Op en Let ter to U NSW Me di cal St ud en t s

4 October 2007

Fellow medical student,

As you may hear in the coming days, the annual Medical Society elections are about to
begin. I’m Cam from Med IV and I am running for President. I am not writing with the sole
aim of winning your vote. By outlining how my Experience, Understanding, Vision and
Drive can help our Society grow, I hope to offer you an insight into how we can build a
better MedSoc for the benefit of all students, and motivate you to become a part of this
exciting future.

Ex pe ri en ce
I have been involved in a range of activities both within and external to MedSoc, acting in
the best interests of fellow students at all times. My involvements in an array of MedSoc
activities have helped me appreciate the diversity of responsibilities of your
representatives, an appreciation which would prove invaluable in coordinating and
facilitating their activities. I have also been involved in several other aspects of student life
on campus, including a residential college House Committee and RAHMS, which have
offered the very useful perspective on how MedSoc could better cater to the needs of the
entire range of students studying Medicine at UNSW.

U nd e rst an din g
I am a realist. I know that whilst I and many others are passionate about the activities and
issues in which MedSoc are involved, many students feel that MedSoc does not
adequately represent their views or offer events matching their interest. From a student’s
perspective, MedSoc needs to offer personal benefits, opportunities to learn and relevant
groups to become involved in. To that end, I plan to give EVERY student a chance to
have their say on what they want from their Society through an online survey by
December. It is evident we are already on the right path, evidenced by the passion first
years have shown and the significant number of new faces expressing interest in MedSoc
2008. As always, however, there is significant room for improvement and nowhere more
so than in the more senior years.

V i sio n
While I, like most other students, have a huge number of ideas about how MedSoc could
be improved, there are several key areas in which I feel MedSoc has an obligation to
pursue more actively. The landscape of medical education has changed considerably in
the recent years. We all know of the huge changes in our own curriculum and I aim to
build MedSoc’s advocacy role to see students’ voices better represented at the Faculty
Op en Let ter to U NSW Me di cal St ud en t s

level. More broadly, changes are only set to intensify over coming years with ever-
increasing numbers of medical schools in NSW. The impact of these changes will be
borne by each and every one of us in our experiences in clinical teaching environments
and the junior medical workforce for years to come. It is essential that MedSoc, the
NSWMSC and AMSA actively fight for students on local, State and National levels to see
that our interests, as future doctors, are a consideration at every step of the decision-
making process. A final area in which I believe MedSoc can grow to give tangible benefits
is through the newly created role of Sponsorship Officer. In conjunction with the
Treasurer, I aim to assist the Sponsorship Officer in working towards a MedSoc Member
Benefits program offering discounts to local businesses, to provide real financial rewards
to med students throughout our considerable studies.

Dr ive
All too often, the ideas and passion that emerge at election time can be lost as the year
goes on. Having gathered student opinion on what is wanted from MedSoc, I would work
with Council to develop a set of key objectives for areas of improvement. By developing a
solid plan linked to time-specified targets, I will keep MedSoc focused on delivering these
objectives for your benefit and accountable to every student. Lastly, in the role of
President there are many situations in which a loud voice is not necessarily the best
voice. In almost any negotiation, an informed and well-planned approach will win out over
boisterousness. Though needless to say, I will never stand idly by while something needs
to be done.

I encourage you to have your say in working towards a better future for MedSoc. Voting is
via WebCT Vista (http://vista.elearning.unsw.edu.au) and is open from October 8th to the
22nd. If you value the four principles for which I stand: Experience, Understanding,
Vision and Drive, I look forward to your support.

Kind regards,

Cameron Korb-Wells