Lyndal Parker-Newlyn - Medical Education

31/01/2026

BOOK REVIEW- KUMAR AND CLARK
Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine is a core clinical textbook that many students encounter early in medical school. Used well, it can be an excellent starting point in Phase 1, providing a coherent clinical framework that helps make sense of the science you are learning alongside it. https://lyndalpn.blogspot.com/2026/01/book-review-kumar-and-clark-clinical.html Read on for more information about why this may be very useful for your learning.

Kumar and Clark’s Clinical Medicine is a core clinical textbook that many students encounter early in medical school. Used well, it can b...

31/01/2026

The skin is far more than a passive covering—it’s a highly specialised organ that plays a role in homeostasis, immunity, sensation, thermoregulation, and biochemical synthesis. Understanding its multifaceted functions is crucial in medicine. https://lyndalpn.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-functions-of-skin-beyond-just.html This blog post also includes a 15 minute podcast.

The skin is far more than a passive covering—it’s a highly specialised organ that plays a role in homeostasis, immunity, sensation, thermor...

31/01/2026

Medical school comes with a lot of advice about how to study — much of it conflicting. https://lyndalpn.blogspot.com/2026/01/how-to-study-in-medical-school-phase-1.html I've created this short NotebookLM video on the blog (5 minutes) to bring together ideas from several sources and highlight some common themes about learning effectively in medicine (specifically starting Phase 1!)

31/01/2026

In Phase 1, understanding doesn’t mean knowing everything. It means being able to explain how things work and why they matter, even if the finer detail isn’t solid yet. Understanding starts with why, then builds detail. This blog walks you through an approach to early med school, including a 5 minute AI podcast "pep talk" to help you get started.
https://lyndalpn.blogspot.com/2026/01/what-does-understanding-actually-look.html

Early in medical school, you’ll hear a lot of advice about understanding rather than memorising. That can sound reassuring — but also frus...

30/01/2026

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. They shape exposure to risk, access to care, capacity to recover, and the choices people realistically have available to them. This blog post explains the key concepts of social determinants and provides you an AI podcast feature to listen to, based on our recent lecture for revision.
https://lyndalpn.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-bigger-picture-of-health-its-more.html

When people think about becoming a doctor, they often imagine diagnosing disease and prescribing treatment. Biology matters — but very early...

30/01/2026

Starting medical school can feel like drinking from a firehose.
Here’s the key message early on: the details matter, but understanding matters more.

https://lyndalpn.blogspot.com/2025/01/tips-for-medical-students-think-big.html

🔹 Don’t just memorise lists and facts
🔹 Always ask HOW and WHY

Read on for more thoughts....

Starting medical school can feel like drinking from a firehose. One day you’re diving into biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology; the next, ...

30/01/2026

Go Rural road trips for 2026 with Rural Doctors Network - RDN 😍

Applications for RDN’s first student road trip for 2026 are opening soon, watch this link 👉 https://loom.ly/p_1WxsY

From 5-8 March, Go Rural will be taking students on a tour through the beautiful Western Plains region of NSW, visiting the towns of , , , , , , and 🚌

This trip is open to first- and second-year students, and ANY YEAR , , and students.

With a PACKED itinerary featuring inspiring speakers, amazing facilities and plenty of opportunities to connect with local communities and potential future colleagues, this is a trip not to be missed! 🤠

Go Rural is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing and administered by RDN.

30/01/2026

STRUCTURE OF SKIN

The skin is the largest organ of the body, functioning as a physical barrier while supporting immune defence, thermoregulation, and sensory input. Structurally, it consists of three main layers, each with unique cell types and functions.

https://lyndalpn.blogspot.com/2025/01/the-structure-of-skin-layers-cells.html

To understand the function of skin, and importantly what happens when that is impaired, we need to start with the basics.

The skin is the largest organ of the body, functioning as a physical barrier while supporting immune defence, thermoregulation, and sensory...

29/01/2026

📢 Applications Now Open for second year MD students – Dr Andrew Egan Rural Medical Scholarship 2026

The Dr Andrew Egan Rural Medical Scholarship was established in 2021 with the Egan family to honour the memory of Dr Andrew Egan — a dedicated procedural GP VMO in Cooma for over 30 years, former President of the Rural Doctors’ Association NSW (RDA NSW), and a highly respected colleague, friend, father, and husband to Anne.

Who can apply?
Medical students from rural NSW, including those who have relocated from rural NSW to a metro area in NSW or the ACT to study, who are entering their 2nd year of medical school in 2026.
The scholarship will be awarded to two students.

💰 Scholarship details
- $7,500 (inc. GST) per recipient
- Paid in two instalments
- Designed to assist with the costs of living away from home to study
- Includes ongoing advice and support throughout your degree from experienced rural doctors in NSW

⏰ Applications close:
5:00pm, Friday 27 February 2026

👉Find out more & apply:
Visit: www.rdansw.com.au
Call: 1800 350 732
Email: admin@rdansw.com.au
Please refer to the RDA NSW website for full Terms and Conditions.
https://rdansw.com.au/NSW/_NSW/News/NSW-Articles/Significant-annual-scholarship-awarded-to-two-NSW-rural-medical-students.aspx

Rural Doctors Association Australia Rural Doctors' Association of NSW

The Rural Doctors’ Association of NSW is excited to announce that two medical students from rural NSW have been selected as this years’ recipients of the Dr Andrew Egan Rural Medical Scholarship. 

27/01/2026

Looks like some of our Phase 1 students are having a great time out west at Bourke! Thanks for looking after them 😍 Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health Brewarrina Aboriginal Cultural Museum

The first big group of 2026! Today we were visited by some medical students from the University of Wollongong and exercise students from the University of Sydney

27/01/2026

So pleased to meet our new 2026 cohort of medical students today. 112 strong, from all walks of life and all over the world, and full of enthusiasm! We are grateful to our local Aboriginal Community for their warm welcome to Country, and sharing of ceremony and stories as we kicked off the MD program for 2026. ❤️

08/01/2026

37 degrees C on campus today and forecast to get into the 40s on the weekend. Fortunately our flowering gum trees are loving it.
Stay cool and hydrated everyone !