AMA VICDOC Spring 2023 - Magazine - Page 51
I N T H E N E XT I SS U E
TRAILBLAZING
WOMEN
VALE –
DR ELIZABETH LEWIS AM,
FRACS, FRCS (ENG) FRCS (GLAS)
30/01/1935 TO 24/08/2023
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Dr Elizabeth Lewis, who passed away on
24th August, had a long and outstanding
career in Medicine. Among her many and
varied achievements was the distinction of
having been the first female neurosurgeon
and the first Paediatric neurosurgeon to
practise in Australia. Dr Lewis first trained
in general surgery at the Queen Victoria
Hospital and in the UK, then finished
further neurosurgical training
in Cambridge in 1972.
Dr Lewis held senior appointments
as Head of Neurosurgery at the Queen
Victoria Medical Centre (later Monash
Medical Centre) and at the Royal Children’s
Hospital, building an active career which
lasted 30 years. Alongside her surgical
career, she took an active part in teaching
and training. She served with MDAV and
Avant as a Medical Advisor and Board
Member assisting many grateful doctors
in dealing with medico-legal issues,
and as a member on Medical Panels.
Dr Lewis regularly visited Papua Niugini
helping to establish medical and surgical
services. Following the devastating tsunami
in 1998 in which over 2000 people died,
she led a group of doctors to accompany
the Australian Army disaster-relief
deployment.
Dr Elizabeth Lewis is remembered
with deep respect and love as a caring
and expert surgeon, a teacher, a mentor,
a colleague, and a friend.
Written by Dr Kate Duncan
Read more about Dr Lewis in our
summer edition of Vicdoc due out in
December. If you were mentored or
inspired by Dr Lewis, please contact
our Director of Communication
and Advocacy, Ms Taryn Sheehy
at taryns@amavic.com.au to
share your memories and stories.
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And, as we prepare for International
Women’s Day 2024, we want to know
about more ‘Trailblazing Women in
Medicine’. Who has inspired you with
their achievements and service in
medicine and why have they been
important to you?
VI CD O C SPRI N G 202 3
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