AFOEM ebulletin - 23 September 2022
We have been a part of history this month witnessing the end of the longest reign of a British monarch. Some of us have reflected on the significance of the death of Queen Elizabeth II. She was the epitome of constitutional monarchy and a symbol of State and stability during major changes in the world. Soon after her father, George VI, became king, Royal assent was given for the inclusion of ‘Royal’ in the College title in 1937. The letter from Australian prime minister, Joe Lyons, indicating that King George VI approved the title is on display in the Fellows' Room in Macquarie Street, Sydney. The worldwide outpouring of emotion is an acknowledgement of her lifetime of selfless dedicated service to people and communities and is a wonderful example to us all that service to others is highly valued across the world.
We also acknowledged the service of one of our past colleagues at the Kevin Sleigh Memorial Lecture, jointly hosted by AFOEM, ANZSOM and WorkSafe Victoria on 29 August. Our President-elect, Dr Armand Casolin enlightened the audience on the challenges in drug and alcohol testing. Kevin’s wife, Val, and son, Nicholas, were in attendance while his daughter, Caroline, was one of the 140 online attendees.
The experience of one of our esteemed colleagues and past Presidents, Dr Bruce Hocking, has been recorded by Dr Farhan Shahzad in another of his excellent series of interviews. This can be accessed on the ROC. I encourage those who have not yet joined the ROC to do so: the RACP ROC app for mobile devices is a convenient way to keep abreast of information on our Faculty and the College. The events listing details upcoming educational activities including the free ANZSOM Occupational Medicine 101 series. Dominic Yong is presenting on Worksite Assessments at 7pm AEST on Tuesday 27 September. Registration is available through the ROC or the ANZSOM website.
A combined ANZSOM and (UK) SOM webinar was held on 7 September and featured excellent presentations by our own Dr Mary Wyatt, providing an overview of ‘It Pays to Care’ and Professor Neil Greenberg from Kings College London on ‘Mental Health at Work’. The recording can be accessed on YouTube. The SOM has also produced an excellent position paper titled ‘Long COVID and Return to Work – What Works?’ and is available on the ROC.
Expressions of Interest are being sought for the ‘Improving the Health of Healthcare Workers’ project and close on Friday, 30 September. This project aims to improve the protection of healthcare workers to meet employer responsibilities for appropriate workplace safety in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and address the duty of care responsibilities towards healthcare workers in their workplace.
Dr Warren Harrex
AFOEM President
Nominate a colleague for their outstanding contributions to the Faculty in one of the following areas:
- Education, training, and assessment
- Policy and advocacy
- Trainee commitment
Nominations open Saturday, 1 October 2022. Visit the AFOEM President’s Award webpage for more details.
The RACP President's Indigenous Congress Prize is open to medical students, junior medical officers and RACP trainees who identify as Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander or Māori. The selected applicant will receive support to attend RACP Congress 2023 to gain educational and networking opportunities and exposure to career pathways within the College.
Please encourage anyone you know who is eligible to apply. Applications close Wednesday, 30 November 2022. For more information, visit the RACP website.
The Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine is proud to offer the 2023 Indigenous Australian and Māori Health Scholarship for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, as part of the RACP Indigenous Health Scholarship Program.
The program aims to support those 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.
Several scholarships are available for 2023 including:
- College Indigenous Australian and Māori Health Scholarship
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Scholarship
- Aotearoa Māori Health Scholarship
Applications open Saturday, 1 October 2022. More information is available on the RACP Foundation webpage.
The AFOEM Essay Prize is open to medical students or interns in their first year after graduation. The prize is awarded for demonstrated excellence through essay, research project or assignment on occupational or environmental health. Applications close Monday, 31 October 2022. For more information, visit the Essay Prize webpage.
Nominations are now open for a range of College and Fellowship awards. These awards acknowledge the outstanding contributions and achievements made by Fellows and trainees in their respective fields.
We encourage you to nominate for the following categories:
- 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 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.
Nominations close on Friday, 30 September 2022. Full details are available on the RACP Foundation webpage.
Register now for this free event presented by Tasmanian workers compensation industry stakeholders and supported by AFOEM and the RACP. This event brings together perspectives on medical information gathering in Tasmania’s workers compensation scheme.
Hear from keynote speakers including AFOEM’s Dr Mary Wyatt, who explains how evidence-informed practice in work injury schemes helps workers and their workplaces.
When: Tuesday, 27 September 2022, 2pm to 5pm.
Where: Hotel Grand Chancellor Hobart, and online.
View the full program or register.
The 23rd World Congress on Safety and Health at Work will be held at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Sydney from 27 to 30 November 2023.
The Congress is a great way to network while you learn about emerging trends, develop skills to mitigate new risks, and gain knowledge of work and health related safety best practices.
Visit the Congress website for more information and to register. Early bird tickets are available for purchase at 20 per cent off standard prices until Friday, 31 March 2023.
Abstracts can be submitted until Wednesday, 30 November 2022.
Organisers are also looking for people to review submitted abstracts. Fill in the Reviewers Form to register your interest by Friday, 18 November 2022.
During the months of August and September, there are some great free learning opportunities available to AFOEM Fellows and trainees:
Occupational Medicine 101 Series
The worksite assessment: the occupational physician’s tool in the toolbox
Presenter: Dr Dominic Yong
Date: Tuesday, 27 September 2022, 7pm (AEST)
ANZSOM New Zealand Conference (hybrid event)
Date: Friday, 14 to Saturday, 15 October 2022
Venue: The Victoria Hotel, 137 St Andrew Street, Dunedin
Cost: In-person registration: NZ$225 / Virtual registration: NZ$225, Dinner: NZ$69
#itswhatyouknow - WA Branch Webinar
Wellbeing and coaching plan for offshore and remote workers in crisis
Presenter: Danielle Kabilio
Date: Wednesday, 19 October 2022, 6pm (AWST)
Joint VIC/TAS Branch / AFOEM Educational Meeting
It pays to care: How do we go from policy to practice?
Presenters: Dr Mary Wyatt and a panel of stakeholders
Date: Monday, 24 October 2022, 6pm (AEDT)
Venue: RACP, 2/417 St Kilda Road, Melbourne (and virtually)
#itswhatyouknow - Nurse Focus Webinar
Hearing protection fit testing: a journey of implementation at Botany industrial park in Sydney
Presenters: Amanda Tompson and Julie Toseski
Date: Wednesday, 26 October 2022, 7pm (AEDT)
To register and for more information, visit
ANZSOM.
Not an ANZSOM member?
Join ANZSOM.
Subscribe to ANZSOM news.
Over the next few months, a number of changes will be happening to your CPD. These changes to your CPD will take place from the beginning of 2023 onwards, and will impact RACP Fellows in Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, and those practising overseas.
You are encouraged to keep a look out for important updates, new frameworks, and core requirements.
The CPD Team and the CPD Committee will be available to support you through these changes, and to answer any questions you might have.
Thank you to those who have completed their Physician Training Survey* or Medical Training Survey.
Both surveys close on Saturday, 8 October 2022. Don’t miss your opportunity to share your recent physician training experiences. Your feedback provides the RACP, training settings, and specialty committees with insights to help strengthen your medical training. Survey results:
- help identify and address wellbeing issues
- provide training settings with data to encourage improvement
- inform training setting accreditation activities.
Physician Training Survey
If you are a trainee in Aotearoa New Zealand or an educator in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand, complete your anonymous survey via the unique link sent from our research provider Big Village. Information about the survey is available on the Physician Training Survey page.
Medical Training Survey
If you are a trainee in Australia, your anonymous Medical Training Survey can be accessed after renewing your registration with the Medical Board of Australia. Visit the Medical Training Survey webpage for more information.
Questions?
For questions about the survey, contact the Training Survey team at trainingsurveys@racp.edu.au.
*The Physician Training Survey has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) – Concord Repatriation General Hospital of the Sydney Local Health District 2019/ETH12472.
If you have any concerns or complaints about the conduct of the research study, email the Executive Officer of the Ethics Committee at SLHD-concordethics@health.nsw.gov.au or phone +61 (0) 2 9767 5622.
Pomegranate Health podcast — Ep.85 The ASD Odyssey — a reply
Ep85: The ASD Odyssey — a reply
The National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Australia aspires to streamline referral pathways so that children can get the right help as early as possible. Despite the best intentions of many clinicians, there are drivers in the health system that make implementation difficult.
There are constraints in the way specialists can be reimbursed for time spent managing a case through the diagnostic process, and the extent of developmental disorders in the community may not be reflected in the depth of training in this area.
In this podcast we hear about some breaking research into a highly accurate diagnostic screening tool that could reveal just how prevalent ASD is in the community.
Guest
- Dr Paul Hotton FRACP (Staff Specialist in Community Child Health and Child Protection, Sydney Children's Hospital Network, and Chair of the RACP’s Chapter of Community Child Health)
IMJ On-Air: Recent advances in asthma management
This is the first episode of a new podcast format called “IMJ On-Air” inspired by the RACP’s Internal Medicine Journal (IMJ).
In each episode of IMJ On-Air, we will have a guest host interviewing authors of a recent article. Often these will be clinical perspective reviews which summarise the latest in management of major medical disorders.
In this episode we have leading respiratory physicians from the Royal Melbourne Hospital presenting current best practice in the diagnosis and treatment of severe asthma. They explain why inhaled corticosteroids have become so ubiquitous, and comment on the remarkable impact that monoclonal antibodies have made to the field. They discuss the lifestyle factors that can be modified to improve outcomes, and why so many people with severe asthma go undiagnosed. Finally, they reflect on the lessons learned from the 2016 “asthma storm” that sent 3,000 people to emergency rooms in a single evening.
Guests
- Associate Professor Daniel Steinfort FRACP (Royal Melbourne Hospital, Principal Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne)
- Dr Ashleigh Witt (Royal Melbourne Hospital)
- Associate Professor Nur-Shirin Harun FRACP (Royal Melbourne Hospital, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre)
- Professor Jo Douglass FRACP FThorSoc (Director of Research at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne)
Please visit the Pomegranate Health web page for a transcript and supporting references. To claim learning credits login to MyCPD , review/amend the prefilled activity details and click save. Subscribe to new episode email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app.
The College offers an extensive collection of online learning resources designed to support members with their professional development and lifelong learning needs. These cover important topics such as cultural safety, digital health, genomics, advocacy, quality and safety, and more. Don’t forget to claim CPD credits for time spent on RACP Online Learning.
Palliative Medicine Pain Management Online Learning Resource Development Working Group – accepting EOIs
Join this Working Group which advises on the topic structure for the required pain management online course and ensures that the new version of the course aligns with best practice.
Peer Review the Training Support Curated Collection – accepting EOIs
Peer reviewers are invited to assist in reviewing the Curated Collections, which are online resource libraries that include key readings, courses, resources and tools on specific topics. The new Collection provides useful, high-quality resources to support trainees through their training journey.
Find the latest updates on the ROC
Subscribe to the RACP Online Learning thread on the ROC to stay on top of the latest courses, resources, and learning and support opportunities available to you.
A new online training module from the Queensland University of Technology’s End of Life Law for Clinicians toolkit is now available. The module was designed in collaboration with First Nations health professionals and discusses legal considerations when caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their families at the end-of-life. The module forms part of an existing series that can be completed at no cost. To access the existing toolkit and the new module, register here.
The College recently provided feedback on the Australian Medical Association (AMA)’s discussion paper on reforms of the private health system in Australia, a whole of system approach to reforming private healthcare. The feedback has been derived from some individual member comments as an early entry into this complex discussion. It does not commit the College to a position on the proposal but calls for further policy development and consultation. Read the discussion paper here.
The Putting the patient at the centre: Healthcare Leaders’ Summit has been postponed. The summit will be convened at a later date and will be informed by the work of the Health Reform Working Group, for which we are currently seeking expressions of interest.
The Health Reform Working Group provides thought leadership and advanced expertise to the College Policy & Advocacy Committee (CPAC) and other College bodies on health reform, service integration and multidisciplinary care, helping us to drive innovation and better patient outcomes across the health system.
In August and September, the College participated in raising awareness to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), the leading cause of non-genetic developmental disabilities in Australia. This work culminated with international NOFASD Day on Friday, 9 September. The central role of health professionals in having early conversations and the need to combat stigma were key messages of the campaign. The College also promoted resources for health professionals from the Foundation for Alcohol Research & Education’s (FAREs) Every Moment Matters campaign, which the College has endorsed. Access these resources here.
The ROC is turning one on 30 September 2022 and we are celebrating in ROCtober.
Make sure you log in to the ROC every day to see what’s happening in your community and take part in our first birthday celebrations.
Mentor Match is an innovative program to help you connect with other members, based on your mentoring preferences and professional goals. Mentors provide guidance, advice, support, and feedback to mentees. While mentees are given the opportunity to develop personally and professionally and receive constructive feedback to improve performance and outcomes.
Register as a mentor or mentee and kickstart your mentoring relationship today.
Your member benefits platform brings you amazing rewards and offers this Spring, saving you money on home and garden, travel and more. Whether you're shopping for a new wardrobe, looking to redecorate your home or book a getaway, we have incredible savings on offer. Log in to your benefits platform today.
Available online 24/7. That's your Member Advantage!
*Terms and conditions apply.
Check the Expressions of Interest page at any time, to find out if there are any opportunities that are of benefit to you.
More news
- Financial wellbeing webinar: Boost your financial health — 24 September, 9am AEST
- Culturally safe palliative care for Aboriginal patients: Learnings from Central Australia — 4 October, 6pm AEDT
- Antibody-mediated neurological disorders — 5 October, 6pm AEDT
- Specialists Together: Climate change and sustainability of the NT workforce — 8 October, 9am to 12pm ACST
- Diabetes Summit 2022 — 15 October 2022, 9am AEDT
- Financial wellbeing webinar: Succession and wealth legacy — 20 October, 7pm AEDT
- National Health Workforce Summit — 27 to 28 October
- Specialists Together: Cross-culture communications and nephrology in remote settings — 29 October, 9am to 12pm ACST
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) webinar — Thursday, 29 September
- Financial wellbeing webinar: Reducing financial stress as a new or established staff specialist — in person on 5 November, 9am to 12pm AEDT
- 2022 ACTA Annual Scientific Meeting — 7 to 8 November
- Spirituality training workshops — 8, 15, 22, 29 November, 4pm AEDT
- Chronic Disease Management Summit — 22 to 23 November
- Specialists Together: NT sepsis protocol — 26 November, 9am to 12pm ACST
Save the date
- COVID-19 webinars – Thursday, 17 and 24 November
- 2023 MyCPD Framework Explained — 22 November, 6pm AEDT
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 and Selection Unit
Email: 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