South Australia - August 2022
A message from your South Australian Regional Committee Chair
I am very pleased to be the Chair of the South Australian Regional Committee for a new three-year term. I would like to acknowledge and note my sincere appreciation for the service of outgoing members Dr Chen Peh, Dr Marianne Gillam, and Dr Rob van den Berg. I also welcome new members Dr Venu Kochiyil, Dr Shriram Nath, Dr Subbuh Luker, and Dr Garth Hargreaves.
We on the Committee represent the large and diverse South Australian College membership. As such, I would especially invite members in the four Chapters (particularly Sexual Health and Palliative Medicine) and the currently unrepresented Faculties of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and Public Health Medicine to join us.
I am arranging a meeting with the Health Minister as a matter of urgency to promote and advocate on behalf of the College here in South Australia, especially for trainees. Please feel free to contact me via email at SA Chair with any concerns that you consider the College might be able to help with.
Cura ut valeas (take care of your health),
Rabin
Dr Rabin Bhandari A.Mus.A, B.Med (Newcastle), FAFRM (RACP)
South Australian Regional Committee Chair
A message from the South Australian Trainees’ Committee (SATC) Co-Chairs
Winter often brings increasing work and workforce pressures for trainees. Added to the stress of exams, exam preparation, and job applications, we know that this time of the year can be a difficult and busy time. These pressures have been exacerbated by acute staffing shortages and increasing workload in the context of the most recent surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the SATC, we are here to support you and provide you with a forum to discuss system-wide issues that impact you and your training.
Key issues on which we continue to advocate include flexible training and appropriate staffing and support for training opportunities. There are a number of upcoming changes on the horizon in terms of recruitment, selection into training, and in-training assessment as part of the College’s curriculum renewal process. We would welcome feedback from trainees about these changes and how we can best support the transition.
If you have any suggestions about how training could be improved at your site, have a particular area of interest, or want to be involved in a range of College-related discussions then please get in touch and consider joining our Committee. We are a friendly bunch meeting five times a year to discuss training issues as well as the best way to support our trainees – so please reach out.
Wishing you all the best,
Alyssa and James
Dr Alyssa Fitzpatrick and Dr James Johnston
South Australian Trainees’ Committee Co-Chairs
Meet the South Australian Regional Committee Members 2022 to 2025
Dr Rabin Bhandari – Chair – FAFRM
I am a Fellow of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) and graduated from the University of Newcastle Medical School (Australia) in 2007 and obtained my Fellowship in 2014.
Since 2014, I have been providing peri-operative and rehabilitation care for surgical inpatients. Until January 2019, I was also a part-time Consultant Senior Staff Specialist in rehabilitation medicine at the Central Adelaide Health Network and the Chair of the South Australian Regional Committee.
Professor Renuka Visvanathan – AMD, Geriatric Medicine
I am a Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Adelaide and the Head of Unit of the Aged & Extended Care Services (Geriatric Medicine) at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Central Adelaide Local Health Network.
I am a Fellow of the Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) and a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine (ANZSGM).
I am internationally known for my research on frailty and I am project lead to the NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Frailty and Healthy Ageing.
Associate Professor Rohit Joshi – AMD, Oncology
I am a Medical Oncology Consultant at Calvary Central Districts Hospital, St Andrew’s Hospital, and Lyell McEwin Hospital.
I completed my undergraduate training at the Christian Medical College in India, after which I trained in medical oncology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. I am a Fellow of the RACP, the American College of Physicians (ACP), and certified by the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO).
I am the Research Director at Cancer Research SA (CRSA), an Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia, and the former Director of Cancer Research at the Lyell McEwin and Calvary Hospitals in Adelaide.
Dr Nick Mills – PCHD, General Paediatrics & Palliative Care
As a Fellow of the RACP and Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (AChPM), I am currently involved working in the community and hospital settings, providing care for paediatric patients and their families. I enjoy the multidisciplinary teamwork in palliative care and chronic pain roles, and I am embarking on PhD research with a focus on parental and child perspectives on how we can improve clinician communication.
I would like to become more involved in the education and supportive care of trainees; our next generation of doctors.
Dr Shriram Nath – AMD, Haematology
I completed my medical training at Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India, and my advanced training at the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, India. I have a special interest in leukaemia and lymphomas, which led me to Kuwait and then onto Melbourne in 2004. I completed my haematology training in Melbourne and in Adelaide.
I work at Adelaide Haematology, Keswick, as a clinical haematologist and laboratory haematologist at Clinpath Laboratories.
My interest in governance has led me to serve on the South Australian Regional committee of the RACP, Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA), Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA), Australian Medical Association (AMA - SA), and I currently am the Vice President of South Australian Indian Medical Association (SAIMA).
Dr Garth Hargreaves – PCHD, General Paediatrics
I am a general paediatrician with an interest in rural medicine and teaching. As a consultant in the Northern Regional Paediatric Unit based in Port Augusta Hospital, I visit Roxby Downs and Whyalla regularly. I am also currently employed within the Department of General Medicine at the Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide.
In addition to public roles, I consult privately at South Side Kids in Daw Park, running a private clinic on Kangaroo Island through that service. I am also the acting paediatric fifth year course co-ordinator for the School of Medicine, University of Adelaide.
Dr Subbuh Luker – FAFRM
I am a rehabilitation physician working in the Southern Adelaide Local Health Service and an associate Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA).
I am currently based in a co-located specialist stroke rehabilitation unit and have a broad range of experience across inpatient, outpatient, and specialist brain and spinal injury rehabilitation. I have a particular interest in neurological rehabilitation and urodynamics.
I am currently undertaking a PhD exploring the impact of COVID-19 on rehabilitation health service delivery. I am also the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine’s (AFRM) SA/NT Regional Training Coordinator.
I have a passion for quality improvement work and I have led numerous projects. I am a member of the SA state-wide Stroke Committee of Practice, and the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network Medical Emergency Team Committee, the Responsive Behaviours Committees as well as several other working groups.
Dr James Johnston – PCHD, SA Trainees’ Representative Co-Chair
I am a Basic Paediatric Trainee with a strong interest in health leadership, workforce management, and trainee mental health.
My training has been in both Perth and Adelaide, in a combination of part-time and full-time work. I am a strong believer in setting a work/life balance, and the importance of appropriate work conditions for trainees so that they can best contribute to their patients’ health on a day-to-day basis.
Dr Alyssa Fitzpatrick – AMD, SA Trainees’ Representative Co-Chair
I am an Advanced Trainee in infectious diseases, currently working at the Central Adelaide Local Health Network. I completed my Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the University of Adelaide, and have subsequently completed a Master of Global Health Science and Master of Public Policy at the University of Oxford.
I have a particular interest in infectious diseases in the obstetric population and have also completed the Diploma of the Royal Australasian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. I am also a Clinical Associate Lecturer at the University of Adelaide.
Additional Regional Committee members include:
- Associate Professor Stephen Hedger – Rheumatology & General Medicine
- Associate Professor Andrew Lee – AMD, Stroke Neurologist
- Doctor Venu Kochiyil – FAFRM
RACP South Australian member engagement activities – an update
Hello members,
Jake Sawyer here, the South Australian and Northern Territory Member Support Officer at the College.
Since the last update, the Basic Training Exam Prep series of lectures has begun. The first of the lectures was Antibiotics by Dr Lucy Crawford. The session was well attended with over 200 trainees from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The second of the lectures was Genetics by Dr Eryn Dow, and once again, was very well attended with over 150 people forming a bi-national audience. A big thank you to both Dr Lucy Crawford and Dr Eryn Dow for your generosity in volunteering your time and imparting your knowledge to trainees. It is invaluable and greatly appreciated.
There will be further lectures to come with topics, dates and times to be announced shortly.
Once again, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or College-related matters I can assist with.
Jake Sawyer, Member Support Officer, SA/NT
SA Health Update
Don’t forget to register for ScriptCheckSA.
It is expected that it will become mandatory to use ScriptCheckSA next year, so register today on the SciptCheckSA website to access real-time information to help you make safer decisions when prescribing or dispensing monitored drugs.
More information about ScriptCheckSA can be found at here, and questions can be sent to Health.RTPM@sa.gov.au.
Free online training and resources to assist health practitioners to understand and interpret the information in ScriptCheckSA are available. This training has been tailored for the specific needs of prescribers.
Real-Time Prescription Monitoring Project Team, SA Health
Physicians' Roundtable: Planning together for the next pandemic
When: Tuesday, 13 September 2022, 6.30pm to 8.30pm (ACST)
Where: Hybrid — online or at the RACP Adelaide Office
Join us at the Physicians' Roundtable as colleagues from across the College discuss how we can plan together in preparation for the next pandemic.
This event explores how we can apply the wisdom taught to us by COVID-19 to work better together and to collectively prepare for future health challenges. As physicians, our strength is in our diversity. We, and the College, are at our best when we put to work a multi-specialty approach when solving complex and ambiguous issues.
Register
The RACP Trainee Research Awards 2022 are closing soon
Trainees and first year Fellows, this is your chance to be recognised for your research.
Would you like to have your research published in the Internal Medicine Journal or the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health? And to present alongside recognised researchers at RACP Congress 2023? This is your chance.
The RACP Trainee Research Awards are open and accepting submissions. Winners will be selected from each Australian state/territory and from Aotearoa New Zealand, and will be invited to present at next year’s Congress. Winners will also receive complimentary registration and travel to Congress, have their abstracts published in the Congress supplement of the journals, and present at a local awards event.
Trainees and new Fellows undertaking post-Fellowship training with the RACP are encouraged to apply.
For information about the awards and how to apply, visit the RACP Trainee Research Awards webpage. Submit your application by Wednesday, 31 August 2022, 5pm AEST.
Apply now
Online learning and resources – included in your RACP membership
Access an extensive collection of online learning resources designed to support your professional development and lifelong learning needs via the RACP Online Learning platform.
A selection of our newest resources include the advocacy for physicians online course, genomics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, the digital health CPD primer, the cultural safety curated collection, and the medical standards for driving curated collection.
Fellows, don’t forget to claim CPD credits for time spent on RACP Online Learning.
You can also listen to our College podcast — Pomegranate Health — an award winning podcast about the culture of medicine.
Join the conversation on the ROC
Don’t forget to log in to the ROC and join the conversation. The RACP Online Community (ROC) is a secure online forum where RACP Fellows and trainees can post topics and questions and start discussions with other members.
The ROC has a range of easy-to-use features to help you find and connect with your colleagues including:
- Member Directory – allows you to search by name, location, Division, Faculty, Chapter, and/or specialty. It is the perfect way to chat directly with other members and expand your network of contacts across the membership.
- Special Interest Directory – is a searchable database of members' special interests, their speaker presentations, published papers, and books. Simply fill in your special interest profile and explore the directory today.
- Mentor Match – is an innovative tool that allows you to connect with other members, based on your mentoring preferences and professional goals. Register as a mentor or mentee and kickstart your mentoring relationship.
If you are new to the ROC, please take a moment to review our ROCTips. Our ROCTips are designed to help you navigate the ROC and answer any questions you may have. For more information regarding the ROC, please email Member Services.
Health and wellbeing
How are you?
Studies show that doctors are more hesitant to access support services than non-medical professional due to a fear of appearing weak or incompetent. Did you know the College has a wealth of free resources to support member wellbeing?
A host of support options for you and your colleagues are available on this webpage. You also have the option of numerous support services offering around-the-clock confidential phone support, strategies for self-care, eLearning resources and podcasts. Additionally, College members have shared their personal mental health journeys with the aim of providing support and reducing the stigma.
Help is available to you in many different ways. Please visit this webpage to see the range of supports available to you. You are never alone.
Access support
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the opening hours of the College?
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm ACST
Where is the College located?
The SA/NT Regional Office is located at Suite 7, Level 2, 257 Melbourne Street, North Adelaide SA 5006
What is the contact number for the College?
Contact the Member Services team on 1300 697 227.
Where can I park at the College?
Two hours of street parking is available in Melbourne Street and all-day parking opposite the Old Lion Hotel (fees apply).
Meeting Room Bookings for SA/NT Regional Office?
For all room bookings, please contact the SA Office or phone 08 8465 0970.
More news and events
News and updates from the College
Journals
Upcoming conferences, events and training
- ANZAN webinar: Interventional neurology — 24 August, 6pm AEST
- ADIPS webinar: Dietary management of GDM: The carbohydrate conundrum — 24 August, 6pm AEST
- ANZBMS webinar: Bone health in children — 29 August, 6pm AEST
- ARA webinar: Living guidelines on the perioperative use of DMARDs in people with inflammatory conditions — 30 August, 7pm AEST
- ANZSPM webinar: Palliative care development: Adult and paediatric global perspectives and the importance of advocacy — 5 September, 6pm AEST
- SA Physician’s Roundtable: Planning together for the next pandemic — 13 September, 6.30pm ACST
- Public Health Congress 2022 — 20 to 23 September, 9.30am to 4pm AEST
- Financial wellbeing webinar: Boost your financial health — 24 September, 9am to 12pm AEST
- Specialists Together | NT Education Sessions 2022: Climate change and sustainability of the NT workforce — 8 October, 9am to 12pm ACST
- Financial wellbeing webinar: Succession and wealth legacy (keeping your money in the family) — 20 October, 7pm AEST
- Specialists Together | NT Education Sessions 2022: Cross-culture communications & nephrology in remote settings — 29 October, 9am to 12pm ACST
- Financial wellbeing webinar: Reducing financial stress as a new or established staff specialist — in person on 5 November, 9am to 12pm
- Specialists Together | NT Education Sessions 2022: NT sepsis protocol — 26 November, 9am to 12pm ACST
Save the date
- New Fellows Forum — 13 October, 7pm to 8.30 pm AEDT
- The RACP Health Reform Summit — 19 October, 9.30am to 4pm AEDT
- Tasmanian Annual Physicians Conference and Tasmanian Trainee Research Awards — in person on 11 November