last medsoc event of the year

Vorsprung

panda100 wrote:

I emailed the previous returning officer about this too and no answer......Since I didnt get a reply and I didnt know where else to put it I also suggested it on the UCDSU newswire,where as usual I got a birage of insults tellng me to f off as Im only a self righteous med student after all and if med students want to vote they can come into the terrace or health science block to vote....the union really is so welcoming:rolleyes:

Hilarity! There'd be about 300-400 students in hospitals at the mo I'd say, when you count meds (3rd + 4th Med), nurses (3rd years, 2nd years) and any rads or physios that are knocking about too, but haven't seen any of them around Vincents lately (exams?). So there'd probably be as many people in the hospitals as there would be in the Terrace.

Stepherunie wrote:

Looks like we got it, sorry i know an aside but i'm happy.

Well done Steph, best of luck next year. See ya at the freshers' tent

panda100

dajaffa wrote:

Oh, I thought that u had been lecture addressed + was comlpaining about it... sorry bout that

But I don't think you can make a blanket statement about meds not needing the same campaigns. Firstly, I'm sure loads of FYM and 1st medical year students don't know everything that's in the leaflets etc that the SU do aboout some health issues, and secondly, even students in later years (given the amount of information they have to learn) might not know everything. They may know the biochemistry say of a disease, but not actually know all the symptoms. They're all still students after all.

I totally agree with you.....but from what I can see this is the only reason we should stay in the union..for a couple of leaflets about health.. its not worth it for meds to pay 60 euro a year (probably more with the new student centre) for a couple of colourful leaflets to be made by the welfare office.

Anyone can get these leaflets free from health boards.The health information that is supplied by the welfare office isnt anything special. Its the same information provided in gp surgerys etc up and down the country...As for health info in the freshers guide does anyone ever read it??Long essays about what drugs you can use,differnent types of contraception from the progesterone only pill, to the vaginal ring,from IUCD to the implant......Its just pages and pages off a biology lesson and I would give anyone a medal if they actually sat down,read and understood all that.

So did other people get lecture addresses this year from sabbats??or was it just at election time?

dajaffa

Well personally, my class only got a few lecture addresses even at election time, and that was it even though we're on campus. I do think the union does need to realise that there are plenty of students who never go near the blob, and just because you're not in ThL, that shouldn't mean you go all year (elections apart), without lecture addressing. It's not soley an ET issuse.

In fairness though, the SU provides free GP services etc for all students in the student centre, and meds need these as much as anyone, and hopefully they'll get some value for their money when they're in belfield next year. The €63.50 we pay is soley for the student centre loan, that money isn't used to fund anything else at all. With the extension, hopefully the waiting lists to see the GPs there will be cut. We do need the expanded medical centre, cause for the most part, if people need to see a GP, they'll need to see them within a day really.



Actually, I reckon the SU should do their best to address all students (especially freshers), a week or so into college every year to let them know about what the SU does, and can do for them etc, cause plenty of students, even in later years, don't have a clue, apart from ents perhaps.

Jonny Arson

dajaffa wrote:

Actually, I reckon the SU should do their best to address all students (especially freshers), a week or so into college every year to let them know about what the SU does, and can do for them etc, cause plenty of students, even in later years, don't have a clue, apart from ents perhaps.

Exactly. I hardly knew there was such thing as student union for about 4 months after I started. The lack of students voting at elections is evident proof of the lack of knowledge students have about the UCDSU. Was there a Union Week this year or the year before?

pretty*monster

panda100 wrote:

Med soc is exactly the same..of course it wouldnt stop anyone from asking a question. But surely me and Bigjim and other meds are just allowed to comment if we feel a question that was asked was inappropriate for the topic of debate itself and the society it represents. I mean Im sure you would take note and discuss if Brian Doyle or someone you did not politcally agree with asked an off topic question at a philsoc debate (we were just saying thats all)

Politics is irrelevant to philosophy (unless it's, like, political philosophy, but even then, say what you like so long as you’re logically consistent), people ask questions I don't philosophically agree with though, I tend not to mind.

We don't get a lot of Commerce heads down at the old philsoc place, no kbc-ers either (though we do have PDs ).

If someone I didn't like asked an off topic question I probably would air my feelings in a public forum. It's a little class-less.


Re: the question of getting lecture addresses. My class got a lecture address every week. From me. Who is in that class. See what I'm getting at here?
It's unrealistic to think that sabats can cover the whole campus, really they have better things to be doing, and I gather from what ye meds are saying that you wouldn't really be bothered listening to what they had to say either.

What you need to connect with the union is REPS. You need people to stand for election and make meds voices heard. I mean, you all agree that Colm has been a good man for the meds, but like...

The union isn't a service provider, it's first and foremost a union you have to try to connect with it yourselves, you can't expect it to just sit back and work for you.

I mean think about it. You're a sabt, you have Commerce people asking you about this, Science students complaining about that, and you're always up to your neck in Arts students . You won't know what meds need/want if they don't ask. You'll forget about them altogether if you don't see them.

I recognise that Meds have been neglected, and that's partly the fault of those at the top in the union, partly an unavoidable result of ye being out in the Terrace and having loner, but partly it's because none of you put yourselves forward as reps.

humbert

I'm sooo glad I've never had to endure a lecture address of any kind, safe in physics:)

dajaffa

Well I really think that everybody should get one lecture address early in the year from a sabbat, or a PO, ideally before the elections take place. It'd get more people involved, and people would know what the union did. It's great if the rep addresses regularly, and they should (though loads of reps are crap), and I know people have other things to be doing, but it wouldn't be the most difficult thing in the world to give everyone a lecture address, especially if there's a group of people giving them. Sure in the elections, people working solo manage to address a huge amount of students in the space of a week. Surely if sabbats, POs and other execs we're addressing between them, they could probably address most of the students within a couple of days, which is definitly doable in my opinion.

singingstranger

Another aside, but congrats Stepherunie and all involved... godspeed for getting it going next year!

*edit: afaik Dan and Dave have it planned to lecture address every class in the first few weeks of next year just to let them know that the Union is there, aside from freebie-bag-giving-out.

Incidentally, Zane, did the SU President of the day not address your freebie lunch in the O'Reilly Hall in orientation week?

humbert

dajaffa wrote:

Well I really think that everybody should get one lecture address early in the year from a sabbat, or a PO, ideally before the elections take place. It'd get more people involved, and people would know what the union did. It's great if the rep addresses regularly, and they should (though loads of reps are crap), and I know people have other things to be doing, but it wouldn't be the most difficult thing in the world to give everyone a lecture address, especially if there's a group of people giving them. Sure in the elections, people working solo manage to address a huge amount of students in the space of a week. Surely if sabbats, POs and other execs we're addressing between them, they could probably address most of the students within a couple of days, which is definitly doable in my opinion.

If some SU person attempted to disrupt one of our classes I think it would go down badly with both the lecturer and the students.

The_Minister

pretty*monster wrote:

The union isn't a service provider, it's first and foremost a union you have to try to connect with it yourselves, you can't expect it to just sit back and work for you.

To the majority of students it is nothing more than a service provider. Ents is probably the most well-known position FFS. The whole point of the union (currently) is to serve students. That means pubs, shops, condoms, parties etc. The "campaigning union" is the wet dream of a minority, a left-over ideal whose sell-by date has long-passed.

Oh and the union should connect with students not sit back and wait for them to come to it.

Paddy_J

Steering the conversation here a bit, but getting back to the idea of an independent representative body for the health sciences, with all of their unique needs, a la the Vets.

I've often heard from friends about how the vets have their own SU and stuff, but how does this actually work. Anyone know? I presume they act as a representative/lobbying body on their own, but do they actually pay the SU dues (€60 odd, or whatever the hell it is)? They still get the use of the GP and such, right?

I'm just interested in the pros and cons of such a breakaway body for us.

When you think about it, between hospital placements and such, the meds, rads, physios and nurses have a completely different set of circumstances and needs than your average Belfield-head! They don't hang out on campus half as much for a start, what with hospital placements and everything. From personal experience, many don't seem to be as in-tune with (or indeed into) the whole SU/UCD-Politics side of things at all. And since these four courses are all vocational in the sense that you go straight from college into a specific job, I don't forsee many running for positions of power in the SU.

Any comments?

Vainglory

Firespinner wrote:

To the majority of students it is nothing more than a service provider. Ents is probably the most well-known position FFS. The whole point of the union (currently) is to serve students. That means pubs, shops, condoms, parties etc. The "campaigning union" is the wet dream of a minority, a left-over ideal whose sell-by date has long-passed.

Oh and the union should connect with students not sit back and wait for them to come to it.

We'll see how useful phone chargers in the bar are when they try to bring back fees again, shall we?

The_Minister

Vainglory wrote:

We'll see how useful phone chargers in the bar are when they try to bring back fees again, shall we?

You'll be able to tell everyone then won't you:rolleyes:




Besides fees = good.

RE Medsoc event (also known as the topic): How many turned up?

Scraggs

Firespinner wrote:

RE Medsoc event (also known as the topic): How many turned up?

It was a full house there were even a few standing at the back.

I thought it was really good and I particularly enjoyed Prof Crown and Hillery. I thought Mary hearney was very poor but tbh I wasn't expecting much from her in the first place.

Some of the questions I thought were a bit OT especially since Hearney had to leave for a ''prior engagement'' so valuable time was 'wasted' when there were plenty of other questions relevant to the motion to be asked [I say wasted here because there was no specific answer given as Hearney just brushed it off/avoided it politician style].
However I do think that these 'OT' questions were very valid and should definately be discussed but just then wasnt the right time or place. Hopefully there will be another opportunity in the future:)

Anyway it was very enjoyable [despite Hook using the same jokes as always] and congrats are due to MedSoc for organising it.

ferdi

Firespinner wrote:

The "campaigning union" is the wet dream of a minority, a left-over ideal whose sell-by date has long-passed.

comrade, since when are 'freedom' and the 'rights of the working man' ideals which are passed their sell-by-date?

Chinafoot

Oh for god's sake.

I leave a thread for a few days and look what happens. Back we go to "the union are shit" yadda yadda yadda.

Topic of thread is the MEDSOC EVENT.

I have no problem with the discussion of the SU in terms of medsoc, but if this spirals into another general SU thread that has been done over and over again it's going ot be locked.

dajaffa

Paddy_J wrote:

Steering the conversation here a bit, but getting back to the idea of an independent representative body for the health sciences, with all of their unique needs, a la the Vets.

I've often heard from friends about how the vets have their own SU and stuff, but how does this actually work. Anyone know? I presume they act as a representative/lobbying body on their own, but do they actually pay the SU dues (€60 odd, or whatever the hell it is)? They still get the use of the GP and such, right?

I'm just interested in the pros and cons of such a breakaway body for us.

When you think about it, between hospital placements and such, the meds, rads, physios and nurses have a completely different set of circumstances and needs than your average Belfield-head! They don't hang out on campus half as much for a start, what with hospital placements and everything. From personal experience, many don't seem to be as in-tune with (or indeed into) the whole SU/UCD-Politics side of things at all. And since these four courses are all vocational in the sense that you go straight from college into a specific job, I don't forsee many running for positions of power in the SU.

Any comments?

The €63.50 on top of reg fee is soley to pay off the loan that was taken out to build the student centre, and has nothing to do with funding anything else regarding the SU, and every student pays this. Vets don't have a seperate union, but as far as I know they just ignore the SU thing, and sort stuff out themselves, kinda similar to how medsoc do at the mo.

Also, I've heard the names of a couple of meds touted for running for sabbat next year, and maybe people will get more involved.

As a physio, don't like the idea of a health sciences breakaway body. Part of the reason that hsci stuents aren't that into the union, is that all the schools used to be outside belfield, so there was more of a "sort things out ourselves" attitude. By 2007, we'll all be on campus and the winds will start to change methinks. Forming a breakaway body wouldn't work; after the first couple of years in all our courses we all spend a great deal of time off campus. If there's something urgent, and all the reps are out on placement, it's a time when you need to contact the education officer or whatever. I suppose the thing is that I think health sci students in general have better relations with the staff in their school, and don't nedd to go through the union to sort things out. I reckon modularisation will mean that we especially need the SU to help us sort stuff out, because it is a college-wide policy, and on that our own lecturers etc have no decision in. So far, I think we seem to be being foorgotten about with this horizons lark, and the education officer may very well be kept busy next year if it happens that we have to do elective modules during placement times.... I'll stop rambling now.


How was the debate? Any interesting points made by Harney? I wanted to go but I had to study...

ferdi

sorry, couldnt resist a bit of trolling

Byrno

...but do they actually pay the SU dues (€60 odd, or whatever the hell it is)?

Can I just clear this up once and for all. The 63.50 euro goes to the Student Centre. From what I could calculate from this year's SU budget the SU gets about 16 euro off the college per person, 5 euro of which goes to USI. Thus the SU gets about 11 euro per student to spend.

Byrno

Another BTW when I emailed the returning officer about hospitals' voting stations during that Student Centre referendum, he never replied.

What he told us at the meeting for candidates at Exec elections was that he wasn't going to have polling stations in the hospitals as very few turn up to them. He also said that in the past students who were down on the lists that be in the hospitals would turn up to ET but couldn't vote as their lists were in the hospitals.

BTW How are you Jim? Not too bad here!

Byrno

panda100 wrote:

At the end of the day its the people inside the courses and doing the actually courses that knows whats best for them.The education officer etc already had too much on their hands with whats out on belfield then to worry about us. As meds we deal with prof powderly and the terrace seceratys day in day out so we have a direct link to the people who can make REAL changes and not going indirectly to an education officer/president in belfield.

You’re right; the people on the course are the ones who know what’s best for them. That’s why it is essential that the Education Officer and others work with the people on the course. But in all honesty problems can happen that are college wide or that are irresolvable within the faculty, which is when the SU is most useful. That is why it is essential that the SU and medsoc, radsoc and physiosoc work together while also having a strong class rep system too.

But using your logic it would be better if all the different faculties formed their own SUs. His would be a ridiculous situation. There would be little communication between the faculties. Also it would be very hard for UCD to communicate with the students and find out what they want. But anyway I have a feeling that this is bordering on being off topic!

panda100 wrote:

This is the same accomodation and employment office that did what exactly this year??

Shaun has organized Res Parties, been a great help to people looking for Accommodation (got help myself) and also improved the employment lists.

panda100 wrote:

As for the campaigns,its not like we really need to put a huge amout into these,we're medics and dont need to be told by a 2nd year arts student what testicular cancer looks like.

I’ve seen loads of people in ET reading Healthy Eating Booklets at the start of the year, both Meds and Engineers, with people telling me that they’ve made some of the recipes in them. Also the SHAG packs went down well in ET too. Some simple but effective campaigns.

panda100 wrote:

Ask David C,paddy G or any of the old med union reps and they will tell you of their frustration of being connected with the union. I dont think any med has the patience or time to go all the way out to UCD every couple of weeks to listen to two hours of unelected reps spouting off what country,union,person or anti-war movement they are in solidarity with this week. We only have to see the reports here from the last council meeting to see the sort Of juvenile circus the union is and I dont think anyone mature with the view of using college to reinforce their future would want to get involved.

All I can say is that it won’t change without us, but if we get involved it might.

panda100 wrote:

So did other people get lecture addresses this year from sabbats??or was it just at election time?

We got a couple of lecture addresses ourselves, off Dave Curren mainly. Hope to get around to every Health Sci class myself next year in the first couple of weeks. But it is more important to have class reps who can communicate with their own classes as if officers were to lecture address for everything they’d just spend the whole time doing that and not their job which is the background work.

pretty*monster wrote:

I recognise that Meds have been neglected, and that's partly the fault of those at the top in the union, partly an unavoidable result of ye being out in the Terrace and having loner, but partly it's because none of you put yourselves forward as reps.

That’s what I was trying to say. Not so good at the speaking and stuff! But it is essential for the SU to try and get students involved. As the cliché says, the union is everyone!

panda100

good reply there Byrno.....i do see what your saying and as you know I do planned to get involved next year;)

Byrno

Looking forward to it already panda!