Dr Raie Goodwach, President
Dr Magdalena Simonis, Vice President
Dr Mikhaila Lazanyi, Treasurer
Dr Mariolyn Raj, Secretary
Associate Professor Jan Coles, Immediate Past President

Dr Desiree Yap, AFMW Representative
Dr Rekha Ganeshalingam, Social Secretary
Dr Linny Kimly Phuong, Sponsorship/Publicity Officer
Dr Natalie Marijanovic, AMA Representative
Dr Shueh Hwuei Lim, Newsletter Editor
Dr Claire Steiner, Newsletter Editor
Dr Rosalind Terry, Senior Members' Representative
Associate Professor Deborah Colville, General Committee
Dr Kate Duncan, General Committee
Dr Jillian Tomlinson, General Committee

Ms Madhura Naidu, Medical Student Representative (Monash)
Ms Annie Kilpatrick, Medical Student Representative (Monash)
Ms Jane Li, Medical Student Representative (Melb)
Ms Katrina Hannan, Medical Student Representative (Melb)

Dr Raie Goodwach - VMWS President
Raie is a medically-trained psychotherapist with a Masters in Psychoanalytic Studies. Her area of interest is psychosexual medicine. She sees individuals and couples for therapy in her private practice. She was a consultant to the Sexual & Relationship Counselling Clinic at MMC for 18 years and an honorary lecturer in the Dept of O&G. She has published in the areas of adoption and sex therapy.Current interests include post-graduate supervision and teaching in the area of sexual difficulties and writing about SD's to promote the idea that sexual difficulties are not simply medical conditions requiring medication or surgery. She also enjoys playing with her grandchildren, trying out new recipes, reading, traveling and snorkelling.

Dr Magdalena Simonis - VMWS Vice President
Magdalena Simonis is a  full time city based General Practitioner who graduated with an MBBS from Melbourne University in 1986 and became a Fellow of The Royal College Of General Practitioners in 1993. She has a Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynaecology also .  Her interests include Women’s and Men’s Health, Medical Ethics and Medical Advocacy.  Her interest in health equity has driven her interest in Medicolegal Ethics and she is a member of the Victorian Medico Legal Society and a director on the board of The Australian Greek Welfare Society. After attending the Medial Women’s International Association-Western Pacific Congress held in Melbourne in 2008, the opportunity to liaise with and offer her skill sets to an organisation comprising of committed, driven,  female medical practitioners of all ages, who share a commitment to achieving optimal  health  outcomes for  women and children, became a reality. Since then, Magdalena has been on the committee of the VWMS and keenly provides support to her team as  required.

Dr Mikhaila Lazanyi - VMWS Treasurer
After completing MBBS (Hons) at Monash University in 2008, Mikhaila interned at Barwon Health.  She has many outside interests including gymnastics, rock climbing, circus arts and most recently surfing.  Additionally, her extensive involvement in Rural, Indigenous and Developing World health has taken her to all parts of the globe and most recently led to her involvement with the Global Health Conference. After joining VMWS she attended the MWIA Western Pacific Regional Congress as part of a Leadership scholarship. She hopes to undertake a Master of Public Health in the near future.

Dr Mariolyn Raj - VMWS Secretary
Mariolyn Raj is completing her training as a Urological Surgeon and has worked as part of the VMWS Executive Committee for many years. She is a passionate advocate for numerous women’s health issues and is an active member of the doctors’ health support programme, community liaison officer for breast cancer awareness and recent co-organiser of QUIT Awareness Programme for junior doctors. She has published extensively on various aspects of surgical oncological practice and is involved in medical education as an EMST instructor, mentor for UNSW masters candidates, clinical tutor for medical undergraduates and a medical school interviewer. Mariolyn splits her spare time between travelling, swimming, spending time with her family and painting.

A/Professor Jan Coles – Immediate Past President VMWS
Jan is an academic General Practitioner. She is an Associate Professor at Monash University Department of General Practice and was a Senior Research Fellow for Child Abuse Prevention Research Australia. Her special interests are the teaching and learning of clinical skills, the impact of childhood sexual abuse on the lives of women, particularly early mothering, breastfeeding and maternal touch, prevention of child abuse, and occupational based violence. She is active in the Women's Working Party of WONCA.

Dr Desiree Yap - AFMW Representative
Desiree is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with a Masters in Public Health and Tropical Medicine who has appointments at Monash Medical Centre and The Royal Women’s Hospital but who is currently working part-time in her East Melbourne Private Practice whilst trying to mother her two young children. Before becoming so domestic, Desiree travelled widely, working both in rural and remote Australia as well as overseas including with WHO. Desiree believes VMWS springs from a fine tradition, and that as one who has reaped the benefits of those who went before, in addition to having strong feelings about social justice, feels a responsibility towards maintaining the organisation.

Dr Rekha Ganeshalingam – VMWS Social Secretary

Dr Linny Kimly Phuong - VMWS Sponsorship/Publicity Officer
A recent graduate of Melbourne University’s medical school, Linny has many outside interests including classical and contemporary ballet lessons, involvement with the Victorian Medical Womens’ Society (VMWS) and the Red Cross. Having studied Pharmacy in her former life, she also continues to teach at the Monash University Victorian College of Pharmacy and work on weekends in community pharmacy. As an active member of the VMWS, she enjoys the social aspects of being part of the society as well as the many opportunities it brings, such as attending the MWIA Western Pacific Regional Congress as part of a Leadership scholarship.

Dr Natalie Marijanovic - VMWS AMA Representative

Dr Shueh Hwuei Lim - VMWS Newsletter Editor
Shueh Hwuei spent most of her childhood in Penang, Malaysia and came over to Melbourne in 2001. She completed her Year 12 at Taylors College and graduated with a MBBS from University of Melbourne in 2008. She is currently a HMO2 at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and has an interest in emergency medicine. She has been a VMWS member since medical school and has enjoyed expressing her creative side in producing VMWS newsletters. A martial art enthusiast, she holds a black belt in karate and is currently training Wing Chun Kung Fu. She is also a certified Open Diver, having witnessed the elusive manta ray (7m wide!) at her latest dive at Thailand’s Semilan Islands.

Dr Claire Steiner - VMWS Newsletter Editor

Dr Rosalind Terry - VMWS Senior Members' Representative
Rosalind spent her childhood in Geelong before moving to Melbourne to complete a BSc (Hons) in Micro/Biochem on a Commonwealth Scholarship. A tendency to wander asserted itself early; after four years in the USA Rosalind returned to Melbourne to read Medicine and became the first female surgical registrar at St Vincent's Sydney in 1976 (chilly welcome from the majority of surgeons but wonderful support from the nuns!).
In 1977 Rosalind was posted on rotation to PNG, promptly fell in love with the country and the work and spent the next 10 years there. On her return she found her new passion doing sessions in the Alfred ED, only leaving to take up an appointment as inaugural Director: Urgent Medical Care at the new Werribee Mercy Hospital. Today she has returned to the Alfred ED where she is one of only two females amongst 18 consultants. Rosalind feels strongly about being a presence and mentor for the female HMOs and registrars. She allows time in her busy schedule to enjoy her farm in the Otways and the company of her daughter and four grandchildren.

A/Professor Deborah Colville - VMWS General Committee
Deb is a Melbourne ophthalmologist who graduated from Monash in 1975 and is a Fellow of the College of Ophthalmologists and the College of Surgeons (1983). She has a small private practice in Ivanhoe. Deb was a Director of Ophthalmology at Austin Repatriation Medical Centre and recently retired from the College of Surgeons Council and as Chair of the RACS Women in Surgery Committee, a position she held for nine years. Deb’s Master of Public Health degree focused on educational program evaluation in health care and she now researches curriculum and public health themes, including ophthalmic public health, gender and curriculum, and women in leadership in vocational education and training. She is interested in ‘doing leadership differently’, developing ways of participation that ‘work for women’ in the profession. Arising from the MWIA meeting in Sydney 2001, Deb taught medical students in Sweden and participated in curriculum development for MWIA with its Executive, alongside gender experts from the WHO and UN, in Italy.

Dr Kate Duncan - VMWS General Committee
Kate is an Obstetrician in private practice in the south-east suburbs. Interest in VMWS goes back to early days as an intern, RMO and Registrar at the Queen Vic (where we had such wonderful mentors and role models). Kate has been a Committee member of both the VMWS and the AFMW. As an AMA Board member Kate is working at the State level on several issues including efforts to resolve the Medical indemnity crisis and the Provider number issue.

Dr Jillian Tomlinson - VMWS General Committee
After graduating from University High School at age sixteen, Jill gained first class honours in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Melbourne. In 2003 she began surgical training at St Vincent's Hospital, taught undergraduate anatomy at the University of Melbourne and obtained a Diploma of Surgical Anatomy. Jill is currently in her final year of plastic and reconstructive surgical training, a journey that has seen highlights including a 2009 trip to China as part of a multi-national surgical team providing surgical care to patients with cleft lips and palates. In 2008-09 Jill passed the American USMLE exams, as well as developing and managing Bridging Leadership Barriers, a multifaceted national AFMW development and leadership project funded by the Australian Government Office for Women. As part of her work on this project Jill redeveloped the AFMW website and also received the national 2009 Centre For Leadership For Women Award. She is a certified Deep Diver (SCUBA) and when she is not working she enjoys running, tending to her bonsai, writing and looking after her flock of birds. She laments that it has been a long time since she ran the Melbourne Marathon (as an intern) but hopes to repeat the achievement in the future.

Ms Madhura Naidu - VMWS Medical Student Representative (Monash)
Madhura is currently in her Bachelor of Medical Science honours research year after having completed her fourth year at Monash University. She is delighted to be a member of the VMWS committee and hopes to contribute to, and be part of the exciting events on the calender this year in her role as the shadow social secretary. Throughout her medical education thus far, Madhura has developed particular interests in research and surgery. Apart from being a medical student (which sometimes seems to be a full-time occupation in itself!), Madhura is an avid reader of fiction, a dedicated 'filmophile', and has a strong love for travelling.

Ms Annie Kilpatrick - VMWS Medical Student Representative (Monash)
Annie is a final year medical student from Colac, a country town in Victoria. She has attended VMWS events over the last few years and really enjoyed them. This year she decided it was about time to become a part of the committee and play an active role in this fantastic society. Over the last three years she has been actively involved in Monash University’s rural health club WILDFIRE and enjoyed passing on her love for rural practice to fellow students. Annie has particular interests in obstetrics and also cardiology. In her spare time she enjoys reading (non med text books), going to movies and musicals, keeping fit, travelling and spending time with family and friends!

Ms Jane Li - VMWS Medical Student Representative (Melbourne)
Currently a final year medical student at the University of Melbourne, Jane spent most of her growing years in sunny Singapore. In more temperate climes her exploits have ranged from involvement with Melbourne University's International Medical Students' Society to volunteering with Orientation Week and the Teddy Bear Hospital. Jane has enjoyed virtually all her clinical rotations, but especially delights in paediatrics and dermatology. Her other interests include creative writing, website and graphic design, skills she hopes to put to good use in her capacity as VMWS shadow IT/web officer.

Ms Katrina Hannan - VMWS Medical Student Representative (Melbourne)
Katrina is a final year medical student who is very pleased to be contributing to and learning from the VMWS Committee this year through her role as shadow publicity officer. During her medical studies she has developed particular interests in nephrology and neurology and is excited by the prospect of a career combining clinical work and research in these fields. She has conducted research on early psychosis at the National Neuroscience Facility and currently has an article in press. During her time as a resident of Newman College, she served as head of community service, coordinating volunteer programs and fundraising events. Prior to commencing medicine Katrina studied Chinese for one year in Beijing as an Australia-China Council scholarship recipient. In a previous life she was a keen netballer and volleyballer, however as her anterior cruciate ligaments refuse to cooperate she has recently been trying out triathlon. Her other interests include travel, theatre, reading and cryptic crosswords.