BOPDHB Checkup February 2019 | Page 14

General Surgeon Jeremy Rossaak with medical student Georgia Brendling. Top ranking medical student credits Tauranga Hospital surgical team for success Auckland University medical student Georgia Brendling has been honoured with the Peter Christie Award for top marks in her 4th year surgical placement and credits the Tauranga Hospital surgical team for her success. Fourth year medical students spend 33 weeks in eight hospital based clinical attachments: emergency medicine, anaesthesiology, musculoskeletal, surgery, general and specialty medicine, geriatrics and general practice. Georgia chose Tauranga Hospital for her placement. The Peter Christie Award was established in 2006 in memory of the noted hepatobiliary and transplantation surgeon renowned for his work on liver transplants in New Zealand. He is remembered for the dedication, compassion, honesty and scholarship he demonstrated in his interactions with patients and students. Peter died in 2005 at the age of 48. After receiving the award, Georgia wrote to General Surgeon Jeremy Rossaak crediting him and the team for her achievement. 14 I owe this achievement to you and your fantastic team that I was lucky enough to spend 6 weeks on. I think the most important part about this award for me are the key words engraved on the plaque "Dedication, Compassion, Honesty and Scholarship". During my time on your team I feel as though these qualities were fostered in me. Thank you for pushing me to be the best I can be and a huge thank you to Tom, Jay, Catriona, Tessa and Tea and Sophie. Georgia who is now in her 5th year is currently on a six week placement in ED. From March she’ll be based at Middlemore Hospital. Congratulations to Georgia, well done! This year the Bay of Plenty Clinical Campus will supervise 68 medical students in years 4, 5, and 6 from Auckland University. The students rotate through most departments and 24 year 4 students will spend six weeks in surgery, while the 27 year 6 students will spend four weeks in surgery.