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The Australasian Faculty of Occupational & Environmental Medicine aims for excellence in the standard of training and practice of Occupational Medicine in Australasia. Occupational Physicians are consultants in the effects of work on health and health on work, and strive continually for acceptable working conditions in all facets of industry. |
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Australasian Faculty of Occupational & Environmental Medicine
145 Macquarie Street Sydney, NSW 2000
ph: (02) 9256 9603
afoem@racp.edu.au
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AFOEM eNewsletter 24 April 2009 |
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Welcome to this week's edition of the AFOEM eNews.
These ebulletins are best viewed in html. Simply click on the item of interest (left) and you will be taken straight to that item.
An archive of all previous Newsletters (since 2002) are available on the Faculty website.
As always, if you would like to contribute an item to the next eNewsletter please email a paragraph to afoem@racp.edu.au by Tuesday of the publishing week.
Contact us
Executive Officer AFOEM
Andy Messner
(02) 9256 9602
Andrew.Messner@racp.edu.au
Fascimile: (02) 9247 8082
Administrative Officer AFOEM
Daniel Cheung
(02) 9256 9603
Daniel.Cheung@racp.edu.au
CPD Administrator | AFOEM, AFPHM & AFRM
Natali Vlatko
(02) 9256 9608
Natali.Vlatko@racp.edu.au
Project Officer | RACP Faculties & Chapters
Neridah Callaghan
(02) 9256 9636
Neridah.Callaghan@racp.edu.au
Disclaimer
Although AFOEM takes all reasonable steps to ensure this email does not contain malicious software, AFOEM does not accept responsibility for the consequences if any person's computer inadvertently suffers any disruption to services, loss of information, harm or is infected with a virus, other malicious computer program or code that may occur as a consequence of receiving this email.
Unless stated otherwise, this email represents only the views of the sender and not the views of AFOEM.
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Annual Training Meeting & Faculty Dinner |
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Annual Training Meeting | Saturday 16 - Sunday 17 May, 2009
There is a limited number of registration spots left for the 2009 Annual Training Meeting. If you haven't already registered, please do so ASAP! Please note that due to venue capacity, for the time being, the 2009 ATM will be limited to Trainees and Educational Supervisors (eg, Mentors). Should this change, we will advise you.
2009 Faculty Dinner | Monday 18, May 2009
The 2009 Faculty Dinner will be held on Monday 18, May 2009 at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia (89 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000). Limited seating is available. Registration for the Faculty Dinner will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that the Faculty Dinner is NOT the same as the RACP Physicians Week Dinner held on Tuesday 19, May 2009.
At the time of writing, only half of the expected number of registrations have been received. If you have not already registered for the Faculty Dinner, please do so. We look forward to seeing you there to catch up and enjoy a night of great food and entertainment.
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2009 AFOEM Demographics Study |
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Elvis has left the building
A massive thank you to everyone who has participated in the online survey. With your help we have reached out target of 70%.
The survey will remain open till Monday 27, April 2009. If you haven't already done so, please fill out the short 10 minute questionnare by this date. No further responses will be accepted past this date.
Winners of LaDou's "Current Occupational And Environmental Medicine" 4th Ed will be announced in next week's eNewsletter. We intend to begin analysing the results next week and hope to provide preliminary findings in May's Annual Members Meeting.
All names will be de-identified once the draw has been completed. Rest assured that your responses will remain confidential and anonymous.
Click here to begin the online questionnaire.
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Physicians Week & AFOEM ASM 2009 |
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17-20 May 2009 | Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Don’t miss your chance to attend RACP Physicians Week! Register now to secure your place. Registrations can be made via the Physicians Week website.
With an extensive and exciting program on offer, Physicians Week will be an educational experience for you to expand your knowledge. Program information is regularly updated on the website so be sure to continue to visit the website in the lead up to Physicians Week.
The College Dinner is a night not to be missed. This evening is a chance for you to network with your colleagues and experience a night overlooking beautiful Sydney Harbour. For more information on this event, please visit the Physicians Week website.
We look forward to welcoming you to Sydney in May 2009!
Annual Scientific Meeting | 19-20 May, 2009
The 2009 ASM is held in conjunction with RACP Physicians Week. Registration for the ASM is only available through the Physicians Week.
In order to register and pay for the AFOEM ASM, select the "Two Day Registration (19-20, May 2009)" option. Please note that unlike previous years, registration for the 2009 ASM can only be done online through the Physicians Weeks Congress Managers (Tour Hosts Pty Ltd).
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Dates For Your Diary |
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For a complete Faculty calendar, please visit the Faculty website.
NSWRC Meeting
- Friday 24, April 2009
- 5.30PM - 6.30PM
- Via teleconference
Education Committee of AFOEM Meeting
- Thursday 29, April 2009
- 9.30PM - 4.00PM
- RACP, 145 Macquarie St, Sydney, NSW
AFOEM 2009 ATM
RACP Physicians Week 2009
2009 Faculty Dinner
AFOEM 2009 ASM in Conjunction with RACP Physicians Week 2009
- Tuesday 19 - Wednesday 20 May, 2009
- Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, NSW
- Program details to date
- Register here
RACP College Ceremony
- Sunday, 17 May 2009
- Bayside Auditorium A, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney
- 4.00 - 6.00PM (Sydney local time)
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External Events |
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Medical Humanities Professional Development Course
- Thursday 30, April - Friday 1, May 2009
- 9.00AM - 5.00PM
- Darlington Centre Board Room, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW
- Further information, registration & enquiries to:
Dr Claire Hooker
claireh@med.usyd.edu.au
0430116117
HFESA Professional Development Session
- Wednesday 6, May 2009
- 7.00PM start (Melbourne local time)
- 222 Exhibition St, Melbourne, Room 24-BCD
- Working as an Expert Witness - Mr Mark Dohrmann
- Registration and further details: Glen Smith or (03) 9641 1881
Monash Certificate in Clinical Occupational Medicine
- Monday 22, June - Friday 26, June 2009
- Monash Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health (MonCOEH)
- Limited numbers only
- Registration and further details
- Registration closes Friday 22, May 2009
Preventive Health Summit 2009
Practical Occupational Health Surveillance Course
- Thursday 25 - Friday 26 June, 2009
- UNSW Kensington Campus, Sydney NSW
- 2 day course | 5 MOPS/CPD points
- Contact: Dr Kelvin Wooller or (02) 9385 6099
Health Insurance Summit
The Disability & Age Discrimination Law Reform Summit
ANSZOM 2009 ASM
- Wednesday 12 - Saturday 15, August 2009
- Hyatt Coolum Resort, QLD
- RE: Fit to work
- View the Flyer
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Expression of Interest |
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Phase Two of the Opioid Prescribing Policy Working Group Until December 2009
In 2006 the College undertook the development of a policy on “Prescription Opioids” the fourth policy in a suite of policies on addiction medicine. This policy on “Prescription Opioids” has now been signed off by four Colleges; Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP), the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP), the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FPMANZCA), and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
The policy document is now in its second phase of development that is the implementation and dissemination phase. Consequently the Australasian Chapter of Addiction Medicine (AChAM) through the College Policy and Advocacy Committee (CPAC) are seeking nominations from members of the College to assist in the implementation and dissemination of the recommendations.
Members who have an area of expertise articulated in the policy are urged to apply. The working group will be time limited until December 2009 and most of the work will be conducted via teleconferences, videoconferencing and by email.
Draft Terms of reference for the Phase Two of the Opioid Prescribing Policy working group until December 2009
- To develop an implementation or action strategy using the recommendations from the policy document
- To monitor the recommendations from the April 2009 policy document on “Prescription Opioids”
- To report on activities and progress to the College Policy & Advocacy Committee (CPAC)
The working group will:
- Work with the formal position of the four Colleges on “Prescription Opioids”
- Provide a basis for any RACP public statements on “Prescription Opioids”
- Guide internal RACP policies and practices on “Prescription Opioids”
Click here to view the policy document
Please send your expression of interest to Mary Osborn by Sunday 17, May 2009.
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Request For Comments |
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Work Disability Policy
The Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Policy and Advocacy Committee, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has recently developed its Work Disability - Using Evidence for Better Outcomes policy.
The Faculty now invites you to give feedback on this important draft policy.
Specifically, comments are welcome on:
- What you consider are the most positive aspects of the document;
- What you consider are the least positive aspects of the document; and
- What aspects of the document you recommend changing.
Please take this opportunity to send in your own comments by email, letter or fax.
Please email your comments to: afoem@racp.edu.au. Alternatively, you can fax: +612 9247 8082, or post to:Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, 145 Macquarie Street, SYDNEY NSW 2000
All submissions are due by Friday, 22 May 2009.
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Update from AFOEM WA Regional Committee |
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McNulty and Heyworth Prize
The WA Regional Committee of AFOEM has formed strong links over a number of years with the School of Medicine at the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle. We developed a curriculum in Occupational and Environmental Medicine for an elective subject, which was offered to the inaugural graduating cohort in 2008. The Committee also established the “McNulty and Heyworth Prize” which is awarded to the most outstanding student in the unit. This prize honours Dr Jim McNulty and Dr Fred Heyworth (deceased in 2008) who were trailblazers in Occupational Medicine in Western Australia. It consists of a gold medal and an OEM text. The prize was awarded to Grant Townsend at the University’s inaugural medical graduation ceremony on 13th December 2008, by Mrs Freda Heyworth and by Dr Jim McNulty.
Dr Peter Connaughton
Chair, WA Regional Committee
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The Reading Corner |
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Uproar Among The Molecules
TRADE unions normally mount a picket over job losses or workers rights, but this week members of the ACTU hit the airwaves about a tiny matter: nanotechnology.
Click here for the full article
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News From the AMC |
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Recognition of Cosmetic Medical Practice as a Medical Specialty
The AMC has accepted an application by the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery which is seeking recognition of cosmetic medical practice as a medical practice. The AMC is inviting submissions on the case for and against recognition of cosmetic medical practice as a specialty. Only submissions that address the recognition criteria will be considered.
Information on the application, the criteria for assessing applications for the recognition of the medical specialty and the process for lodging a public submission can be found at: www.amc.org.au.
Please note the closing date for the submissions is 5pm AEST on 4 June 2009. The AMC encourages interested parties to make their submissions in electronic form to recognition@amc.org.au. Submissions must be marked "Cosmetic Medical Practice Application".
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Medicare Rebates for MRI Scans |
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Department of Health & Ageing
It has been drawn to our attention that the new Medicare item 63464 was unclear. The item descriptor did not stipulate that this item applies to symtomatic women, as specified in the Medical Services Advisory Committee's recommendation.
I am writing to inform you that a minor amendment to the Health Insurance (Diagnostic Imaging Services Table) Regulations was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council to correct this omission. The new item descriptor will be effective from 17 April 2009. This change has also been made to the item descriptor which will be shown on MBS online from 1 May 2009.
Hilary Metcalf
Diagnostic Services Branc
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Return to Work |
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The Resource for Return to Work Professionals
Mary Wyatt and Anna Kelsey-Sugg have been putting together a draft Code of Ethics for Return to Work Coordinators. They would really appreciate feedback from AFOEM members (ideas, suggestions and critque).
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Research & Education Foundation Awards & Scholarships |
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Research Entry Scholarships
The Research Entry Awards are designed to assist Advanced Trainees or younger Fellows gain experience in clinical, epidemiological or basic research.
Applications close Monday 4 May, 2009.
Before submitting your application, please ensure you have read the ‘How to Apply’ section on page 6 of the 2010 College Awards Booklet.
Click for further details
Ruth Gledhill Grant 2009
Purpose: To further research into the ethical aspects of medicine, in particular CVD
Value: AUD $10,000
Eligibility: Fellows or Trainees
Applications close Monday 4 May, 2009.
Click for further details
Research Grants to Improve Rural Health
The Toowoomba Hospital Foundation in Queensland is calling for applications to compete for two seeding grants of $5,000 each to support health-related research relevant to practice and policy in Australia.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 30, April 2009.
Click here for further details
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Two-Day Professional Development Course |
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Dignity
The Medical Humanities program at the University of Sydney is offering a two day professional development course exploring human dignity in health care.
Dignity is usually regarded as being a core human value in medicine, with patients finding loss of dignity one of the most challenging aspects of the experience of critical illness. This course explores the sensory, embodied, conceptual, and ethical components of dignity through expert-led conversations, academic research and the creative arts. Participants will be encouraged to challenge and share their ideas and experiences about dignity in health care with their peers.
Questions covered include:
- What are the facets and attributes of dignity? How does it feel and how is it recognised?
- What issues respecting dignity arise in the practitioner-patient relationship? How should these be addressed?
- Why does dignity matter?
- What are the clinical implications of dignity and its loss?
- How can we use the humanities and creative arts to further understand dignity in health care?
The course will meet for two days, Thursday 30 April (9-5PM), Friday 1 May (9-5PM) in the Darlington Centre Board Room on the main campus of the University of Sydney.
For more information and registration form, please contact Dr Claire Hooker: claireh@med.usyd.edu.au or 0430 116 117.
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Expressions of Interest |
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AFOEM Trainee Representative for the Policy & Advocacy Committee
Expressions of interest are requested for the position of Trainee Representative for the Policy & Advocacy Committee of AFOEM.
Please send a brief email outlining what you would bring to the position to Andy Messner. The Trainee Representative will be appointed by the Chair of the Policy & Advocacy Committee, Dr Mary Wyatt.
Outline of the position:
- Attend Faculty P&A Committee meetings (3-4 per year, predominately by teleconference)
- Provide advice to the Chair and other members of the Faculty P&A Committee
- Assist in establishing and further developing the policies of the Faculty
- The Trainee representative will be a current Trainee
The position is for a two year term.
For further information on this position, please contact:
Andrew Messner
andrew.messner@racp.edu.au
Executive Officer, AFOEM
Dr Mary Wyatt
mywatt@ozemail.com.au
Chair, Policy & Advocacy Committee of AFOEM
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Practical Occupational Health Surveillance Course |
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Thursday 25 - Friday 26 June, 2009 | UNSW Kensington Campus, Sydney NSW
This is a core course (SESC9630 Occupational Medicine) in the graduate programs in occupational medicine at The University of New South Wales: Graduate Certificate in Occupational Rehabilitation, Graduate Diploma and Masters in Science and Technology in Occupational Medicine.
Dr Kelvin Wooller, Occupational Physician, Senior Lecturer, School of Risk and Safety Sciences, UNSW will conduct the course at the Kensington campus, Sydney. This 2-day course is eligible for 5 MOPS points and is particularly suitable for occupational physician trainees or anyone wishing to update on a range of current occupational medicine issues or conduct occupational health surveillance. Medical practitioners who have successfully completed this course may apply to WorkCover NSW for authorisation to conduct statutory medical examinations.
Course topics:
- Information resources in Occupational Health Surveillance
- Principles of Occupational Health Surveillance
- Special issues in Occupational Health Surveillance (dermatitis, cancer, respiratory conditions, musculoskeletal conditions, noise and audiometry)
- Health surveillance in industry and pitfalls to avoid
Dr Wooller also lectures in the Basic Curriculum Course of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. He will attempt to give an international perspective to the local and national issues discussed in the course. Other lecturers in the course will also contribute according to their particular areas of expertise.
For further information contact Dr Kelvin Wooller on (+61) 02 9385 6099 or alternatively K.Wooller@unsw.edu.au.
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Australian Museum Eureka Prize 2009 |
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20 Years of Rewarding Science
Sponsored by the NSW Office of Science and Medical Research, the Eureka Prize for Outstanding Research into the Health Aspects of Climate Change is awarded to an individual or research team.
The winner receives AUD $10,000. Entries close midnight (AEST) Friday 1, May 2009. Entries and nominations are now invited.
For further information on this prize, including how to enter, visit the Australian Museum website or email eureka@austmus.gov.au.
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ANZSOM ASM 2009 |
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