CPMC National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical ...

Framework Project (CPMC NATSIMSFP)CPMC NATSIMSFPIssue Date: January, 2013NewsletterIssue date: August 2013COMMITTEE OF PRESIDENTS OF MEDICAL COLLEGESCPMCIndigenous HealthNATSIMSFPSubcommitteeNational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical SpecialistFramework Project (CPMC NATSIMSFP)

COMMITTEE OF PRESIDENTS OF MEDICAL COLLEGESIndigenous Health SubcommitteeNational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Specialist Framework Project(CPMC NATSIMSFP)Issue Date: August 2013CPMC Indigenous Health Subcommittee Co-Chairs’MessagesI hope you enjoy reading this newsletter updating theactivities of the Indigenous Health Subcommittee of CPMCand it’s project; with it’s aim of increasing the awareness ofIndigenous health issues by all members of all Colleges, andimportantly, increasing the number of Indigenous doctorsbecoming specialists.As leaders of each respective specialist College, it is vital thatall Presidents are involved in this process and to this end aspecial cultural and informative session will be held for allPresidents in November, and this will be a regular event intothe future.Sadly I missed the signing of the Collaboration Agreementbetween AIDA and CPMC as I was overseas, but know thatit was a heartfelt occasion further strengthening an importantworking relationship.Dr Maria Tomasic, Co-Chair (CPMC)The past few months have been very exciting, with the launchof the CPMC- AIDA Collaboration Agreement in Melbournea highlight. This important document strengthens therelationship between AIDA and CPMC, and we are lookingforward to progressing our work together. AIDA remainscommitted to continue to develop and fortify relationshipswith individual Colleges.Work is also progressing on the CPMC Indigenous KnowledgeInitiative, to be held in November. We hope that providingCollege Presidents with an opportunity to share knowledgewith Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health leaders willimprove their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander health issues. A similar initiative has proven veryeffective with Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand, andI look forward to participating in the inaugural program.In this issueCollaboration Agreement• CPMC-AIDA Collaboration agreementProject Activities• Guideline for Indigenous health content• Indigenous knowledge initiative for CollegePresidentsProject Highlights• Project websiteProfilesAssociate Professor Mark WenitongStories/News from medical specialistColleges• College of Intensive Care Medicine ofAustralia and New Zealand• The Royal Australian College of GeneralPractitioners• Australian and New Zealand College ofAnaesthetists• The Royal Australian and New ZealandCollege of Ophthalmologists• Australasian College for EmergencyMedicine• The Royal Australian and New ZealandCollege ofPsychiatrists (RANZCP)• Royal Australasian College of SurgeonsNAIDOC Week 2013• 7-14 July 2013.LIME Connection conference• 26-28 August, 2013Farewell to Les ApolonyDr Tammy Kimpton, Co-Chair (AIDA)Contact usAddress:CPMC NATSIMSFP | Phone: +61 3 9276 7449 | Facsimile +61 3 9249 127C/-Royal Australasian College of SurgeonsCollege of Surgeons Gardens250-290 Springs StreetEast Melbourne VIC 3002CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 2

Collaboration AgreementCPMC-AIDA Collaboration agreementAlandmark agreement between the Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) and theAustralian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) was signed on Monday, 8 July 2013 at the RoyalMelbourne Hospital, Melbourne.The agreement was signed by Professor Kate Leslie, Chair of the CPMC, and Dr Tammy Kimpton, AIDAPresident and occurred during National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC)Week.Some highlights from the event are illustrated below:Wurundjeri elder, Uncle Ron Jones performing asmoking ceremony at the signing eventDoctor Tammy Kimpton, AIDA President (left),and Professor Kate Leslie, CPMC President (right)signing the collaboration agreement(From Left) Mr Romlie Mokak, AIDA CEO,Professor Kate Leslie, CPMC Chair, Dr TammyKimpton, AIDA President and Mr Leslie Apolony,CPMC CEO at the signing event.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 3

On 5 July 2013, a media was jointly released by AIDA and CPMC as follows:MEDIA RELEASEIndigenous DOCTORS AND MEDICAL SPECIALISTSSIGN LANDMARK AGREEMENT DURING NAIDOC WEEKThe Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) and Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC)believe that reducing the current gap in health outcomes and life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians will be facilitated by increasing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical specialistworkforce and by all doctors working in Australia possessing the knowledge and skills to work competently withAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.The theme of NAIDOC Week this year is We Value the Vision: Yirrkala Bark Petitions 1963. Fifty years after theYolngu bark petitions were sent to the Federal Parliament, a landmark agreement between the national organisationsrepresenting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors and specialist medical colleges will be signed, duringNAIDOC week, at the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Monday 8 July 2013 at 10am.The Collaboration Agreement will make a contribution to closing the gap in health outcomes between Indigenous andnon-Indigenous Australians by training more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical specialists, by improvingthe ways in which medical specialists work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and by mentoring futureAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in medicine.Professor Kate Leslie, Chair of the CPMC and a senior anaesthetist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital said “Australiagraduated its first Aboriginal medical graduate 30 years ago, 100 years later than comparable countries such as NewZealand and Canada. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors are significantly under-represented in the medicalworkforce and all 15 specialist medical college Presidents are absolutely committed to leading the change with ourpartners AIDA”.Dr Tammy Kimpton, AIDA President and General Practitioner in NSW, said “this agreement completes the final piecein the continuum of medical education and training. AIDA now has formal partnerships with the national bodiesresponsible for the education and training of doctors from entry to medical school, through the junior doctor years,into specialty training and fellowship”.“AIDA estimates that there are around 175 Indigenous medical graduates and 230 Indigenous medical students.To reach population parity in the medical profession would require over 1000 additional Indigenous doctorsimmediately” said Dr Kimpton.AIDA CEO, Mr Romlie Mokak said “whilst much has been achieved to date, this formal agreement underpins theneed for strong and sustainable partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisations”.“Together, powerful results can be achieved. The measure of success will be the quality of care provided to ourpeople and ultimately, the closing of the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peopleand the wider Australian community”.Contacts: Dr Tammy Kimpton, AIDA President 0417 535 899Professor Kate Leslie, CPMC Chair 0418 374 071Mr Romlie Mokak, AIDA CEO 0427 786 1535 July 2013CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 4

Project ActivitiesGuideline for Indigenous health contentAs part of the first priority milestones, the project is workingon a guideline for Indigenous health content to be used in thecurricula of all of the Australian specialist medical Colleges.An intensive workshop isplanned on 16 August2013 to progress thiswork, facilitated by ProfessorCindy Shannon and involvingrepresentatives from all of thespecialist Colleges. Each Collegehas been asked to nominatea fellow or trainee (preferablyIndigenous) and a staff memberform its education unit.It is anticipated that a draftguideline will be completed bythe end of September 2013.Once the guideline is approvedby CPMC, it will be provided toall the Colleges as a guidelinefor designing learning modulesin Indigenous health.Indigenous knowledgeinitiative for CPMC leadershipA program on Indigenousknowledge initiative forall College Presidents isexpected to be carried outon 6 November 2013. TheCollaboration Agreement, 2013-2015, between the AustralianIndigenous Doctors’ Association(AIDA) and the Committee ofPresidents of Medical Colleges(CPMC) includes provision for abiennial AIDA-CPMC PresidentsIndigenous Knowledge Initiativeprogram.The objectives of the programare to• Share knowledge andunderstanding of Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islanderhealth and wellbeingbetween Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islanderhealth leaders and healthservices providers and thePresidents;“Engage in twowayconversationin a mutuallyrespectful,supportiveand collegiatemanner”and• Consider the translationof knowledge gained toPresident’s leadership roleswithin their specific areas ofmedical specialty.It is anticipated that at theend of the program thePresidents will have• Enhanced knowledge andunderstanding of Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islanderhealth and wellbeing , and• Better ability to implementAboriginal and Torres StraitIslander health programswithin their specialty areas,including the implementationof the medical specialistframework.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 5

Project highlightsProject websiteThe Project website waslaunched in June 2013. This isaimed at Australian Indigenousmedical undergraduates andgraduates to help them inchoosing a medical specialityin their professional career pathand achieve their career aims.The website provides useful linksto, and brief information about,the different medical specialistColleges involved in specialtytraining programs.“The website alsoreports the progressof the CPMCSubcommittee andthe various aspectsof the CPMCSubcommitteeproject”.The website can be accessedfrom the CPMC website underthe “Special Projects” or directlythrough the link below:http://www.cpmc.edu.au/natsim/CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 6

ProfilesAdjunct Associate Professor Mark WenitongMark Wenitong, anAdjunct AssociateProfessor at JamesCook University, School ofTropical Public Health, is fromKabi Kabi tribal group of SouthQueensland. He is an AboriginalPublic Health Medical Officerat the National AboriginalCommunity Controlled HealthOrganisation (NACCHO), andthe Senior Medical Advisor atApunipima Cape York HealthCouncil.In the past, A/Prof. Wenitongwas the Senior Medical Officerat Wuchopperen Health Servicesin Cairns for nine years. He alsoworked as the medical advisorfor Office for Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander Health(OATSIH) in Canberra. He was amember of the Northern TerritoryEmergency Response (NTER)Review Expert Advisory Group in2008.A/Prof. Wenitong is a pastpresident and founding memberof the Australian IndigenousDoctors Association (AIDA).He is a member of theNational Health and MedicalResearch Committee - NationalPreventative Health Committee,the National Lead CliniciansGroup, a ministerial appointeeto NATSIHEC, the Independente health advisory committee.He chairs the AndrologyAustralia- Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander Male Referencegroup, and sits on several othercommittees. He is a councilmember of the AustralianInstitute of Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).A/Prof. Wenitong has beenheavily involved in Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander healthworkforce. He has received the2011 AMA Presidents Awardfor Excellence in Healthcare,and the Queensland Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander HealthCouncil Hall of Fame award in2010.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 7

Stories/News from medical specialist CollegesCollege of Intensive Care Medicineof Australia and New Zealand (CICM)In 2012 the College of Intensive Care Medicine was awarded a grantby the Rural Health Continuing Education program to produce aneducational DVD on Communication with Indigenous patients.Asmall working group ofAssoc Prof Di Stephens(Darwin), Dr PennyStewart (Alice Springs), AssocProf Charlie Corke (Victoria),Phil Hart (CICM) and LisaDavidson (CICM) was formedto work on the educationalobjectives and important issuesthat needed to be covered. Afilm company with previousexperience in bothICU filming andIndigenous healthprojects was engagedand the processbegun.After months ofplanning, the groupall travelled to AliceSprings to beginfilming. Dr PennyStewart, the Directorof Intensive Careat Alice SpringsHospital kindlyopened the unit upand organised a groupof willing volunteerswho assistedwith providing information,interviews and some proved tobe great thespians.The working group were luckyenough to be invited out to huntfor bush tucker with a group ofwomen who had experiences inthe hospital and were happy toshare their stories. Not only wasthe experience unique, it wasalso a great insight into some ofthe issues that are common butnot often dealt with in training.After months of editing thefinal cut was completed.There are six chapters inall; Cultural Safety, DecisionMaking, Different Perspectives,End of Life, Non Complianceand Talking and Listening.These chapters explore arange of issues surroundingcommunication issues fromreal situations.‘Navigating Communication– Communication and ConsentIssues with Aboriginal Patients’is designed to assist culturalawareness and understandingwithin Aboriginal health deliverythrough offering practicaladvice and suggestionsfrom experts in the field andmembers of the Aboriginalcommunity. It is designed toencourage and enable medicalpractitioners to understandand communicate moresuccessfully with Aboriginalpatients and their families.While the focus of the DVD isprincipally on communicationwith aboriginal patients incritical care situations, it ishoped that the messagesit contains may be of moregeneral use in promotingintercultural awareness.The DVD has been sent to allCICM accredited units, will beuploaded on the Collegelearning managementsystem and is availableat the College uponrequest. The material willbe shared with the RACSAustralian IndigenousHealth and Cultural SafetyOnline Portal.A survey will be sent to allaccredited units in a fewmonths to seek feedbackon the educational tool.Author and Photographer:Lisa Davidson, CICMCPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 8

The Royal Australian College of GeneralPractitioners (RACGP)Calling all Aboriginal andTorres Strait IslanderregistrarsWe invite all Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander generalpractice registrars enrolledfor the Fellowship of TheRoyal Australian Collegeof General Practitioners(FRACGP) exam totake advantage of thisopportunity designed to helpyou prepare effectively andperform to your potential inthe upcoming exam.Using a set of educationaltools, a face to faceworkshop and regularone-on-one mentoring,the Indigenous FellowshipExcellence Program willassist registrars alongthe pathway to achievingexcellence in theirFellowship exam.Involvement in this programis free to Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islanderregistrars thanks to thegenerous donations from DrNathan and Susan Pinskier,The Mary MacKillopFoundation and the NationalFaculty of Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander Health.Travel, accommodation andmeals are included in orderfor the registrar to attend theweekend workshop.To express your interestas a registrar or mentor,provide an offer of help orto simply find out more,please contact the faculty ataboriginalhealth@racgp.org.au or call 1800 000 251.The National Faculty ofAboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Health EducationCommitteeThe Education Committeeis a sub-committee ofThe National Facultyof Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Health Board and aimsto deliver advice and directionto The National Faculty ofAboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Health. Advice includesbut is not limited to, education,vocational training andassessment issues and any othermatters pertinent to Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander Healthgeneral practice education.The Committee also offersguidance and input onmatters such as RACGPeducational resources andservices including curriculum,assessment and continuingprofessional development. TheCommittee aims to ensure allresources provided are culturallyappropriate and relevant.The Committee will seek to haveequity between Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander membersand non-Indigenous members,with membership consisting of:• Chair• Faculty Censor• General Practitioners withinterest and experience inAboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Health and experiencein medical education• Aboriginal and/or Torres StraitIslander cultural educatorsThe National Faculty ofAboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Health EducationCommittee will host quarterlyteleconferences in addition to anannual face to face meeting.Indigenous FellowshipExcellence ProgramThe National Faculty ofAboriginal and TorresStrait Islander Healthis pleased to announce therecently established IndigenousFellowship Excellence Programis now running workshopsnationwide throughout 2013– 2014.The next workshop due tobe held is: Exam preparationworkshop 2013.2 – Saturday 20and Sunday 21 July, Melbourne,VICThe Indigenous FellowshipExcellence Program aims toassist Aboriginal and TorresStrait Islander registrars performto their full potential in theFellowship exams whilst at thesame time developing a networkof peer support across thecountry.Opportunities for mentoringWe invite Fellows ofthe RACGP NationalFaculty of Aboriginaland Torres Strait IslanderHealth to act as individualmentors to registrars completingthis program. Mentors willprovide support and advice viateleconferences, a weekendface-to-face workshop andregular contact in the lead up tothe exam.Travel, accommodation andmeals are included in orderfor the mentor to attend theweekend workshop and mentorsare also paid for their time andexpertise.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 9

Australian and New Zealand College ofAnaesthetists (ANZCA)Indigenous Health Podcast Series – Now availableThe ANZCA Indigenous Health Committee launched the College’sIndigenous health podcast series in March 2013 1 .The series includes nineshort independentlearning podcast modulesfocusing on the needs of rural/remote anaesthesia and painmedicine specialists workingwith Indigenous patients andcommunities in Australia. Themodules are now available on theANZCA website in the E-learningsection (http://www.anzca.edu.au/resources/e-learning/podcasts).The podcasts were developedby ANZCA and FPM Fellows,doctors with experience inIndigenous health, Aboriginalliaison officers and an Aboriginaldoctor, to share the experiencesof working in Indigenous healthand provide information specificto the needs of specialistanaesthetists and specialist painmedicine physicians.The aim of the series is toimprove communication betweenclinicians and Indigenouspatients, thus facilitatingquality and safe health care.A specific podcast wasdeveloped on communicationwhile acknowledging it is atheme recurrent in the entireseries. Informed consent isalso discussed as it appliesto Indigenous patients. Othertopics include pain management,culture, culture shock, thepreoperative visit, traditionalparenting, interactions withIndigenous patients withIndigenous and non-Indigenousheritage, and diffusing anger.The development of theIndigenous health podcastseries has added an importantnew resource to the College’selectronic learning programsand is available for all Fellows,trainees and internationalmedical graduate specialists.In the future the series will bemade available to specialistsfrom Australasian medicalColleges through the Network forIndigenous Cultural and HealthEducation (NICHE). The NICHEweb portal is an inter-Collegeinitiative designed to a centrallocation for rural and remotespecialists seeking Indigenoushealth resources intended to belaunched later this year.ANZCA teaching and learning casesThe College has developedfour teaching and learningcase studies with a focuson Australian and New ZealandIndigenous patients. These casestudies have been developedas teaching resources integralto ANZCA’s curriculum. Thecase scenarios are clinicallybased and presented in aformat to encourage discussionand reflection rather thandidactic teaching. Each caseis accompanied by facilitatornotes to assist in understandingthe direction of the case, focusthe discussion on areas ofimportance and provide guidanceon the depth of the answersexpected for the trainee’s level oftraining.The case studies are currentlyavailable through ANZCA’swebsite and will be madeavailable to specialists fromAustralasian medical collegesthrough the NICHE web portal.The Flinders AdelaideIndigenous Medical Mentoring(FAIMM) programAs mentioned in the Januarynewsletter ANZCA’s IndigenousHealth Committee has beenworking to expand the FAIMMmodel for mentoring ofIndigenous medical students.A program has now beensuccessfully established inNewcastle, NSW and there isinterest in establishing similargroups in Darwin and Fremantle.The program brings togetherIndigenous medical anddental students with a groupof interested doctors three tofour times a year. In additionFAIMM organizes dinners withIndigenous high school studentswho are in turn providedinformation about university andcareer options by the medicalstudents.For more information on any ofthese initiatives please contactPaul Cargill, Policy Officer,Community Development ANZCAon pcargill@anzca.edu.au or 038517 5393.1This project has been funded by the Department of Health and Ageing under the Rural Health Continuing Education Subprogram(RHCE) Stream One which is managed by the Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges.The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists is solely responsible for the content of, and views expressed in anymaterial associated with this Project.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 10

The Royal Australian and New Zealand Collegeof Ophthalmologists (RANZCO)Indigenous and Rural Health Committee ActivitiesThe Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologistsestablished an Indigenous and Rural Health Committee in 1995 whosemain purpose is to improve Indigenous eye health in rural and remotepopulations. This committee is made up of thirteen members fromdifferent States and Territories.Part of the focus of theCommittee has been toprovide an opportunityfor dialogue between Collegemembers and other stake holdersabout clinical, administrative, andpolitical concerns that may bearon the provision of Indigenouseye care to rural and remoteareas. This has been achieved byattendance at various meetingsand through extensive emailinterchanges which have oftenculminated in a policy change orformal correspondence with therelevant organisation on behalf ofRANZCO.Recently the Committee has beenactively involved in evaluatingrelevant content that wouldsupport the College’s Indigenousand rural health on-line resources.“Over thirty one linkshave been placed onthe RANZCO websiteand these includeculturalawareness courses forboth Australian andNew Zealand Fellowsand trainees”.As part of the RANZCO annualscientific congress in Hobartin November, the Indigenousand Rural Health Committee isplanning to organise a speakerto address cultural awareness forour trainees. This will promoteawareness of and an outline ofstrategies to overcome culturalbarriers in the provision ofquality eye care to Indigenouspopulations. In addition to thisthere will be a series of talksfrom interested parties who willoutline the status of Indigenouseye health from different regionsaround Australia.On the National Close the GapDay (21st March), RANZCOstaff members showed theircommitment to reconciliationand achieving equity in healthoutcomes by signing the Closethe Gap pledge. There was alsothe opportunity to correspondwith the State Premier using asupplied template and requestingthem to publicly commit torenewing investment in Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander healthequality. As a follow up to this theFederal Government made anannouncement that there wouldbe ongoing funding to help Closethe Gap. The College is planninga similar day of activities forNational Reconciliation Week.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 11

As a one of the outcomes from theCPMC NATSIMSFP ‘guidelines forcollecting Indigenous status datawithin medical colleges’, RANZCOhas asked all new 2013 traineesa question about their indigeneitywhich is now part of the registrationform for selection.A similar question is being asked ofall the Fellows of the College.“The RANZCOIndigenous and RuralHealth Committee isplanning a review ofthe CPMC NATSIMSFPIndigenous curriculumelements guidelineswhen they becomeavailable and this willbe followed up by asimilar review of thecultural awareness /sensitivity guidelines”.The University of Melbourne,Indigenous Eye Health Unit hasrecently published the third revisionof the summary document for ‘TheRoadmap to Close the Gap forVision’ http://www.iehu.unimelb.edu.au/publications/iehu_reports. As part of this revision there hasbeen an update of important dataand information pertaining to theprogress being made to improvingIndigenous eye health and asummary of this information can befound in the list below:• Update of the trachoma figures(p6 and p7)• A table outlining 2012 progress inimplementation (p20 and p21)• A list of activities to advance theRoadmap for Commonwealthand jurisdictional governments,including national performanceindicators (p22 and p23)• A more detailed dissection ofthe workforce requirementsand tasks for coordination in apopulation of 10,000 people anda community of 500 people (p24)and• A new eye care pathway diagramillustrating the importance ofthe ensuring diabetic eye carepathway (p24).And finally, the CommonwealthGovernment have contractedwith McKinsey the managementconsultants to run a seriesof workshops to developrecommendations on the wayMedicare Locals and local hospitalsnetworks can work together. Theexample that they chose wasIndigenous eye health and the workthat Associate Professor AngusTurner is doing in the Kimberleyregion. This case study will go to allthe Medicare Locals as an exampleof best practice and will includeamong other things informationon how to coordinate patient care,develop key performance indicatorsand report on targets.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 12

Australasian College for Emergency Medicine(ACEM)Culturally competent patient-centred care resources forEmergency Medicine specialistsIndigenous Health and Cultural Competency (IH&CC) project aims toenhance the understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanderand other culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.This strengthens theability of ACEMmembers, particularlyInternational Medical Graduate(IMG) members, to provideappropriate medical care in theemergent setting.The IH&CC education resourcesdeveloped will:• Renew the appreciation ofhow cultural diversity impactson patients’ access to andexperience of emergencydepartments;• Enhance the ability ofEmergency Medicinespecialists to provideappropriate care to Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islanderand other culturally andlinguistically diverse patients;and• Cultivate a recognitionthat cultural competencyis an ongoing professionaldevelopment process, and isan important mechanism forimproving patient outcomes.Progress to date has included:• Broad consultation withAboriginal and Torres StraitIslander and other culturallyand linguistically diversepatients and allied healthprofessionals, as well asACEM members includingIMGs and other stakeholders;• Constitution of a ReferenceGroup comprised ofboth ACEM and ACEMexternalparties includingrepresentatives from TheLeaders in Medical Education(LIME) Network, The Centrefor Culture, Ethnicityand Health, and ACEM’sIndigenous Health WorkingGroup;“Development ofa curriculumframework forIH&CC onlinelearning modules,and video podcastseries plan; tointroduce somekey concepts andexperiences inIH&CC”.• Significant proportion of filmand audio elements requiredfor eLearning modulesand podcasts capturedin Townsville, QLD andAlice Springs, NT. At thesesites, the IH&CC projectteam collaborated withstakeholders including butnot exclusive to: FACEMs,IMGs working in emergencymedicine, ED-specificIndigenous Liaison Officers,other Aboriginal LiaisonOfficers, The Poche Centrefor Indigenous Health, andothers;• Relevant best practiceIH&CC web-based referencesaccessible to membersthrough the ACEM Best ofWeb EM educational tool havebeen reviewed; and• Commencement of externalpromotion of the IH&CCproject e.g. LIME Conference2013, and involvement ofpromotion of IH&CC withinthe broader ACEM Educationaims.This project is funded by theDepartment of Health andAgeing (DoHA) and is expectedto be completed in December2013. For more informationplease see the ‘New Educationinitiatives’ section of the ACEMwebsite: www.acem.org.au.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 13

The Royal Australian and New Zealand Collegeof Psychiatrists (RANZCP)Indigenous Medical Students and Junior Doctorsattending the RANZCP CongressThe Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists(RANZCP) is committed to increasing the number of Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander graduates successfully completing psychiatrytraining and entering practice in any of the fields of psychiatry.To this end, the RANZCPis pleased to bepartnering with theAustralian Indigenous DoctorsAssociation (AIDA) to sponsorfour Indigenous medicalstudents and junior medicalpractitioners to attend theannual RANZCP Congress.Now in its second year, thisinitiative aims to attract medicalstudents or junior doctors withan interest in Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander health;a commitment to improvingAboriginal and Torres StraitIslander health in the future;and an interest in psychiatryas a career.Applicants who best meetthese criteria are supported toattend the RANZCP Congresswhere they can join workshopsand symposia covering the fullarray of sub-specialties withinpsychiatry, and gain exposureto the developments andchallenges faced in psychiatrytoday.The RANZCP and AIDAcongratulate Dr DanielaSabbioni, Dr Nino Scuderi, MrKane Vellar and Ms GlendaBrown, who are this year’ssuccessful applicants.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 14

The Royal Austrasian Collegeof Surgeons (RACS)The 2nd Australasian Students’ Surgical Conference– Reflections by Indigenous medical students“I find it quite motivating totalk with others on a similarpath to myself, who haveshared goals and ambitions andthose who I may be workingwith in the future. There arefew opportunities throughoutthe year to compare courses,hospitals and runs with otherstudents, and to discuss theexperiences common to allmedical students” (SophieStevenson)Thanks to thoughtful donationsfrom Fellows made to theFoundation for Surgery,the College supported theattendance of five Indigenousmedical students to the 2ndAustralasian Students’ SurgicalConference. Held in Aucklandon the 5 May, the conferencewas hosted by the Universityof Auckland Surgical Societywith active support from theRoyal Australasian College ofSurgeons . The aim of thisforum is to inform aspiringsurgeons of the current andfuture requirements of asurgical career and the trainingit will involve. It seeks toinspire students with specialtyspeeches and practicalworkshops and provide aplatform for students to presenttheir surgical research.Three Aboriginal studentsand two Maori students wereselected to attend by theIndigenous Health Committeein consultation with AIDA andTeORA.Gordon Reid is a secondyear medical student at theUniversity of Newcastle. AWidajuiir man from the NSWCentral Coast his interestslie in the fields of plastic andreconstructive surgery andfaciomaxillary surgery. “Thisconference was a remarkableexperience. It was interesting,engaging, fulfilling andexciting. It provided me witha range of tools necessaryto begin my path to a careerin surgery and beyond. Italso conveyed that, as anIndigenous medical student,surgery would provide me withan opportunity to work as partof a team, of both Indigenousand non-Indigenous peoples,to provide a service for thelocal community and Australia”.Gordon found particularlyengaging the keynote addressby Professor John Windsor, ARoad Less Travelled – CriticalReflections on a Career inAcademic Surgery” as it “offered an enticing view intoa path of surgery that is risingin popularity and is essentialfor the development of newsurgical techniques andtreatment to improve the livesof many”.Sean Lewis is in his fourth yearof medicine at the Universityof Otago. Like the others hefound the individual specialtypresentations insightful andinformative. “The initial talksfrom a surgeon of eachspecialty was highly valuable,as it is becoming increasinglyclear that we really do not knowwhat to expect from each areaof medicine. It was nice to hearexactly what each specialtyentails, not only what a normalweek would hold but also how alifestyle can be moulded aroundeach, and another interestingthing was to hear what eachThe strategy to promoteand improve Indigenousrepresentation in thesurgical professionis an objective ofthe RACS StrategicPlan 2010-2015 and acommitment outlinedin the IndigenousHealth Position Paper.The IndigenousHealth Committee(IHC) is workingwith the AustralianIndigenous Doctors’Association (AIDA)and Te ORA the MäoriMedical PractitionersAssociation of AotearoaNew Zealand to provideopportunities forstudents interestedin surgery to prepareexplore trainingrequirements,develop professionalnetworks and sourceopportunities toengage in surgicalrelated research,projects and forumsto aid professionaldevelopment.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 15

speaker thought about thedown side to their job…..Havingthe actual path into a surgicalcareer [explained] was also verybeneficial….knowing exactlywhat was needed, and alsohaving been told the numbersthat get through each year wasreally good. It was told to usin a realistic way that wasn’tdiscouraging, just clear”.Nicole Whitson is in hersecond year of medicine atthe University of Newcastle.Nicole’s ultimate dream is tobe a cardiothoracic surgeon.“Before this conferencecommenced, I was unsure as tothe process of entering surgicaltraining programs and the pathinto surgery. However, by itsconclusion, I was not only awareof the preparations necessaryto become a surgeon, I wasdefinite in becoming a surgeonthat is strong, independentand capable, one that is a rolemodel for my people and mycommunity”.For Nicole the highlight of theconference was the medicalimagining and suturingworkshops she participated in.“These workshops have taughtme some great skills that Iwill be able to use as a juniordoctor as not many medicalstudents have the opportunityto learn the different suturingtechniques before they start theirpractical work. I was extremelyamazed in myself to be able tocatch on quickly to the suturingtechniques that the presenterswere showing us”.Nicole was pleased that femalesurgeons were among thespeakers. “As a female hearingthese women talk about theirtransition into a surgical careerand being able to juggle being amother and wife was extremelyencouraging. It was inspiring tosee that these strong womenwere able to accomplish allof these roles, both in theircareer as a surgeon and as amatriarchal figure in their family,and that they can be donewithout compromise”.Guy Dennis is a proud Wiradjuri/Worimi -man from Nelson Bayin NSW, and is a third yearmedical student at the Universityof New South Wales. “Myjourney to medicine began withmy experience with health,illness and surgery within myfamily growing up. This gaveme the initial spark for wantingto pursue a health profession,specifically around surgery”.“The conference helped create afoundation of knowledge for methat I will need to help make thisdream come true in the future”.“I found it highlyrewarding to beable to hear thesurgeons give theirpresentations andthen mingle withthem afterwards..”I learnt that yes, it is not an easypath, and yes it required a lot ofhard work and then some, but itwill not seem like work if I pursuethe right field, as I will be doingwhat I love…… Knowing thelogistics of how I could becomea surgeon gave me a timelineto develop in my mind of whenI would need to start submittingapplications and really playingwith what field I may pursue. …..Ifound that the speakers who hadchildren gave me good ideas asto how I may balance a familywhilst being a surgeon. They alsogave me an idea of the diversityof locations one may live in as asurgeon and how this may differfor each specialty”.Sophie Stevenson is in her fifthyear of medicine at the Universityof Otago. Being more advancedin her studies and clinicalexperience, Sophie found valuein other parts of the program.“I really enjoyed the studentpresentations on research thatthey had been involved with, asI found it relevant and tailoredto the audience. There are veryfew opportunities throughoutthe year where we are exposedto new research that is easilyaccessible to students. It isreally nice to acknowledgepeers who are out there doingextracurricular research. I thinkthat raising the awareness ofthis also creates more interestto undertake research….Theacademic surgery workshop wasvery interesting and informative.The speakers were bothsurgeons who were finishingtheir PhDs, which was definitelyan area of surgery I was lessaware of. I enjoyed the smallergroup sessions as they wereless formal than the whole grouppresentations which allowed formore discussion of the topics.I think I took the most fromthis workshop, and research isdefinitely something I would lookat doing now and later in mycareer”.The conference was a successon many fronts. All the studentswere grateful for the chance toconnect with other Indigenousmedical students, make newfriends or catch up with oldclassmates. One studentsummed up the conferenceas, “making friends for life, inan environment that was bothfulfilling and educational, is afantastic experience that I willnever forget”.For further information on RACSwork in Indigenous health pleasevisitRoyal Australasian College ofSurgeons | Indigenous HealthCommittee or contact the IHCSecretariat on 03-92767407CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 16

The College’s inaugural Indigenous Health ForumThe College’s inaugural Indigenous Health Forum washeld at the RACS Annual Scientific Congress on the 8 May.The programme comprised retrospective and prospective viewsfrom both sides on the Tasman Sea.Two knights of the realm– Dame Anne Salmondand Sir Mason Durieaddressed the Maori and NewZealand perspective while A/Prof. Shaun Ewen and Dr JacobOllapallil took the responsibilityfor the Australian Indigenousaspect.Dame Anne Salmond is NewZealander of the Year andis highly respected for hercollaborative work with eldersof the Te Whaanau-a-Apanuiand Ngati Porou Maori tribes onissues of Maori life. Sir MasonDurie is a member of theRangitane and Ngati Kauwhata(Maori) tribes. He has beenactively engaged in mentalhealth research and policyfor more than two decades,and in 1993 established aMaori Health Research Centrethat has provided nationalleadership in outcomesresearch and research intomental health service delivery.Shaun Ewen holds manyleadership positions, includingbeing the inaugural AssociateDean (Indigenous Development)Faculty of Medicine, Dentistryand Health Sciences at theUniversity of Melbourne. Shaunshared many of his experiencesand views gained throughworking with the medicalspecialties in Indigenous healthsyllabus development. OllapallilJacob is well known across theCollege for his tireless work asa trauma surgeon, particularlywith Aboriginal and Torres StraitIslanders patients in CentralAustralia. His continuedchampioning of, and passionfor, Indigenous health is to begreatly admired and respected.The presentations delivered bythese distinguished guests putinto perspective the reasonswhy our First Nation peopleshave experienced, and continueto endure, such devastatinghealth outcomes whencompared with non-Indigenouscommunities in Australia andAoteora New Zealand.“Their perspectiveson the futureincluded reflectionson interpersonalrelations, the currentpolitical climate and,more importantly, theamazing work beingdone acrossthe College and in thewider community inthe field of Indigenoushealth and how thiscan inspire us to dobetter”.The forum was one of manyRACS Indigenous healthinitiatives at this year’scongress. The convocationceremony saw a significantMaori presence with formalspeeches and songs in Maoriafter an impressive challengefrom a Maori warrior. CollegePresident Michael Hollandsrose perfectly to that andpunctuated his response withMaori phrases which impressedall. A major highlight was theconvocation of two Maorigraduates, Maxine Ronald ourfirst Maori female surgeon,and Vaughan Poutawera. Wecongratulate them on thiswonderful achievement.The College is delighted withthe success of our inauguralforum and will work to ensureIndigenous health is a regularfeature of the RACS annualscientific meeting.For further information onRACS work in Indigenoushealth please visitRoyal Australasian College ofSurgeons | Indigenous HealthCommittee or contact the IHCSecretariat on 03-92767407CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 17

Farewell to Mr Leslie ApolonyAfter almost 11 years of continnuedservice to the Committee of Presidentsof Medical Colleges (CPMC) as a ChiefExecutive Officer (CEO), Mr Les Apolony ishanding over his position to Angela Magarryon 31 July 2013.Before joining the CPMC, Mr Apolony workedas a CEO at the Royal Australian Collegeof General Practitioners (RACGP) and theRoyal Australian & New Zealand College ofRadiologists (RANZCR).Although the CPMC National Aboriginaland Torres Strait Islander Medical SpecialistFramework Project will deeply miss thepleasure of working with Mr Apolony, theProject wishes him all the best and good luckfor his future.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 19

Highlights and stories contained in this newsletter are those of individual authors or organisations/colleges and do not necessarilyrepresent official views or statement of the projectPlease contribute to this newsletter by posting a feature story or milestone relating to the Indigenous medical specialists trainingprogram and/or Indigenous health development to Dr Netra Khadka at Netra.Khadka @surgeons.org on or before 15 November2013 to publish it in the Highlight section of the next newsletter due to be published in December 2013.©This newsletter is developed and published by Dr Netra Khadka on behalf of the CPMC Australian Indigenous HealthSubcommitteeNational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Medical Specialist Framework Project (CPMC NATSIMSFP), July 2013, Melbourne.CPMC NATSIMSFP Newsletter | July 2013 | Page 20