Page 39 - ANZCP Gazette NOVEMBER 2022

Aidan Singh Howard
Hospital: Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia Hobbies:
Reading, playing volleyball, nerdy card and board games with friends, spending time with my four cats and my partner
Fave snack or hot / cold beverage?
A good cup of tea, mangoes, and berries (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries)
Five things people don’t know about you?
1. I was born with one less front tooth
2. I can touch my feet to my head
3. My parents almost named me Aloysius
4. No one else appears to share my name on Facebook (and maybe anywhere else?)
5. I have visited 19 countries
The last late night I had:
Was on the 4th of September! Making the best of my annual leave.
Best Childhood Memory?
Lazy sunny days at the beaches across SA or the botanic gardens. Driving out to Sorrento with my best friend’s family.
My First Day as a Perfusionist:
Was straight into the thick of it! I watched a case, perfused by Rob Baker, to experience the OT environment and team dynamics. There were a lot of
new terms, concepts, and names to learn! Everyone made me feel very welcome and obliged my questions, which was very lovely.
What drew me to Perfusion:
I saw perfusion as the ideal intersection of my clinical and scientific interests, being able to help people through their hospital stay and hopefully become involved in the research output of the unit.
My favourite little known perfusion fact:
I am not sure I know a perfusion fact that is little known!
My favourite area of interest within Perfusion:
Being involved in the patient journey and the passion for constant clinical skill and outcome improvement.
Where do you see the future of perfusion? How or what would you like to see?
I think the field of perfusion will have an interesting time ahead, with worsening younger age cardiovascular health. I wonder if the discoveries of large quantities of microplastics in the human body will have any cardiovascular interactions that could require earlier intervention. I think there will be much focus combating the presence of peri-operative anaemia to improve patient outcomes throughout their hospital journey.
Favourite memory from a conference / speaker / most inspirational perfusion related seminar you went to?
I will have my first conference this November, so I am sure I will hear many memorable and inspiring presentations then!
Name something you appreciate about the team you work in?
Honest communication and the drive to continually improve patient outcomes in our community. The team is well established and the sense of comradery and connectedness between members of the CTSU has impressed me since I started. Everyone is always eager to learn more, both within their roles and across co- worker disciplines.
Recent occurrence or story about something that happened recently?
Myself and my companion trainee, Jess, are two of the first four Australians to begin the MUSC coursework that will become the new education program for future trainees. Aside from being new and exciting, the course offers many new resources in perfusion education and opportunities to develop rapport with international perfusion communities.
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