Our committees work to develop policy and drive change in areas of special interest.
Meet the AMA Queensland members liaising with and advocating for the state's general practitioners.

Dr Maria Boulton founded general practice clinic Family Doctors Plus and occupational medicine clinic Corporate Doctors Plus with Dr Fiona Raciti in 2016. Dr Boulton has worked in general practice for 20 years and enjoys all aspects family medicine, skin cancer screening, travel medicine and occupational medicine. Dr Boulton is passionate about preventive medicine, continuity of care and ongoing education.

Dr Eleanor Chew is a specialist general practitioner with extensive experience representing the role of primary care in the health services profession. A graduate of the University of Queensland, Dr Chew has over 35 years’ experience as a GP, working in a variety of practice settings across Australia.

Dr Michael Clements served with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for 13 years. After working in various locations around the country and the world, Dr Clements now owns and works in a private practice in Townsville as a GP and as a Designated Aviation Medical Examiner. He is a Fellow of the Australasian College of Aerospace Medicine, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators. He completed the DipAvmed in the UK in 2010 and remains active in the RAAF Specialist Reserve. Dr Clements continues to supervise general practitioners in training and works part-time as a Director of Rural Generalist Training for the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway.

Dr Stephanie Dawson-Smith is a general practitioner currently working in private practice in Brisbane. She completed her FRACGP training on the Sunshine Coast and has worked as a GP and surgical assistant in Mackay.

Dr Carl de Wet (MBChB FRCGP FRACGP MMed PhD) is a General Practitioner, the Clinical Lead for the Gold Coast PHN, and a part-time liaison and Clinical Lead for Queensland Health and resides in the beautiful Gold Coast. He is a member of the Queensland Clinical Senate Executive and the Deputy Chair of the RACGP Standards Expert Committee. His research has been presented at international conferences, published in peer reviewed journals and as a textbook. Carl is passionate about health care quality, safety and innovation (www.carldewet.com.au).

Trained in Dublin, Ireland, Dr Dhupelia immigrated to Queensland as a Resident at Toowoomba Base Hospital and subsequently Medical Superintendent at Millmerran (1978-1982) and then practised in Toowoomba (1982-2005) as a Rural Generalist Obstetrician. He served as Toowoomba LMA President, GP Connections Chair (Toowoomba Division of General Practice) and Chair of CheckUP Australia.From 2006-2010, Dr Dhupelia was Senior Medical Advisor for Medicare Australia, Health Advisory Branch.

Dr Lisa Fraser is a new practice owner, recent ex-new fellow, and keen supervisor in regional Queensland. Dr Fraser is a full-time GP whose interests include supporting GP ownership, maintaining high standards of training for GPs, managing change and systems development.

Dr McLean was born and raised in rural New Zealand and studied medicine at the University of Otago and graduated in 2003. She works as a part-time general practitioner on the Gold Coast and is an Assistant Professor at Bond University, Director of Gold Coast General Practice, Executive Member of the Gold Coast Medical Association and a Queensland Board Member for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Dr McLean serves on the Gold Coast Primary Healthcare Network’s Aged Care and Palliative Care Leadership Committee, the Primary Healthcare Network’s Education Committee and RACGP’s Expert Committee on Post Fellowship Education.

As a Brisbane based GP and co-founder of the award-winning Family Doctors Plus in Windsor, Dr Fiona Raciti is passionate about delivering patient-centred, holistic medical care and an avid advocate of owner- operated General Practice as the best way to achieve it.

Dr Yim works full time as a General Practitioner in Hervey Bay. He is a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in 2017, after achieving his MBBS from Griffith University, Gold Coast in 2011.
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Dr Sharon Kelly gained her medical degree from the University of Queensland in 1987. She became a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons in 1995. Dr Kelly is registered in Queensland as an Otorhinolaryngologist, Head & Neck Surgeon.
She is currently the Director of ENT Surgery for Metro North HHS overseeing ENT services for RBWH, SATRS and Redcliffe Hospital. In 2015 she oversaw the expansion of ENT services in to Redcliffe Hospital. This service provides complex care for a variety of patient types, including head and neck cancer, cochlear implantation, trauma care and advanced rhinology. Between 2015 and 2017 Dr Kelly oversaw an award winning project to reduce waiting times for ENT services across Metro North HHS. She was awarded the Public Service Medal for that work.
Dr Kelly also runs a private practice from Wickham Terrace, Brisbane and has a keen interest in medico-legal reporting. She has wide experience in ENT disorders arising in the workplace, having been a member of the Workers’ Compensation Regulator (formerly Q-COMP) Medical Assessment Tribunal since 2005.
Having had a long association with AMA Queensland, Dr Kelly served as Chair of Council and Chair of the AMA Queensland Board from 2013 to 2016. She continues her advocacy role as Chair of the AMA Queensland Committee of Consultant Specialists.
CDT advocates collectively on the critical issues affecting doctors in training, including:
- medical workforce shortages - we support a coordinated and planned increase in clinical training places for medical students and postgraduate training places for medical graduates;
- placements, funding arrangements and the number of postgraduate training places at prevocational and vocational (specialist) level; and
- appropriate rostering arrangements and payment for all hours worked.
CDT meet regularly to review and progress the important issues for Doctors in Training. Have an issue you would like AMA Queensland Committee of Doctors in Training to take forward?
Email: cdt@amaq.com.au

Dr Witter works at the Cairns Hospital and has worked and studied in a variety of regional, rural and remote settings, ranging from Bundaberg to Yeppoon, including a term with the Royal Flying Doctors' Service in Lockhart River. Currently working in mental health, she has a passion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, promoting doctor-in-training wellbeing and ensuring equity in educational and vocational opportunities for the rural and remote medical workforce. She has an extensive background in advocacy and hopes to utilise this experience to improve the experience of doctors training in rural and remote Australia.

BSc MBBS BDS MPH
Dr Ekta Paw is a current trainee in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Ekta has previously been involved with advocacy in AMA Queensland, AMA Federal and AMA(SA). This year she hopes to be able to continue advocating for doctors in training in her position as Ordinary Member on AMA Federal Council while supporting more grassroots initiatives in the doctor in training space in her role as CDT Deputy Chair. Ekta hopes to support the 2023 CDT committee in policy development, climate and healthcare initiatives and promoting doctor in training wellbeing.
The AMA Queensland Committee of Doctors in Training has six special interest groups (SIGs): digital health, industrial relations, rural and remote, wellbeing, sustainability and education. The Chairs and Deputy Chair are listed below.

Dr Antony Ji is currently an Anaesthetics registrar, and passionate supporter of helping make the working lives for doctors fairer. He has previously held positions on various hospital prevocational medical education committees, and the AMA Junior Medical Officer Forum Queensland. His advocacy, passion for improving work environments, and interest in technology helps bring a unique skill-set for the Industrial Relations Special Interest Group.

Dr Emma Hodge is the 2023 chair for the Wellbeing SIG and currently works in an exciting role as the Medical Education and Wellbeing Principal House Officer. Prior to this, Emma was a Public Health Principal House Officer and has led a variety of medical research projects. Emma is also an author of multiple textbooks and has almost completed a Master of Public Health, as well as a Master of Human Nutrition. Her passion lies in implementing changes at a systematic level to optimise medical wellbeing and healthcare broadly.

Dr John Ward is an Emergency Registrar at Logan Hospital and this year’s Education and Training Chair on the CDT. John combines his passion for acute and trauma medicine with his love of motorsport by regularly volunteering for Team Medical Australia. He also sits on Avant Mutual’s Council of Doctors in Training, and The University of Queensland’s Young Alumni Advisory Board as their Future Leaders Portfolio lead. John hopes to use his position on the Council to advocate for further opportunities for professional development, and workplace rights for prevocational trainees.
The AMA Queensland Committee of Doctors in Training has representatives in most hospitals in Queensland. The hospital reps are there to support you with any questions you might have about AMA Queensland and ASMOFQ or MOCA 6.
Hospital | Hospital representative |
Townsville | Dr Marai Mozhy Mahizhnan |
RBWH | Dr Kudrat Sidhu |
QE II | Dr Sean Kenworthy |
Mount Isa | Dr Isaac O’Dempsey |
GCUH | Dr Georgia De'Ambrosis |
Redcliffe | Dr Seckin Akgul |
Toowoomba | Dr Murray Thompson |
Mater Brisbane | Dr Aiden Brumby |
QCH | Dr Sam Geraghty |
SCUH | Dr Yanni Michellis |
PAH | Dr Sivasaaini Sivakumaran |
Rockhampton | Dr Charles Jiang |
Townsville | Dr Mikaela Seymour |
West Moreton | Dr Millie Nakatsuka |
Caboolture | Dr Grace Goodwin |
Please contact us on (07) 3872 2222 or email cdt@amaq.com.au and we'll put you in touch.
The Finance, Risk and Audit Committee assists the Board with the Company’s financial reporting; internal control structure; audit requirements; and financial, risk & investment management. The Committee is responsible for assessing the risks faced by the Company through:
- Financial reporting
- Compliance and risk management
- Directing and monitoring the investment management of various funds
- Assessing accounting, financial and internal controls
Chair: Mr Patrick Staunton | Secretariat: Filomena Ferlan
The Governance Committee assists the Board and Executive in the development, implementation and maintenance of a robust system of governance that is aligned with best practice and fits the needs of AMA Queensland. The Committee is responsible for:
- Developing and reviewing governance policies, practices and procedures with regard to best practice, such as those endorsed by the AICD
- Regularly reviewing the AMA Queensland Constitution to ensure it aligns with contemporary governance practices appropriate for not-for-profit associations
- Ensuring there is a robust and effective process for evaluating the performance of the Board, Board Committees, individual directors and Council
- Periodically reviewing the terms of reference of all Board Committees and making recommendations regarding changes after consultation with the respective Committee Chairs
- Monitoring developments in corporate governance generally and making recommendations to the Board on any changes to governance practices that the Committee regards as necessary or desirable
- Considering opportunities to improve governance training and experience of key individuals within the Association
- Ensuring that the AMA Queensland Governance Manual is maintained and current
- Considering governance matters referred to it by the Board
Chair: Dr Peter Isdale | Secretariat: Hayley Pena
The Nominations Committee assists the Board in meeting its responsibilities by ensuring the Board retains an appropriate balance of skills to support the strategic objectives of AMA Queensland. The Committee is responsible for:
- Ensuring there is a formal, rigorous and transparent approach to the appointment of Directors and Councillors
- Reviewing and recommending formal procedures for the nomination, election and appointment of Directors and Councillors
- Assisting the Board to identify future Board and Council members
- Maintaining an effective framework for succession planning
- Scrutinising recommendations for the AMA Queensland awards
- Reviewing position descriptions for the various Board and Council positions
Chair: Dr Sarah Coll | Secretariat: Amanda Sanderson