The rewards of caring
“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 may 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.
The starting point is supporting each other. We are not all doctors, but we each model care in our own way, in the time we take for our future students and the understanding we extend to our colleagues.
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 has previously practised as a 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.
Bob O’Connor
Chief Operating Officer & Registrar
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
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.
Professor Hayder Al-Aubaidy, (MBChB, MSc, PhD)
Research & Year 4 Design 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 and Year 2 Design 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.
Associate Professor Sue Hawken (MBChB, DipObs, FRNZCGP, MHSc, PG Dip Prof. Sup)
Primary Care and Year 3 Design Lead
Sue is an experienced medical educator, general practitioner, and professional supervisor. Dr. Hawken developed and 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.
Dr. Rachelle Levi (PhD, GCHE)
Year 1 Design 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.
Dr. Natasha Yates (MBBS; FRACGP; PhD candidate)
General Practice and CBL Creation
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.
Associate Professor Mohit Shahi (MBBS, MD)
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.
Dr. Kristel Kemmerling
(BBus/BPsych, MBBS, FRACGP)
General Practice and Case Based Learning
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 (Tri) Slater (MBChB, FACEM)
Critical care and Year 4 Co-Lead
Tri is an Emergency Medicine Physician with extensive experience as a clinical educator. Dr. Slater is currently co-Director of Clinical Training at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and a part-time academic with NewMed.
Dr. Susan King
B App Sc, B Health Sc (Nutrition and Dietetics) Hons, MBBS, FACEM
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.
Administration
Alex Taylor
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Sonja Knowles
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
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.
Lydia Di Salvo-Anderson
Executive Officer
Lydia is a highly skilled administrative management professional with 7 years of experience in the private health sector.