Australian Medical Association

In this issue: Develop your leadership skills: AMA Leadership Development Day – Leading Change; AMA Trainee Forum; Extra support for medical education & training urgently required: AMA budget submission; AMA urges greater support for IMGs and abolition of 10-year moratorium; Australian Curriculum Framework revised; New AMA doctors-in-training membership pack; ACRRM accreditation; AMACDT on Facebook and Twitter; and MJA Job Share.

In this issue - AMA training, education and supervision survey: another poor report card for public hospitals; AMA welcomes clinical teaching funding but broader funding and resources needed to be truly effective; New AMA doctors-in-training membership pack; AMACDT meets in Canberra; AMACDT writes to CPMEC on national prevocational training and the internship; "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" – a health and wellbeing guide for doctors; The health and wellbeing of junior doctors: insights from a national survey; Coasting to Gold – 14th National Prevocational Medical Education Forum; MedEd 2009 – “Investing in our Medical Workforce”; ACCC allows admission and interview policies of graduate-entry medical schools;AMA online fatigue risk assessment tool; AMACDT on Facebook; Season's Greetings and a Happy New Year; MJA Job Share.

The Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils (CPMEC) has prepared a discussion paper on the structure and content of the internship - the year of supervised clinical training completed by graduates of an Australian Medical Council-accredited medical school.

The AMA Council of Doctors-in-Training has written to CPMEC and given broad support to the discussion paper’s recommendations as they align with the AMA’s position on the duration of the intern year, its core terms and the role of placements in community settings.

National Minimum Terms and Conditions for GP Registrars for 2010

Findings of the AMA Junior Doctor Training, Education and Supervision Survey

What they didn't teach you at med school......

Doctors-in-Training are those doctors who have graduated from medical school and are either an intern, resident or registrar in the hospital system.

The AMA supports Doctors-in-Training in a number of ways on a State and Federal level.

The AMA has designed a membership pack especially tailored for Doctors In Training. The membership pack includes many great offers and benefits.

In This Issue - AMA urges fast tracking of expanded intern training places; AMA releases Priority Health Investment Plan;AMA writes to Health Minister on the 10-year moratorium on IMGs; AMACDT on Facebook; Coasting to Gold – 14th National Prevocational Medical Education Forum; MedEd 2009 – “Investing in our Medical Workforce”; MIGA Doctor in Training Grants Program; AMA online fatigue risk assessment tool.

The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has developed changes to the federal legislation which restricts access to Medicare provider numbers and effectively limits where international medical graduates and “former overseas medical students” can work for a minimum period of 10 years – the “10-year moratorium”. AMA President, Dr Andrew Pesce, has written to Minister for Health and Ageing to request that the proposed amendments be introduced into Federal Parliament.

Launch of NHHRC final report; Dr Pesce at the National Press Club; AMA win on Health Workforce Agency Bil;  AMA submission to ACCC on selection to graduate entry medical school; AMA online fatigue risk assessment tool; 6th National Doctors Health Conference;

The consortium of eleven graduate medical schools is seeking the ACCC’s permission to continue its policies and practices for selecting applicants to graduate medical schools. These include the preference policy where applicants submit a single application to the Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Centre, and the one interview policy whereby applicants receive only one offer for an interview.

In its submission the AMA has said that, on balance, the public benefits from authorising the graduate medical school consortium to continue these polices and practices outweighs any potential drawbacks;  however, the AMA has noted that where a graduate medical school uses the interview process to look for certain qualities in an applicant, there is the potential for the applicant to be disadvantaged by the interview process in some circumstances. The AMA has encouraged the ACCC to address these issues in the authorisation process.

In this issue: New AMACDT Chair; AMA survey: does your hospital support your training?; AMA adopts position statement on workplace bullying; New health workforce agency: AMA makes submission to the Senate; Review of RANZCR training program; 6th National Doctors Health Conference; 2009 GPET Awards

AMA Position Statement: Workplace Bullying and Harassment - 2009

There is good evidence that bullying and harassment of doctors occurs in the workplace. One Australian study found that 50% of Australian junior doctors had been bullied in their workplace, and a New Zealand study reported that 50% of doctors had experienced at least one episode of bullying behaviour during their previous three or sixth-month clinical attachment.

Workplace bullying of members of the medical workforce can occur between colleagues students and employees, and any contractors, patients, and family members with whom they are dealing.

The evidence is clear that workplace bullying contributes to poor employee health including the physical and psychological manifestations of stress and depression. Workplace bullying may affect medical students, junior doctors or senior specialists. Workplace bullying and harassment may impact on the training and education of doctors. It creates a poor learning environment due to the continued erosion of confidence, skills and initiative of the doctor, thereby creating a negative attitude towards their chosen specialty.

The AMA has prepared this position statement on workplace bullying and harassment in order to:

• to provide a guide for all doctors, hospital and practice managers to identify and manage workplace bullying and harassment;
• to raise awareness and reduce the exposure of doctors to workplace bullying and harassment; and
• to assist the medical profession in combating its perpetuation.

RANZCR’s training program is being assessed by the Australian Medical Council (AMC). The review is part of the AMC’s ongoing program of external assessment and accreditation of specialist medical education and training. The AMA has prepared a submission on RANZCR’s training program to the AMC, based on trainee input.

The Australian Curriculum Framework is being developed by the Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils and will define the core capabilities expected of prevocational doctors. The AMACDT has provided feedback on the revised version of the framework.

The Federal Parliament's Senate Community Affairs Committee is conducting an Inquiry into the Health Workforce Australia Bill 2009 (the "Bill"). The Commonwealth agreed to establish a new health workforce agency at the November 2008 Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting and this Bill seeks to implement that commitment.

The AMA has provided a submission to the Senate Inquiry.

E_Dit Issue 64 - 22 May 2009 AMACDT farewells Alex Markwell, AMACDT Leadership Development Dinner 2009, AMA’s salaried doctors and doctors in training committees meet in Canberra, AMA writes to Minister on clinical training places, Federal Budget outcomes, AMA online fatigue risk assessment tool, 6th National Doctors Health Conference, 2010 Australian General Practice Training program intake, 2009 MIGA Doctors in Training Grants Program

The AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, has written to the Minister for Health and Ageing to seek assurances that there will be sufficient clinical training positions for interns and specialist trainees in the public sector.

AMA submission to the AMC regarding the training program of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP).

Some of the issues raised by trainees include concerns about the training and information provided to supervisors and examiners, the examination process, and the availability of remediation for trainees in difficulty.

E_Dit Issue 62 - 27 March 2009: AMACDT Leadership Dinner 2009; AMA releases position statement on clinical support time; R Cubed: soul food for a balanced mind; New primary healthcare website; AMACDT Deputy Chair;  AMACDT Chair casual vacancy; MJA Job Share

AMA Position Statement: Clinical support time for public hospital doctors - 2009

The AMA defines clinical support time as protected time for duties that are not directly related to individual patient care. Clinical support duties encompass most aspects of the teaching, continuing professional development, clinical governance, administration and research activities undertaken by clinicians in the public health sector.

The purpose of this position statement is to specify a minimum benchmark of remunerated time for clinical support duties for senior and junior clinicians. It includes a comprehensive list of the roles and responsibilities that constitute clinical support time to assist with developing job descriptions and work schedules.

The Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils is developing an accreditation framework covering prevocational training positions across the country. While generally supportive of the concept, the AMA Council of Doctors in Training has expressed concerns at the current draft document that has been released for comment. In particular, the AMACDT believes that the draft PMAF focuses too heavily on general principles and procedures. While there are references to governance and supervisory standards, the document does not outline the applicable standards, and associated criteria and indicators, by which hospitals should be assessed in order to gain accreditation for their clinical training.

The AMACDT has encouraged the CMPEC to involve AMACDT representatives in preparing a revised draft to ensure that the input of junior doctors is properly taken into account.

ANZCA is undertaking a review of its curriculum. Based on trainee feedback, the AMA provided a submission to the review. The submission notes that trainees have reported that the College maintains a strong focus on trainee issues and are supportive of the current curriculum. The primary exam and the module-structure curriculum are noted as particular College strengths. The submission provides specific feedback on:

• Access to specialty terms
• Recognition of prior learning
• College fees
• Teaching and supervisory skills
• Educational material
• Final exam syllabus
• Basic training
• Level 1 supervision

AMA Submission to National Health Workforce Taskforce on understanding demand and capacity for undergraduate clinical placements.

This submission responds to the options for prevention of obesity, smoking and harmful alcohol use that are explored in the National Preventative Health Taskforce discussion paper - Australia: The Healthiest Country by 2020. The submission emphasises the crucial role of doctors in providing preventative health care.

Issue 60 - 19 December 2008

Information about employment conditions of GP Registrars. The minimum employment conditions of GP registrars in GP terms 1 and 2 are set by the National Minimum Terms and Conditions for GP Registrars. The 2009 agreement applies from the start of the 2009 training year and a copy is attached below.

Issue 59 7 November 2008

AMA Position Statement: Hospitalists - 2008

The AMA Survey Report on Junior Doctor Health and Wellbeing presents the findings of the AMA's survey of the health and wellbeing of 914 junior doctors at the postgraduate year 2 level and above across Australia and New Zealand.

To read the full report click here AMA Survey Report on Junior Doctor Health and Wellbeing

Issue 58 - 15 September 2008