We thank members in NSW and the ACT for taking the time out of their busy schedules to participate in our virtual Conversation with the Board event on Wednesday 15 September.

Below are some of the highlights from our discussion.

Professor John Wilson AM
RACP President

Member Health and Wellbeing

The unprecedented stresses NSW and the ACT members have faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic were recognised, particularly as they navigate the current wave of Delta cases. All members are reminded of the resources available to them, such as the College’s physician health and wellbeing website and confidential counselling through Converge. You can make an appointment or speak directly with a consultant by calling 1300 687 327 (Australia) or 0800 666 367 (New Zealand). All calls are confidential.

We discussed the importance of ensuring a safe workplace for Fellows and trainees alike and reminded members of our Respectful Behaviour in Training Programs resource. Our College has also established a Member Health and Wellbeing Committee to assist with our work in this space.

In addition to this, the Gender Equity in Medicine Working Group (GEMWG) was established in 2020 to address gender inequities and concerns raised by our members. Recommendations from the GEMWG will soon be presented to the Fellowship Committee and Board.

Examinations

It was acknowledged that we will experience some uncertainty around assessments for the next couple of years resulting from COVID-19. Our College rapidly developed a flexible examination model for 2020, splitting long and short cases, with the short cases delayed until such a time that in-person assessment could be undertaken.

We are evaluating this model, particularly as COVID-19 continues to impact some hospitals’ ability to run the full short case exam, taking into consideration member feedback regarding the changing nature of dates and format.

Training Fees

The College’s training fees and the process by which we set these were discussed. We periodically benchmark our fees and have found them to be in line with the fees set by other medical Colleges. It was acknowledged that in some cases there are more educational resources available for Adult Medicine trainees, particularly in the College Lecture Series, and we are committed to exploring this further to ensure a more equitable experience for all trainees.

Compliance

We heard members’ feedback regarding Medicare compliance and assured members that we have fed back members’ queries to Medicare, which has presented a webinar to assist members in understanding their obligations.

Generalist Medicine Training

We had a robust discussion regarding generalist training. The College has provided vigorous feedback on the draft Australian National Medical Workforce Strategy 2021–2031 drafted by the Medical Workforce Reform Advisory Committee (MWRAC). We are pleased to note that there is a strong drive from the Government to improve generalist knowledge in the workforce so that the rural and remote workforce may be strengthened. 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 generalist training in the Basic Trainee period so that it does not deter from the specialist training period.