Paediatrics
Paediatrics is the branch of medicine that deals with the development, health and medical care of infants, children, and adolescents. It differs from adult medicine in many aspects due to the obvious body size differences. The smaller body of an infant or neonate is substantially different physiologically from that of an adult. Congenital defects, genetic variance, and developmental issues are of greater concern to paediatricians than they often are to adult physicians. The study of Paediatrics involves not only practical medicine, but also support for children and families.
Paediatrics in the MBBS program
The Year 4 Paediatrics rotation is of 9 weeks duration as part of the MBBS course in the School of Medicine at UWS. Clinical teaching is conducted at Campbelltown, Blacktown and Mt Druitt Hospitals. Studies progress from pre-natal problems to chronic diseases and disabilities of adolescent years, learning the common problems of children in Western Sydney, as well as an introduction to the scourges that claim some 10 million children throughout the rest of the world every year.
Teaching is under the direction of Professor John Whitehall and involves University staff and other staff employed by Sydney Area Health Services, as well as other agencies that provide services for children.
Engaging the Community
The Paediatric Team has a strong commitment to Community. Medical students undergoing their paediatric rotation are required to spend time at a Community Disability School. Community Partners benefit by students attending to provide hands-on assistance with and for children with various disabilities. The students themselves gain better clinical knowledge and understanding having daily contact with children and also gain an understanding of the impact of disabilities on the whole family. On completion of their rotation, students are required to submit a case study for assessment.
Awards
In November 2010 the UWS Department of Paediatrics was recognised for its collaborative educational relationship with William Rose School, Seven Hills by NSW Department of Education, in winning the Western Sydney Region Excellence in Education Award in the category of Excellence in School Achievement SSP (Teaching and Learning Community Partnerships). Read more about our student's experiences in Paediatric Community Education.
Key Staff
Professor John Whitehall
Foundation Chair & Professor of Paediatrics & Child HealthJohn Whitehall graduated from Sydney University in 1966 and after residency in Sydney Hospital worked in a refugee aid programme in Vietnam, a remote mission hospital in South Africa, and the university hospital in what was then Rhodesia. He went on to pursue formal paediatric training in England and then Australia, becoming a Member and then Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
He worked as Consultant Paediatrician in the west of Sydney for 15 years, during which he was involved with aid organisations in Guam (for refugees from Vietnam), East Timor, Lebanon and Mexico.
From 1991 to 1993 he undertook further training in neonatology at the Royal Hospital for Women and Sydney Children’s Hospital and was appointed Staff Specialist in the neonatal intensive care unit at Nepean Hospital where he developed a particular interest in foetal medicine and echocardiography.
In 1995 he was appointed Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Townsville which serves North Queensland and, over the years, he held various associated position such as Chairman of Northern Region Women’s and Children’s Committee which oversaw the development of services and the maintenance of standards throughout the region. He held this position until taking up his current position at UWS.
In 1997 he was appointed Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at James Cook University, Townsville, where he developed and presented courses in Tropical Paediatrics, a feature of which was to become an annual block of study at first in Sri Lanka and then Papua New Guinea.
In 2000 he was a founding member of the committee that developed the curriculum for the School of Medicine at James Cook University, with special responsibility for the ‘domain’ of Ethics and Personal Development, and for the ‘streams’ of genetics, and biology. After the commencement of the School he maintained teaching responsibilities in Human Genetics, as well as neonatology.
In 2005, he was involved in an aid programme in Sri Lanka after the Asian tsunami and then returned as visiting Professor to the Medical College of Tamil Eelam where he designed and presented a three month block of paediatric study and research for local practitioners.
In 2009 he joined UWS as Foundation Chair of Paediatrics and Child Health. He maintains a special interest in international health but has published on a range of subjects from neonatology to public health. His extra-curricular interests include social and political theory in which he earned a BA from Murdoch University
John was a finalist for Senior Australian of the Year in 2006 for his humanitarian work with victims of the Asian tsunami. He is assistant author of the book War and Medicine, a collection of short stories of the experiences of medical practitioners in North-East Sri Lanka.
Associate Professor Matt Edwards
Associate Professor - Paediatrics and Child HealthMatt attended schools in Cobbitty and Camden in western Sydney, and graduated in medicine from the University of New South Wales in 1976. He trained in paediatrics at Prince of Wales Children's Hospital, Sydney 1977-82 and was a paediatrician in Camden and Campbelltown 1982-1987.
Matt was a fellow in clinical genetics and dysmorphology under Dr John M Graham Jr at Dartmouth Medical Center, New Hampshire in 1988 and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles 1989-90, and obtained a diploma in medical genetics, American Board of Medical Genetics and Fellow in clinical genetics, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists.
He served as staff specialist in clinical genetics, Hunter Genetics, Newcastle NSW 1991-2008, Director of Hunter Genetics 2000-2008, Conjoint Associate Professor, University of Newcastle 2000-2008. He has also served on committees of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia, Australasian Association of Clinical Geneticists, and Royal Australasian College of Physicians Specialist Advisory Committee in clinical genetics.
He worked as a locum general paediatrician in regional and remote centres in Australia, and as consultant clinical geneticist, Sydney IVF, Lingard Hospital, Newcastle 2008-2010.
Matt joined the Department of Paediatrics at UWS School of Medicine in October 2010, with a clinical academic appointment in clinical genetics at Campbelltown Hospital. Prior to this he taught in the undergraduate medical and postgraduate genetic counselling courses at the University of Newcastle.
Matt’s research interests and publications include:
“Clinical and genetic delineation of syndromes”, especially those associated with inherited intellectual disability, and
“Identification of factors that influence severity of disease, including chronic suppurative lung disease and bronchiectasis in children of western Sydney and North West Queensland”.
Dr Joanne Morris
Senior Lecturer, PaediatricsDr Joanne Morris joined the staff of UWS in 2010. She is currently Staff Specialist in Paediatrics at Blacktown and Mt Druitt Hospitals, Adolescent staff specialist at Children’s Hospital Westmead and Paediatric VMO at Blue Mountains District Anzac Memorial Hospital
Her commitment to teaching has gained her several awards including Kilham Award for ‘Best FRACP Teaching by a Fellow’, the Children’s Hospital at Westmead; RMO Association Award for JMO Teaching and Highly Commended for Student Teaching, Lorrimer Dods awards, University of Sydney.
Joanne’s selected research and publications include:
“Typhoid Fever In Children- Diagnostic and Therapeutic Difficulties” Stormon M, Mcintyre P, Morris J, Fasher B.
Paediatric Infectious Diseases Journal 16;7:713-715, 1997
“Sensitivity and Specificity of the Australian Developmental Screening Test (ADST) in a Clinical Setting”. A manuscript is under review for publication.
Ongoing research includes “Performance of the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status in Identifying Children with Developmental Delay” and Update of Cochrane systematic review "Risperidone for autism spectrum disorder.”
Mrs Dawn Douglas
Administrative OfficerDawn’s responsibilities include the provision of high level administrative support to Professor John Whitehall, Foundation Chair of Paediatrics and Child Health, as well as administrative support to other Paediatric and conjoint staff. Dawn joined the department in December 2009 and brings with her extensive experience gained from working in various roles within the University Sector.
Conjoint Staff
| Dr Henry Murray | Associate Professor |
| Dr Andrew McDonald | Associate Professor |
| Dr Dennis Raymond | Associate Professor |
| Dr Patrick Patradoon-Ho | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Raymond Chin | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Ashish Jiwane | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Ramesha Tiskumara | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Jenny McDonald | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Marea Murray | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Michael Freelander | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Kim Leung | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Alan Amos | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Geoff Bent | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Richard Dunstan | Senior Lecturer |
| Dr Juned Shaikh | Lecturer |
