Survivors as Teachers
What is Survivors as Teachers?
Cancer Voices SA’s flagship “Survivors as Teachers” program brings individuals with lived cancer experience—patients, families, and carers—into medical education. Through small-group tutorials at Adelaide University Medical School, survivors share their stories, highlighting the whole-of-life impact of a cancer diagnosis and what helped (or didn’t) in their care journey.
Why It Matters
This program helps future healthcare professionals understand:
- The human side of cancer care beyond medical treatment
- The emotional, social, and practical challenges of a cancer diagnosis
- How to treat patients with compassion, respect, and empathy
A Decade of Impact
Launched in 2012 in collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Jo Thomas, the program has since expanded to:
- Every 3rd-year medical student at Adelaide University
- Health and medical students across multiple universities, hospitals & institutions
- Special workshops for cancer survivors, researchers & policymakers
What Students Say
Feedback from participants highlights the program’s value:
“An amazing and intimate insight into the life of a family living with cancer. …Interesting factors I would not have otherwise learned or heard about.”
“…Treat a patient as a real person, rather than a case to solve.”
“…Makes you rethink how you will talk to and listen to patients when you are in the hospital.”
“…Opens your eyes to the way patients want to be treated and how much they want from the health system.”
Join Us as a Speaker
Are you a cancer survivor, carer, or family member who wants to share your story? Your lived experience can help shape the next generation of doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals.
Email us at info@cancervoicessa.org.au to express your interest.
Publications & Research
Survivors as Teachers has been recognized in multiple publications:
→ Cancer Stories in Education: Exploring a cancer-survivor informed approach in the use of oral narratives in tertiary healthcare student education (Johnstone, D, Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Survivorship Conference, 2025). Check out the poster here.
→ A Cancer-Survivor informed approach to healthcare student education: the impact of in-person versus digital storytelling on self-reported empathy in healthcare students (Johnstone, D, Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Survivorship Conference, 2025). Check out the poster here.
→ Survivors as Teachers – Giving Patients a Voice (Thomas J, Marker J, Clin Teach, 2021:1-3). Read the article here.
→ Students’ Perceptions of a Consumer-Led Discussion Group Format to Improve Awareness of the Patient Perspective (Thomas, J, Vitry, A, Marker, J, Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Conference, 2013). Check out the poster here.
→ Raising Awareness of Undergraduate Nurses to the Psychosocial Impact of Living With Cancer: a consumer engagement in teaching initiative (Zannettino L, Thompson J, Marker J, Agius S, APJON, 3.2: 121-124, 2016). Read the article here.
→ Survivors in the Survivorship Equation: Survivor Evidence + Survivor Views = Better Outcomes (Christensen, C, Marker, J, Victorian Survivorship Conference, 2018).
Publications describing this program:
- Survivors as teachers – giving patients a voice. Thomas J, Marker J. Clin Teach. 2021:00:1-3
- Students perceptions of a consumer-led discussion group format to improve awareness of the patient perspective (poster) – Dr Jo Thomas, Dr Agnes Vitry, Julie Marker, Clinical Oncology Society of Australia , Annual Conference, 12-14 Nov 2013
- “More than just telling my story” when cancer survivors become teachers: Julie Marker, Louise Bastian, Stephanie Newell, Kath Lockier (Survivorship Conference, Adelaide Feb 2015)
- Raising awareness of undergraduate nurses to the psychosocial impact of living with cancer: a consumer engagement in teaching initiative. (2016) Zannettino L, Thompson J, Marker J, Agius S. APJON, 3(2):121-124.
- Survivors in the survivorship equation: survivor evidence + survivor views of best practice = better outcomes. (poster) Chris Christensen, Julie Marker, 8-9 Feb 2018 – Victorian Survivorship Conference.
If you would like to learn more about these programs, or even volunteer to tell your story, then please register your interest with us. Join in our Survivors as Teachers interest group, or email info@cancervoicessa.org.au