AFOEM eBulletin – 15 October 2021

A message from your President

We are at a critical stage in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Vaccination rates have accelerated in the past couple of months in both Australia (65 per cent of those over 16 are fully vaccinated) and Aotearoa New Zealand (61 per cent of over those over 12 are fully vaccinated). This has given our respective governments the opportunity to start implementing their roadmaps out of the pandemic and easing restrictions, even while new cases each day remain stubbornly high, especially in my state of Victoria.

The new mantra is ‘Living with COVID’ and that also includes ‘Working with COVID’, so the need for advice to workplaces from occupational and environmental physicians will remain high as businesses re-open and workers return to the workplace. The next few weeks to months will demonstrate how successful this re-opening strategy is in keeping new cases, especially severe cases, at a manageable level and not overwhelming the healthcare systems in our two countries.

The next Health Benefits of Good Work (HBGW) webinar will focus on the thorny issue of COVID-19 vaccination in the workplace. Recently, governments have been mandating through health orders vaccination for an increasing number of groups of workers and many businesses have also introduced this for their workers outside health orders. This has raised many medical, ethical, legal and occupational health and safety (OHS) issues. The term ‘mandatory vaccination’ has unfortunately had negative connotations, which has prompted strong objection among a small percentage of workers. I am of the view that COVID-19 vaccination for workers should be seen through the lens of being a requirement for some types of work and apply the principles of fitness for work, as we do with other health issues in workers, especially for those in safety critical jobs. This HBGW webinar will be held on Tuesday, 30 November, so save that date. Further details will be circulated soon.

You will have received an invitation recently to participate in the RACP’s Online Community (ROC). I’d like to encourage you to log into the ROC and started connecting with other AFOEM members, as well as other College members. The ROC aims to be a secure place for us to share information, debate health issues and network with our colleagues. Our own AFOEM online community within the ROC will be launching later this month and I look forward to having interesting discussions there with AFOEM colleagues. Effective communication among AFOEM members, who are almost entirely outside the hospital system, has been an ongoing issue and the ROC is one way that we can promote greater interaction among our colleagues.

An exciting AFOEM development is the History of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Project, which an AFOEM working group has been progressing in collaboration with the Library, Collections and the Cultural Heritage Committee of the RACP. This is an important project to document the history of our Faculty by accessing both written and verbal material. An important component will be the Witness Seminar to be held in March 2022. I encourage anyone with relevant material to contact the AFOEM Executive Officer or Professor Niki Ellis. Further details about the history project can be found later in this eBulletin.

AFOEM is keen to raise the profile and activity of research among its members. The RACP Foundation grants offered each year have had poor take-up and AFOEM Council has discussed how to make the research grants on offer more attractive to our Fellows and trainees. There are also opportunities for our members to apply for research grants outside the RACP. One example is the recently advertised Avant Foundation research grants and scholarships, which aim to support research and quality improvement projects to improve how medicine is practised. These grants would be very suitable for AFOEM trainees needing a small grant to support their research project, but also for Fellows who want to add a research focus to their practice. More details can be found at the Avant website.

I’d like to remind you again about a couple of important conferences to be held early next year. The ANZSOM Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), with AFOEM as the scientific partner, will be held in Brisbane from 20 to 23 March 2022. The program is shaping up well and I encourage you all to register for the ANZSOM ASM and catch up with colleagues in Brisbane, COVID-19 permitting. Further details can be found on ANZSOM’s website.

The other conference is the International Congress on Occupational Health (ICOH), which will be held virtually from 6 to 10 February 2022. The main theme is ‘Sharing solutions in occupational health through and beyond the pandemic’ but the Congress will also cover a very wide range of occupational health issues in addition to the pandemic. Abstracts have recently closed and more than 900 abstracts were received. There will also be about 50 mini-symposia focused on a diverse range of occupational health topics. Further information and registration details can be found on the event website.

Please keep an eye on the calls for Expressions of Interest for various positions, available now and coming up. At the moment we are seeking an AFOEM Representative on the Health and Wellbeing Committee.

Malcolm

Professor Malcolm Sim AM
AFOEM President

AFOEM Fellows interview series

I have witnessed a variety of traits amongst our peers through these interviews. Our Fellows have adapted a course in their careers which promotes an entrepreneurial spirit, bridges the gap and offers solutions outside the box whilst establishing authority in the workplace. On this occasion, I have the pleasure of speaking to our highly esteemed colleague, Dr Chris Kelly.

Dr Farhan Shahzad, Consultant Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sydney

An interview with Dr Chris Kelly

Farhan: Welcome to this interview series. Chris, please tell us about yourself.

Chris: I’ve been married to Liz for 40 years and we have four children and so far, four grandchildren.
I have had two careers really – rural general practice and then occupational medicine. I graduated from Adelaide University in 1978 and completed four postgraduate years in Adelaide, North Queensland and the UK, where I did a year of obstetrics.

In between Queensland and the UK, Liz and I backpacked for a year through Southeast Asia, India, Nepal and Africa. A highlight was meeting Sir Edmund Hilary on the Everest base camp trek!

In rural practice I enjoyed emergency work, antenatal care and deliveries and looking after a community in a holistic sense. In my mid-40s I started in occupational medicine. In 1996, as a trainee, I started JobFit Health Group, with Liz and one nurse.

I sat the Fellowship in 1998 and was fortunate enough to win the Ramazzini Prize and the Dean Southgate Award.

Farhan: What developed your interest in occupational medicine?

Chris: My rural practice was in Goolwa, which had an active aluminium boat building industry. I saw weld flash and foreign bodies, and my first metal fume fever.

Farhan: What have been some of the highlights in your career?

Chris: Highlights include developing Jobfit, working in the interface between medicine and business, and mentoring work I’ve done in Singapore and Shanghai. I've enjoyed being an examiner for many years and seeing the trainees coming through (and it keeps examiners up to date).

Farhan: Let’s talk about your legacy. Where to from now?

Chris: I hope I finish my career with a reputation as a good doctor first and foremost.

By 2015 when I sold JobFit, it was a national business with over 400 employees from occupational physicians to admin staff.

As to the future, I've been assisting an orthopaedic surgeon for over 20 years. It's like a marriage that needs to end in divorce! I do a bit of consultancy work for JobFit. From a career point of view, it will soon be time to ride off into the sunset.

I play golf and tennis weekly and guitar badly. I made a guitar a while back and plan now to make one for each of my grandchildren.

Farhan: Do you have a message for trainees and fellow physicians?

Chris: I believe occupational physicians belong in the workplace, so I'd advise trainees to try and get themselves an onsite job. Don’t just settle into the comfort and safety of your consulting room. It's way more satisfying and important for the profile of our profession to be out there relating to and interacting with workers and employers in the workplace.

Secondly, I feel it's important to realise how much social interaction, and very often self-worth, people lose when they're not at work. I would say to trainees, if you don't believe in the physical, mental and social health benefits of safe work, then you're in the wrong profession.

Health Benefits of Good Work™ Webinar – save the date

The Health Benefits of Good Work™ Signatory Steering Group (SSG) together with AFOEM Fellows will run a webinar on COVID-19 and returning to the office. This session will be of particular interest to employers trying to keep their employees and clientele safe as restrictions are eased.

The webinar will take place on Tuesday, 30 November.

Stay tuned, more details will follow soon.

The ROC is here

It's yours, so make it your own

The ROC (RACP Online Community) is live and is your place to network, engage and connect in real time. It's private, secure and available exclusively to RACP members.

You can use the ROC to:

ask questions and start discussions with each other in an easy to access online forum
find other members and connect with them
expand professional networks across the membership, or within your specialty, Division, Faculty or Chapter
keep up-to-date with College announcements
find out about the latest events, updates and resources
be informed via a weekly digest email on Thursdays, or opt out if you prefer.

To help you get started, watch this brief instructional video and hear what others have to say about their experience with the ROC.

Online Town Hall meeting with the Hon. Greg Hunt MP

Physicians of the future, health system of the future

You're invited to a Town Hall meeting with the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health and Aged Care. This free online event for all members will be held on Wednesday, 10 November from 5.30pm to 7pm AEDT, 7.30pm to 9pm NZDT. We'll present a physician-focused vision of an evolving digitally-supported health system and the way the College can support physicians on their journey there.

The program

Towards consumer-centric, equitable, evidence-based digitally-supported models of care
How physicians can harness the enthusiasm for telehealth to support integration of digital health in the healthcare and wellness system
Professor Tim Shaw

Q&A with Professor Tim Shaw
Facilitated by Dr Jacqueline Small

Embedding digital technologies and innovation in the health system
The Hon. Greg Hunt MP

Q&A with the Hon. Greg Hunt MP
Facilitated by Dr Jacqueline Small

How discussed changes and challenges are addressed by the College
Professor Andrew Coats AO

Have your say: Member feedback
Facilitated by Professor John Wilson AM

HBGW Gendered and Sexual Violence in the Workplace Webinar

In case you missed it the Health Benefits of Good Work™ Signatory Steering Group (SSG), together with AFOEM Fellows ran a webinar on 30 August 2021 addressing the factors and issues arising in workplaces that can create a culture of violence, aggression and anti-social behaviour. The webinar was chaired by Keith Govias, Chair of the SSG. The speakers included Dr Jacqueline Small, RACP President-elect, Sophie Ismail, ACTU Legal and Industrial Officer – Gender Equity and Dr Karen Williams, a Consultant Psychiatrist and the founder of Doctors Against Violence Towards Women.

The recording is available via the RACP website under HBGW resources.

Closing soon: AFOEM Essay Prize

Let medical students or interns in their first year after graduation know about the AFOEM Essay Prize. The prize is awarded for demonstrated excellence through essay, research project or assignment on occupational or environmental health.

The awardee receives $1000 cash.

Visit the website for more information and details on how to apply. Applications close Sunday, 31 October 2021.

RACP Indigenous Health Scholarships

The Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine is proud to offer the 2022 Indigenous Australian and Māori Health Scholarship for Rehabilitation 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 2021, including:

College Indigenous Australian and Māori Health Scholarship
Indigenous Australian and Māori Health Scholarship for Paediatrics & Child Health
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Scholarship
Aotearoa New Zealand Māori Health Scholarship
Aotearoa New Zealand Pacific Islander Health Scholarship.

Applications close Tuesday, 30 November 2021. Further details on these scholarships are available on the RACP Foundation webpages.

RACP President's Indigenous Congress Prize

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 the 2022 RACP Congress to gain educational and networking opportunities and exposure to career pathways within the College.

Please encourage anyone you know who is eligible to apply before the deadline on Monday, 31 January 2022. Visit the RACP website for further details.

ANZSOM Annual Scientific Meeting – new dates

With the recent surge of the COVID-19 Delta variant leading to lockdowns across the country, coupled with the Stamford joining Queensland Government’s hotel quarantine program, the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) Organising Committee and ANZSOM General Council have decided to postpone the 2021 ASM to March next year.

The conference will now run from Sunday, 20 March to Wednesday, 23 March 2022.

Registrations
Registration types and prices will remain the same but the early bird closing date will extend to Sunday, 31 October 2021. If you have already paid for your registration, you will have received communication about your options.

Program
The newly-timed ASM 2022 will continue with the theme Changing Work – CULTURE | COVID | CLIMATE and we anticipate the program will remain unchanged. This will include the History of Occupational Medicine Witness Seminar which will take place on Sunday, 20 March 2022.

Visit the website to find out more

Expressions of Interest: AFOEM Faculty Assessment Committee vacant positions

The AFOEM Faculty Assessment Committee (FAC) seeks expressions of interest from AFOEM Fellows for many different roles:

We would like to hear from you to see how we can get you involved. Interested AFOEM Fellows need to complete and submit the Expression of Interest form with a copy of their CV to Dr Andrew Lingwood, Chair of the AFOEM Faculty Assessment Committee, by email to faculty.examinations@racp.edu.au.

AFOEM Practical Exams

Trainees, we hope that your exam preparations are going well, and we want to extend our thoughts to those of you in states or countries who are impacted by the current COVID-19 lockdowns or changes to alert levels.

With just over two months until the AFOEM Stage B Practical Examination we continue to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 regulations and local conditions and we want to update you with our plans for proceeding with the exam on Saturday, 13 and Sunday, 14 November 2021.

To assist with preparation, we would like to provide you with clarity on the exam arrangements being delivered through a hybrid model.

Exam day

This year’s delivery has been carefully developed to ensure we provide a safe exam approach without comprising integrity. To negate the risks involved with interstate and/or international travel, provisions are being made for candidates to sit their exam in a location central to their state (Australia) or country (Aotearoa New Zealand).The exam locations will be made available on the examinations webpage in the coming weeks.

The Exhibit-Based Assessments (EBAs), Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and Clinical stations will be delivered over two days as follows:

Saturday 13 November: The EBA and OSCEs will be delivered virtually via Zoom in an exam centre central to candidates’ state or country.

Sunday 14 November: The clinical stations will be delivered through a hybrid approach in a locally based hospital (clinic rooms) or professional exam venue. The candidate, patient and a local examiner will be together in a clinic room. A second examiner and a Quality Assurer, or Observer, will dial in remotely using Zoom. All COVID-19 guidelines for the venue will be adhered to e.g. wearing face masks.

This information is now available on our examinations webpage and we will update you with any further developments. As we have now moved to Plan B of our contingency plans, further contingencies are being reviewed by the College and the AFOEM Faculty Assessment Committee and will be advised as soon as possible. Please make sure your contact details, particularly your mobile number, are up-to-date in MyRACP.

Trainee wellbeing

We value the wellbeing of our trainees, and we endeavour to communicate important information in a timely manner, directly and through the website.

We encourage you to use the RACP Support Program provided by Converge International. Make an appointment or speak with a consultant by calling 1300 687 327 (Australia) or 0800 666 367 (Aotearoa New Zealand).You may also wish to speak with your supervisor and to use the other wellbeing resources available on the RACP website.

You can find other useful information on the webpage, including format of the exam, marking and results. If you have any questions about the exam, please email us at Faculty.Examinations@racp.edu.au or contact us via the website.

We wish you all the best with your preparation for the exam.

Faculty Examinations Team
RACP Assessment and Selection

Exploring the history of the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

In collaboration with the Library, Collections and Cultural Heritage Committee (LCCHC) of the RACP, AFOEM has begun exploring, documenting, and promoting the history of this unique group within the College.

The working party within AFOEM, tasked with this work, has gathered the ‘bare bones’ of this history from written documents held in the library archives, journal articles and personal recollections of former physicians, newsletter items etc.

This preliminary material forms the basis of a timeline of the specialty of occupational and environmental medicine. This timeline will form the core of the historical record of the specialty on the heritage section of the College website.

We are also planning a ‘witness seminar’. A written history, however, is often a history of facts. But what about the background leading up to decisions? One way to get the complete picture is to confront those who ‘were in the room where it happened’.

A ‘witness seminar’ will do just that. This forum is essentially a group oral history involving these original players and others who have played a part. They are invited to participate in a discussion to which they can contribute their recollections. An edited recording of the seminar provides an invaluable historical record for the future. The workshop planned for November has now been postponed to March 2022.

I have every confidence that the historical contribution from AFOEM to the RACP website’s heritage pages will be a great success. This resource should then be a great incentive for other specialty groups within the College to follow.

Catherine Storey OAM
Chair – Library, Collections and Cultural Heritage Committee (LCCHC)

Member Health and Wellbeing Committee

The RACP is seeking to appoint an AFOEM/AFPHM representative to its Member Health and Wellbeing Committee.

Applicants should:

provide relevant interest, skills and expertise to the Committee
not represent any particular organisation
be prepared to devote the time to prepare for and attend Committee meetings on a pro bono basis.

The Member Health and Wellbeing Committee is a Committee of the Board charged with the responsibility of assisting the Board discharge its responsibilities, which include:

to represent the view of physicians and trainees on health and wellbeing
to promote the personal and psychological health and wellbeing of physicians and trainees
to advocate on behalf of physicians and trainees in matters relating to health and wellbeing
to provide expert advice on matters relating to member health and wellbeing
to increase awareness of wellbeing issues in physicians and trainees
to oversee the ongoing management and implementation of the Member Health and Wellbeing Strategy and associated activities
to provide guidance on the evaluation of the Member Health and Wellbeing Strategy
to work with College health and wellbeing staff to revise the Member Health and Wellbeing Strategy when required.

For further information and to apply for the available position on the Member Health and Wellbeing Committee visit the EOI webpage.

The RACP Trainees' Wellbeing Webinar 2021

Last chance to register

It's no secret the past 18 months have been a challenge. Prioritise your wellbeing and professional development by attending the RACP Te Hui-ā-Ataata mō te Waiora o ngā Tauira Mahi | RACP Trainees' Wellbeing Webinar. Held on Rātū, 19 Whiringa-ā-nuku | Tuesday, 19 October from 7pm to 9pm NZDT / 5pm to 7pm AEDT, there's a sensational line-up of speakers planned, so you won't want to miss out.

Announcing our panel member

Glenn Williams - circle We are thrilled to announce Dr Glenn Williams will be joining us on the panel discussion. Dr Williams is a believer in mindfulness, therapy and the healing effect of the outdoors and fitness. He will discuss being kind to ourselves and our colleagues and share his personal experiences to demonstrate what has worked for him and what hasn’t. Dr Williams will share tips on how to keep your mental health strong while negotiating the ongoing challenges in the medical profession. Register now to hear from Dr Williams at the Wellbeing Webinar.

Keynote speaker

Another highlight on the program is Dr Susannah Ward's session, 'Wellbeing tools for life: Strategies for preventing burnout'. Hear what she has to say about the event and why you should register in her video.

2021 New Fellow Survey

Thank you to everyone who has participated in the New Fellow Survey so far. If you were admitted to Fellowship of an RACP Division, Faculty or Chapter Training Program between 1 October 2019 and 1 October 2020, please complete this important survey.

Your feedback on how your RACP training program has prepared you for unsupervised professional practice and sharing your experience of the transition from trainee to specialist physician helps us to provide tailored support for members and make evidence-informed improvements to training programs.

Don’t miss out on sharing your thoughts. The survey closes Wednesday, 10 November 2021. For more information about the survey, including confidentiality and how the data will be reported, please visit the New Fellow Survey webpage.

Complete survey

RACP submission to the National Medicines Policy Review

The College submission to the Discussion Paper of the National Medicines Policy (NMP) (2000) Review is available.

The regulation of medicines and medical devices is of great importance to the College and a matter on which we are actively engaging. In this first stage of the NMP development, we advocate for ongoing specialist physician involvement and draw attention to the strong need for this updated policy to promote consistency across all health sectors. We also note the importance of addressing the needs of different populations, building the workforce and improving medication safety. Furthermore, our submission notes the importance of ensuring secure supply chains and safeguarding the environment. The important issue of whether to expand the NMP to include health technologies or revise the definition of medicines is also addressed in the RACP submission.

Read the submission

Pomegranate Health Podcast

Episode 73: Communicating a pandemic

There are many layers of public health interventions that can reduce the rate of transmission of the novel coronavirus. Social distancing, mask wearing, lockdowns and vaccines each nudge the reproduction number down. But you need all of them working together to make a significant impact, and that means you need the community on board.

In this podcast, we discuss the challenges and strategies around communicating public health messages to the public during a time of such high anxiety. Dr Jessica Kaufman is a Research Fellow in the Vaccine Acceptance, Uptake and Policy Research Team at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute who presented her work at the RACP Congress in May. She outlined the principles and clarity, transparency and consistency that are needed to win the public’s trust when tough social restrictions need to be adhered to.

We also hear an interview with Professor Allen Cheng FRACP, who’s played this game harder than most. As Deputy Chief Health Officer of Victoria, he advised on implementation of the lockdown that brought Melbourne’s second wave to a halt after four long months. If being part of the fun police wasn’t enough responsibility, he also co-chaired the COVID-19 Group at the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation which had to weigh up the suitability of the AstraZeneca vaccine as reports of rare side-effects and death were emerging in real time. He describes the fine balance between providing enough information for the public to be able to make informed decisions.

Guests

Dr Jessica Kaufman (Murdoch Children's Research Institute)
Professor Allen Cheng FRACP (Alfred Health, Monash University, ATAGI, TGA)

Do you want to be among the first to find out about more Pomegranate Health podcasts? Subscribe to email alerts or search for ‘Pomegranate Health’ in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Castbox, or any podcasting app. RACP Fellows can claim CPD credits for listening and learning via MyCPD. For a transcript and further references please visit our webpage.

The SPDP Online Facilitation Course

The Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) is a high-quality training program for final year Advanced Trainees and Fellows who supervise trainees. Have you done one of our SPDP workshops and successfully applied the skills you learnt in practice? Complete our Online Facilitation Course and become an online course facilitator today.

Find out more

New online course: quality and safety in rural Australia

The new Quality and Safety in Rural Australia self-paced online course has been designed to get you thinking about the unique factors and challenges of practising healthcare in rural Australia. It investigates, in a practical way, how quality and safety may differ in rural Australia and offers some useful information and resources to assist you in delivering the best care in these settings.

Developed by experts and RACP Fellows, this adaptable course features a mix of in-depth content, video scenarios, reflection and discussion activities and recommended supporting materials.

Digital health micro-credentialing opportunity for healthcare professionals

The Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA) has partnered with the Digital Health CRC (DHCRC) and RMIT Online (RMITO) to deliver a suite of industry-relevant micro-credentials designed to revolutionise the digital capability of healthcare professionals across northern Australia.

The three six-week online short courses on digital health strategy and change, technology-enabled care and healthcare design will provide in-depth insights on how to deliver high-quality patient care with technology and ways to plan and integrate technology into various healthcare settings and teams.

The CRCNA is co-sponsoring places with applications open to all healthcare professionals working in or delivering care in northern Australia including doctors, nurses, allied health staff, health administrators, mental healthcare and community healthcare workers. Applications are now open with courses due to start on Monday, 25 October 2021.

The CRCNA will contribute 50 per cent towards enrolment costs of successful applicants – this offer ends on Monday, 18 October 2021.

For more information on fees and to apply for this co-sponsorship opportunity, access this form.

For enquiries, contact education@dhcrc.com.

The RACP National New Fellows' Online Forum

Need some extra support for your journey through Fellowship? Being held on Tuesday, 19 October from 7pm to 8.30pm AEDT, the National New Fellows’ Online Forum will help guide final year Advanced Trainees and first year Fellows in the right direction.

At this free online event, you'll receive advice from Fellows who've been in your shoes and hear about medico-legal issues, CPD requirements and more.

Sessions include:

On the threshold of consultant practice: The nuts and bolts, dollars and sense
Introduction to CPD: A step-by-step process for New Fellows
The things I wish I knew when I was new: Hear from a recent New Fellow about what to expect
Medico-legal issues: The blurred lines between personal and professional in social media case studies and how this directly relates to New Fellows
Panel discussion: Navigating the next stage of your career, led by experienced Fellows.

Virtual My Health Record sessions for specialists

The Australian Digital Health Agency is hosting a series of upcoming new virtual classroom sessions.

Tailored specifically for specialists, practice nurses and practice managers, the virtual sessions use an online training environment to demonstrate the core features of My Health Record in either the Genie or National Provider Portal environments.

The sessions are designed to be interactive where participants are encouraged to ask questions and raise any issues.

Understand how to:

save time by accessing overview summary documents including medicines, immunisations, pathology and diagnostic imaging
find documents relevant to your clinical practice e.g. discharge summaries
understand how to view the available Medicare information.

View the list of available session times and register for a session:

PhD scholarship in practice analytics and ethics at Monash University

This PhD scholarship is funded as an important part of a Digital Health CRC (DHCRC) funded program of work on practice analytics. The Practice Analytics program seeks to understand how hospitals can provide clinical teams and individual clinicians actionable data that relates to the quality of clinical practice, and to explore the role of electronic health data for supporting practice audits and practice reflection to improve professional practice.

The successful applicant will receive a Research Living Allowance at the current value of AUD $40,000 per annum 2021 full-time rate (tax-free stipend), an education allowance at $5,000 per annum, an education program allowance at $5,000 per annum and a project admin allowance at $5,000 per annum.

Find out more and submit an expression of interest by Sunday, 31 October 2021.

Clinical updates: TSANZ Clinical Guidelines for Organ Transplantation from Deceased Donors

The Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand (TSANZ) has released the latest updates to the Clinical Guidelines for Organ Transplantation from Deceased Donors (the Clinical Guidelines). Version 1.7 of the Clinical Guidelines includes updates to sections on malignancy in donors as well as a number of changes in relation to paediatric donors.

For further details and a copy of Version 1.7 please refer to the TSANZ website.

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare recommendations from The Fourth Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (the Commission) has released The Fourth Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation. It examines variation in healthcare use according to where people live. It covers six clinical areas: early planned births, chronic disease and infection, ear, nose and throat surgery in children and young people, lumbar spinal surgery, gastrointestinal investigations, and medicines use in older people.

For further details, and key findings from The Fourth Australian Atlas of Healthcare Variation, and the Commission’s recommendations for action, please refer to the Commission’s website.

Recent climate change and health advocacy

The College has been increasingly involved in climate change advocacy over recent months. We recently completed a consultation process with member bodies and confirmed our endorsement of the 2021 MJA-Lancet Countdown Australian Policy Brief. This year’s Brief will focus on sustainable healthcare, the impacts of heat on work and sport, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander co-design, and is expected to be published later this year.

The RACP joined the international health community to sign the #HealthyClimate Prescription letter, which calls for action to address the climate crisis and will be sent to leaders and delegates ahead of COP26. We also recently participated in a joint webinar with the Australian Medical Association, Doctors for the Environment and 13 medical colleges on climate change leadership and action from Australian doctors. You can watch the recording or read the joint letter to the Prime Minister calling for urgent and meaningful action on climate change.

In August, the College provided feedback on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) draft COP26 Special Report: The Health Argument for Climate Action which aims to raise the health voice, health arguments and health urgency of tackling the climate crisis and provides recommendations to take to COP26. The College also provided feedback and suggestions to improve the Victorian Government’s draft Health and Human Services Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan 2022-2026. The draft plan proposes 14 strategic actions that Victoria’s health and human services system can take during the next five years to address current climate change impacts, reduce barriers to adaptation planning and action, and lay the foundations for transformational adaptation.

Looking ahead, the College continues to progress its Climate Change and Health Research Project. Professor Lynne Madden FAFPHM will speak about the early findings on 16 October at the iDEA 2021 conference which runs online from today; Friday, 15 to Sunday, 17 October under the theme Planet, Health and Hope.

Discover your world of benefits with commercial pricing

Time to freshen up your kitchen? Or maybe you are looking to update your tech to the newest model? Through your benefits, RACP members get commercial pricing from trusted brands like JB HiFi and The Good Guys. Which means you can buy the latest and greatest while still keeping some cash in your pocket. Last month, a member used his tax return to upgrade his home entertainment system and saved over $260.

Start shopping now to get ahead of Christmas delivery delays and avoid disappointment. Log into your benefits platform today in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand.

If you need assistance activating your benefits account, contact the customer care team on 1300 853 352.

Career opportunities

For career opportunities, view all positions vacant on the RACP website.

Conferences and events

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians publishes notices of events and courses as a service to members. Such publication does not constitute endorsement or mandating of any such events or courses.

ANZSOM webinar: Driving Health Study and the National Mental Health and Wellbeing Roadmap Panel – Monday, 25 October 2021, online.
ANZMH Association All-Access Virtual Pass – multiple dates and events, online.

Go to the events list at any time to see what events are coming up.

Expressions of Interest

Check the Expressions of Interest page at any time, to find out if there are any opportunities that are of benefit to you.

AFOEM contact details

Member enquiries
Phone: (AUS) 1300 69 7227
Phone: (NZ) 0508 69 7227
Email: memberservices@racp.edu.au

AFOEM Faculty enquiries (including Council and committees):
AFOEM Executive Officer
Phone: +61 2 8076 6361
Email: afoem@racp.edu.au

AFOEM Health Benefits of Good Work (HBGW) enquiries:
Email: HBGW@racp.edu.au

AFOEM Education and Training enquiries:
Email: occenvmed@racp.edu.au

AFOEM Examination enquiries:
Examination Coordinator, Assessment and Selection Unit
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

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