AMD eBulletin – 21 December 2023
A message from your President
G’day / kia ora
It’s hard to believe that we are nearly at the end of 2023. Thank you to all Adult Medicine Division Fellows and trainees for persevering through what at times has felt like an even busier and more challenging year than the last!
AMD Leadership and Management Workshop
We recently held an AMD Leadership and Management Workshop on 25 and 26 November in Melbourne. Attended by an engaged and enthusiastic group of early to mid-career Fellows, we explored a range of topics to assist with the application of leadership and management skills in a clinical setting. I would like to thank the speakers who gave up their weekend to deliver insightful presentations on topics such as the Australian healthcare system, hospital finance, clinical governance, managing difficult conversations and the science and art of feedback, among many others.
I would also like to thank my colleagues on the AMD Executive Committee for all the dedication and hard work they put into developing and delivering the workshop, in particular Sharmila Chandran who led the program.
It was great to connect with the attendees and learn about the opportunities and challenges they are facing in their respective workplaces. This workshop was the first hosted by AMD, and initial feedback from attendees suggests it was well-received. We look forward to consulting with you and planning future collaborative, collegial and engaging educational activities. I see the development and support of physician leaders and leadership as a key component of our AMD workplan.
Specialty Society Webinars
I would like to take the opportunity to thank the specialty societies involved with the 2023 Webinar Series. This year, six specialty societies participated in the series in which 26 webinars were presented. These demonstrate the contribution, engagement and expertise that our specialty societies provide to our College, trainees and Fellows. I encourage you to view these webinars via Medflix, the College’s online learning platform.
Save the Date: Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine (AChSHM) ASM 2024
Planning is well underway for the 2024 AChSHM Annual Scientific Meeting on Saturday, 16 March 2023 (10am to 4pm) with the Annual Trainees’ Meeting on be held on Friday, 15 March 2023. Sexual health can present in specialties and the ongoing issues associated with HIV, blood borne viruses and syphilis (to name a few) are of relevance and interest to us all. More information will become available in January 2024.
Thank you to the AMD Council, the Chapter Presidents, and their associated Chapter Committees
Further to my appreciation above to the AMD Executive Committee, I want to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to AMD Council members, the three AMD Chapter Presidents: Professor Adrian Dunlop, President of the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine, Associate Professor Peter Poon, President of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine and Dr Massimo Giola, President of the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine, and their associated committees for all of their work and dedication they continue to demonstrate. These members are committed to improving their specialties, providing ongoing support to the physician workforce and responding to the numerous policy and advocacy requests. Thank you for your time and effort, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together in 2024.
In our industry there isn’t always the opportunity to take leave during the holiday season, nonetheless I hope you can factor in some rest and relaxation.
I look forward to providing you with further AMD work plan updates in 2024, but until then, please feel free to reach out to me via the secretariat at adult.med@racp.edu.au.
Professor Graeme Maguire
President, Adult Medicine Division
AChSHM President’s Post
Kia ora koutou,
As we approach the conclusion of 2023, reflecting on the challenges and achievements of the year, I thank the sexual health community for their hard work and dedication. Each of you has played a vital role in the community's resilience and achievements. Your contributions have not gone unnoticed.
Looking ahead to 2024, I want to bring to your attention the ongoing planning for the 2024 AChSHM Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). The ASM is scheduled for Saturday, 16 March, with the Annual Trainee Meeting preceding it on Friday, 15 March 2024. The ASM Organising Committee, under the leadership of Dr Vincent Cornelisse, convened on 23 November 2023 to discuss speaker and program details. Stay tuned for more information, including announcements about speakers.
Lastly, the Training Committee in Sexual Health Medicine (TCSHM) is actively seeking to expand its review panel, which plays a crucial role in marking case studies and/or projects for our Advanced Trainees. New markers will receive marking guidelines along with FAQs to facilitate the process. For those interested in joining our marking panel or requesting an Expression of Interest (EOI) form, please reach out to the Sexual Health Medicine Education Officers via email at shmedtraining@racp.edu.au. Kindly remember to submit your updated CV along with the completed EOI form.
Our next AChSHM Committee meeting is scheduled for early 2024 via videoconference. 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)
Wishing you all a peaceful holiday season and a promising start to the New Year.
Ka kite anō au i a koutou!
Dr Massimo Giola
Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine President
AChPM President’s Post
Hello and kia ora,
I would like to open my final post for this year by extending my congratulations to Dr Chirag Patel, the second recipient of The Margot Nott Scholarship in palliative medicine, a generous gift donation aimed at supporting Advanced Trainees in South Australia. Additionally, congratulations to Dr Emma Brook, who has been recognised as the third winner of the AChPM Best Trainee Research Project Award, which explored the important topic of ’Psychological Service Provision in Australian Palliative Care Services’.
I was delighted to attend the recent ANZSPM medical and surgical update. Presentations were of a very high quality with a diversity of interesting and relevant topics. It was great to see many of you who attended the Fellows’ update and I hope it was informative.
As usual, and apologies for being a broken record, we continue to seek members to join our palliative medicine marking panel to assess case studies and/or projects for our Advanced Training and Clinical Foundation. We appreciate those who have already expressed interest via palliativemedtraining@racp.edu.au and we will ensure that your requests are processed promptly.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of our Chapter Committee, Training Committee, and our working groups for all their hard work this year. This also extends to all those engaged in the curriculum renewal, our spirituality workshop, or representing the Chapter on the many various College bodies. I'm equally thankful to those who lend their support in the assessment of research projects or cases. Their generous contributions of time reflect a shared commitment to enhancing the field of palliative medicine.
In closing I wish everyone a wonderful and safe break over the summer, and the very best for 2024.
If you have any feedback, questions or concerns to bring to the Committee, 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
In this final edition for 2023, I would like to thank all AChAM members for your contribution to another busy and productive year.
A big congratulations to Dr Kate Senior for receiving the AChAM Nghi Phung Research Project Prize. This annual award recognises the most outstanding Advanced Training Research Project in Addiction Medicine.
Additionally, our joint AChAM/ Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (AFPHM) Working Group is diligently working on drafting a position statement outlining a health-focused approach to drug policy. We anticipate sending it out for consultation with relevant College bodies and RACP-affiliated specialty societies in the first quarter of 2024.
We held the final AChAM Committee meeting on 5 December during which we discussed the curricula renewal, workforce and our ongoing workplan and priorities for the year ahead.
Looking ahead, the AChAM Committee will reconvene in early 2024 via videoconference. If you have any feedback, questions, or comments, please don't hesitate to reach out through our secretariat at AddictionMed@racp.edu.au
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and looking forward to an exciting 2024.
Professor Adrian Dunlop
Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine President
Expressions of Interest (EOIs)
All Expressions of Interest
RACP Congress 2024
RACP Congress returns in May 2024 at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney. Be part of Australasia's leading specialist event and help us drive the conversation on "Shaping Healthcare". This two-day event provides a forum to exchange knowledge, engage with thought leaders, receive the latest specialty society clinical updates and networking opportunities. Don't miss your chance to help shape the future of healthcare - mark your calendar for RACP Congress 2024 on Thursday, 16 and Friday, 17 May.
RACP Congress 2024: Shaping Healthcare is a forum for physicians to unite, collaborate, and drive the future of healthcare. Join us and take this opportunity to engage with the broader specialist community.
Register now
Gender Equity in Medicine Action Plan
The College has launched its Gender Equity in Medicine Action Plan 2023-2026. The GEM action plan is based on recommendations from the Gender Equity in Medicine Working Group (GEMWG) Report, which sets out six recommendations for implementation to better support gender equity in medicine:
- Gender equity in medicine is a strategic priority for the College.
- Gender representation and equity on College bodies and College leadership is prioritised.
- The College is an active advocate for gender equity in medicine.
- College policies reflect the Gender Equity in Medicine Principles.
- The College is an active supporter of gender equity in medicine activity through external partnerships.
- The College establishes a Gender Equity in Medicine College Body to implement the GEM Action Plan and drive member engagement.
View the Gender Equity in Medicine Action Plan 2023-2026 and find out more.
Internal Medicine Journal
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:
- Advanced gastro-oesophageal cancer
- Refractory Helicobacter pylori infection in Australia
- Outcomes in non-anticoagulated atrial fibrillation
- The HepatoCare model of integrated collaborative care
- Resuscitation and CPR - needs rethinking
- Steroid prophylaxis post stem cell transplant
Read the journal
Doctors' Perception and Engagement in Clinical Governance Survey
Clinical Governance lies at the heart of quality and safety in Australian hospitals. To be effective, doctors must be engaged in the clinical governance process. Several recent investigations into hospital complications have raised concerns that doctors may not be actively involved in the identification or management of adverse events.
To determine the level and extent of your engagement in quality and safety at your hospital, the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) has developed a survey for medical staff working in hospitals. The survey has received ethical approval through Monash Health, with the intent that the results will be published in a peer reviewed journal. For more information, contact clinicalgovernance@racma.edu.au
Complete the survey
Tools to assist in meeting MyCPD Category 3 Measuring Outcomes requirements
The Audit Curated Collection provides a range of information, ideas and tools to help you complete clinical and non-clinical audits which can be counted towards your MyCPD Category 3 requirements. It has been recently updated with improved guidance and resources, including a new FAQs page.
New medication prescribing audit templates have also been added to assist users to review their prescribing practice. All audit templates within the collection can be modified to suit individual needs.
October 2023 Divisional Written Examination (DWE) – status update
The October 2023 Adult Medicine (AM) and Paediatrics & Child Health (PCH) Divisional Written Examination (DWE) was held on Tuesday, 24 October 2023 in a paper-based format. The exam was successfully delivered to 235 candidates who sat the exam in 15 locations across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
We want to thank our Directors of Physician/Paediatric Education (DPEs) and RACP supervisors for their ongoing support and guidance to trainees in the lead up to the exam and in guiding them through the post-exam feedback. We also want to thank our RACP team members who have been involved in the examination process for their hard work and support.
Exam results were released on Thursday, 23 November 2023 and detailed feedback provided on Friday, 1 December 2023. We thank all team members for working to prepare and release this detailed feedback three weeks ahead of schedule. This will allow time for those candidates wishing to re-sit the DWE time to review their results and consider applying for the February 2024 examination.
Offering written examinations in February and October each year supports our Flexible Training Policy. Recently, the College Education Committee, in consultation with the College Trainees’ Committee, made the decision to offer one reserve exam each year following the February DWE if a significant event or disruption occurs. The option for a reserve exam following the October DWE will be discontinued from 2024. This will maintain the robustness of the exam process and the production and use of reserve exams and will not affect trainees’ progression through training.
Pomegranate Health podcast – Ep103: HepatoCare - a model for palliative and supportive care in advanced cirrhosis
Median survival for patients diagnosed with advanced cirrhosis is around two years and quality of life is poor. Fewer than a quarter of such patients receive referrals to palliative care and advanced care plans are also rare. Existing research from abroad suggests that hepatology staff aren’t familiar with referral criteria and assume that palliative services become involved only at the very end of life.
To try and reduce barriers to referral, clinicians at Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital developed a model called Hepatocare. They adapted a palliative care referral algorithm to include cirrhosis specific markers and continuity of care between the teams was provided by a clinical nurse consultant. The model was piloted in 30 consecutive patients to the liver clinic, and its impact was assessed on rate of referrals, incidence of unplanned admissions, length of patient stay, and rates of polypharmacy.
Guests:
- Professor James O’Beirne FRCP FRACP (Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service; University of the Sunshine Coast)
- Dr Richard Skoien MBBS FRACP (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital; University of Queensland)
- Dr Alison Kearney FRACP MRCP (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital; University of Queensland)
- Olivia Cullen (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital)
Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. Login to MyCPD to record learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify,Castbox or any podcasting app.
Update your details with the College
Did you know that you can now update your address details online? Simply Login to MyRACP and go to “Edit my details”.
Discover member directories and programs exclusive to the ROC
As you know, the ROC (RACP Online Community) is the perfect place to share content, post questions, and connect with your colleagues. But did you know that the ROC also offers exclusive access to our Member and Special Interest directories and Mentor Match – an online tool with a searchable database that facilitates the establishment of mentoring relationships.
Log in to the ROC to access and find out more.
Great savings on all of your Christmas shopping and gifting
Our annual 12 Days of Christmas sale started on Friday, 1 December. With new offers every day on groceries, food delivery, travel, shopping and gifting, you are bound to save throughout the festive season. Log in and save with your Member Advantage.
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