Dr Eleanor Flynn is a medical graduate with a longstanding interest in theology. As well as her medical degrees she has a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Theology and a Master of Theology which considered the differences in the beliefs and rituals around death between medieval Christianity and 21st Century Australia. She also has fellowships of the Australian College of General Practice and the Australasian College of Medical Administration.
She has recently retired from 20 years at the Department of Medical Education at the Melbourne Medical School where she was involved in student selection and teaching particularly aged care, communications skills and ethics. Until 2017 she also worked as a Palliative Care specialist in both hospital and community settings.
Her research interests include death and dying particularly in Medieval Western Europe, medical education, communication skills teaching for doctors from non English speaking backgrounds, selection of medical students and support of the people who provide student support in universities. She has published on clinical and philosophical aspects of care of the dying, selection of medical students, professionalism in medical schools, communications skills and supporting the staff who support students. Recent research activities include assisting families to discus spirituality with their relatives who are living with dementia as part of the Spirited Project funded by the UD, and a survey of religious funerals in the Covid lockdowns and afterwards.
Eleanor has published in the Conversation on teaching medical students about death
She is an active member of her parish as a lector and member of the parish advisory group and the child safety team. She organised the parish response to the Victorian euthanasia legislation. She is a co- opted board member of Spiritual Health Association. She is active in church reform movements, as a co founder of WWITCH (Women’s Wisdom in the Church) and co chair of ACCCR (Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform)
University Appointments
- Lecturer (Yarra Theological Union)