U3A BRISBANE

U3A is the University of the Third Age, which is the age of active retirement, coming after the age of youth and work and home making. University is a loose term - there are no academic requirements for membership and no exams.

U3A is a worldwide self-help organisation promoting learning for personal enjoyment and wellbeing. Keeping the brain active, doing interesting things and making new friends are essential for helping older people to maximise their chances of independence, and this is what U3A does very effectively. U3A is making a very substantial contribution to society by helping its members to remain healthy and active for longer.

U3A Brisbane is one of many similar U3A organisations in Australia. Formed in 1986, we are a totally volunteer organisation, and provide leisure and educational courses to local seniors. We have over 3700 members and offer more than 290 courses each term, all of these at a low cost.

Our City Campus classes are held at our own premises at 97 Creek Street Brisbane, and in leased rooms nearby at 232 Adelaide St Brisbane, just a short walk from bus, train or ferry. Other City Precinct classes are held at various locations in the CBD.

We also have classes in surrounding suburbs and districts - in Logan (our largest district outside the city), Southside, Northside, Westside and Wynnum.

See the Class Search page for information on all  current classes, and our How to Join page for information about joining U3A Brisbane.

The Future of Medicine in the Age of Robotics and AI

Professor Ross Crawford is an Orthopaedic Surgeon with a special interest in lower limb joint replacement; his principal interests are hip and knee replacement, and knee arthroscopy. Professor Crawford is an internationally recognized expert in the field of hip and knee replacement surgery. He performs approximately 150 hip and 150 knee replacements per year, both in public and private practice. He lectures and teaches surgical techniques, both nationally and internationally.

The medical profession has been very slow to adopt robotic technology but we are currently at a tipping point where new technology is going to disrupt medicine. Doctors of the future will need to understand robotic technology as it will both augment and replace many of their skills.

Thinking and recognizing jobs will be disrupted before doing jobs. AI and machine learning will use pattern recognition to read X-rays, to perform histological examinations, to diagnose skin lesions ultimately replacing a number of fields of clinical medicine.

Algorithms will assist in diagnosis. The Internet will allow improved care in the developing world as pattern recognition allows remote diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

Robotic assisted surgery is here to stay. Current technologies will look primitive in even a decade. The systems will become more autonomous gradually replacing tasks performed by surgeons.

The technology should be embraced by the profession and not feared. Like many parts of society medicine is on the verge of a transformation and those who do not adapt will rapidly become redundant.

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TERM 3 CLASSES

Class Schedule for Term 3 2018 is now available. Term 3 commenced on 16th July and finishes on 21st September. Term 4 class schedule will be available on 9th September.

To join a class, enrol through the Class Search page by clicking on the Enrol button, or contact the tutor directly by email or phone. If you book online you may assume your enrolment is accepted unless the tutor advises otherwise.

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Class Help Page Download PDF

NEW FEATURE  You can now see and update all your current class enrolments, and event bookings such as Winter School, in one convenient dashboard:

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WINTER SCHOOL

Many thanks to our wonderful speakers and to members who attended this year's Winter School from 9-14 July. Many of our speakers have kindly agreed to make their presentations available and the first of these are now accessible on our Winter School page.

2018 Term dates: