Pot-pourri eBulletin - 22 September 2023
A message from your President
I’d like to start this month’s message by saying how much I’m looking forward to attending the College Convocation Ceremony in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand, on 30 September. Seeing our PCHD trainees receive their Fellowship in front of their families, friends and peers is always a joyous occasion, and I’m proud to be able to take part in this ceremony. It will be wonderful to meet some of our newest Fellows on this very special day.
On another matter of high importance to trainees, the Advanced Training Research Project process was discussed at the PCHD Council meetings held on 16 and 17 August. Further meetings are being held with College subject matter experts to address some of the more common pain points raised by our trainees regarding their training requirements. The Paediatric Research Committee is managing and overseeing this ongoing work under the guidance of the PCHD Council. I look forward to updating all members as this work progresses, in addition to the College’s efforts on providing statistician support for trainees.
On 5 September I took part in a meeting with the Western Australian Minister for Corrective Services & Police. The purpose of this meeting was two-fold:
- To advocate for the transfer of young people held at Casuarina Prison to an age-appropriate care facility.
- To discuss how we can support the Western Australian government to improve the health and wellbeing of young people in the youth justice system, including those in custody.
This is obviously an issue that is not going to be solved by a single meeting, but it was useful to bring together health experts and advisors to discuss ways to work towards viable solutions. I look forward to further discussions in the future.
At a planning day last year, the PCHD Council considered opportunities to increase our engagement with our international colleagues - particularly those in the Asia Pacific region. As a result of these discussions, it is my great pleasure to advise that the recipient of the 2023 Paediatrics International Grant is Dr Sonia Freitas Belo of Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares, Dili, Timor-Leste. Our congratulations go out to this worthy recipient. Visit the RACP website for more information about the Paediatrics International Grant.
Professor Nitin Kapur
PCHD President
Please keep an eye on the EOIs page on the College website for vacant positions on PCHD Committees.
All Expressions of Interest
ANZPID: The Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases Group
The Australian and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ANZPID) Special Interest Group of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID) is a specialty society affiliated with the RACP. A cornerstone of ANZPID’s work is education, research and advocacy in prevention and management of infections for children. At the end of last year, paediatricians welcomed the release of the third edition of the ASID-ANZPID Management of Perinatal Infections guidelines (see Guidelines in https://asid.net.au/publications). Frequently used in the care of children, these guidelines provide useful algorithms for the maternal and neonatal management of perinatal infections.
ANZPID conducts active research on a variety of priority topics, including HIV exposure in infants, bone and joint infections, and invasive Staphylococcus aureus infections in children. ANZPID has harnessed its collective voice to advocate on key issues in child health and infectious diseases, including childhood vaccinations and congenital syphilis. The group also ensures a paediatric lens is provided on national policies and provides representation on national and international professional committees. ANZPID has an active journal club with contributions from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and beyond, which is available on the ASID website. (Bowen AC, Connell TG, Bryant PA., Evaluating a web based paediatric infectious diseases journal club: more than just critical appraisal? BMC Med Educ 2014; 14: 242.)
Join ASID-ANZPID
ASID-ANZPID invites anyone with an interest in paediatric infectious diseases, and those providing care to children, to join us. Together we are a united force committed to improving infection management and prevention for children in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad.
Join ASID-ANZPID
ANZPID Committee Members: Dr Brendan McMullan (Chair), Dr Anita Campbell (Deputy Chair), Dr Phoebe Williams (WSPID member), Dr Linny Phuong (WSPID member), Dr Nan Vasilunas, Dr Archana Koirala, Dr Rachel Webb, Michelle Mahony (Trainee Representative), Dr Ameneh Khatami (ASID clinical research network member).
A group of ANZPID members pictured with Dr. Glaucomflecken in Adelaide, 2023
The Chapter of Community Child Health has created a short webinar series to be held over four dates from October to December 2023:
- Thursday, 12 October — Rue Wright Memorial Award
- Thursday, 26 October — Integrated care to reduce inequities in child health by Dr Sue Woolfenden
- Thursday, 9 November — An overview of the third edition (2023) of the RCPCH Purple Book, “The Physical Signs of Child Sexual Abuse” by Dr Alice Johnson
- Thursday, 14 December — Paediatric hubs by Dr Niroshini Kennedy.
Register for individual webinars or for the whole series. To find out more, please visit the CCCH webpage. The webinar series is in lieu of the annual Chapter Satellite Day.
Register to attend
Paediatric research resources – now available
Four toolkits developed by the Australian Paediatric Research Network (APRN) are now available to reference and download from the RACP Online Learning platform. These toolkits are:
You can download these resources from The Resourceful Physician collection, and also search through collection using specific keywords.
To assist Fellows with meeting their CPD requirements, all resources in The Resourceful Physician have been tagged according to whether they contain MyCPD category 1: educational activities, category 2: reviewing performance activities, or category 3: measuring outcomes activities.
See the toolkits
The MTS is a national survey for doctors-in-training in Australia, including RACP trainees. The aim of the survey is to help us identify strengths in medical training, as well as potential issues that need to be addressed. The survey is independently administered by research company EY Sweeney, ensuring only de-identified survey data will be provided to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the Medical Board of Australia. Results will be made publicly available via online summary reports and an interactive reporting dashboard early next year.
A survey link is provided to trainees once they renew their medical registration with Ahpra. For more information, visit the Medical Survey Training website or email MTS@ahpra.gov.au
Visit the Medical Training website
PCHD trainees and Fellows are eligible to apply for most awards. Visit the RACP Foundation webpage to see the eligibility criteria for each award and to access the online application form.
RACP Foundation Research Awards
Applications for research development grants and travel grants are now open.
College medals and awards
Nominations close soon for the following College awards and medals. These awards and medals acknowledge outstanding contributions and achievements made by members in their respective fields. Consider nominating a colleague, a mentor, or a trainee, deserving of recognition. Applications for these opportunities close on 30 September 2023.
- The John Sands Medal recognises a Fellow who makes a significant contribution to the welfare of RACP and its members.
- The College Medal is aligned to the College motto hominum servire saluti. It is awarded to a Fellow who makes a significant contribution to medical specialist practice, healthcare and/or health of community through physician activities. Applications close on 30 September 2023.
- RACP International Medal recognises a member who has provided outstanding service in developing countries. Applications close on 30 September 2023.
- RACP Medal for Clinical Service in Rural and Remote Areas recognises a Fellow who has provided outstanding clinical service in rural and remote areas of Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand.
- RACP Mentor of the Year Award recognises a Fellow who has made an outstanding contribution to mentoring or provided a high level of support and guidance throughout training.
- RACP Trainee of the Year Award recognises a trainee who has made an outstanding contribution to College, community and trainee activities.
- The Eric Susman Prize is awarded by the College to a Fellow for best contribution to the knowledge of internal medicine.
Full details are available on the RACP Foundation webpage.
Register for the National New Fellows online forum
Calling all New Fellows! Join us online on Tuesday, 10 October 2023 as we dive into your journey into Fellowship. This is a great opportunity to learn about the changes to your membership, to understand your AHPRA requirements, and to have your questions answered by experts.
Register for this free event
Do you know about the RACP Support Program?
It can be difficult to balance work pressures, interactions with colleagues and personal relationships. To help, we partnered with Converge International. Through the program, you can access confidential counselling, coaching and support for work and personal issues.
The RACP Support Program is a free 24/7, fully confidential and independent help line for Fellows and trainees. All RACP members receive four free sessions per year.
Make an appointment or speak directly with a Converge consultant on 1300 687 327 (Australia) or 0800 666 367 (Aotearoa New Zealand). Any information you give to Converge is completely confidential between you and your consultant.
Find out more and access support
Share your story in our 85-year Anniversary publication
To commemorate our 85-year Anniversary, the College invites its members to submit their stories to our 85 Year Anniversary publication. A total of 85 submissions will be curated into this keepsake publication to showcase the diverse journeys of our members and their personal connection with our College. All submissions will also be published in the College Roll.
Share your story or find out more
The Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health publishes original research articles of scientific excellence in paediatrics and child health. The latest edition is now live and available to view online.
Articles in this edition include:
- Duration of monitoring after cessation of oxygen therapy in infants with bronchiolitis
- Simultaneous diagnosis of primary adrenal insufficiency and Type 1 diabetes mellitus
- Review of outpatient procedural sedation clinics in a tertiary paediatric hospital in South Australia
- Video game playing and oral health in school‐age children: A cross‐sectional study in Turkey
- Live vaccines following intravenous immunoglobulin for Kawasaki disease: Are we vaccinating appropriately?
Read the journal
Get involved in the RACP podcast: Pomegranate Health
The RACP podcast, Pomegranate Health, has just published its 100th episode since starting out eight years ago.
To continue to provide you with frequent and focused podcast content, we’re seeking contributions from our speciality societies, committees, and affiliated professional organisations.
Please send any questions, thoughts, or ideas of topics to podcast@racp.edu.au, including expressions of interest to present or to be interviewed on the podcast.
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’
Mentor Match your way to success on the ROC
Mentor Match is the latest addition to an expanding line-up of services designed to support your professional development needs. It’s an innovative online tool that facilitates the establishment of mentoring relationships. It is user-driven, allowing registered Mentees to search among registered Mentors using specified criteria to find individuals whose experience and expertise match areas in which they wish to be mentored. Likewise, registered Mentors can search for and identify potential Mentees. Mentor Match is a benefit of membership and is available only to members via the RACP Online Community (ROC).
Log in to the ROC and find out more
Spring savings from your Member Advantage
Spring is here and brings with it more amazing offers and savings from your benefits program. You can save on travel, automotive, groceries and more. Log in and save with your Member Advantage.
Available online, 24/7. That's your Member Advantage.
Australian member access Aotearoa New Zealand member access
Other news and events
More news
See the latest news
Upcoming events
- Adolescent development: Why it is a critical time – 3 October, 6pm AEDT
- Northern Territory education series: Organ donation and transplantation in the NT – 4 October, 6.30pm ACST
- Abdominal aortic calcification and cardiovascular disease – 9 October, 6pm AEDT
- National New Fellows online forum – 10 October, 7pm AEDT
- Malaysian Paediatric Association Annual Congress 2023 – 12 to 14 October
- CCCH webinar series: Rue Wright Memorial Award – 12 October, 6.30pm AEDT
- Northern Territory education series: NDIS in the NT - the challenges of access – 14 October, 6.30pm ACST
- A holistic respiratory decision tool supporting young people with palliative care needs and their families considering non-invasive ventilation – 16 October, 6pm AEDT
- Obesity and pregnancy (including pregnancy following bariatric surgery) – 17 October, 6pm AEDT
- Epilepsy – 18 October, 6pm AEDT
- Starting in private practice – 21 October, 9am AEST
- Developing a cardiac supportive care service – 26 October, 6pm AEDT
- CCCH webinar series: Social housing – 26 October, 6.30pm AEDT
- Bone health in transgender individuals – 30 October, 6pm AEDT
- Immunomodulatory agents in pregnancy – 31 October, 6pm AEDT
See all events
View all career opportunities on the RACP website.
To submit an article for publishing in Pot-pourri, please email paed@racp.edu.au. The article should be no more than 350 words. If you would like to submit an image with your article, it would be assumed that you have received appropriate permission to use the photo and it needs to be of high resolution, above 300 dpi. Please note that articles may need to be edited by the RACP Communications Team.
Update your details with the College
Did you know that you can update your address details online? Simply log into MyRACP and go to 'Edit my details'.