AFPHM News - November 2025
As we approach the end of the year and my first six months as your President, I will reflect on a few things.
The College is still unfortunately in the news for its Board issues, however, it continues to undertake business as usual to support Fellows and trainees. The College Council, which I belong to with other Division and Faculty Presidents, is working on providing the members’ voice to the College Board and I am pleased to say it is very functional.
The passing of legislation to implement the new Australian Centre for Disease Control is a significant occasion for public health medicine in Australia and will launch on 1 January 2026. Its role is not as broad as we would like regarding non-communicable and chronic diseases, but its inception will bring significant change and enhance public health medicine in Australia.
The approval of the new AFPHM Advanced Training Curriculum this year, with its planned implementation from 1 January 2027, introduces an updated curriculum to train our future Fellows. Note that trainees who have commenced training before 1 January 2027 will continue with the current curriculum and assessments. A webinar is available providing an overview of the new curriculum. Additional training and a revised SPDP3 PHM will be available in 2026.
I would like to thank the Curriculum Review Group for their hard work in undertaking this large task, especially Jeanette Ward and Phil Hider for their leadership of this group. There is still work underway to finalise the last Entrusted Professional Activity and Knowledge Goal relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori health, using a co-design process with Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori support.
I congratulate those trainees who passed the oral exam in October and thank the examiners for their hard work in running this exam.
I also congratulate the following Fellows for significant achievements this year:
- Dr Caroline McElnay QSO FAFPHM FNZCPHM who commenced as the Victorian Chief Health Officer in August. Caroline is also a previous President of the New Zealand College of Public Health Medicine.
- Dr Marianne Gale FAFPHM takes up the Chief Health Officer and Deputy Director-General Population Health Division roles in Queensland Health on 1 December,
- Professor Raina MacIntyre FAFPHM had her second book Vaccine Nation: Science, reason and the threat to 200 years of progress published this year.
- Professor Paul Kelly FAFPHM, previously Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, has been appointed as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.
As we reach the end of 2026, I would also like to especially thank Eva and Julie in the Faculty office who have provided great support to the Faculty this year and made my role much easier. I also thank all the Fellows and trainees involved in our committees for their voluntary work in assisting the Faculty throughout the year, and I encourage those not involved to consider participating in 2026.
For those able to take a break over the Christmas/New Year/school holiday period, enjoy the rest and recuperation. And thank you to those who still have to work over this period, as there are always public health issues coming up throughout the year.
I am happy to receive any feedback you have via afphm@racp.edu.au
Dr Tony Gill
AFPHM President
The AFPHM Council met on 17 November and updated the Terms of Reference for the Council and the AFPHM Trainees Committee in line with recent College Education Governance changes.
The biggest change in education governance for AFPHM is the combining of the Faculty Education Committee (FEC) and the Faculty Training Committee (FTC) to become the Faculty Training Program Committee (FTPC). Thank you to Professor Rod McClure, Chair of FEC, and Dr Greg Stewart, Chair of FTC, for your work in ensuring a smooth transition occurs following the last meeting of the old committees on 27 November, after which the new FTPC starts.
Council also received updates from the various committees of Council to ensure it has visibility of activities.
AFPHM Insights
AFPHM Training Curriculum from 2027
The Faculty has developed a new training curriculum for public health medicine, which will be rolled out for incoming first-year trainees on Friday, 1 January 2027.
The new competency-based program with refreshed learning goals, assessment tools and criteria for progression through phases of training can be viewed here.
Visit our New Curricula Support Hub for general information.
Information session on the new training curriculum
The Faculty held an information session hosted by AFRM President, Dr Tony Gill, on Thursday, 25 September outlining all the changes to the curriculum and what you need to know.
If you were unable to attend, you can view the webinar recording here.
AFPHM President Awards
Recognise a Fellow or trainee who has made a notable contribution to the Faculty in education, training and assessment, policy and advocacy, or trainee commitment by Saturday, 31 January 2026. Visit the RACP Foundation webpage for more details and to nominate.
Discover how you can make a meaningful impact by volunteering for an exciting opportunity within the Faculty. Whether you’re looking to enhance your skills, gain experience, or simply give back, there are plenty of rewarding opportunities waiting for you.
There are several vacancies across the Faculty, open for applications until Sunday, 4 January 2026:
AFPHM TAS Regional Committee: Fellow and trainee
AFPHM SA Regional Committee: Fellow and trainee
AFPHM QLD Regional Committee: Fellow
AFPHM NT Regional Committee: Fellow and trainee
AFPHM ACT Regional Committee: Fellow
AFPHM Council Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Representative, and Māori Representative
AFPHM Policy and Advocacy Committee: Fellow
AFPHM WA Regional Committee: Fellow
AFPHM NSW Regional Committee: Chair and Fellow
The RACP Member Health and Wellbeing Committee (MHWC) has a vacant position for an AFPHM representative. The Committee provides advice and guidance on initiatives to support the health and wellbeing of College members. This is a valuable opportunity to contribute to cross-College wellbeing initiatives, share the public health perspective, and collaborate with colleagues from other specialties.
Applications close on Friday, 12 December. Apply here. For more information, email wellbeing@racp.edu.au
Closing Soon: RACP Indigenous Health Scholarships
The RACP Indigenous Health Scholarship Program aims to support medical graduates and current trainees of the RACP who identify as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Māori on their chosen career path to becoming a physician. The scholarships provide a funded pathway through Basic, Advanced, Faculty or Chapter training in Australia and/or Aotearoa New Zealand.
Applications close Sunday, 30 November 2025. Further details are available on the RACP Foundation webpage.
Call for nominations: AFPHM President's Awards for Outstanding Contribution
The Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (AFPHM) President’s Awards for Outstanding Contribution recognise a Fellow and a trainee who have made a notable contribution to the Faculty. Nominate a colleague in one of the following areas:
- Education, training and assessment
- Policy and advocacy
- Trainee commitment
- Other
Nominations close Saturday, 31 January 2026. See the website for more details and to nominate.
Stay up to date with the latest news from the trainee community and discover ways to enhance your training. From new resources to upcoming events, there's always something to support your growth and development.
*** Trainees are reminded to keep their MyRACP account details up to date, including current email and postal addresses, to ensure they receive communications and invitations to state-based events and other program updates.
Reminder about submitting Learning Contract Reports
Learning Contract Reports (LCRs) must be submitted within six weeks of completing an approved training position. Trainees who have not submitted a Learning Contract Report following the completion of their most recent training position are required to lodge an Interruption of Training form. This process is necessary to maintain active trainee status and to retain access to training materials, the training portal, and the ability to submit outstanding documentation within the appropriate timelines.
Failure to submit either a Learning Contract Report or an Interruption of Training form may result in training time not being recognised for that period.
For more information, consult our public health medicine webpage or email PublicHealthMedicine@racp.edu.au
2026 AFPHM oral exam dates published
For trainees sitting exams in 2026, the AFPHM oral exam dates are now available.
Bi-National Education Program
A reminder that the Bi-National Education Program series concluded on 28 August 2025. These sessions provide valuable learning opportunities specifically designed for trainees. You can access the recorded sessions by logging into Medflix and searching for your chosen topic.
Stay tuned for details about the 2026 Bi-NEP series in the new year.
For general training enquires, email:
publichealth@racp.edu.au
ADHD Reform
RACP representatives continue to contribute to national discussions on ADHD reform, advocating for consistent, safe, and equitable diagnostic and prescribing practices across jurisdictions. A recent roundtable convened by the RACP, with other medical Colleges and key stakeholders, explored key issues, models of safe shared care, and how best to support timely and equitable ADHD care for children and adolescents.
The RACP has called for a nationally consistent approach to ADHD care, highlighting the risks of expanding general practitioner (GP) scope of practice without clear standards - especially for complex paediatric cases. The RACP supports a tiered model of care with appropriate referral pathways, education and training, and support for GPs. Read our media release for more information.
Development of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry
The RACP provided input into the development of the National Occupational Respiratory Disease Registry, now live with a public dashboard summarising monthly incidence notifications. This feature supports transparency and ongoing monitoring of occupational respiratory illnesses.
The Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC)
The Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC) continues to progress, with the RACP calling for preparedness across the health system to address the rising burden of chronic disease. For more details, read our media release.
Health technology assessment
The Australian Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is seeking expressions of interests to fill vacancies on national health technology assessment and subcommittees. These committees provide independent expert advice to the Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability on the safety, effectiveness and value of medicines, medical services and technologies.
Applications close at 11.30pm (AEDT) on Monday, 15 December 2025.
To get involved in Policy and Advocacy work, visit our Member consultations webpage to view consultations that may be relevant to you.
For any questions, contact membersupport@racp.edu.au
AFPHM contact details
Member enquiries:
Phone: (AUS) 1300 69 7227
Phone: (NZ) 0508 69 7227
Email: memberservices@racp.edu.au
AFPHM Faculty enquiries (including Council and committees):
Julie Adams, Executive Officer
Email: afphm@racp.edu.au
AFPHM Education and Training enquiries:
Education Officer
Phone: +61 2 8247 6286
Email: publichealth@racp.edu.au
AFPHM Oral Examination enquiries:
Examination Coordinator, Assessment Services Unit
Phone: +61 2 9256 9681
Email: faculty.examinations@racp.edu.au
AFPHM training site accreditation inquiries:
Site Accreditation Unit
Phone: +61 2 9256 9674
Email: accreditation@racp.edu.au
AFPHM CPD enquiries:
Professional Practice
Phone: +61 2 8247 6285
Email: mycpd@racp.edu.au
Aotearoa New Zealand AFPHM Committee:
Aotearoa New Zealand Office
Phone: +64 4 472 6713
Email: nz_afphm@racp.org.nz