Pot-pourri eBulletin - 25 Aug 2023
PCHD Council met last week over two days, 16 and 17 August, at the RACP offices in Macquarie Street, Sydney. Day one was a business-as-usual Council meeting; the second was a collaborative forum with a number of the paediatric specialty societies (SS) and Advanced Training Committees (ATCs). We had a fantastic turnout both days: 16 of 17 Council members attending on the first day and we added to that an additional 13 representatives from the ATCs and SS on day two. Most were able to attend in person with only a few joining via Zoom, and it was wonderful to catch up face-to-face with friends and colleagues, as well as having the chance to build new relationships.
PCHD Council members and guests
Having two full days provided excellent opportunities for frank discussions around several topics, some of those being:
- Increasing waiting time for developmental assessments in children
- RACP Congress and future events
- Updates from the College on Accreditation, Curricula Renewal, and Advanced Training Research Projects
- Position statements, both currently in progress and future plans
- Updates from PCHD committee chairs, ATC chairs, and SS leaders
- Updates on policy and advocacy work across the paediatric space
- Communication between members, the College, and specialty societies: how do we best work with one another, now and into the future?
It was agreed that such forums are a very beneficial way to maintain connections and we are already looking forward to next year’s event. Meanwhile, there is a lot to consider from this week’s discussions and I’ll be updating the membership more as this unfolds.
Last Friday, 18 August the College hosted the RACP Trainee Research Symposium 2023. Over 50 Fellows, trainees and non-members attended either in person in the RACP Council Room or online, with those online representing a great regional representation (including AoNZ’s North and South Islands). Guest speaker Dr Amali Mallawaarachchi spoke on genomic diagnostics in polycystic kidney disease, and four of the recipients of the 2022 RACP Trainee Research Awards presented on paediatric research topics, being:
Dr Jaslyn Ong (WA award recipient)
Consumer anaphylaxis simulation training for parents and families of children with food allergies
Dr Rachel Roberts (QLD award recipient)
Experiences of emergency department care for children with autism spectrum disorder: a mixed methods systematic review
Dr Michelle Scoullar (VIC award recipient)
Reproductive tract infections in pregnancy increases risk of adverse birth outcomes in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea
Dr Robyn Silcock (NT award recipient)
Parechovirus infection in infants: evidence-based parental counselling for paediatricians
All are to be congratulated for their successful presentations.
Professor Nitin Kapur
PCHD President
In lieu of their annual Chapter Satellite Day, this year the Chapter of Community Child Health has created a short webinar series to be held over four dates from October to November 2023:
- Thursday, 12 October: Rue Wright Memorial Award (various speakers)
- Thursday, 25 October: Integrated care to reduce inequities in child health (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” (Dr Alice Johnson)
- Thursday, 14 December: Paediatric Hubs (Dr Niroshini Kennedy)
You can register for individual webinars, or for the whole series. To find out more, see the CCCH webpage.
Submissions close on Monday, 4 September for the Rue Wright Memorial Award. This award is presented to the Fellow or trainee who best demonstrates excellence of hypothesis, scientific merit and relevance to community child health in an oral presentation.
For more information on how to submit for this award, see the website.
Please keep an eye on the EOIs page on the College website for vacant positions on PCHD Committees.
All Expressions of Interest
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.
Other awards and grants
- RACP Trainee Research Awards (TRA) – applications are open until 31 August 2023. The TRA provide an opportunity for trainees and New Fellows to present their research at local regional events. The best presenters from each local event are invited to present their work alongside recognised researchers in 2024.
College medals and awards
Nominations will open 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.
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:
- Quality care close to home: Objectives and early outcomes of a second paediatric heart transplant service in Australia
- Post-operative pain in children: Comparison of pain scores between parents and children
- Outcomes of lowered newborn screening thresholds for congenital hypothyroidism
- Does pre-school developmental assessment agree with later intellectual assessment? A retrospective cohort study
- Laparoscopic versus open pyeloplasty in paediatric pelvi-ureteric junction obstruction
Read the journal
The RACP Trainee Research Awards are open to all RACP trainees and first year Fellows. This is a terrific opportunity to have your research recognised and it makes a great addition to your CV.
Trainees who take out top honours at their regional event will be invited to present alongside recognised researchers at a College event in 2024. They will also be invited to have their abstracts published in the Congress supplement of the Internal Medicine Journal or Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.
Applications close on 31 August 2023.
Find out more
The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) has been updated with new listings implemented on Tuesday, 1 August 2023. Relevant information and authority application forms have also been updated and can be accessed through the Services Australia website.
Visit the PBS website
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
Pomegranate Health podcast – Ep100: Conversations with ChatGPT
Ep 100: Conversations with ChatGPT
Fellows of the College can record CPD hours for time spent listening to the podcast and reading supporting resources. Login to MyCPD, review the prefilled activity details and click ‘save’.
This is the final episode in a five-part series about artificial intelligence in medicine. We start by weighing up the costs and benefits of automation in a health system that’s increasingly pushed beyond capacity. One of the biggest time sinks for health practitioners is filling out and searching through medical records. Some of this could be performed by natural language processors which are becoming more accurate thanks to deep learning.
The power of large language models has been demonstrated by the meteoritic uptake of ChatGPT and doctors are among those who have used it to summarise literature or draft letters. But professional organisations have raised concerns around the accuracy and privacy of the model and there have also been spooky demonstrations of its capacity for common sense and theory of mind.
Guests
- Affiliate Associate Professor Paul Cooper PhD FAIDH CHIA AFHEA GAICD (Deakin University)
- Associate Professor Sandeep Reddy MBBS PhD IPFPH ECFMG CHIA FAcadTM FAIDH FCHSM SFHEA (Deakin University; Founder, MedAI)
- Professor Brent Richards MBBS FRACP JJFICM (Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service; Director, IntelliHQ)
Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. Login to MyCPD to record listening reading as a prefilled learning activity. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app.
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.
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This August, we bring you a range of offers to help you beat the price rise. With compelling offers on utilities, groceries and travel, you are sure to save. Log in to your member benefits platform today to check out these offers and more. Available online, 24/7. That's your Member Advantage!
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