The Board held its first Conversations with the Board event for Queensland members on 20 October 2021.

We would like to thank the Fellows and trainees who joined us to discuss the matters that were important to them, and we look forward to hosting more of these events for QLD Fellows and trainees in the future. Below are some highlights from the discussion.

Dr Jacqueline Small
RACP President-elect

Medical Workforce

We heard about a number of workforce concerns that trainees are facing, particularly the lack of employment opportunities for some specialties. It was acknowledged there has been a dramatic expansion in medical student numbers over the past decade which has led to an increase in trainee numbers. Whilst there is little the College can do about employment opportunities, there are opportunities to reinforce and diversify the skills trainees are learning.

The College has provided feedback on the draft Australian National Medical Workforce Strategy 2021–2031, developed by the Medical Workforce Reform Advisory Committee (MWRAC). There is a strong drive from the Government to improve generalist knowledge in the workforce and strengthen the rural and remote workforce. Rural and remote generalist skills are highly valued and we are keen to respond and adapt to that. We are working with other specialist medical colleges to ensure it is possible to receive comprehensive generalist training during basic training so that it does not deter from the specialist training period.

Climate Change

Climate change continues to be a key priority for the College and the Policy and Advocacy team. As some members may know, we are involved in a significant research project with other specialist medical Colleges and have engaged the Monash Sustainable Development Institute and the Climate Health Alliance to assist with this body of work. This research will investigate the impact of climate change on the health system, and we anticipate this will be completed shortly. Once complete, the College will develop a climate change and health strategy.

Computer-Based Testing

Our College re-introduced Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for the 2021 Divisional Written Examination (DWE) on 26 October 2021. The College Education Committee (CEC) oversaw this initiative and approved the decision to proceed after rigorous testing and the successful first pilot of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) Module 1 Assessment in May 2021. College examination committees ensured that extra examination question sets were prepared and available in the event that a backup examination was required, and extensive contingency plans were in place to support of the delivery of the CBT examination.

The re-introduction of CBT has been a significant piece of work for the College and we thank all trainees, Fellows, committee members, and team members involved in this project.

Governance

As most members will know, we commenced a review of the College Constitution as part of the RACP’s work with Effective Governance and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). We have been consulting on this body of work for a considerable period to gauge member appetite for change. At present, the Board has decided not to progress any changes to the role of the Board with respect to the College Council; however, it will progress other proposed amendments to the Constitution to the College’s Annual General Meeting (AGM). We will continue to look at the role of both the College Council and the Board to ensure each is working effectively and efficiently.

Communication

We heard that it can sometimes be difficult for some physicians to interact with the College, especially those who live remotely and work long hours and juggle on-call responsibilities.

We remind members that the College’s contact centre operates between 8:30am and 5:30pm and includes several communication channels such as phone, email, and webchat. The College is currently looking to expand those hours and we will keep the membership updated on this expansion program.

We are also investigating ways we can make it easier for members to seek information from the College and engage with each other, and encourage both Fellows and Trainees to utilise the RACP Online Communities (ROC) platform. We anticipate that the ROC will become more and more embedded in our communications and practice. More information on the ROC, including how to join, can be found on the College website.