Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health

Sharafat Malek

PhD CANDIDATE

Telephone: +61 3 5128 1030
Facsimile: +61 3 5128 1080
Email: smal21@student.monash.edu

Dr. Sharafat Malek is a PhD candidate at Monash University Department of Rural & Indigenous Health (MUDRIH) since March 2006. He has an MBBS from Dhaka University, a ‘Grad Cert in Public Health’ from University of Wollongong and completed a ‘Master of Public Health’ with thesis at University of New South Wales. He worked for two years (f/t) in the research team of Prof. Rick McLean at the School of Rural Health of University of Sydney, located in Dubbo, NSW.

The working title of his doctoral thesis is “Australian Permanent Resident International Medical Graduates (PRIMGs) Study”. The project aims to address the lack of published data and analysis on the social and educational experiences of PRIMGs (or PROTDs) who are within the 2004 Commonwealth-funded ‘PROTD’ database of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and are currently inside or outside of the medical workforce. Outcome from the research will help understand PRIMGs’ experiences, expectations, needs, attitudes and opinions. This will inform support programs that are designed to facilitate their re-qualification, and to enable them to join the currently overstretched Australian medical workforce. The research will also explore alternative health careers for PRIMGs (or PROTDs) who find it hard to progress with the medical accreditation process.

Here are some of his research experiences to date:

Journal publications:

• Malek, S., McLean, R and Webster, E, 2007 Feb, ‘Analysis of recording and coding of smoking history for patients admitted to a regional hospital’, Aust J Rural Health, vol 15, no 1, pp 65-66(2).

• McLean, R., Malek, S., Corish, J., Sienkiewicz, G, 2006, ‘Utilization and clinical efficacy of echocardiography in a regional hospital’, Aust J Rural Health, vol 14, pp 72-78.

• Bhuiyan, S., Haque, M.M., Malek, S., Hasan, R., 1997, ‘Foreign bodies in the small intestine of a five-year-old girl: A Case Report’, Journal of Teachers’ Association of SBMCH, vol 8, no 19, pp 515-517.

Conference Proceedings Paper:

• Webb, J., Malek, S. & McLean, R (2005) “Rural mental health counseling service in Lyndarra: how effective it is?” 11th Mental Health Service Conference, Adelaide, SA

Scientific Seminar Presentation:

• Malek, S (2007 Mar) “A review of issues, policies and initiatives on permanent resident overseas-trained doctors in Australia since 1930”, Scientific Seminar & Annual reunion’07 of Bangladeshi Doctors’ Forum in Glen Waverly, Victoria.

Posters:

• Malek S, Chesters J. & Somers, G (2007 Sept) “Australian Permanent Resident International Medical Graduates (PRIMGs) Study”, Poster presentation on ‘Celebrating our Research at Gippsland’ at Gippsland campus of Monash University, Churchill, VIC.

• Malek S. & Chesters J. (2007 Feb) “The Rural Doctor Shortage: one solution”, Poster presentation at 9th National Rural Health Conference in Albury, NSW.

• Malek S. & Chesters J. (2006 Oct) “PROTDs + Gippsland Pilot = More Aust. Rural GPs”, Poster presentation on ‘Celebrating our Research at Gippsland’ at Gippsland campus of Monash University, Churchill, VIC.

• Templeton D, Tyson BA, Meharg JP, Malek, S et al. (2005), “Risk Behaviours and Prevalence of Asymptomatic STI/BBV in detainees of a Rural Australian Juvenile Correctional Facility” Poster presentation at ‘17th Annual Conference of Australasian Society for HIV Medicine’, Hobart, Australia.

Master thesis:

• Malek, S. “An Assessment of Health Status of Bangladeshi Migrants living in Sydney”- Master thesis 2002 (July), Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, NSW.

Other publications (Letter to Editors):

• Malek, S., ‘Communicating with the hospital registrars….’ – Response to Dev Srivastava’s ‘Communicating with the on-call consultant’, [Letter] BMJ Career Focus 2006; 332:(7532)8. Available at: http://careerfocus.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/332/7550/189-a

• Malek, S. “Would ‘providing living support as loan for exam preps’ be one of the Solutions?” – Response to Julie Sladden’s ‘Overseas doctors’ health’, [Letter] BMJ Career Focus 2006; 332:(7532)8. Available at:
http://careerfocus.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/332/7532/8

• Malek, S., “Would ‘Retraining of Australian resident overseas doctors’ be an aid to rural workforce shortage?” – Response to Julie Sladden’s ‘Overseas doctors’ health’, [Letter] BMJ Career Focus 2006; 332:(7532)8. Available at: http://careerfocus.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/332/7532/8

• Malek, S (2007) "What alternative health career pathways could be made available to unemployed overseas doctors?" BMJ Careerfocus, [Letter] available online at (accessed on 28/7/07): http://careerfocus.bmj.com/cgi/eletters/328/7451/219

• Malek, S., 2006, 'Have your say'- Response to Chloe Rothery's article 'Doctor Shortage', [Letter] Bunbury Mail, online: http://bunbury.yourguide.com.au/detailops.asp?class=your+say&opinion_id=116706

• Malek, S, 2003, ‘Bangladeshi migrants living in Sydney’, Intouch Newsletter- Public Health Association of Australia, vol 20, no 1, page 7.

Research Interests

• Overseas-trained Doctors in Australia
• Rural Medical Workforce
• Multicultural Rural Health
• Migrant health

Organizational Affiliations

• Member of Public Health Association of Australia
• Member of Australian Doctors Trained Overseas Association
• Member of Bangladeshi Doctors Association of Victoria
• Member of UNSW Alumni Association
• Member of National Rural Health Alliance of Australia