It’s not every day that your class is taught by a Vice-Chancellor, but it’s not every day that your Vice-Chancellor is a qualified paediatrician and geneticist.

Students in Macquarie’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program have been attending a series of masterclasses hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton, in which he has shared advice and wisdom gained over a 40-plus-year career in medicine, research and higher education.

The masterclasses are one of the distinctive features of Macquarie’s MD program, which has a unique focus on integrating medical and clinical science training with opportunities to develop professionalism, research and cultural awareness skills. Along with clinical placements in a variety of Australian healthcare settings, Macquarie MD students also undertake a third-year clinical placement at one of India’s top hospitals, which provides a unique comparative learning experience and helps develop a global outlook as future medical professionals.  Macquarie MD students also have elective opportunities during their fourth year in other countries, including the USA, to again witness another very different healthcare system.

The Vice-Chancellor shared with the students his own experiences of a globally focused career, having taken an atypical path to professional practice by leaving Australia after graduation.

“People told me I was ruining my career by going to America for my postdoctoral training,” the Vice-Chancellor told the students. “My advice to you is: if you are comfortable with an element of risk, don’t let anyone talk you out of thinking outside the box, and be prepared to travel the road less travelled.

“Every opportunity I have had in my own career has come by chance. Keep as many doors open for as long as you can and embrace the twists and turns that might feature in your career.”

The Vice-Chancellor’s words resonated with second-year MD student Dylan Foskett.

“I’ve always felt more drawn to the intersection of medicine with research and leadership, over a standard clinical career,” Dylan says. “The Vice-Chancellor really demonstrated how far you can go when you’re not afraid to stray from the normal path that most people take in medicine. Pursuing your own interests should be central to your career, even if it doesn’t fit the norm.”

Dylan says that, almost halfway through his four-year MD program, he feels strongly that he and his peers are getting much more than a standard medical education.

“The strength of the Macquarie MD is in the way it exposes us to other cultures and healthcare systems outside Australia and encourages us to reflect on those experiences,” he says. “I feel as though I’m being shaped into a compassionate clinician who has a good understanding of my place in the world and how I can go above and beyond, not just locally, but also internationally.”