AMA24
Inspiration surrounded us at the AMA National Conference this year. Two days of keynote speakers and lively breakout discussions were closed with a sparkling gala ball on Saturday night.
By Committee of Doctors in Training Deputy Co-Chairs Drs Ekta Paw and Mikaela Seymour
We raced off the starting line early on Friday morning with a keynote from the energetic Dr Jana Pittman. Dr Pittman shared her incredible story, from Olympian to Army Doctor, she shared ample experience and wisdom on facing our fears and turning our weaknesses into strengths.
Discussion panels throughout the day tackled tough issues such as scope of practice; trauma informed care; the gender pay gap and workplace culture. To finish the day, we were graced by the amazing Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner and recipient of the Australian Human Rights Medal in 2019, yarning about her experiences and encouraging us to be cognisant healthcare providers.
Saturday morning began with efficiency and crisis response to warm us up to the discussion sessions. Intensive discussions on the Medical Board’s Review of the specialist International Medical Graduate Pathway occurred, alongside decarbonising healthcare for future sustainability.
Specifically for Doctors in Training, discussions on research raised interesting debates on the purpose of research as part of training, and whether current college strategies achieve their intended purpose. AMA Queensland was pleased to see incoming federal CDT chair Dr Sanjay Hettige discussing ways to reduce the CV arms race, and set realistic and meaningful research goals for trainees working full time. Interview preparation advice was welcomed by doctors at all levels with interactive practice helping us perfect our techniques. It was exciting to see CV and interview support will soon be available to all AMA members through AMA Victoria resources and we look forward to sharing these with our members as interviews kick off for 2025 jobs. We finished up with a future painted by Dr Catherine Ball imagining technology and healthcare working together.
Saturday night’s Gala Ball was chaired by our favourite medical-magician and media expert Dr Vyom Sharma. We also honoured an amazing set of award winners, including DIT of the year Dr Amireh Fakhouri who championed the class action for overtime payment and the fair pay of junior doctors.
It was fantastic to see a naturalised Queensland and GP Dr Dani McMullen ushered in as chair of the AMA for 2025-26 and we look forward to working with her. And finally a massive thank you to Dr Hash Abdeen, past chair of the CDT, who hosted the conference with his usual professionalism and enthusiasm.