I have taught at UNSW Sydney for over 20 years, the past fifteen years as Convenor of the Clinical Skills element of the UNSW Medicine program (BMed MD), a role which I retain since being appointed as a UNSW Nexus Fellow in 2023. My teaching in Medicine relates to communication, physical examination and procedural skills. As such, I focus on the interaction and relationship between doctor and patient, the core business of the medical profession. Clinical Skills teaching runs throughout the entire 6 years of the program and is the major contribution to the readiness for clinical practice of our 1600 students.

My pedagogical approach to Clinical Skills teaching combines my understanding of a) the knowledge and competencies required to master the skills, and b) experiential learning theory. These understandings enable me to create learning experiences for students which are both inspiring and effective. I derive great satisfaction from this work: as future patients, we are all likely to be beneficiaries of these skills; in addition, we all make judgements of our doctors’ ‘bedside manner’ in medical interactions. I work hard so that UNSW graduates are recognised by their patients as good doctors, known for the high quality of their clinical care. This is demonstrated, for example, in their excellent communication skills, which is a priority learning outcome in my teaching. Student comment (2018): “Overall fantastic. Constantly encouraging students to question and learn. Very great depth of knowledge.” At the 10 year anniversary of the Simulated Patient Program, an alumnus of our program, now a Registrar in Emergency Medicine stated, "Phase one clinical skills … so useful and fantastic, definitely one of the most memorable and useful parts of all of medical school!"