Building a medical education ecosystem on the Central Coast

Central Coast Science

It is not every day that a Central Coast–based researcher and professor is cited in the pages of The Lancet, the world’s most influential medical journal.

For Professor Amanda Dawson, it has happened five times, an extraordinary recognition that speaks to the reach of her work and the strength of the local medical school she has helped to build.

Dawson, a general surgeon with expertise in upper gastrointestinal and laparoscopic procedures, has spent two decades weaving together a sustainable framework for training the next generation of doctors.

As Clinical Dean of the University of Newcastle’s Central Coast Clinical School, she has overseen a dramatic expansion in opportunities for medical students to study and conduct research locally.

Since her first appointment in 2004, student numbers have multiplied tenfold, with new facilities at Gosford Hospital now anchoring a thriving medical school.

Her initiatives are practical as well as visionary.

Programs such as BRANCCHES (Be Research Active and Network Central Coast Hospitals), STITCCH and PRAISE give students a hands-on chance to engage in meaningful research and procedural training, while also connecting them with clinicians across the region.

The result is a culture where young doctors learn not only the technical aspects of surgery and medicine, but also the collaborative ethos that keeps hospitals running smoothly.

Recognition has followed.

In 2022, Dawson received the inaugural NSW Women in Surgery Leadership Award from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, acknowledging her contribution to gender equity and inclusive education.

At the same time, she has continued her own clinical and academic work, contributing to research projects on cancer, surgical techniques and clinical outcomes.

The Lancet citations — five in total — symbolise the way her work resonates well beyond local borders.

Yet Dawson insists her focus remains firmly on the Central Coast.

Whether mentoring a student through a complex research project, presenting awards at the Crestani Scholarships for cancer care, or chairing national surgical education groups, she aims to ensure that medical education here is not second-best to that on capital-city campuses.

“Top quality research can definitely be done on the Coast that influences national and international policy and guidelines.

As Oceania lead for her current ‘AlliGatOr Study’ (Appendicitis Global Outcomes) on acute appendicitis, she recruited sites across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, with Australia. Recruiting 2500 patients in all, making it the 2nd highest patient recruiter of more than 110 countries.

For the Central Coast, Amanda Dawson’s efforts mean more than just medical prestige.

They mean a pipeline of skilled doctors and surgeons, trained locally and invested in the future of our region.

The academic pathway she has developed has mentored and nurtured both students and medical staff and has established an appetite for the local development of both education and research careers.