Applicants should:

• Provide relevant skills and expertise to the Committee
• Not represent any organisation
• Have strong communication skills
• Devote the time to prepare for and attend Committee meetings on a pro bono basis
• Have an understanding of healthcare ethics and equity, or a willingness to engage with complex ethical issues in medicine and health policy
• Demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion, particularly in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Māori, and other under‑represented groups

The following attributes are highly desirable for appointment to the Ethics Committee to ensure that members meet the scope and purpose as set out in the Ethics Committee By‑Law (PDF).

Knowledge and skills in:

• Ethics
• Australian and/or Aotearoa New Zealand health systems
• Regional, rural or remote settings
• Any other experience and skills considered relevant by the RACP Board for the effective and efficient operation of the Ethics Committee

About the Ethics Committee

The Ethics Committee advises the Board on ethical issues related to: 

• health policy and advocacy
• education
• clinical practice
• the health of our communities

In all its work, the Committee acknowledges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori cultures, belief systems and world views are foundational to understanding ethics in these lands.

The Committee meets up to 4 times a year, including 1 face‑to‑face meeting at the RACP head office in Sydney (all‑day meeting) and 3 Zoom videoconference meetings (2 to 4 hours).

Committee membership:

• 8 x RACP members (including at least 1 trainee)
• 1 x Māori representative
• 1 x Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander representative
• 2 x healthcare consumer representatives
• 1 x non‑clinical ethicist
• 1 x legal professional

The Committee is supported by the RACP Policy and Advocacy team.

About the RACP

We've been serving the health of the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand people for over 80 years. We're a large and diverse educational institution and membership body that delivers postgraduate training and continuing professional development to over 30,000 Fellows and trainee members.

We operate in a highly regulated context, subject to constant change. Health technologies are rapidly advancing, and more physicians are working as part of multidisciplinary teams, often in community and hospital settings. These trends will only increase as the healthcare system responds to an ageing population, the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, demands for patient‑centred care, and growing funding pressures. There's also a trend for trainees’ medical education requirements and the Fellowship’s continuing professional development to become broader and more rigorous. To meet these demands, we're adapting and responding to the changing needs of our Fellows and trainees to service our communities.

The Ethics Committee has a role in ensuring that the RACP continues to deliver high‑quality physician education and training programs, support future healthcare systems, and provide health policy leadership.

Apply

To apply, submit an expression of interest form (DOC) with a copy of your CV to ethics@racp.edu.au