The QEII-UQ partnership reached new heights this May and July, after a collaboration of medical minds secured the gold medal at both the Queensland State Emergency Medical Challenge (EMC) and the National Australian Medical Students Association’s (AMSA) 2025 EMC.
The flagship EMC competition invites first- to fourth-year medical students from all universities across Australia to compete in multiple rapid-fire ED simulation challenges that test their medical acumen and skills under pressure.
A determined team of six UQ medical students, guided by QEII ED PHO Dr Fiona Daglish (pictured below) and ED Senior Registrar Dr Ciara Gordon (pictured above, centre) trained intensively to claim victory at the Queensland State Competition in May.
Building on that success, Fiona and Ciara continued to mentor the team in the lead-up to the national finals just seven weeks later, where the students would go on to outperform teams from 17 other medical schools, claiming their place in the finals.
“It’s important that they’re prepared for anything, because that’s the reality of working in an ED. You have to expect the unexpected,” said Ciara.
“They have ten minutes per station. In that time, they must do the patient’s history, examine, investigate, manage and diagnose—just like they would in the Emergency Department and their medical exams. Presentations can be anything from trauma, environmental/disaster medicine, obstetrics to a sudden cardiac arrest,” Ciara explained.
Between medical training and clinical rotations, the group dedicated their spare time to training, asking questions, and building confidence in themselves and each other.
“We had never met before this, but we instantly clicked as a group and that made a big difference,” said fourth-year student and team captain, James.
“Ciara and Fiona also did an amazing job coaching us for this,” he said.
Ultimately, it would be the team's remarkable capacity for teamwork, collaboration, and thinking outside the box that would give them an edge over the competition.
“There was a really strong symbiosis in the group. They were proactive, and they thought ahead about what they needed to be prepared for,” said Ciara.
In a testament to the team’s perseverance and capacity for growth, the new friends soon went on to claim the national gold medal in July.
“They were up against a powerhouse team in the final – an interstate group that had dominated the competition for years. For our students to not only hold their own but ultimately take the win really shows the depth of their commitment and the hard work they put in,” said Ciara.
“When you think about what that means for us and for UQ, it really speaks to how dedicated the students were—not just to get over the line, but to outshine the competition.
“It’s a huge achievement and I'm very, very proud of them.”
Congratulations to the UQ EMC team on their outstanding success and special thanks to Fiona and Ciara for their mentorship.