Dr Alastair MacLean - EMUGs Central Council Chairperson
I am sure I am not alone in wondering how we are looking into a 2024 calendar already and prepping for Christmas. So much has happened and been achieved this year. I hope you are all enjoying and reflecting on the freedoms we often take for granted and have plans to share with friends, mates, whānau and family over the festive summer.
Some of the reason it feels so swift is the catalogue of events we have created, shared and participated in. With 3 EGLS courses across Australia and New Zealand - Auckland, Brisbane and Gosford - thank you to the instructor group for keeping this a high quality and in demand course. With workshops in Taranaki, Launceston, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Melbourne and Dunedin and online events including a Collab Lab, fellowship exam and pre-hospital webinars not to mention SONIC in Queenstown. It has been packed!
SONIC returned to being an event that both sides of the Tasman could freely attend. Thanks to the organisers, instructors, models and for those that came. It was a highlight of my year.
We held 7 regional events, all with great feedback and almost all fully subscribed! That many are repeat attendees which is a testament to the fun and education we provide to POCUS. Extolling and feedback from recent workshops has made the NZ Team excited to bring recent workshops held Down Under Aotearoa!
It is not just all about the resulting events though. In the background a number of projects are being worked on in order to progress our vision. Cian, our marketing manager has a new content plan to create and curate the high level and engaging education and POCUS enthusiasm that is at our core.
Luke Philips, Gabby King, Jo Douglas, Josh Monester and myself have been working on an advocacy statement that we hope will provide a go to document in our everyday missions to promote and improve POCUS use in the care of our patients. It is currently in the final stages of completion so will be an exciting release in 2024.
As with every year there are some farewells. Luke Philips has stepped down from Central Council and as a group we owe a debt of gratitude for his efforts, knowledge, enthusiasm and service to EMUGs over many years. The POCUS passport is his ongoing legacy. Ash Mukherjee has also stepped down from Central Council having been our Western Australian stalwart since the very early days. He has been heavily involved and contributed a large amount of time and work including being a key liaison between EMUGs and ASUM. Buy him a beer if you see him at an event please.
None of this is possible without our generous annual sponsors; Fujifilm Sonosite, GE, Tristel and event sponsors, Mindray, Clarius and Echo Nous.
As ever behind all this are Romy, Cian and Stacey. This has probably been their most challenging year and yet they keep EMUGs purring and with direction like the herd of excited cats that a group of FACEMs inevitably resemble behind closed doors. Thanks to them for all their efforts, work and enthusiasm.
And so we rush to 2024 with a calendar as packed, fun and inspirational as in 2023. Take a look at the EMUGs website dive into an event or 3. Join us as a novice or veteran POCUS enthusiast. Join our clowder of cats and chase the mouse of POCUS education where it needs to go. Merry Christmas. I hope to see you at an event, online or WhatsApp group. 2025 will be here soon too!
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