News

THE BEST OF GRAND ROUNDS - Call for Cases

At the 2012 RACP Congress in Brisbane in May 2012 the Adult Medicine program will again feature the popular Best of Grand Rounds, at which Adult Medicine Division Trainees present important or interesting clinical cases. The presenter of the best case will receive the Wiley Blackwell Publishing Award for Clinical Excellence worth $1500.

All RACP Trainees in Adult Medicine registered with the College (Basic, Advanced and Chapter Trainees) are eligible to apply to present a clinical case in The Best of Grand Rounds sessions. From the abstracts submitted eight cases will be selected for presentation on Monday 7 May 2012. Ideal presentations would be cases which have been presented at Grand Rounds during 2011. Click here for more information.

Abstracts must be submitted by 13 February 2012 via the Congress website using the Best of Grand Rounds abstract template.

Past presenters at The Best of Grand Rounds have commented that presentation in The Best of Grand Rounds was a good and enriching experience, and a valued opportunity to present outside their normal hospital environment.

CLINICAL EXAMINATION WORKSHOP FOR BASIC TRAINEES

What:                How to present yourself best in the Clinical Examination
For whom:          Registered Basic Trainees in the Adult Medicine Division
When:               Sunday, 6 May 2012 at 9.00am to 12.30pm
Where:              Brisbane Convention Centre
Presenters:        Members of the Adult Medicine Division Education Committee and senior 
                         College Fellows highly experienced in all aspects of the RACP training
                         requirements.

Click here for the program outline and the registration form for this interactive workshop.
Book early to be sure of a place! Places limited.

COUNCIL COMMUNIQUÉ - MEETING HELD 11 NOVEMBER 2011

1. Memorandum of understanding with Specialty Societies

The AMD Council discussed the revised draft Memorandum of Understanding between the RACP and the Speciality Societies (v.8.1). The College's General Counsel had made some revisions, which made the document read differently, but had not changed the substance.

The Council agreed to forward the document to the Specialty Societies for comment on both the draft Memorandum and the proposed indicative service packages, which the College will continue to work on.

It was further noted that the Memorandum is a broad statement of principles, upon which the College will in 2012 negotiate with each Society an individual agreement tailored to that Society's needs, and that Societies will be able to nominate any one or more of the proposed service packages in their final agreement.

Council members pointed out that given how favourable the tenancy packages are to the Societies, the College may well receive additional requests for accommodation at 149 Macquarie Street. It was agreed that requests for additional space by Societies should be handled by the RACP Finance Committee, with the AMD being notified of any concerns.

2. RACP Educational Governance Review

Submissions to the Board's Educational Governance Review Working Group are due 25 November. The Council reviewed a draft AMD submission, which will now be finalised and submitted.

The model proposed for the Divisions is for four education committees reporting directly to the AMD Council (Basic Training, Advanced Training, Physician Training and Education, and Internationally Trained Physicians). However, the AMD believes that handling the volume of education business directly would be difficult for the AMD Council and will recommend that the four committees report to a divisional education committee (which is already in place).

It was noted that the three AMD Chapters are not very visible in the proposed new structure, and that the AMD will propose strongly that this be rectified.

3. 2012 business planning

The Council noted that in its business plan for the coming year the Division had submitted for funds to enable it to contribute to Specialty Society ASMs, in the form of either a College booth or sponsorship of a session.

The Division wrote to Societies in September to invite them to take up this funding. To date eight Societies have expressed interest. At the Council meeting the Chairman reminded other Societies that they are still welcome to express interest.

4. Policy development

The AMD is keen for Specialty Societies to be engaged, where appropriate, with College policy activity. The Policy and Advocacy Committee has recommended that each Society be asked to nominate a contact person who could be consulted when the need arises.

It is acknowledged, of course, that Societies have their own policy and advocacy structures, but there are occasions when Society/College collaboration would be mutually beneficial. The AMD will be contacting the Societies on this matter.

5. General medicine - registration and workforce issues

A number of Fellows have expressed anxiety about their AHPRA registration and ability to take on general rosters, when they are not registered as generalists. The Division Council approved the establishment of a working group to review this and other issues relating to the General Medicine workforce and make recommenda-tions for consideration by the Council and submission to the Board.

6. Adolescent and young adult medicine

The Council received a report from the Joint Adolescent Health Committee (JAHC), a joint committee of the Adult Medicine and Paediatrics & Child Health Divisions, on its work:

• A curriculum for the new specialty has been written and an advanced training committee in Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine has been formed
• Professor Kate Steinbeck, one of the Adult Medicine representatives on the JAHC, has been appointed to chair the training committee
• There is a vacancy in the second Adult Medicine position on the JAHC, and a call for expressions of interest will be made very shortly.

7. 2012 RACP Congress

Development of the AMD program is coming along very well, with many Specialty Societies undertaking to organise clinical updates for the Congress:

• Professor Sir Michael Marmot, will be the Priscilla Kincaid-Smith Orator, speaking on The Social Determinants of Health
• Professor Ian Frazer has tentatively accepted an invitation to deliver the Cottrell lecture
• The Congress will be held in Brisbane on 6-9 May 2012, with the College Ceremony taking place on the first day.

8. RACP International Committee

The AMD President-Elect, Dr Alasdair MacDonald, has been appointed by the RACP Board to chair the International Committee. The Committee is reviewing all the College's international relationships, particularly in the Asia-Pacific area.

9. RACP 75th Anniversary

In 2012 the College will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its establishment in 1938. The RACP President-Elect, who attended the Council meeting, invited members to submit ideas for celebrating the anniversary.

Dr Catherine Yelland
President, Adult Medicine Division
24 November 2011