AMD eBulletin – 10 February 2023
A message from your President-elect
G’day and kia ora
With January already behind us, 2023 has started with a bang. Next week, the Adult Medicine Division (AMD) Executive Committee will meet for the first time this year. The discussions will focus on the AMD workplan and a review on how to operationalise our key initiatives.
I am happy to report that our AMD Executive Committee (AMDEX) is now complete, with Dr Fahid Hashem recently joining us to fill the Elected Fellow position. Fahid has provided a brief introduction below.
I have just joined the AMDEX and AMD Council. I previously served on the Queensland Regional Committee and I currently sit on the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee. I have been involved with development of selection into training for Basic Physician Training (BPT) networks in Queensland, facilitating Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) workshops and I have been participating in FRACP clinical exams as a local examiner since I was eligible to do so. I have an interest in promoting the humane values in healthcare, and I have collaborated in developing RACP modules in refugee and migrant health. I hold dual Fellowships in Adult Acute and General Medicine and also in Endocrinology.
Past editions and introductions by the AMD Executive Committee members can be found on the RACP website and within the AMD President’s Post on the ROC.
Congratulations to the AMD Fellows recognised in the 2023 Australia Day Honours list. I would like to highlight current and former AMD Council members who have been included in this year’s list.
Member (AM) in the General Division
- Professor Clara Kayei CHOW FRACP, NSW (AMD) – for significant service to medicine as a cardiologist, and to research.
- Professor Edward STRIVENS FRACP, QLD (AMD) – for significant service to geriatric medicine, and to professional organisations.
I would also like to acknowledge Professor Katherine Steinbeck who was the AMD representative on the Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine Committee.
- Professor Katharine Shirley STEINBECK FRACP, NSW (AMD) – for significant service to adolescent medicine through a range of roles.
The full list of AMD and Chapter recipients is listed later in the eBulletin.
Where does the AMD sit in the College structure?
We receive feedback that members do not understand the College’s structure and how the AMD fits into the bigger picture. The AMD was created by the Board to support the professional careers of Fellows and trainees of the Division. To fulfil this, a Council was created that consists of 41 members which reports directly into the Board. The AMD Council membership is comprised of Elected Fellows of Australia and Aotearoa of New Zealand, positions due to the virtue of being on other committees, Trainee Representatives, as well as representatives from the AMD affiliated specialty societies.
The AMD Council meets twice a year to discuss progress on the AMD workplan and how it can effectively provide support to the College’s education, training, policy and advocacy, and CPD areas. Although a large committee, there is great value in these meetings as they provide a platform for the many voices and opinions of the Adult Medicine Division and the specialty societies to be heard and considered. In addition to this, the AMD Executive Committee meets six times per year to manage and further the objectives, aims and tasks of the AMD Council. The first AMD Council meeting is scheduled to be held on 28 February, and I look forward to providing you with further details on what was discussed in our next AMD eBulletin.
The AMD also has three Chapters covering Sexual Health Medicine (AChSHM), Addiction Medicine (AChAM), and Palliative Medicine (AChPM).
Upcoming Chapter events include the:
In the meantime, if you have any topics you would like the Division to consider, I encourage you to contact me or the Chapter Presidents via the AMD secretariat at adult.med@racp.edu.au.
Professor Brian Wood
President-elect, Adult Medicine Division
AChSHM President’s Post
Kia ora koutou,
Welcome back everyone, though I am sure for many of us it feels like we never left!
I am very much looking forward to the 2023 AChSHM Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) being held in Sydney on Saturday, 18 March. Under the theme The Future of Sexual Health, the ASM program will cover topics including antibiotic allergies in sexual health, STI vaccines, ending HIV transmission by 2025, and Mpox (monkeypox). I am calling on AChSHM Fellows and trainees to please register for this exciting and thought-provoking event. All ASM details, including registration, can be found on the AChSHM ASM 2023 website.
A reminder to AChSHM trainees to also attend the Chapter’s eighth Advanced Trainees' Meeting (ATM), being held in person on Friday, 17 March 2023. ATM registration details are also available on the ASM website.
The next AChSHM Committee meeting will be held face-to-face on Thursday, 16 March. We will discuss the new workplan and begin operationalising the new initiatives. I look forward to sharing the outcomes of the meeting with you soon.
If there are any items you would like to raise with the Committee, or if you have any feedback for us, please feel free to contact us through our secretariat at shmed@racp.edu.au via the RACP Online Community (ROC).
Ka kite anō au i a koutou!
Dr Massimo Giola
Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine President
AChPM President’s Post
Hello, kia ora, and happy new year.
I would like to congratulate Professor Brian Kelly FAChPM (NSW) for being recognised in the 2023 Australia Day Honours List for significant service to medical education and to professional organisations. I would also like to extend my congratulations to the many other RACP Fellows recognised in this year’s Honours List.
The next AChPM Committee meeting will be held on 7 March 2023 via videoconference. We will discuss the new workplan and consider the best approach to commencing work on the new initiatives. I look forward to sharing the outcomes of the meeting with you soon.
Do you have a question for your Chapter Committee? We welcome any feedback or comments, so please feel free to contact us through the Chapter secretariat at PallMed@racp.edu.au or via the RACP Online Community (ROC).
Associate Professor Peter Poon
Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine President
Hello and kia ora,
Welcome to a new year and a new month.
The International Medicine in Addiction Conference (IMiA) is now only one week away and set to be a fantastic event. I look forward to participating in the two-and-a-half-day program being held from 17 to 19 February in Melbourne. There is a great line up of international and local speakers, including some familiar faces from the RACP. For more information on the speakers and the program, please visit the IMiA website. There is still time to register, and various registration options to choose from. Don’t miss your chance, secure your place now.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the RACP Fellows recognised in the 2023 Australia Day Honours List. I would like to highlight two of our addiction medicine colleagues who were awarded the Member (AM) in the General Division.
- Dr Jennifer Flavia DELIMA FAChAM (SA) - for significant service to rural and remote medicine.
- Dr Michael TEDESCHI FAChAM (ACT) - for significant service to medicine, particularly to people with drug and alcohol dependency.
Thank you for your outstanding contribution to our speciality.
The next AChAM Committee meeting will be held on 24 February 2023 via videoconference. We will discuss the new workplan and consider the best approach to commencing work on the new initiatives. I look forward to sharing the outcomes of the meeting with you soon.
If you have any feedback, questions, or comments for me or the Committee, please get in touch through our secretariat at AddictionMed@racp.edu.au or via the RACP Online Community (ROC).
Professor Adrian Dunlop
Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine President
Expressions of Interest (EOIs)
All Expressions of Interest
2023 Australia Day Awards
Congratulations to the 18 AMD and Chapter Fellows recognised in the 2023 Australia Day Honours List. These awards highlight the outstanding work RACP members do and the importance of that work in local, national, and international communities.
Officer (AO) in the General Division
- Professor Steven COLLINS FRACP, VIC (AMD) - for distinguished service to medical and health science research, particularly in the field of prion disease.
- Professor Mark James COOK FRACP, VIC (AMD) - for distinguished service to neurological medicine and research through contributions to the treatment of epilepsy.
- Dr Anne Louise TONKIN FRACP, SA (AMD) - for distinguished service to medical professional regulation, to tertiary education, and to clinical pharmacology.
Member (AM) in the General Division
- Professor Clara Kayei CHOW FRACP, NSW (AMD) - for significant service to medicine as a cardiologist, and to research.
- Dr Jennifer Flavia DELIMA FAChAM, SA (AChAM) - for significant service to rural and remote medicine.
- Professor Gemma Alexandra FIGTREE FRACP, NSW (AMD) - for significant service to medicine in the field of cardiology.
- Professor Brian KELLY FAChPM, NSW (AChPM) - for significant service to medical education, and to professional organisations.
- Dr Melvyn Gabriel KORMAN FRACP, VIC (AMD) - for significant service to gastroenterological and hepatological medicine.
- Clinical Professor Graham John LIESCHKE FRACP, VIC (AMD) - for significant service to medicine as a haematologist, and to medical research.
- Emeritus Professor Ian Bruce PUDDEY FRACP, WA (AMD) - for significant service to medical education, research and administration.
- Professor Katharine Shirley STEINBECK FRACP, NSW (AMD) - for significant service to adolescent medicine through a range of roles
- Professor Edward STRIVENS FRACP, QLD (AMD) - for significant service to geriatric medicine, and to professional organisations.
- Dr Michael TEDESCHI FAChAM, ACT (AChAM) - for significant service to medicine, particularly to people with drug and alcohol dependency.
Honorary Member (AM) in the General Division
- Professor Michelle LEECH FRACP, VIC (AMD) - for significant service to medical education, and to professional organisations.
Medal (OAM) in the General Division
- Dr Barry James DOWTY FRACP, VIC (AMD) - for service to medicine in a range of roles.
- Dr Mark James STEPHENS FRACP, VIC (AMD) - for service to the community through a range of organisations.
- Professor Tissa WIJERATNE FRACP, VIC (AMD) - for service to medicine as a neurologist.
Public Service Medals
- Dr Ian Mackenzie MARR FRACP, ACT (AMD) - for outstanding public service to public health as the Infectious Disease Specialist at Canberra Health Services.
See the full list of recognised RACP Fellows
Only one week until IMiA 2023
Join us in Melbourne next week for the International Medicine in Addiction (IMiA) Conference, held from 17 to 19 February. IMiA aims to connect attendees with other health professionals who have an interest in addressing the complex issues that come from addiction.
IMiA 2023 will welcome general practitioners, psychiatrists and addiction medicine specialists, and provide attendees with the opportunity to learn from, meet and collaborate with others through presentations, panel sessions, workshops, and roundtable discussions.
Register now
Join us next month at the AChSHM ASM 2023
The Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting (AChSHM ASM) will be held in person on Saturday, 18 March on the theme The Future of Sexual Health.
Be a part of a thought-provoking and educational experience which brings together some of the brightest minds in the field to address the latest advances and challenges in sexual health. Hear from a range of expert speakers, as leading voices come together to provide the latest updates and best practice within sexual health medicine.
Register to attend
Don't forget to register for the Advanced Trainees' Meeting (ATM) on Friday, 17 March. The ATM is designed specifically to meet the needs of AChSHM trainees and provide focused sessions to aid ongoing studies.
My RACP. MyCPD Home
Last year we notified you that your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements will be evolving. This is a reminder that as of 1 January 2023, all Australian medical practitioners will need to select a CPD Home.
Did you know that your RACP Fellowship means you already belong to a quality and accredited CPD Home? There are plenty of benefits, resources, and tailored support available to you as part of your College membership.
Remember to also review the 2023 MyCPD Framework webpage for a breakdown of other changes which have taken effect as of 1 January 2023.
Learn more
RACP CLS: Interactive online educational resource
The RACP College Learning Series (CLS) is a comprehensive online library aimed at Basic Trainees. The annual program includes over 200 lectures delivered across both divisions, with new content uploaded regularly. See existing divisional specific resources on the eLearning webpage, and find out about upcoming weekly lectures:
View the upcoming AMD lectures
What you might not know is that Advanced Trainees and Fellows can contribute to the series for their own personal and professional development. For information, contact the CLS team.
Internal Medicine Journal – January 2023
The latest issue of the Internal Medicine Journal (IMJ) is now live on the Wiley Online Library and the RACP website (log in using your RACP login credentials). Access articles tweeted on IMJ's Twitter account for free, for a limited time. The easiest way to access the IMJ is via the Wiley Online Library App, find out how you can access it.
Key highlights from the issue are:
- Pulmonary hypertension in remote and disadvantaged population
- Methamphetamine-associated cardiomyopathy
- Symptom persistence and recovery among COVID-19 survivors during a limited outbreak in Canterbury, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Penicillin allergy delabeling program
- Clinical scoring approach for detection of histiocytic necrotising lymphadenitis in adults.
Read the journal
IMJ On-Air podcast — High readmission rates in cirrhotic patients
High readmission rates in cirrhotic patients
Hospitalisation rates for cirrhosis are increasing in Australia, in part associated with the high prevalence of obesity and subsequent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. More concerning is the frequency with which discharged patients are readmitted within 30 days. One systematic review put the average readmission rate at 26 per cent, but the studies cited varied greatly in their inclusion and exclusion criteria, and not much is known from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
In the December edition of the Internal Medicine Journal, researchers at the Austin Hospital Liver Transplant Unit in Melbourne reported a 46 per cent readmission rate among their patients. This was based on a retrospective audit of medical records, which also suggested that a fifth of readmissions might have been preventable. Better adherence to practice guidelines when patients are first hospitalised for cirrhosis may reduce a significant burden on patients and the healthcare system.
Guests
- Professor James O’Beirne FRCP FRACP (Director of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service; University of the Sunshine Coast)
- Dr Karl Vaz FRACP (Victorian Liver Transplant Unit, Austin Hospital)
References
Karl Vaz et al. Rate of early hospital readmission amongst cirrhotic patients is high in Australia: Experience from a single liver transplant centre Internal Medicine Journal 2021; 52(12).
Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. To claim learning credits login to MyCPD at this link, review the prefilled activity details and click save. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app.
IMJ On-Air podcast — Hyperglycaemia and COVID-19
Hyperglycaemia and COVID-19
In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a handful of international studies showed that there was increased risk of adverse outcomes in hospitalised patients comorbid for diabetes. Odds ratios for mortality conferred by pre-existing diabetes ranged from 1.5 to 3.6. What this relationship might be in Australia was not known until researchers in Melbourne retrospectively examined electronic medical records from the two waves of COVID-19 in that city.
The prevalence of diabetes among Melbourne inpatients is around 35 per cent, and in 2020 over 70 per cent of all Australia’s case load was in Victoria. This presented an opportunity to observe the relationship between the conditions with substantial statistical power. But while ICU admission and mortality were more common in those with diabetes than those without, neither diabetes nor hyperglycaemia were independently associated with in-hospital mortality.
In this podcast the authors speculate as to why there was this deviation from patterns observed internationally. A possible explanation involves the receipt of dexamethasone therapy in patients with hyperglycaemia, which was found by other researchers to be preventative for COVID-19-associated mortality.
Guests
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Associate Professor John Wentworth FRACP (Royal Melbourne Hospital, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute)
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Dr Rahul Barmanray FRACP (Royal Melbourne Hospital, the University of Melbourne)
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Dr Dev Kevat FRACP (Western Health, Monash University)
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Dr Mohamed Ashraful Islam (Goulburn Valley Health)
Free access to IMJ for RACP members
Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. To claim learning credits login to MyCPD at this link, review the prefilled activity details and click save. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app.
Have you completed your ‘my work profile’?
If not, can you please take a couple of minutes to complete it? All you need to do is log in to My RACP, click ‘update my work profile’ and answer a few questions about your work activities.
By completing your My Work Profile you will provide us with valuable insights which we can use to make evidence-based and informed advocacy decisions for improving workforce planning.
Don’t forget to log in and see what’s happening on the ROC
The ROC is a secure online forum for all RACP Fellows and trainees, designed to support your needs through a range of innovative programs such as:
Mentor Match which helps you connect with other members based on your mentoring preferences and professional goals. Mentors provide guidance and support to mentees, while mentees are given the opportunity to develop personally and professionally and receive constructive feedback to improve performance and outcomes. This activity falls under the MyCPD Category 2 – Reviewing Performance.
Find your perfect match
The ROC mobile app will help you get the most out of your online community and connect with other RACP members. The app can be used to initiate discussions, find other members, read the latest posts and share your expertise. Download the app from the App Store or Google Play, or log in via MyRACP.
Medical Services Advisory Committee – upcoming meeting
Appraisal by the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) meeting on 30 to 31 March 2023. See all scheduled agenda items for the 87th Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) meeting.
See all applications to be considered
Member Advantage: Celebrate your love, celebrate your savings!
This Valentine’s Day, your Member Advantage brings you incredible discounts at retailers including JB HiFi, Temple & Webster, The Iconic, Michael Hill and more! For a limited time only, save 14 per cent on Ultimate Beauty & Spa, Ultimate Him and Ultimate Style/Shopping eGift cards, as well as Gourmet Traveller Restaurant eGift cards*.
Available online 24/7. That's your Member Advantage. *Terms and conditions apply.
Australian member access Aotearoa New Zealand member access
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