
Always positive and enthusiastic in class.
Helps students see the bigger picture.
Encourages students to think critically.
A true inspiration to all who learn.
Inspires students to achieve their best.
Dr. Susan Waller is an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Monash Rural Health, School of Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University. She holds a PhD in Interprofessional Clinical Education from the University of Queensland, awarded in 2010, with a thesis titled 'Contact is Not Enough,' alongside a Master of Physiotherapy (Paediatrics), Graduate Certificate in Physiotherapy (Paediatrics), and Bachelor of Physiotherapy from the same institution. Her career spans clinical practice and academia, beginning as a physiotherapist working in rehabilitation for children and adults in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates. She served as Senior Physiotherapist and leader of the Practice Support Team at the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland, supervising multidisciplinary teams. From 2003 to 2009, she was Academic Coordinator at the University of Queensland Rural Clinical School, contributing to interprofessional curriculum development in Brisbane's first private hospital clinical school. Waller has delivered workshops on interprofessional education implementation and evaluation for Queensland Health, Edith Cowan University, and the University of Tasmania.
At Monash University from 2014 to 2020, Waller was Senior Lecturer in Interprofessional Education and Rural Nursing and Allied Health Lead at the Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health, coordinating interprofessional programs across the School of Rural Health and Gippsland health services. She served on the leadership team, as Director of the Australian Rural Health Education Network, and Acting Director of the Department. Currently, she is Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Education at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, co-coordinating clinical skills courses and leading the MD mentoring program. Her research focuses on interprofessional education and collaborative practice, rural health workforce, clinical supervision, and simulation, contributing to projects like the Nursing and Allied Health Graduate Outcomes Tracking study. Key publications include 'Going beyond competencies: Building blocks for a patient- and population-centered medical curriculum' (Medical Teacher, 2024), 'It’s more than just a rural aP shortage' (Rural and Remote Health, 2024), 'Developing a Novel Health Interprofessional Education Curriculum' (2023), and 'Interprofessional education in health professions education programmes in the Arab world: A scoping review protocol' (BMJ Open, 2022). She has held roles such as Co-Chair of Gippsland Allied Health Leaders and member of various taskforces on interprofessional frameworks and accreditation.