July 2019

Fellowship exams

RACGP Victoria recently ran the 2019.2 Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and the Key Feature Problem (KFP) exams on Friday and Saturday 19–20 July 2019 respectively. We had 240 candidates sit for the AKT and 288 candidates for the KFP. We hope all of our candidates achieved the results they were hoping for and it would be great to see you all at the OSCE exam on Sunday 10 November 2019.

RACGP Victoria Members Meeting and Awards Night 

Thursday 29 August 2019

We are delighted to invite all Victorian RACGP members to attend our RACGP Victoria Members Meeting and Awards night. This year, the event is being held at River’s Edge Events Melbourne, perched along Melbourne’s Yarra River with city skyline and waterfront views.

The meeting will be chaired by Dr Patrizia Boetto, RACGP Provost, and I will be outlining RACGP Victoria’s achievements over the past year. The 2019 RACGP Victoria award winners will also be recognised on the night and we wish them all luck for the national awards, which will be announced at GP19. This event is complimentary and for RACGP Victoria members only.

Please visit the RACGP website to register for this special event. 

RACGP Victoria upcoming events

RACGP Victoria is hosting a great range of events for GPs to get involved in, many of which are accredited to assist you to meet your Quality Improvement and Continuing Professional Development (QI&CPD) requirements as we near the end of the 2017–19 triennium.

• Psychodynamic principles for general practitioners – Part 3 – Saturday 10 August 2019
• Perform CPR – A workshop for GPs – Wednesday 14 August 2019 | Saturday 24 August 2019 | Thursday 12 September 2019 | Tuesday 8 October 2019 | Wednesday 13 November 2019. 
• RACGP Victoria New Fellows Committee event: Find your niche – Friday 16 August 2019
• RACGP Victoria Women in General Practice Committee event: 'Love your heart' – Saturday 24 August 2019
• RACGP Victoria Member Meeting and Awards Night – Thursday 29 August 2019

As many of you will be aware, voluntary assisted dying was legalised in Victoria on 19 June 2019, allowing eligible patients to ask a doctor for access to a lethal substance.

The scheme is opt-in for GPs, with doctors already signing up to be trained to assist terminally ill patients to die. Others have chosen to be conscientious objectors.

The RACGP has updated and published its position on voluntary assisted dying legislation. The position statement has been written to ensure that both patients and GPs are supported when legislation for voluntary assisted dying is being considered and implemented.

Voluntary assisted dying is a significant change for healthcare in Victoria, so it is important we take some time to understand it and, if faced with a question, remember that it is okay to pause and get the information and advice you need. 

For a summary of what the voluntary assisted dying laws mean for GPs in Victoria, please visit newsGP.

Friday 16 August 2019

The RACGP Victoria New Fellows Committee invites you to an informative, interactive evening featuring some inspiring speakers to hear about how they found their niche.  

Speakers and their nice topics

• Dr Sue Barnett – GP counselling
• Dr Felicity Dent – Women’s health
• Dr Tracey Shang – Sport/MSK
• Dr Ashraf Takla – Rural health
• Assoc Prof Bob Davis – Disability

The speakers will share what has inspired them, why they decided to specialise in their chosen field, and the career pathway and training undertaken.  

This event is open to members, non-members and guests. Full catering will be provided.

Register online.

Proudly supported by:

Saturday 24 August 2019

The ‘Love your heart’ workshop will provide updates on new developments in heart health, review cardiology concepts and look at how patients present.

Sessions include:

• an interactive workshop presented by Assoc Prof Justin Mariani. Focusing on women’s cardiovascular disease and what tests should be ordered, as well as an electrocardiogram (ECG) refresher session. 
• presentations by Ms Annie Barry, Dietitian, and Ms Kellie Ruane, Exercise Physiologist, on how to prescribe for a healthy heart. 

Additionally, prior to this session, join us for a two-hour CPR workshop to complete your CPR requirements for the 2017–19 Quality Improvement and Continuing Professional Development (QI&CPD) triennium, if you haven't already. 

Places for the CPR workshop are limited, so register now to secure your place.

6.30–8.30 pm, Wednesday 7 August 2019
RACGP House, 100 Wellington Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002

RACGP Specific Interests Sport and Exercise Medicine and RACGP Victoria are pleased to present this information and member networking event in conjunction with parkrun Australia.

parkrun Australia supports more than 350 communities around the country with delivering free community events in areas of open space every Saturday morning. More than 560,000 people in Australia participate. Each parkrun is a volunteer-led, five-kilometre event that aims to empower everyone within a community to get involved.

The wide-reaching benefits of parkrun led to the development of a social prescribing initiative with the Royal College of General Practitioners in the United Kingdom (UK). 

Join parkrun Australia's President, Scott Watkins, who will explain:

• the evolution of parkrun from a running event to a community event
• provide some examples of GPs 'prescribing' parkrun, and 
• explain the establishment of 'parkrun practices' in the UK. 

He will be joined by Victorian GPs, Dr Andrea Lung, Dr Jenny Maxwell and Dr Adeline Ooi, who will provide personal reflections on parkrun and social prescribing. 

This information and networking event will provide you with an opportunity to meet with and learn from your colleagues who are interested in exploring this simple way of empowering patients to make positive lifestyle changes for the improvement of their health and wellbeing.

Register now.

Family Planning Victoria (FPV) offers a range of QI&CPD accredited courses. Choose from in-depth training to flexible online study options.

Upcoming courses include: 

FPAA National Certificate in Reproductive & Sexual Health for Doctors ​
Nationally recognised training for excellence in the delivery of sexual and reproductive health in primary care.

Contraception (online) 
A flexible study option for clinicians wanting in-depth knowledge of the latest contraception options available in Australia. 

Implanon NXT education and simulation practice 
Learn to safely and expertly insert and remove the contraceptive implant, Implanon NXT. 

For details and registration, visit the FPV website.

*Paid contribution. Inclusion does not imply RACGP endorsement.

Applications are closing soon for Cancer Council Victoria’s Dermoscopy for Victorian General Practice Program 2019. This free program will be starting this September!

Victorian general practices can apply to this program. Successful applicants must complete the online training and attend a face-to-face workshop to receive one fully subsidised Heine Delta 20T dermatoscope and enrolment to the Practical Dermoscopy course offered by the Australasian College of Dermatologists. GPs in rural and regional areas are strongly encouraged to apply. (Terms and conditions apply.)

Get in quick to secure your spot – places are limited. Applications close at 5.00 pm, Tuesday 30 July 2019. 

To apply or to find out more, visit the SunSmart website. For further information, email dermoscopy@cancervic.org.au or call 03 9514 6417. 

This activity is accredited for 40 Category 1 QI&CPD points upon completion of all components of this program (online training, face-to-face training and the exam).

*Paid contribution. Inclusion does not imply RACGP endorsement.