When I was 72, I retired from over 30 years as a high school teacher and found myself extremely bored and missing interacting with my students. So, in 2018 I came to Macquarie for an interview and then started as a volunteer soon after.
The real thing: Volunteer and patient 'actor' Jeanette Ratinac, pictured, assists medical students in developing their clinical and communication skills. Image: Samantha Christensen
I come in to help out with student assessments known as Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). These involve simulated clinical tasks designed to familiarise and later test how well students deal with typical medical situations. When I act as a patient, I need to familiarise myself with a specific clinical scenario and learn a simple script and be ready to respond to students' questions on my symptoms. This year I have ‘suffered’ from range of issues including a heart problem, thyroid disorder and diabetes.
I come in usually four or so times a year to help the first-year students practice and be tested on their communication skills and ability to take patient histories. They have about eight minutes to interview you and if required, physically examine you, and then they give a summary to the supervising doctor in the room. I enjoy watching the increasing skills of the students over the course of first year. There are times when I am privileged to see the progress of these students as I am involved with OSCEs they complete in second and third year.
I am blessed to be a volunteer, I really enjoy having an impact on the human side of healthcare.
As a breast cancer survivor, I’ve had lots of interactions with doctors and experience as a consumer in different hospitals. So, I was happy to also join the MQ Health Consumer Advisory Committee [CAC]. Staff receive feedback from a consumer perspective on how to partner with consumers to improve patient care. CAC might give feedback on whether patient forms are written in language patients can understand or have input into guidelines for cultural sensitivity and visibility of information used in the hospital. I really enjoy having an impact on the human side of healthcare.
Family affair: Volunteer Jeanette and her son Kyle Ratinac who is a staff member at the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences. Image Samantha Christensen
I have two sons and two grandsons, and we all live locally. My son Kyle works here as Faculty Research Manager in the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, and if it were not for him I would never have seen the brochure about the patient simulation opportunity. One of my grandsons is a student here so that’s three generations of our family connected to Macquarie.
I am blessed to be a volunteer. The other volunteers are really supportive and I have made some great friends at MQ, but my greatest pleasure in volunteering comes from working with the students. I’m really happy to be part of this Macquarie community. Macquarie has become a big part of my life. My family, Macquarie and church are the three pillars of my life.
More information: Volunteering at MQ Health
