Victoria - August 2022
A message from the Victorian Regional Committee Chair
It gives me great pleasure to welcome all our College members to this edition of the Victorian Regional eBulletin.
By way of introduction, I am the recently elected Chair of the Victorian Regional Committee. I am attempting to fill the big shoes of Professor Judy Savige, who has retired from this position after many years of chairing the Committee and many years of playing a vital role in the College. She continues to support the College in coordinating the Continued Education program, which has always been very well received and attended.
It is exciting to welcome some new members to the Victorian Regional Committee:
- Dr Evelyn Wong
- Dr Yan Chow
- Dr Jason Nogic
- Dr Hannah Bills
- Professor John Mathews
There are exciting activities coming up in the next few months, in particular the Victorian Trainee Research Awards event on 12 October 2022, and the New Fellows’ Forum on 13 October 2022. I encourage you to attend both of these events via Zoom. The Trainee Research Awards are an opportunity to see the wisdom and focus of our newest trainees as the nominees present their research projects.
If you would like to focus areas for the Committee with respect to advocacy, policy, education and training, please feel free to contact us via the Victorian Regional Office email: racpvic@racp.edu.au.
I know it has been a challenging few years, but it is impressive to see how resilient our healthcare fraternity has been in supporting research, training and of course patients throughout these difficult times. Certainly, COVID-19 has brought with it new challenges, in particular the challenges of disseminating consistent and evidenced-based public health messaging. There are certainly key challenges moving forward in this age of disinformation through social media, which can be very difficult to counteract. I encourage you all to promote where you can the benefits of vaccination and COVID-19 therapies, albeit with small known risks, and support public health policies which are there to protect our community.
Associate Professor Solomon Menahem
Chair Victorian Regional Committee
Introducing our new Victorian Regional Committee members
Dr Yan Chow
Current role: Rehabilitation medicine physician at Austin Health and Director of Rehabilitation Medicine at Cabrini Health.
Education: I completed rehabilitation medicine training in Melbourne and obtained Fellowship of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) in 2013. Prior to this, I obtained a postgraduate Diploma in Surgical Anatomy from The University of Melbourne in 2007, and a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Adelaide in 2005.
What do you find rewarding/challenging about your role? My role is rewarding because I look after a very diverse patient population and work with various healthcare professionals.
Interests outside of work? I enjoy travelling overseas to learn about different cultures.
Best piece of advice you have ever received? Learn something new every day.
Introducing our new VIC/TAS Trainee Committee Co-Chair Dr Hannah Bills
Hi everyone,
My name is Hannah Bills, and I am Co-Chair of the VIC/TAS Trainees’ Committee (VTTC).
I am an Advanced Trainee in paediatrics, completing my training in general paediatrics this year, but do not worry – I have started neonatal training so I will be a trainee for quite a while longer.
I spent the last two years in the Northern Territory and I have recently returned to freezing Victoria. My Co-Chair Kristof Wing (over in Tasmania) and I (plus our excellent Kiwi counterpart Tom) are also Deputy Co-Chairs of the College Trainees’ Committee (CTC). We already have a bucket list (I believe it is officially called a “workplan”) of things we would like to address during our term, particularly regarding improving College communication, transparency and accountability, as well as championing gender equity and flexible training.
If you have any questions, concerns, or recommendations (or trivia facts) you would like to share, please get in contact with the VIC/TAS Trainees’ Committee via racpvic@racp.edu.au.
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
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