Research and international em (ghd lowres)

Bishan Rajapakse
MBChB, Otago, NZ
Emergency Medicine Advanced Trainee (ACEM),
PhD candidate (ANU),

Global Health Drinks –22nd March 2012
Dr Bishan Rajapakse - Research and International Emergency Medicine
1

http://bishansworld.posterous.com/anu-research-fest-2010-going-beyond-the-endpo

•  Who am I and why I took the path of
“research” and international EM
•  Research findings and experiences
•  How to “Take the plunge”?

SURPRISE ENDING!!!

#globalhealthdrinks

•  Prevalent in
developing world
– 200,000 deaths /
year worldwide
•  15-30% mortality

See slide share for full
presentation on OP Rx
http://www.slideshare.net/
bishanrajapakse


Resuscitation Study

2006 2008 2010

AChE Research


•  file://localhost/Users/bishan/Movies/
Beyond the Endpoints (hi res).dv

7

“Imagination is more
important than knowledge”

“Anyone who has never
made a mistake has
never done anything new” Albert Einstein


Bishan Rajapakse, Andrew Dawson

•  Difficult to access
education
–  Can’t come to
central locations

•  Consultant
educators are
limited

•  25 Question MCQ (45mins)
•  Scenarios Assessments (10mins)

• Personal feedback given at follow up sessions

Pre Post 6 week 3 months post
Training post

Calls for help 45% 53% 76% 74%

Initial Airway 22% 88% 60% 67%
Opening
Initial 40% 83% 68% 81%
breathing
Check
Correct 8% 79% 82% 88%
compression
ratio


•  Greater chance of policy
change
•  Integration of networks
– Sustainability
– Builds capacity for local action!
•  Career development

18

•  Emergency medicine
a developing
specialty
•  Ambulance and
Paramedic training
19

21

23

•  Dangers
–  Roads
–  Animals
–  Civil instability
•  Isolation, alienation
and depression
•  loss of clinical skills


•  Academic work is
hard, and can be
tedious!
•  Financial loss
•  Often have to write
a Thesis
•  Takes time!
–  May lengthen a
specialist training
considerably
27

The journey of a thousand miles
begins with one step. Lao Tzu

Back to 2005…..


•  Social Work/
Community
service

•  Fun, Travel,
Adventure

•  Finding
“roots”

30

“Always follow your ‘heart’
and your own dreams as
life is too short to follow
someone else’s dreams”


•  Step 1 – Dare to dream
•  Step 2 – Be aware of your fears
•  Step 3 – Write down both
•  Step 4 – Keep fears at bay, let the
heart say what it must, then trust!

•  Find your mentors : Forums, People,
friends, Books & Movies

•  Don’t compare yourself with
others!
•  BE inspired
•  Inspire others


•  Amazing
Experience
•  Eye opening
•  Pro's and Con's
•  Similar
Opportunities
exist! 34

Discussion:
…..Time for your thoughts!


•  http://www.facebook.com/groups/
international.em
•  http://lifeinthefastlane.com/2011/06/
alternative-emergency-medicine-training/
•  http://www.slideshare.net/bishanrajapakse
•  http://bishansworld.posterous.com/
•  http://about.me/bishan.rajapakse
•  Twitter: @trainthetrainer
•  Email: bishan.rajapakse@gmail.com

•  Please provide me with feedback on this
talk (2min survey) so that I can learn and
improve!

–  If you attended the “Global Health Drinks” on
23/3/12
•  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BCHNWJY
–  If you just viewed this talk on slideshare
•  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BJVCVCV


Going “beyond” the Endpoints!
Beyond the endpoints are the bits that are not seen,
The thoughts and emotions that lie behind the PhD’s sheen,
And whilst they will not appear in the final binding,
They are the reminders of how the road was so very winding.

Research is more about the journey than its destination,
It is to respect the ‘process’ as well as the final creation,
And the process lies within the changes we experience in “ourself”,
Which sometimes speaks more than that book up on the shelf.

My story is long, but I’ll try and keep it short,
It won’t be like some kind of scientific report!
For this is about a journey of mind and soul,
How this process has helped me feel whole.

I collected data in the depths of Sri Lanka,
Amongst my own first culture,
Where beautiful rivers flow, and green paddy fields grow,
With coconut trees that surround, where wild elephants can easily be found.

I collected data in the depths of Sri Lanka,
Amongst my own first culture,
Where beautiful rivers flow, and green paddy fields grow,
With coconut trees that surround, where wild elephants can easily be found.

I studied suicidal poisoning and its medical cure,
In villagers who drank pesticides when they felt desperate and insecure.
Some would say it was a cry for help,
Either way, they did not do well.

We tried to understand how to ease the terrible prognosis,
By studying a portable machine that could help in treatment and diagnosis,
But whilst collecting this data, an additional vision was to develop,
Another study - “training doctors in resuscitation”- was soon to envelope.

Whilst in Sri Lanka my mind expanded more than I would have believed,
Working with different cultures and systems into which I’d soon be weaved.
And with this I began to see my thesis as more than a mere ‘cog in a wheel’,
For perhaps, it may bring about change in the world, in a way that is real.

Bishan Rajapakse,
23.3.10

Research and international em (ghd lowres)

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