Wellbeing Weekdays
Initiatives throughout the semester to keep you up! Recent activities have involved collaborating with Red Frogs for breakfasts, and with the CMD to cook up mouthwatering sausage sizzles. Updates on our socials 🙂
Blue Week
Organised by our Community and Wellbeing Officer, Blue Week aligns with AMSA’s Mental Health Week with a range of activities promoting mentally healthy habits and raising the profile of community wellbeing. Initiatives vary from year to year but have in the past included bake sales, cooking and yoga classes, therapy dogs, painting activities and social media campaigns, almost always for free! Stay tuned on our socials for updates.
Teddy Bear Hospital
The Teddy Bear Hospital is a unique education program run by our students from years 1-6. JCUMSA began the initiative in 2014 and it has gone from strength to strength ever since. Volunteers visit primary schools and early childhood learning centres around North Queensland to educate children on health issues and healthy habits in an engaging, fun environment. It’s an excellent opportunity for JCUMSA members and participants alike. We highly recommend it to all students, not least of all our budding paediatricians!
If you would like to learn more, visit their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/JCUMSAteddybearhospital/Â or contact our contact our Teddy Bear Hospital Convenor at: [email protected] to learn how to become involved.
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Cleveland Youth Detention Centre Outreach
Cleveland Youth Detention Centre is a facility accommodating children from all over North Queensland and as far west as Mount Isa.
In 2016 – as part of our commitment to Closing the Gap – then Community and Wellbeing Officer Sarangan Ketheesan in conjuncture with A/Prof Shashi and Townsville Aboriginal and Islanders Health Service (TAIHS) began a program for JCUMSA students to engage with these children. Every Thursday for one hour, 2 medical students visit the centre as part of a healthcare team to partake in candid discussion about leading healthy, happy lives with small groups of children. It’s a grounding and unique experience for all who participate.
If you’re interested in volunteering or would like to to find out more, please contact our Community and Wellbeing Officer via [email protected].
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Interfaculty Sports
Throughout the year, there are a number of different sports we compete in, from Interfaculty Touch Football, Soccer, Basketball, and Netball to MedLeague, medicine’s own Rugby League team. Operated under the James Cook University Students’ Association, these events are completely free to participate in! We also compete against our Cairns dentistry counterparts in the MIP’s Cup, a one-day multi-sports carnival held in alternating locations each year. Whatever sport you’re into we have a spot for you on one of our teams!
To get involved with Interfaculty Sports, contact our Interfaculty Sports Representatives, and join our Facebook group here for updates.
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Vampire Cup
Alongside our AMSA rep, JCUMSA’s Vampire Cup convenors rally students from all over JCU to donate to Australia’s biggest annual blood donation drive through the Australian Medical Students’ Association. We’ve gone from strength to strength in recent years, in 2022 taking out the most number of Plasma Donations and % cohort donations. Contact our Vampire Cup Convenors for more info or visit their Facebook Group (and join in the fun for awesome prizes!)
