The live webinar provided great exposure for the College and the value of our Medical Leadership fraternity. More than 240 medical leaders joined the session, which covered the supply and use of PPE in hospitals and a range of other medical leadership issues. Attendees shared ideas on improving the healthcare system for the now, as well as for the future into which we emerge. The session attracted more debate, questions and feedback than any other COVID-19 webinars Dr Coatsworth has conducted with a number of the Medical Specialty Colleges.
- Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth to provide an update to RACMA on PPE In Hospitals
Deputy CMO of Australia Dr Nick Coatsworth will provide an update to RACMA on PPE In Hospitals, Tuesday 28 April, 4-5pm. The interactive webinar gives Medical Leaders the opportunity to ask questions and share experiences and learnings. RACMA Fellows Professor Erwin Loh, Professor Michael Cleary PSM, Dr Stephen Ayre and Dr Alison Dwyer will participate in a panel discussion lead by Dr Coatsworth. The event is available for all RACMA members whether you are joining from within Australia or overseas. To join, visit https://publish.viostream.com/app/s-n4e6gac at 4pm, Tuesday 28 April 2020.
- Candidate Open Forum Series
A series of Candidate open forums will be held for Candidates. The forums will provide Candidates with an opportunity to raise any issues of concern and share experiences. The first forum will be hosted by Dr Lynette Lee on Thursday 16 April, 5.30 – 6.30pm AEST. All Candidates will be emailed an invitation with further details regarding the forum.
- Updated Annual Training Calendar
A revised 2020 calendar of activities has been created for each year of Candidacy. Activities may have been modified, rescheduled or submission timelines extended.
- Modified delivery of educational activities to provide greater flexibility for Candidates
The planned Learning Set sessions will be provided as pre-recorded presentations on Canvas so that Candidates will have flexibility to access them when convenient. Each Learning Set will also have a scheduled discussion with the relevant tutor. Candidates are encouraged to attend the discussions, as they provide an opportunity for questions and sharing of experiences.
The Research Training Domain Webinars will be held monthly. Candidates in their first year of candidacy will receive an email notification for the webinars as they are scheduled. The webinars will be recorded and made available to all Candidates on Canvas.
- Modified In-Training Performance Report (ITPR) and Time In Supervised Practice (TISP) submissions
The dates for the submission of the Mid-Year and End-Year ITPRs will be extended. The ITPR and TISP forms and the processes for submission will be modified to reduce the administrative burden for Candidates, Supervisors and Preceptors.
- New open forum for members
Next week RACMA will launch a weekly open forum for members to discuss the crisis in a secure and informal platform. The idea is to provide us all the opportunity to share experiences and learnings to support each other through this challenging time. The forum will be offered via Redback Conferencing. Specific details will be sent early next week.
- Extension for Annual Training Plan (ATP) for all Candidates
The College is aware some Candidates have experienced difficulty meeting with their Supervisor or Preceptor to complete the ATP. To assist Candidates the ATP submission date has been extended to Friday 1 May 2020.
The ATP process has also been modified:
- Candidates should complete the ATP in consultation with their Supervisor.
- The Candidate’s Supervisor and Preceptor do not need to sign the ATP
- Candidates should email their ATP to ftpadmin@racma.edu.au. copying their Supervisor and Preceptor in the email.
- Research Proposal – Second Year Candidates
The Research Proposal was due on Monday 30 March. The College understands some Candidates have been unable to submit their proposals by this date, perhaps due to changes in their University study deadlines or workplace prioritisation of critical care provision over research activity. You may submit your proposal at a later date. Further information about submission timelines will be provided in future communications.
- Extension for 2019 CPD Activity Recording
As many of our members may be required to work longer hours and perform duties not usually within their current job description the administrative requirement of recording your 2019 CPD in MyRACMA is creating a burden at this time. In light of this the College has extended the cut off date for recording your 2019 CPD activities in MyRACMA until 31 July 2020. If you have any queries in relation to your 2019 CPD activities, please email cpd@racma.edu.au.
- Office closure
Following recent Government announcements around self-isolation and non-essential services, RACMA’s office is closed indefinitely and the team are working from home. We are committed to working together to undertake all necessary measures to ensure our employees, visitors and stakeholders are kept as safe as possible. There will be no disruptions in our ability to continue to provide a high level of support and assistance to our Members. There are no changes to our phone numbers and email addresses, so you can continue contacting us via these channels.
- Updated RACMA Guide to Credentialing and Scope of Clinical Practice Processes
RACMA Fellows and Associate Fellows have key roles in clinical governance in our organisations. Their expertise in this area means that they are in a position to provide expert advice and leadership in all areas of clinical governance. One of the specific areas where such leadership is of significant importance to health service organisations is in the development, maintenance and improvement of processes that lead to appropriate credentialing and defining the scope of clinical practice of medical staff both within the health service organisation and for medical staff who may be affiliated with that organisation.
The RACMA Guide to Credentialing of Clinicians (2nd Edition) released this week provides valuable advice and a framework to assist administrators. In an emergency or urgent situation like the current pandemic, there will be pressure to speed up the credentialing of medical practitioners.
It is important that medical administrators ensure that there is a documented change in organisation policy from a governing body (e.g. your CEO, Board, Department, Government) which provides authorisation for any changes in your actions from usual practice. Click the following link to view the Updated RACMA Guide to Credentialing and FAQ’s for the document.
Past announcements
- Candidate workshops in the first half of the year have been postponed and the College has developed alternate ways to deliver key content to Candidates across all years of the Fellowship Training Program. (20/03/20)
- 2020 Oral Examinations for final year Candidates have been moved from August to December this year – subject to the National Testing Centre re-opening. (20/03/20)
- Trial examinations, at this stage, are to be held in December as scheduled – subject to the National Testing Centre re-opening. (20/03/20)
- All 2020 Leadership for Clinicians workshops have been cancelled and will be held over to 2021. (20/03/20)
College Communications
Impact of COVID-19 on College activities (10/03/2020)