Don't Forget the Bubbles

At the time we began planning #DFTB17, Henry was eager to speak on the concept of failure. He had just failed yet another college examination and was keen to describe his personal experiences. But along the way, he discovered that failure is for everyone.

Melanie Thompson is a paediatrician working in the Kimberley, WA. She has a special interest in indigenous health and she dares you to listen to her talk without itching. Scabies is one of the top 50 infectious diseases in the world and we thought it deserved the chance to shine.

Associate Professor Diana Egerton-Warburton is an emergency physician in Melbourne and chair of the Public Health committee of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine. Rather than focus on treating one patient at a time though she has made it her mission to advocate for change. In this talk she shares the story of how one patient, Abbie, helped her understand the true long lasting effects of alcohol consumption in youth. The knock effects of this have led to her campaigning for stricter licensing laws. With one in eight patients attending the emergency department as a result of alcohol  we can truly make a difference.

Ian Summers examines both how we learn and how we teach communication with kids. With the assistance of Callum, the talk includes a beautifully constructed live patient simulation as demonstrated by the enthusiastic (and occasionally silly) Andy Tagg.

Liz Crowe is many things – a paediatric social worker, a PhD student, renowned presenter. But first and foremost she is a mother. In this talk she introduces us to the concept of resilience and asks us to take a really hard look at how we treat children. Are we wrapping them up in cotton wool, hiding them away from some of life’s harsh realities?

Nat has worked for Médecins Sans Frontières in Al Ruwayshed, Jordan. Stuck on the Jordanian side of the border she couldn’t access the patients stranded in Syria in an area called the Berm. She has told the fictional story of Ibrahim, a Syrian child wandering in this place she can’t access and now asks an existential question – what is a doctor in this place that does not even exist?

Aidan gives a guide to safely and compassionately communicating with LGBTQI youth. If you encounter teenagers in any aspect of your life you should watch this talk.

David Krieser shares a personal story to highlight the importance of asking “are you ok?”

Ben explores some principles to consider when designing clinical education programs.

Andy explores the evidence and some personal experience of bad news.

Tommy talks us through the nuts and bolts of making a career in private practice work to support the life you want to lead.

Sarah  is a General Paediatrician working at The Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, and is the Clinical Lead of the Short Stay Unit. During her PhD, she was the lead investigator on the PIMS (Paediatric Intravenous Maintenance Solution) study: a large, randomised controlled trial comparing isotonic and hypotonic fluids for maintenance hydration in children. The study findings have led to practice change, both in Australia and internationally. 

Trish Woods is a consultant neonatologist working in WA. She has a wealth of experience in delivering tertiary level neonatal intensive care, both in hospital and on the move. In this talk she she gives us a little insight into what goes through her head when the phone ring in the middle of the night. It’s not just about the neonatologist in their ivory tower but about the baby, the parents and the poor practitioner who is doing the very best they can.

Simon explains just how much we don’t know about treating severe, acute asthma and outlines a research agenda to answer some of the key questions.

Helen outlines the updates to the neonatal resuscitation guidelines and provides some background on how these came about.