Find out more about the council members below or view the full membership listing.
Professor Kevin Forsyth is the Presiding Chair of the South Australian Department of Health Medical Education and Training Council. He is currently working as the Dean, People and Resources, College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University. Kevin is also Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, a Paediatric Immunologist with expertise in immune deficiency, and research interests in airway immunology, RSV, pertussis and medical education. He has expertise in academic leadership and medical education--was the inaugural Dean and Director of Education for the Royal Australasian College of Physicians 2006-2010, Director of the Medical Program at Flinders University 2014-2017, and is Chair of the Academy of Child and Adolescent health and of the Global Alliance in Child Health, GapHeal.
Dr Michael Cusack is from the UK and joined the Department for Health and Wellbeing in February 2020 as the Chief Medical Officer. Prior to his current role, he was the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) Executive Director for Medical Services. He qualified as a doctor in 1992 and subsequently trained as a Cardiologist at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. On completing his training, he took up his consultant post at a newly commissioned regional cardiothoracic centre in Wolverhampton and subsequently became the Clinical Director for Cardiothoracic Services. This unit went on to become the largest centre in the West Midlands region with nationally recognised outcomes and an active clinical research programme. Dr Cusack has additionally held a number of leadership role in the NHS including Cardiovascular Network Clinical Director, surgical Divisional Director and Medical Director for a large acute NHS Hospital Trust.
Ian Symonds is clinical professor at the Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, South Australia and former Dean of Medicine. After completing his specialist training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology he was appointed as a clinical senior lecturer in Derby, UK in 1998 before moving to Newcastle, NSW in 2004 as the Head of the Discipline of Reproductive medicine. He has been a lead investigator on projects including fetal monitoring, gynaecological cancer and medical education and is currently CI on 2 NHMRC project grants. He is editor in chief of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology as well as a number of undergraduate textbooks and has a master’s degree in clinical education. Professor Symonds is Vice-President and chair of the education and assessment committee for the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and past President of Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand. He holds an appointment as a visiting medical specialist in obstetrics at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Dr Samantha Jolly is a General Surgery Service Registrar within the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, and a Clinical Associate Lecturer at the University of Adelaide. She is on various state-level committees including chairing the SA MET Doctors in Training Committee, is a member of the SA MET Health Advisory Council and its Education Sub-Committee, the Australian Medical Association (SA) doctors in training committee and is a Graduate Director of the Adelaide Medical Students’ Foundation. Dr Jolly was the South Australian nominee for the Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils (CPMEC) Australia and New Zealand Junior Doctor of the Year Award, and was the overall winner of this award.
Dr Monica Chen is a Surgical Resident Medical Officer at Flinders Medical Centre (SALHN) with an aspiration to pursue Orthopaedic Surgery. She is on various state and national committees to advocate on behalf of junior doctors including being the Chair of the SA Junior Medical Officer Forum, Deputy Chair of the Australasian Junior Medical Officers' Forum and a member of the Medical Board of Australia Medical Training Survey Advisory Group. She was the President of the Adelaide Medical Students' Society during her final year of medical school.
Dr Christine Burdeniuk is the Director of Clinical Training for the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network and a Consultant Cardiologist. Dr Burdeniuk chairs the SALHN Pre-vocational Medical Education Training Committee and the SAMET Director of Clinical Training Committee. Among the many duties that Christine performs she is also an examiner for Flinders University School of Medicine and oversees the SALHN medical education and training program. Dr Burdeniuk’s clinical interests include the prevention, early detection and management of Heart Failure. She is actively involved in the selection and management of heart transplant recipients in South Australia.
Dr Josephine Harris (Jo) is a Cardiologist and Geriatrician based in the Department of Cardiology at Flinders Medical Centre (SALHN). She has been involved in teaching and supervision of junior medical staff for many years. She is also Deputy Chair of the Southern Adelaide Clinical Human Research Ethics Committee and has academic status as a Senior Lecturer with Flinders University.
Penny Boumelha holds the degrees of MA and D.Phil. from the University of Oxford. During her career, she has served as the Jury Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Adelaide, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the same university, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Penny Boumelha has also held roles in accreditation and quality assurance bodies in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. In addition to works in her academic discipline, she has published widely on issues in tertiary education and university management.
Dr Scott Sypek is a general paediatrician based at Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH). He is the WCH Director of Clinical Training and leads the Medical Education Unit delivering the education and training program for prevocational doctors. Dr Sypek is the SA representative on the Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils (CPMEC) Australasian DCT committee. His clinical work includes acute paediatrics, refugee health and complex disability. Dr Sypek’s educational interests include medical training selection, TMO wellbeing, educational program design and improving TMO supervision.