AMD eBulletin – 11 March 2022
A message from your President
Greetings to all.
It certainly has been a challenging start to the year for many Australians. Much of south east Queensland and northern New South Wales is grappling with torrential rain and record-breaking flood levels. My thoughts go out to all the communities who have been affected, particularly those who have tragically lost loved ones.
Internationally we are seeing another confronting situation rapidly unfolding, between Russia and the Ukraine. Again, we express our sympathies with those who have lost family members and friends already, and hope that this war will come to an end without further senseless loss of life and destruction.
With the war and floods taking over the news, COVID-19 has been pushed to the back of our minds. The increase in numbers of infections in previously closed states and territories, along with newly emerging variants of concern, surely means that we have to remain vigilant, and that it’s far too early to declare COVID-19 done and dusted.
The Adult Medicine Division Council met earlier this week and will continue to progress the initiatives and goals set out in their workplan. The AMD is the principal point of engagement between the College and the specialty societies and is working on models of collaboration with each of the affiliated specialty societies. Increasingly, there is a need to see this partnership expressed as collaboration to achieve mutual goals on behalf of our members and the community that we serve.
The AMD actively works with its Chapters to align their workplans and to provide mutually beneficial support. The Council heard from Dr Simon Denny, Chair of the Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine Committee (AYAMC), and resolved to support the AYAMC to streamline its current prolonged advanced training pathway and to ensure it is attractive to trainees and meets the needs of patients. As the AYAMC sits between the AMD and Paediatrics and Child Health Division (PCHD), the Council will assist AYAMC on its path to specialist recognition. There is surely a need for increased numbers of adolescent and young adult physicians off the back of recent Royal Commissions into mental health. This is particularly true when our experience shows increased mental health concerns amongst young adults as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At Council we heard from Professor Andrew Coats, the College Dean, about the current state of constitutional reforms, and from Robyn Burley, Executive General Manager Education, Learning and Assessment, about the recent College exams and how these will be managed into the future. We are gratified by the response and the College’s support for our trainees who were disadvantaged and stressed as a result of this experience.
Keep an eye out for positions opening up on the Adult Medicine Division Council and the Chapter Committees. All vacant positions can be found on the Expressions of Interest page on the College website. I encourage you to take this opportunity to contribute to the College.
For those of you attending RACP Congress 2022 in person in Melbourne, join us on Friday, 13 May 2022 at this year’s AMD Dinner. Connect with colleagues and friends over a relaxed evening. Visit the RACP Congress website to find out more about this and other social events.
I would also like to remind you to visit the AMD Community within the RACP Online Community (ROC). This platform provides a wonderful opportunity to connect and collaborate with your peers.
If you would like to discuss any of the above, I encourage you to reach out to me via the AMD secretariat at adult.med@racp.edu.au or on the ROC.
Best wishes
Professor Don Campbell
Adult Medicine Division President
AChSHM President’s Post
Registrations are open for the 2022 AChSHM Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM), which will be held online on Saturday, 19 March 2022. This year’s theme is Towards new horizons, and the ASM Organising Committee is excited to provide you with a highly informative program that continues to examine how we can support best practice — covering topics such as HIV in women, complex cases, STI testing and treatment paradigms, and online sexual health and new technology.
Registrations to date have been strong, and I encourage everyone - both Fellows and trainees - to make sure you have this informative event your diaries. You can register and view the full program by clicking here.
I would also like to bring to your attention the upcoming 2022 International Virtual Conference on Human Retrovirology to be held from 8 to 11 May 2022. The conference aims to emphasise the need of increasing HTLV-1 public health and social science research output in the global response to HTLV-1.
Finally, the 2022 AChSHM Exit Assessment will be held on Friday, 12 August 2022. Applications will open on 2 May 2022 and close on 13 May 2022 at 5pm (AEST). Applications received after the closing time may not be accepted. More details about the exam, including key dates, venue, format and contingency plans will be made available on our website closer to applications opening.
The next AChSHM Committee meeting will take place on Wednesday, 16 March 2022. If there are any items you would like to raise with the Committee, or if you have any feedback for us, please contact us through our secretariat via shmed@racp.edu.au.
Professor Kit Fairley
Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine President
AChPM President’s Post
It's with great pleasure that I extend congratulations to two AChPM members who recently received awards in the Australian Day Honours:
- Professor Gregory Crawford AM - for significant service to palliative care and tertiary education.
- Dr Pamela Harrison OAM - for service to palliative care and community history.
It is wonderful to see our colleagues being recognised for the contributions they make to our communities.
The AChPM Committee continues to contribute to a wide range of cross-College submissions. Most recently, the Committee ensured the College’s submission to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, which raised the issues surrounding the palliative care needs of people with disability. The Committee is also leading the development of the College submission to Palliative Care Australia’s consultation on the development of national standards in generalist palliative care.
The Chapter released a Chronic Breathlessness in Advanced Illness eLearning resource last year. I encourage you to check out this wonderful resource that will assist you in equipping yourself with the knowledge needed to better identify, assess, and manage chronic breathlessness in advanced illness – completely via this online course.
The Spirituality Training Working Group (STWG) is making great progress developing a workshop with reviewing four modules which will be delivered online. I look forward to keeping you updated as more information on this workshop becomes available.
Do you have a question for me or a member of our Committee? We welcome any feedback or comments. Please contact us through the Chapter secretariat via PallMed@racp.edu.au.
Dr Michelle Gold
Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine President
The AChAM Committee members continue to contribute regularly to policy and advocacy efforts aimed at reducing the harms of alcohol and other drugs. Most recently, the Committee has provided advice and input into statements on the rollout of the real time prescription monitoring systems (RTPM) and medically supervised injecting centres, and on fairer funding models for Opioid Treatment in Australia.
The Drug Policy Working Group (DPWG), jointly led by AChAM and the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (AFPHM), held its third meeting on 3 December 2021 to review a proposed draft outline of the Position Statement. At this meeting, the DPWG agreed to allocate themselves to one of three sub-groups working on the main sections of the document, including harm reduction, treatment, and prevention.
I encourage you to login to the RACP Online Community (ROC) to connect with other members and remain up-to-date with key issues from across the College. Along with seeing the latest news, events and College announcements, members can connect, discuss, share, and debate issues and topics of interest with peers.
This platform has been provided for us to engage with our colleagues—whether through the Open Forum, within our regions, or in our own AChAM-specific forum. It will only be a success if we make it such. I look forward to interacting with you on the ROC.
The AChAM Committee will next meet on Friday, 19 April 2022 via videoconference. If you have any feedback, questions, or comments for me or the Committee, please get in touch through our secretariat at AddictionMed@racp.edu.au.
Professor Adrian Dunlop
Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine President-elect
Updates from AChSHM
Applications for 2022 RACP AChSHM Study Grant open on Monday, 4 April 2022.
The RACP AChSHM Study Grant is valued up to $4,000, can contribute towards training at an appropriate institution, supporting research projects costs or participation, and presenting a paper at a conference or scientific meeting.
Visit the RACP Foundation webpage to see the eligibility criteria for this and other awards, and to access the online application form.
AChSHM Jan Edwards Prize
The Jan Edwards Prize is awarded for the best research-based oral presentation by a registered AChSHM trainee. The prize includes $500 and a certificate. For further details and to apply please visit the website.
Applications close on Sunday, 1 May 2022, 11:59pm (AEST).
Expressions of Interest (EOIs)
College Bodies – Expressions of Interest are now open
Following the RACP call for nominations earlier this year, various positions are available on College Councils and Committees. You are invited to express your interest.
The College Council and Committees respond to and raise issues to the Board for consideration. The composition of the College Council enables a variety of member and non-member perspectives to be heard in a single forum.
The full list of available positions are on the Expressions of Interest webpage and are listed in this email communication. Please submit your EOI before the closing date, Wednesday, 6 April 2022.
Important update from Services Australia
Services Australia is aware that there is a high level of nervousness around the upcoming 13 March 2022 date, when Medicare and PBS PKI site certificates are due to expire.
In recognition of the pressures facing industry, the agency has renewed all Medicare and PBS PKI site certificates. All renewed PKI site certificates must be installed before 13 March 2022 to ensure ongoing access to the agency’s digital claiming channels.
Please read this message for more information.
8 March 2022 backup Divisional Written Examination (DWE) successfully completed
We would like to inform you that the 8 March 2022 backup Divisional Written Examination (DWE) was successfully delivered. There were 307 candidates who sat the paper-based exam across 18 locations in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
We thank our Directors of Physician/Paediatric Education (DPEs) and RACP supervisors for their ongoing support to trainees in the lead up to the exam. We also want to thank all our staff who were involved throughout the examination preparation process.
Exam results will be released on Tuesday, 12 April 2022. If you have any questions or need further information, please email examinations@racp.edu.au.
Kind regards,
RACP Assessment and Selection Team
RACP Educational Development Grants – opening soon
Applications for the 2022 RACP Educational Development (Study) Grants open soon – Monday, 4 April 2022.
The RACP Educational Development (Study) Grants support Fellows and trainees of the College to undertake further educational training or to develop educational initiatives.
Awards available for this round include:
- Skilled Medical Scholarships for Advancement of Indigenous Health - NEW
- Aotearoa New Zealand Educational Development Grant
- Queensland Regional Committee Educational Development Grant
- Richard Kemp Memorial Fellowship.
Visit the RACP Foundation webpage to see the eligibility criteria for each award and to access the online application form.
Research Awards recipients
Our award recipients, and their work, have contributed to the improvement of healthcare and the quality of life across various fields of medicine. Complete lists of 2022 Research Award recipients and past recipients are available on the RACP Foundation award recipients webpages.
Explore new horizons at the AChSHM ASM
Join AChSHM Fellows and trainees at the Australasian Chapter of Sexual Health Medicine (AChSHM) Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) on Saturday, 19 March. Themed 'Towards new horizons' this one-day virtual event is open to those who have an interest in sexual health medicine.
Topics include:
- HIV in women
- complex cases
- STI testing and treatment paradigms
- online sexual health and new technology.
Find out more
The Advanced Trainees' Meeting returns for another year
Make sure you don’t miss out on the Advanced Trainees' Meeting 2022. This popular virtual event will take place on Friday, 18 March 2022 from 9.45am to 4.30pm (AEDT).
The program will feature topics such as:
- sexual assault
- HIV and conception planning
- sexual health counselling
- complex syphilis
- lab methods
- learning resources for sexual health
- mock exit exam.
Register now
Celebrating International Women’s Day
When you close your eyes and think of a doctor, what do they look like? To help #BreakTheBias and dive a little deeper, we launched our Fellows in Focus campaign.
International Women’s Day was held on Tuesday, 8 March and to celebrate, we spotlighted some of the incredible women who chose to take part in the campaign. You may have seen some of their inspirational stories on social media, but if not, you can find out more on the Fellows in Focus webpage. Read the profiles.
Professor Cassandra Szoeke featured for International Women’s Day
Congratulations to RACP member, Professor Cassandra Szoeke, for having her work featured as part of the Australian Medical Association’s (AMA) International Women’s Day celebration.
Professor Szoeke is a Consultant Neurologist, General Physician Clinical Academic and AMAV Councillor, and provided AMA with insights into the diverse ways doctors can contribute to their communities. Read more.
Your Supporter Pack: The Kids COVID Catch Up Campaign
The launch of the Kids COVID Catch Up campaign generated national media coverage and saw hundreds of members and community representatives getting involved in the launch events.
The campaign is calling on leaders from across the political spectrum to commit to a package of policy measures to help children and young people catch up from the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage all members to help make a difference by joining the campaign.
To help you get started, we’ve created a Supporter Pack that sets out five clear steps you can take to help the campaign succeed. Take all of the steps or just pick a few. The steps you take will help us keep the momentum going after the success of the campaign launch. Find out more.
Upcoming deadline to record your MyCPD credits for 2021
This is a friendly reminder that 2021 MyCPD records are due by Thursday, 31 March 2022.
Additionally, CPD records are now open for 2022. 2022 CPD requirements remain the same as 2021. Please see the 2022 MyCPD Framework for details. Please note that the Medical Council of New Zealand has additional mandatory requirements for New Zealand practitioners.
Helpful links:
Please contact the CPD Team for further assistance:
Australia: 1300 697 227, MyCPD@racp.edu.au / Aotearoa New Zealand: 04 460 8122, MyCPD@racp.org.nz
Clinical updates and so much more
Join us at RACP Congress 2022 this May for a series of AMD clinical updates. From the latest developments in oncology, as well as anti-amyloid therapy, to Professor Allen Cheng’s session on COVID-19 - the latest scientific development of the virus and the vaccine.
Take some time to catch up at the AMD Dinner
Along with the welcome reception and gala dinner, the AMD Dinner is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and colleagues. It’s been a while since we’ve had this opportunity so why not join us at Movida Aqui on Bourke Street, on 13 May 2022. Bookings are essential so register now.
Time poor? Purchase a one-day ticket and enjoy the rest of Congress virtually
It can be hard to find time to attend every day at Congress. With a range of ticket options, you can attend one full day and enjoy the rest of Congress online at your leisure. RACP Congress has a range of ticket options available for both Melbourne and Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
NDIS Strategic Advisor Health role – open to applications
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is seeking a Strategy Health Advisor to provide high-level policy and technical advice, expertise and outcomes relating to the strategic and operational management of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This position informs the intersection of health and disability. Read more (PDF).
Pomegranate Health Podcast: The Advocate's Journey (ep. 78)
Ep78: The Advocate’s Journey
The core work of being a physician is demanding enough, but if you’re seeing patients come in day after day with ailments that have social determinants behind them, you may start to feel like Sisyphus (heaving that boulder up the hill only to have to start from the bottom every time it slips your grasp).
Surely it would be better to change those socioeconomic drivers – but where do you even begin?
The three-word mission statement of the RACP is Educate – Advocate – Innovate, and there is a team of College staff dedicated to helping physicians with strategies to present a case to those in power.
This podcast explains how the College supports policy development and advocacy. The interviews are drawn from an RACP-produced documentary called The Advocate's Journey that was hosted by Dr Robert Lethbridge. It’s the perfect time to revisit this story considering how politicised public health has become in recent times.
Guests
- Dr Rob Lethbridge FRACP (Perth Children’s Hospital)
- Dr Helen Young FRACP (Royal North Shore Hospital; The Children’s Hospital at Westmead)
- Patrick Tobin (former Executive General Manager of Policy & Advocacy)
- Dr Jin Russell FRACP (Starship Children's Hospital; University of Auckland)
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.
RACP: Internal Medicine Journal – February 2022 edition now available
The February 2022 issue of the IMJ (Vol 52 Iss 02) is now live on the RACP website (login using RACP login credentials).
Key highlights from the issue are:
- Machine learning to predict hospital inpatient LOS
- An abnormal left ventricular contractile reserve
- Oral health and cardiometabolic disease
- NSW Cannabis Advisory Service
- The Dead Donor Rule
- Nephrology Advanced Training and Regional Victoria Physician Subspecialty Training and Workforce.
This month’s Editor's Choice is an Original Article titled Social distancing and bacteraemia in the time of COVID-19.
Click here to view the latest issue of IMJ.
New Evolve Case Studies
Evolve is a flagship initiative led by physicians at the RACP to drive high-value and high-quality care in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
To support the implementation of Evolve recommendations in clinical practice, the College has launched a series of case studies which considers clinical scenarios based on low-value care. This series explores interesting topics related to reducing low-value practices and improving the quality and safety of healthcare. As part of this series, Dr Chris Cameron has led the development of a new case study about medication related harm. View the case studies on the Evolve website.
Evolve is seeking enthusiastic Fellows and trainees to partner with us in developing case studies for more specialties. The aim of the case studies is to support Fellows and trainees to build an understanding of low-value care within their specialty and act as a tool for clinical educators and supervisors. Email Evolve to get involved.
AHPRA pandemic response sub-register coming to a close
A huge thank you to Fellows who joined the AHPRA sub-register and returned to practice in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We appreciate your sacrificial care for our community through these challenging times.
The pandemic response sub-register will expire on 5 April 2022. If you have been in touch with AHPRA and renewed your specialist registration past this date, you will have a CPD requirement for 2022. Please see the 2022 MyCPD Framework for details and contact the CPD Team at MyCPD@racp.edu.au if you have any questions.
Support for Rural Specialists in Australia: Funding round six
You're invited to apply for a Support for Rural Specialists in Australia (SRSA) grant of up to $10,000 to support your continuing professional development (CPD). SRSA grants cover CPD costs such as registration, travel, accommodation, and meals. Applications for interactive CPD like clinical attachments, peer review and workshops are encouraged.
You are eligible if you:
- are a Fellow, or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander trainee of a (non-GP) specialist
medical college
- work in a regional, rural or remote area (view your classification here).
The application deadline for funding round six is Friday, 15 April 2022. CPD activities must be completed between 1 July 2022 and 30 September 2023.
Find out more and access the online application.
The SRSA Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and
managed by the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges.
Enrol now in the Quality and Safety Spaced Learning course
Trainees and Fellows of all specialties can be leaders in advocating for and improving quality and safety. To assist with this, members are invited to enrol in the ‘Quality and Safety Spaced Learning course’, delivered via Qstream. The course aims to help participants identify quality and safety concerns, learn practical approaches to overcome these issues, and facilitate self-reflection and peer discussion.
The course consists of three short case studies with 12 questions. Participants will receive case studies directly into their inbox and can complete them at a time that suits them - over a four-week period. Members are encouraged to discuss the case studies and share opinions with others through secure, online discussion forums.
At the conclusion of the course, participants will receive a toolkit of useful resources to support their ongoing learning. Furthermore, RACP CPD participants can earn CPD credits for the time they spend on this course.
Spaces are limited, so enrol now for a late April start.
New Cultural Safety Curated Collection
The new Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Cultural Safety Curated Collection has been designed to support physicians in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to provide more impactful, meaningful, culturally safe care for Indigenous patients, their families, whānau and communities.
The Collection presents a detailed library of resources to help you understand and implement culturally safe practices in the workplace. Filter the library by theme, country, resource type and level of experience to find the resources most relevant to you. We encourage you to revisit the Curated Collection as you develop your understanding of cultural safety over time and consider how this can shape your practice.
Don’t forget to claim CPD credits for time spent on RACP Online Learning.
Contribute to the Indigenous Physicians Video Series and help grow the Indigenous medical workforce
The Member Learning & Development team is seeking members to assist them in producing a series of videos which will share the experiences and personal stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees and physicians. The aim of the video series is to build an understanding of the role and value of Indigenous physicians in healthcare, while aiming to inspire Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who are considering a career in medicine and physician training.
Trainees and Fellows with a special interest in this area are invited to join the working group to help scope and consult on the project. Submit your expression of interest by Friday, 18 March 2022.
Find out more.
Choosing Wisely: improving the quality of healthcare
RACP is a founding member of Choosing Wisely in Australia and New Zealand. All Evolve recommendations are made available through Choosing Wisely. By bringing together recommendations from multiple medical colleges and healthcare organisations, with expertise in consumer and patient care, Choosing Wisely helps healthcare providers and consumers start important conversations about improving the quality of healthcare.
The RACP is encouraging physicians to implement the Evolve Top 5 Recommendations in their work and health services. All RACP specialty societies are invited to develop their Top 5 List of low-value practices.
Don’t forget you may be able to claim some of your Evolve activities as CPD credits.
Find out more.
How to login to the ROC - for first time users
The ROC (RACP Online Community) is a private, secure place for you to network, engage and connect in real time. It's available exclusively to RACP members and Overseas Trained Physicians (OTPs).
The ROC is yours to:
- find other members and connect with them
- ask questions and start discussions with other members, in a secure, easy to use online forum
- expand your professional networks across the membership, or within your specialty, Division, Faculty or Chapter
- keep up-to-date with College announcements, events, updates and resources
- be informed via a weekly digest email - or opt out if you prefer.
To access the Roc, simply download the app from the App Store or Google Play, or login via MyRACP.
Watch this short video to see how easy it is to login to the ROC and be part of the conversation.
RACP staff member wins digital health award
Carol Pizzuti, a PhD student at Sydney University, has won the Digital Health Week 2022 award for best presentation in the Health Information Seeking and eHealth Education stream titled ‘The role of regulators and professional regulations in fostering the use of electronic health data to strengthen Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for medical practitioners’.
Carol’s PhD is through the College’s partnership with the Digital Health CRC on the Practice Analytics project, which allows the College to be at the forefront of innovation in medical education and digital health. Congratulations, Carol.
Conferences and Events
The RACP 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.
The COVID-19 Expert Reference Group series
We invite you to join us online for the following complimentary webinars, brought to you by the COVID-19 Expert Reference Group (ERG). The group formed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ERG has broad representation and expertise in its membership, and meets regularly to discuss advocacy priorities, review government advice on COVID-19 and identify resources to share with members.
Psychological disruptions of COVID-19 and mental health needs of healthcare workers
The webinar takes place on Thursday, 17 March 2022 at 6pm to 7.30pm (AEDT). Find out more and register.
Supporting physician health and wellbeing
The webinar takes place on Thursday, 24 March 2022 at 6pm to 7.30pm (AEDT). Find out more and register.
Continued Education 2022 – Update in Gastroenterology, Rheumatology and Haematology Webinar
The RACP Victorian Regional Committee is hosting a webinar as part of the Continued Education program. Enhance your knowledge of gastroenterology, rheumatology, and haematology by listening to expert speakers: Associate Professor Mayur Garg, Dr Andrew Foote and Dr Abbey Willcox.
All College members are invited to tune in to this educational online webinar on Saturday, 26 March from 9am to 11.30am (AEDT).
Register now to secure your place. Note: this event is eligible for CPD credits.
Register for The Digital Physician Webinar: Wednesday, 13 April at 6pm AEST
Find out what physicians need to know about digital health in this interactive webinar on Wednesday, 13 April 2022 at 6pm (AEST). Hear from members of the RACP’s Digital Health Advisory Group (DHAG) as they discuss what’s new in digital health and how the DHAG can support members to improve their understanding in this important area.
Hosted by Association Professor Clair Sullivan FRACP, topics covered will include:
- identifying the drivers for digital transformation in healthcare
- appreciating the value of using data and analytics in healthcare
- defining the roles of digital systems in optimising physician-patient interactions and shared decision-making
- recognising the potential of digital health as a platform for quality improvement and research.
Find out more and register for the webinar.
View career opportunities on the RACP website.