UDRH SW at ANZAHPE 2025: Sharing Research and Exploring Innovation in Health Education

Image: Abigail Lewis presenting at ANZHPE

Abigail Lewis, Senior Lecturer at the University Department of Rural Health South West (UDRH SW), recently presented at the 2025 Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators (ANZAHPE) Conference in June/July. ANZAHPE is the peak body for health professional educators across Australia, New Zealand, and the broader region, offering a platform to share research, practice, and innovation in health education.

Abigail’s presentation focused on a component of her PhD research, titled Who am I? A linguistic analysis of speech pathology students’ professional identity formation in their ePortfolios. Her study involved analysing students’ career reflections to better understand how professional identity is formed, and how teaching strategies can better support deeper reflective practices in health education.

She noted that presenting in one of the conference’s largest rooms was both exhilarating and a little intimidating. Giving the presentation was an exciting opportunity to contribute to national discussions on improving student learning experiences and professional preparation.

Her broader PhD thesis, Becoming and Belonging: The Formation of Professional Identity in Speech Pathology Students, is being completed through Curtin University’s School of Education. Abigail is supervised by Dr Cindy Smith (Curtin University), Professor Dawn Bennett (Bond University), and Professor Denise Jackson (Edith Cowan University).

The conference highlighted cutting-edge advancements in health professional education, with a strong focus on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and simulation-based learning. These themes dominated many sessions and workshops, offering insights into how emerging technologies can support student engagement, skill development, and culturally responsive practice.

Abigail returned to the South West with fresh ideas and inspiration, particularly around how some of these innovations might be adapted for rural contexts. She is looking forward to trialling new approaches and sharing these learnings with colleagues and students as part of UDRH SW’s ongoing commitment to high-quality, evidence-informed health education in regional settings.