AFOEM eBulletin - 9 June 2023
The AFOEM Annual Members Meeting was held online on 22 May and members obtained updates from the Chairs of the main AFOEM committees. I was delighted to announce the President’s Awards. Dr Michael Tombros received the trainee award for his active role in providing the trainee perspective, the education and training award went to Dr Andrew Lingwood for developing the online examination process during COVID-19 and Dr Mary Wyatt received the policy and advocacy award for her efforts with the development of the It Pays to Care documents.
It was my pleasure to congratulate Dr Benson Pek on the formal presentation of his Fellowship at the Convocation ceremony in Melbourne on 20 May. We need to encourage more doctors to enter our training program to cope with the expected increased demand for health monitoring for occupational lung diseases. As mentioned in the Annual Members Meeting, the number of trainees considering a career in occupational and environmental medicine has been decreasing over the past decade. We need to address the workforce issues as a priority if we are to remain viable as a specialty.
The continued advocacy on accelerated silicosis has resulted in funding announcements in the Australian Federal Budget. The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations has been allocated funding for $4.7 million over four years to establish a dedicated occupational lung diseases team to oversee implementation and investigate long term reforms for an improved national framework for occupational lung diseases. In addition, a further $4.2 million has been allocated over four years to extend the remit of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency to include the prevention of silicosis and other silica related occupational diseases and broaden the function of the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Council. Ongoing funding to support both initiatives was also announced.
This financial commitment is welcomed, but to promote primary prevention in workplaces it is important for the RACP to seek formal and continued representation on both the occupational lung diseases team when it is established and also on the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Council and Agency.
Just a reminder that registrations are open for the Annual Training Meeting from 28 to 30 July in Brisbane, as well as the ANZSOM Annual Scientific Meeting in Canberra from 22 to 25 October. One of the workplace visits is to Canberra’s largest custom manufacturer and installer of stone products.
Dr Farhan Shahzad has interviewed Dr Paul Psaila-Savona, one of our Foundation Fellows. His breadth of experience in practice and policy is inspiring and he has key messages for younger occupational physicians. I encourage you to read the interview on the ROC.
Dr Warren Harrex
AFOEM President
This series provides insight into the careers of retired and actively serving occupational physicians. The interview series has supported a collaboration amongst our peers in developing projects on compiling the history of occupational medicine. On this occasion, Dr Farhan Shahzad had the pleasure of meeting Dr Paul Psaila-Savona. Read the interview on the ROC.
Registrations are now open for the AFOEM Annual Training Meeting (ATM). The ATM will be held in Brisbane, Queensland from Friday, 28 to Sunday, 30 July 2023. More details regarding site visits and the full program will be uploaded to the website closer to the event. Registrations close Friday, 30 June.
Register now.
Resources from the 2022 AFOEM ATM are available on the RACP website, with recordings available on Medflix.
Don’t miss your chance to apply for funding under the following award categories:
Faculty Fellows and Trainees across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand are eligible to apply for most awards.
Applications for Research Development Grants and Travel Grants will open Saturday, 1 July 2023.
Faculty awards include:
- AFOEM Registrar Travel Fellowship ($10,000) provides support to an AFOEM registrar to undertake overseas study in an aspect of occupational and environmental medicine.
- AFOEM Research Development Grant ($30,000) is available to fund smaller research projects to support and encourage research in the field of occupational and environmental medicine
Please refer to the RACP Foundation website for information on specific eligibility requirements for each award.
Applications for the RACP Trainee Research Awards will be open from Saturday, 1 July to Thursday, 31 August 2023. Trainees and New Fellows undertaking post-Fellowship training with the RACP are encouraged to apply.
The Trainee Research Awards (TRA) provide a valuable opportunity for trainees to present their research at an Australian regional or Aotearoa New Zealand event. The best presenters from each local event are invited to present their work alongside recognised researchers at a RACP event in 2024.
Faculty trainees are encouraged to apply. Please see the website for further details and eligibility criteria.
Nominations will open shortly for the following College and Fellowship Awards. They acknowledge outstanding contributions and achievements made by Fellows and trainees in their respective fields.
Consider nominating a colleague, mentor, or trainee deserving of recognition.
- 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.
- RACP International Medal recognises a member who has provided outstanding service in developing countries.
- 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 the 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 2022 trainee award recipients will present their research at a free hybrid event on Friday, 18 August 2023 in the RACP Sydney office at 145 Macquarie St. Refreshments will be provided. Trainees are encouraged to attend! More details to come.
Coming to you during June and July are some great learning opportunities:
#itswhatyouknow – WA Branch Webinar
Are you paying attention? A neuropsychological spotlight on ADHD at Work.
Presenter: Dr Liz Vuletich, Consultant Clinical Neuropsychologist
Date: Wednesday, 21 June 2023, 6pm (WA time)/8pm AEST
Sponsored by Knight Health
Occupational Medicine 101 Session
Environmental medicine...the tasks ahead
Presenter: Dr Peter Honeyman, Occupational and Environmental Physician
Date: Tuesday, 4 July 2023, 7pm AEST
Visit the ANZSOM website for more information and to register.
Not an ANZSOM member?
Join ANZSOM.
Subscribe to ANZSOM news.
We invite you to join us in Canberra from Saturday, 22 October to Wednesday, 25 October 2023 for the ANZSOM Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM).
With educational opportunities including a line-up of presentations from industry experts, CPR training, and worksite tours of some of Canberra’s key facilities, the 2023 ASM is an event you don’t want to miss!
For more information and to register, visit the ANZSOM website. Register by the end of July to take advantage of Early Bird discounts.
Musculoskeletal injuries from the occupational health professional perspective
ANZSOM WA Branch is pleased to invite you to their Mini-Conference on Sunday, 13 August 2023. The conference will be held at the Sebel Mandurah and will be offered in-person to all those in WA, as well as anyone who would like to travel from interstate. The conference will also be streamed to those from interstate or overseas.
Registrations are now open. For more information, visit the ANZSOM website.
Ep94: Facing up to racial bias
In this episode, we try and understand the impact that racial bias makes on variation in clinical care. For example, racialized patterns in the use of analgesia were brought to light over 20 years ago but are still occurring today. In research from the UK published in March, it was found that women of African or South Asian extraction were significantly less likely to receive an epidural during vaginal birth, or instrumental assistance with the delivery. The direct reasons for this variation were not revealed by the study and could simply reflect the preferences of different cultural groups. But if that’s the case, it behoves us to address gaps in health education in a culturally sensitive way.
This podcast highlights the subtle drivers of racialized disparity at different layers of service delivery. At an individual level implicit bias can affect clinical decision-making. At an institutional level there may be known resourcing issues not being addressed, like availability of translators to help diverse patients understand what they’re consenting to. And all this takes place within the context of structural racism, the inequity that was long ago baked into society’s power structures. That’s particularly true in colonised countries like ours, so we also ask what it means to “decolonise” medicine.
Guests
- Wendy Edmonson PhD (Cultural Advisor, RACP)
- Dr Kudzai Kanhutu FRACP GAICD MPH (Dean, RACP; Deputy Chief Information Office, Royal Melbourne Hospital)
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.
Services Australia has started a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) podcast which identifies trending topics. The first episode includes insights from Rachel Macaulay (Services Australia) and Christopher Deane (Department of Health and Aged Care) who explain why some PBS medicines require authority and discuss the exciting future of electronic PBS Authorities.
Listen now
This engaging webinar will cover what the future of digital health entails, and where technology is leading the national health system.
Join members of the RACP’s Digital Health Advisory Group to find out what the College is doing to meet these exciting and evolving technological trends. Plus, listen as experts discuss digital competencies for the next generation of physicians, as well as the challenges of integrating digital health into the training curricula.
Date and time: Wednesday, 26 July 2023 from 5pm to 6.15pm (AEST)
Register to attend
The 37th World Congress of Internal Medicine 2024 (WCIM 2024) will take place at the Prague Congress Centre in the Czech Republic from 30 October to 2 November 2024. The Congress will feature keynote speakers from around the world who will share their knowledge and experience of clinical challenges and case studies, as well as guidelines and developments across the spectrum of internal medicine. It will provide a great opportunity to network and learn more about the experience of practising internal medicine which remains the cornerstone of every national healthcare system.
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’
We are excited to announce that the new ROC Homepage has gone live and is now ready to view. The new ROC Homepage is more intuitive and easier to navigate and includes a range of new features for you to explore.
The new Homepage also includes a link to our ‘ROC Tips’ - which features detailed information about how to access, navigate and utilise the ROC. Our ROC tips are frequently updated to ensure that you have all of the information you need in one single location.
Log in to the ROC and explore today.
Visit the RACP
events list at any time to view more upcoming events.
AFOEM contact details
AFOEM Faculty enquiries (including Council and committees):
LynFay Shapiro
AFOEM Executive Officer
Email: afoem@racp.edu.au
AFOEM Education and Training enquiries:
Education Officer
Phone: +61 2 8247 6268
Email: occenvmed@racp.edu.au
AFOEM Examination enquiries:
Examination Coordinator, Assessment Services
Email: faculty.examinations@racp.edu.au
AFOEM training site accreditation inquiries:
Site Accreditation Unit
Email: accreditation@racp.edu.au
AFOEM CPD enquiries:
Email: mycpd@racp.edu.au