Accessing the Education–Clinical Ecosystem in Queensland, Australia

The recent working visit of Phan Chau Trinh University (PCTU) to Bond University (Australia) went beyond regular campus tours or academic exchanges. A key highlight of this program was the delegation’s direct meetings with faculty leadership at Bond University and representatives of the Queensland university hospital system.

At Bond University, the PCTU delegation met with Prof. Nick Zwar – Executive Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences & Medicine (HSM); Prof. Kirsty Forrest – Program Director of the Bond Medical Program, HSM; Prof. Mark Morgan and Prof. Michelle Jack – Co-Directors of the Bond Medical Program, HSM. These leaders are directly responsible for strategic planning and quality assurance of the University’s medical program.
 

In addition, the professional sessions included A/Prof. Jo Bishop – Head of Curriculum, Bond Medical Program, HSM; Dr. Halima Goss – Director of the Advanced Clinical Skills Program; and Dr. Nemat Alsaba – Director of Simulation at Bond University. Discussions focused on curriculum structure, competency-based learning outcomes, clinical student assessment mechanisms, and the role of simulation in standardizing skills before entering hospital environments.
 

Dr. Nemat Alsaba (left) – Director of Simulation, Bond University

The PCTU delegation also visited and worked with several major healthcare institutions within Queensland’s training system, including:

• Wesley Hospital – where discussions were held with leadership and clinical specialists regarding hospital-based training models integrated with high-quality private healthcare systems.
• Gold Coast University Hospital – the largest public hospital in the region, where education and patient care are integrated within a unified operational system.
• Robina Hospital – a clinical training site for medical students, where the delegation explored the organization of clinical practice and student supervision.

At these hospitals, the delegation toured facilities and engaged directly with managers and clinical education specialists regarding student intake processes, case allocation, patient safety, and the standardization of clinical competencies.

Another significant highlight was the working session at the Bond University Clinical Education & Research Centre (BUCERC). Here, the PCTU delegation observed simulation-based teaching activities and worked with the Simulation team on scenario design, debriefing processes, and competency-based skills assessment.

Beyond educational activities, the delegation also met with Tanya Forbes – Research Development Manager, HSM – along with senior researchers including Prof. Jyostna Batra – Professor of Genetics, and other HSM faculty members to discuss future research collaboration and academic partnerships.

Engaging simultaneously with senior leadership, program directors, simulation directors, clinical placement coordinators, and university hospital systems demonstrates that PCTU’s visit was conducted at a structural level. The discussions moved beyond general introductions to focus specifically on curriculum strategy, program design and management, operational mechanisms, and quality assurance standards in medical education.

In the context of increasingly integrated medical education models that require close alignment between universities and hospitals, direct engagement with Australia’s education–healthcare ecosystem contributes to strengthening substantive cooperation between PCTU and its international partners in the years ahead.

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