5 minutes with Practice Manager Sherrie D'Souza

15 May 2015
Practice Manager of six over two locations, Sherrie D’Souza is a highly valued staff member at MIA. We sat down with her to get some insight into a day in the life of her role and what inspires her.
Can you tell us a bit about your role?
I am the Practice Manager of six, over two locations, MIA and RPA as well as 17 Doctors across both those locations as well. I supervise the administrative management of the clinics at these locations including staffing, finance and other practice matters.
What drives you to come to work?
The opportunity to make life a little bit easier for our patients and if we can put a smile on their faces, as secretaries that is a great day.
How do you stay positive?
It is easy to stay positive because our patients are positive. They have a fierce positivity that doesn’t show any boundaries, there is no way we can be negative when we are seeing such amazing results. How far the research has come also inspires such positivity as we can see how we are changing lives daily.
Explain the team environment within the clinic
The Doctors are incredible and passionate and happy to share their knowledge and foster an environment of learning. The secretaries are feeding off the energy, they give that bit extra and I am lucky to work with such an incredible team, it is so enjoyable to work with such great people. It doesn’t feel like a job to me, it is my life and I love it.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love spending time with my husband and my cat; I also love my hobbies like cross-stitch. I like to have lots going on, I don’t like having idle hands, and I am always looking for my next project to do!

Melanoma research gets a funding boost from NHMRC
Research projects led by MIA have been awarded almost $6 million in the latest NHMRC funding round which will enable vital progression of research into melanoma prevention and treatment.

Challenges in melanoma clinical research
The last decade has seen a surge in therapeutic options for advanced melanoma patients, thanks to research. However, not every patient responds to treatment and researchers are taking on the challenge to find out why.

Global Melanoma Research Report
Our first Global Melanoma Research Report shares selected research from around the world and here at MIA that is making a difference to the lives of melanoma patients now and in the future.

Announcement from Melanoma Institute Australia
After 18 years as Director of the Sydney Melanoma Unit and then Executive Director of Melanoma Institute Australia, Professor John Thompson AO will step down from the position at the end of 2016.

Nine practice points from the new melanoma guidelines
Australian melanoma clinical practice guidelines have been published on a wiki platform for the first time as researchers try to keep up to date with emerging evidence.

Melanoma under 40
Carole Renouf, CEO of Melanoma Institute Australia is asking young Australians who have been affected by melanoma to share their experiences with her.

Don't let sunburn be your summer holiday souvenir
Melanoma Institute Australia CEO Carole Renouf wants to make sure Aussies remember to take care of our skin as the festive season draws closer and we spend more time in the sun.

Using clinical features to identify patients at high risk for melanoma
Can an individual’s risk factors for melanoma be used to tailor skin self-examinations and surveillance programs?

Congratulations to Professor Georgina Long
Prof Georgina Long has been appointed President-Elect Society for Melanoma Research (SMR).

Uniting our global researchers for melanoma
The Australasian Melanoma Conference is bringing together some of the world's leading researchers and clinicians.

Best practice guidelines for melanoma care go digital
Best practice guidelines for melanoma care have gone digital with the first-ever online guidelines developed to adapt to the rapid change in clinical management.

Awards and honours for our talented researchers
Congratulations are in order for two of our talented researchers.

5 Minutes With Prof Richard Scolyer
Professor Richard Scolyer will be sharing his expertise on melanoma pathology at the upcoming Australasian Melanoma Conference. Here he discusses what he'll be presenting on.

Research spotlight: High Risk Clinic
Researchers at MIA have established a High Risk Clinic to monitor people at very high risk of developing melanoma.

Learning from the best in the world
A generous donation has enabled a medical oncologist from Portugal to learn from the best in the world at MIA.

Uniting the world for a cure
MIA is hosting a conference to bring together greats minds in melanoma research that will make a difference to the lives of melanoma patients

A Day in the Life of... Michelle Peranec
Meet Michelle, our Translational Research Officer whose role is to connect the clinics to the lab by ensuring patient blood and tissue samples are documented and carefully stored in our BioSpecimen Bank.

Wildfire Award helps ignite new melanoma research
Dr James Wilmott says his Wildfire Award will help expand research into treatment options for people with mucosal melanoma, a rare but deadly form of skin cancer.

Opinion: Fighting the Resistance
Following the recent hype around immunotherapies in cancer, CEO Carole Renouf shares the greatest story never told… resistance… and what MIA is doing to address it.

5 Minutes With A/Prof Jennifer Wargo
A/Prof Wargo discusses the research she will be presenting as a keynote speaker at the upcoming Australasian Melanoma Conference.