AMD eBulletin – 5 May 2023
A message from your President-elect
G’day and kia ora
This month I would like to continue introducing our AMD Council Members.
Dr Kristof Wing joined AMD Council in May 2022 as a Basic Trainee Representative. The AMD trainee voice is highly valued by the wider Council, as it helps to keep Fellows informed about the challenges trainees are facing and provides a forum to support AMD trainees during the various stages of their Basic and Advanced Training journey. I am pleased to say we currently have four Trainee Representatives on AMD Council:
- Dr Kristof Wing (Basic Trainee Representative)
- Dr Matthew Twining (Basic Trainee Representative)
- Dr Anthony Deacon (Advanced Trainee Representative)
- Dr Tom Wilkinson (Advanced Trainee Representative)
Kristof is a Basic Trainee at the Royal Hobart Hospital in Tasmania, and one of the Deputy Co-Chairs of the College Trainees’ Committee. He started his involvement with the College as Co-Chair of the Northern Territory Trainees’ Committee whilst undertaking his first two years of Basic Training at the Royal Darwin Hospital. Inspired by the tropical medicine of the hot north he hopes to become a clinician-researcher working in infectious disease.
He is passionate about ensuring the College delivers high-quality educational outcomes for trainees, builds them into health system leaders, and meets their needs as the nature and scope of training continues to evolve. Central to this, and to keeping the College strong for the next 85 years, is ensuring trainees are invested in College processes and are widely represented on its bodies. After all, trainees bring a unique perspective and form one-third of the College’s membership.
Outside of clinical medicine, Kristof undertakes research in genetics and immunology, community organisation governance, and thoroughly enjoys indoor rock-climbing (though his performance in the latter leaves much to be desired). When the weather is fair, he savours the isolation of the great Tasmanian wilderness.
If you are a trainee who is interested in helping to improve the College, or you know someone who might be, there is sure to be an area of interest available to participate in. Kristof advises the best place to start is with your local regional Trainees’ Committee Chair or Member Support Officer. Kristof has learnt an immense amount through his participation in College bodies, and has made great friends and connections along the way.
Thank you, Kristof, for your insightful introduction and your ongoing contribution to various College committees.
For more information on the AMD Council and its membership, visit the RACP website.
Specialty society forum
On 17 March 2023, RACP President, Dr Jacqueline Small, hosted a forum with specialty societies affiliated with the College. Representatives from 37 specialty societies met with the aim to further develop the valuable relationship between the College and the societies. Dr Small elaborates further in the latest President’s Message.
Specialty society webinars
Continuing with a specialty society focus, applications recently closed for the 2023 specialty society webinar series. We are in the process of reviewing the applications and putting them into a schedule for the program from June to November this year. We look forward to sharing more information with you as the program is finalised.
If you have any topics that you would like the Division to consider, I encourage you to contact me via the secretariat at adult.med@racp.edu.au.
Professor Brian Wood
President-elect, Adult Medicine Division
AChSHM President’s Post
Kia ora koutou,
We are seeking a Trainee Representative on the AChSHM Committee to advocate on behalf of all trainees in the Chapter. If you are interested in this opportunity you can see more information and apply through the RACP website here. It is important that trainees are represented effectively to ensure the trainee journey is continuously improving.
We would like to remind you all that the closing date for the 2023 AChSHM Jan Edwards Prize applications is Sunday, 7 May 2023. The prize is awarded for the best research-based presentation by an AChSHM trainee.
The AChSHM Committee has been working very hard to finalise its workplan for 2023 to 2025, and it is now ready to go to the Adult Medicine Division Executive Committee (AMDEX) for final sign off on the included initiatives. This will give us the go-ahead to begin important efforts, alongside our Policy and Advocacy Team, to represent the specialty.
The next AChSHM meeting will take place on Wednesday, 28 June 2023 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 or 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 and kia ora,
We are advertising for an Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) representative on the AChPM Committee. For more details on the position and how to apply, please visit the RACP website here. It is very important that AoNZ is represented in the Chapter.
I am delighted to be attending the next Convocation Ceremony in Melbourne on 20 May 2023 to personally welcome our new AChPM Fellows. It is great to see ongoing interest in the specialty and to have the opportunity to congratulate those who have finished their training in person.
Nominations are currently open for the 2023 AChPM Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Discipline of Palliative Medicine. This prize is awarded in recognition of the outstanding contribution made by a palliative medicine Fellow to the discipline.
Applications are also open for the 2023 AChPM Best Trainee Research Project Award which is awarded for the best palliative medicine research project submitted for assessment for Advanced Training in each year. We encourage our Advanced Trainees to apply for a chance to receive a $1,000 prize and to be formally recognised at the Australian & New Zealand Society of Palliative Medicine (ANZSPM) Medical & Surgical Update in November 2023.
I am also happy to report that the AChPM Committee workplan for 2023 to 2025 is going to the Adult Medicine Division Executive Committee (AMDEX) soon for final approval. We are always working on progressing the Chapter priorities, but the workplan gives us a set pathway for advocating and inspiring positive change in the specialty.
The next AChPM Committee meeting will be on Tuesday, 13 June 2023, and will be in person in Sydney. 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
Hello and kia ora,
There is an opening for an Aotearoa New Zealand (AoNZ) representative on the AChAM Committee. For more details on the position and to apply, please visit the RACP website. It is extremely important to ensure that our AoNZ cohort is represented in the Chapter, so please share this opportunity with your AoNZ colleagues and encourage them to apply.
Early bird registration for the 2023 Australasian Society on Alcohol and other Drugs (APSAD) Scientific Drug and Alcohol Conference closes on 28 August 2023. This year's conference will take place from 12 to 15 November 2023 in Adelaide.
The AChAM Committee has been working hard to finalise the workplan for 2023 to 2025, and it will be going to the Adult Medicine Division Executive Committee (AMDEX) for final approval very soon. We are excited to start progressing our initiatives alongside the Policy and Advocacy Team to make a positive difference in the specialty.
The AChAM Committee will next meet on 26 May 2023 via videoconference. 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
RACP Foundation grants and prizes
RACP Foundation Research Awards
Applications for the RACP Foundation Research Awards for 2024 are now open. More than 50 awards are available across these categories:
Applications for research development grants and travel grants will open Saturday, 1 July 2023.
Chapter awards
AChSHM
- AChSHM Jan Edwards Prize – applications close on Sunday, 7 May 2023. Awarded to the best research-based oral presentation by a registered AChSHM trainee. The prize includes $1,000 and a certificate.
- AChSHM Award for Best Postgraduate Thesis in Sexual Health Medicine – nominations open on 1 June 2023. The award recognises the importance of training its workforce in research. Recognise an AChSHM Fellow or trainee for their outstanding postgraduate work. The recipient will be formally acknowledged at the AChSHM ASM. Self-nominations are accepted.
AChPM
As we advised in December, the RACP Board regrettably had to make the decision to postpone the RACP Congress that was to be held this week in Brisbane.
This was due to the late announcement of the Australian NRL Magic Round in Brisbane for the same weekend. That conflicting event negatively impacted travel and accommodation costs and availability for proposed speakers and delegates.
We will shortly be announcing a series of local member events to be held this year across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. These will give you the opportunity to get together in person, enjoy a dynamic member debate and celebrate our College’s 85th anniversary.
Please look out for your local invitation over coming weeks. In the meantime, we are planning for delivery of our Congress event for 2024.
Wherever you are in your career, we’re your CPD Home
Whether you are a New Fellow, established within your career, or beginning to wind down for retirement, the RACP’s CPD Home can support you to meet your specialist regulatory requirements.
The MyCPD team is at hand to provide you with tailored guidance throughout the annual CPD cycle. Plus, your RACP membership means you can access the RACP Online Learning platform for a selection of tools and resources relevant to you throughout your career.
You have never stopped learning, we’re here to make sure that continues. My RACP. MyCPD Home.
Find out more
Complete the 2023 New Fellow Survey to share your experience
If you were admitted to Fellowship of a RACP Training Program between 2 October 2020 and 31 March 2022, this is your chance to share your experience through this survey.
You can provide feedback on how your RACP training program has prepared you for unsupervised professional practice and share your experience of the transition from trainee to specialist physician. This helps us provide tailored support for members and make evidence-informed improvements to our programs.
Don’t miss out on sharing your thoughts. The survey closes on Tuesday, 16 May 2023. Thank you to Fellows who have already participated in the 2023 New Fellow Survey. If you haven’t done so already, please complete the anonymous survey.
Respondents will be offered a chance to win one of three $200 Prezzee gift cards. Visit the website to read the terms & conditions. For more information about the survey, including confidentiality and how the data will be reported, please visit the New Fellow Survey page on the RACP website.
Take the survey
Survey: NDIS and the emergency department
One of the aims of this study is to understand the perspectives and communication practices of clinicians working in the emergency department when attending to a person with a mental health presentation. Further information can be found here.
Take the survey
Do you have questions about the Specialist Training Program (STP)?
Join us for a webinar designed to provide the latest general information on STP and how to apply for funding, plus more.
The Specialist Training Program (STP) aims to grow the specialist workforce in these areas long-term:
- Regional, rural and remote areas
- The private health sector
- Non-hospital settings like aged care, community health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical services.
Funding through this program supports accredited training settings to establish and expand Specialist Training positions.
For those wishing to expand their knowledge of the program this webinar should not be missed.
Places are limited. Register now
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:
- Frailty in chronic kidney disease
- Approach to schizophrenia
- Sudden cardiac death and exercise in the young
- Aortic valve replacement rates from 2004 to 2019
- Danger in discharge summaries – abbreviations
- Pancreatitis and post pancreatitis diabetes mellitus.
This month’s Editor's Choice is an original article titled ICU communication with families during COVID-19.
Read the journal
Pomegranate Health podcast: Ep93. The rise and fall of mpox
Ep93: The rise and fall of mpox
The first time most of us heard of monkeypox (mpox) was in May 2022. The smallpox-like infection appeared to spring from nowhere and made its way through Europe and then the Americas, largely within the gay and bisexual community. But the first documented human case of mpox actually occurred in 1970 in Central Africa, and it’s been endemic ever since.
Last year’s mpox outbreak eclipsed prior case numbers in just a few months due to a newly evolved strain. The count of confirmed cases totalled over 86,000 all around the world and it’s a testament to well-coordinated community health in the developed world that the outbreak was reigned in within a few months of the index case in Europe.
But alongside this success story, there’s also a cautionary tale about global health strategy. Due to mpox not being taken seriously in endemic countries, an incubator was created for this new strain to emerge.
In this podcast episode we also discuss the stigma associated with sexually transmitted infections and the pros and cons of applying this label.
Guests
- Dr Vincent Cornelisse FRACGP FAChSHM PhD (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney; Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales)
- Dr Massimo Giola FRACP FAChSHM PhD (Te Whatu Ora, Tauranga, Rotorua)
Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. Login to MyCPD to record time spent listening and reading supporting materials. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app.
New guide for Fellows: Supporting professionalism in practice
This guide supports you to meet the professional standards expected of all physicians across clinical and non-clinical specialties, Divisions, Chapters, and Faculties. Use it to structure performance discussions, to develop personal development plans (PDPs), and as a framework to support colleagues and enhance your own professionalism.
The guide can also assist you in meeting your MyCPD Category 2: Reviewing Performance and Category 3: Measuring Outcomes requirements.
Access the guide and start reflecting today
Have you completed your ‘my work profile’?
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. 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.
Complete ‘my work profile’
How to log in to the ROC - for first-time users
Did you know that the RACP Online Community (ROC) has a mobile app that allows you to connect and discuss on the go? The app can be used to initiate discussions, find other members, read the latest posts, and share your expertise. Simply type ‘RACP-ROC’ into Apple store or Google Play, then download the app, and connect with your colleagues today.
Log into the ROC
Appraisal by the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) meeting on 27 to 28 July 2023
Scheduled agenda items for the 88th Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) meeting can be found on the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Aged Care website.
MSAC values consultation input from individuals and organisations with an interest in an application that it is considering, including experience of the medical conditions, services or technologies being addressed by the application. Consultation input must be received by Friday, 9 June 2023.
Shower Mum with the choicest gifts this May
Celebrate Mother's Day this May with a range of special gifts and discounts. Save on Ultimate eGift cards, whitegoods from The Good Guys Commercial, and flower arrangements from the Petals Florist Network, plus more.
Available online, 24/7. That's your Member Advantage. *Terms and conditions apply.
Australian member access Aotearoa New Zealand member access
Other news and events
More news
See the latest news
Upcoming events
See all events
New South Wales
Drug and Alcohol Services Medical Director | Closing: 9 May 2023
View career opportunities on the RACP website.