led her to medical education, where she has held pivotal academic roles. She served as a Medical Coordinator at the Rural Clinical School, University of Western Australia and more recently as the Course Coordinator and Discipline Lead for Clinical Practice at the University of Queensland.
Dr. Natasha Yates (MBBS, FRACGP, PhD candidate)
General Practice Lead
Natasha brings expertise in medical education and extensive experience of urban, rural and remote medicine to the NewMed team. A specialist GP, Natasha has cared for patients in a range of settings, from small town clinics and hospitals, to working as a solo practitioner in remote Arnhem Land communities, as well as an urban First Nations health clinic. Her current work is in a mainstream general practice. She worked for 12 years as an Assistant Professor of general practice at Bond University, resigning from this role to pursue a PhD in Medical Education which she is currently part-way through.
Dr. Susan King
(B App Sc, B Health Sc (Nutrition and Dietetics) Hons, MBBS, FACEM)
Critical Care Lead
Susie has experience in clinical practice as an Emergency Physician and in medical education with previous roles in training and supervising junior doctors, and delivering medical education to undergraduate medical students. She has practiced in a range of settings in Queensland and NSW and is currently based on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Susie brings a passion for Clinical Reasoning and facilitating its development in medical students. She also relishes the challenge of learning in unique environments, and loves using creativity and innovation to see learning realised.
Dr. Jenny McDonald (MBBS, PhD, FRACP, GCCT)
Portfolio Lead
Jenny is an experienced community paediatrician and medical educator. She coordinated the personal and professional development course and portfolio program at Western Sydney University Medical School. She recently completed her PhD, focusing on the role of portfolios in medical education. Her publications include research about child development and disability, as well as medical education.
Dr. Jessica Stabler
Neurology Lead
Jessica is a clinical neurologist with subspecialty expertise in epilepsy. She works as a staff specialist in neurology at the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle NSW. She has an interest in medical education and has experience in the supervision and training of medical students and doctors in training. She is passionate about making neurological education pragmatic, accessible, and enjoyable.
Dr. Nyoli Valentine (MBBS, FRACGP, GradCertHlth (Palliative Care), MPH, PhD)
AMC Accreditation Lead and Curriculum Consultant
Nyoli is a South Australian general practitioner, educator, and academic. She has previously held senior roles in teaching, curriculum design, and research at institutions including Flinders University and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Nyoli is committed to creating meaningful learning experiences for students. This commitment informed her PhD research into fair assessment and her work in supporting clinicians in their roles as assessors, educators, and researchers.
Dr. Johanna Lynch (MBBS, PhD, FRACGP, FASPM, Grad Cert (Grief and Loss))
Academic – General Practice
Johanna is an Australian general practitioner, speaker and mentor, who is passionate about care that promotes the wellbeing of whole people, families and communities. She is a skilled qualitative researcher and her clinical expertise has focussed on generalist approaches to distress that is trauma-informed, healing oriented, and culturally respectful.
Dr. Kim Omond (FRACGP, MBBS)
Academic – General Practice and Women’s Health
Kim is an Adelaide-based general practitioner with a special interest in women’s health and paediatrics. She is a medical educator, early career researcher and advocate for general practice, particularly around issues relating to GP registrar training.
Dr. Kristel Kemmerling
(BBus/BPsych, MBBS, FRACGP)
Academic – General Practice and Women’s Health
Kristel has experience in medical education and clinical practice, with previous roles educating medical students and general practice registrars. She has practiced in urban & regional areas across Queensland. She is currently based in Central Queensland, and is working in mainstream general practice in Yeppoon.
Dr. Catriona Arnold-Nott (BA, MBBS, FRACGP, MPHTM)
GP Placements Lead – QLD
Catriona is a specialist rural GP who has worked for over 30 years in Northern Australia, settling on the Atherton Tablelands. Catriona is passionate about teaching and training medical students and registrars. Throughout her teaching career,She has felt that we teach medicine “upside down” with too much focus on hospital based tertiary care and too little focus on primary and preventative care. NewMed is an exciting adventure into “rightside up” medical eduction, and Catriona brings a wealth of positive energy, enthusiasm and experience.
Administration
Alex Taylor
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Sonja Knowles
Chief Financial & Human Resources Officer (CFHRO)
Sonja is a seasoned financial professional with over 25 years of experience in multi-national financial control, IFRS/GAAP reporting administration and human resource management, She has a great track record of achieving exceptional results in financial reporting, analysis, process improvement, staff and cash management. Her positive and humble attitude frames the way she leads by example. Sonja has assisted numerous organisations with setup, growth and improvement as a result from her superior business acumen and entrepreneurial flair.
Ben Prinsloo
Registrar & Marketing Manager
Ben is an accomplished senior leader in the higher education sector, with extensive experience across strategic operations, student experience, academic governance, and institutional compliance. He holds an Executive MBA and has worked across both public and private education environments. Ben brings specialised expertise in student lifecycle management, systems transformation, and regulatory frameworks. He is recognised for his ability to lead high-performing teams and drive institutional growth through evidence-based decision-making, operational excellence, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Zara Nikolic
Learning Experience Designer
Zara is a learning designer with over 10 years of experience working across universities in Australia. She focuses on creating dynamic learning experiences by integrating digital tools and technologies with best practices in pedagogy. Zara designs learner-focused programmes that are both engaging and effective, using technology to enhance the learning process. She is passionate about creating impactful learning experiences that meet the needs of diverse audiences and adapt to the ever-changing educational landscape.
Kelly Fu
Accountant & Quality Officer
Kelly is a resourceful and detail-oriented accounting professional with broad experience in financial reporting, budgeting, and compliance. She is adept at strategic problem-solving, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring accuracy in financial operations, with a proven ability to support audit processes, improve reporting efficiency, and uphold regulatory standards. She is currently pursuing Chartered Accountant credentials.
Lydia Di Salvo-Anderson
Executive Officer
Lydia is a highly skilled administrative management professional with 7 years of experience in the private health sector.
Jade Smith
GP Placements
Jade has substantial experience working in higher education across student management, research, and student placements in the government, private and non-profit sectors. Jade has worked for major educational and non-profit organisations including: TAFE Queensland, Griffith University, The Smith Family and UnitingCare. In these roles, Jade has established and maintained complex student management administrative processes, project management and quality student review processes.
Rachel Craddock
Hospital Placements
Originally from Ireland, Rachel has called Brisbane home since 2005. With over 18 years of experience in the health industry, with a strong background in medical administration and student support.
Known for her professional and approachable manner, she is committed to delivering high-quality support in medical education and training settings.