Australian Medical Association

• the elected DIT representative on Federal Council
• a member of the AMA Federal Executive
• a DIT representative from every State and Territory
• a representative from the Australian Medical Students Association
• Observers attend from the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF) and, at present, from organisations of trainees in most disciplines.

Once a year at the February meeting the AMACDT convenes a Trainee Forum where Colleges and other trainee organisations send a representative. The Forum provides a great opportunity for trainee representative groups to share concerns, ideas and solutions.

There are many examples of where by working together we have been able to progress issues of common interest and achieve results for trainees.

What the AMACDT Does

Ever felt that you’re stuck in a system where nobody takes much notice of your personal views and needs? Where others seem to know all the rules and claim to know what’s best for you? That legislators and other decision makes are not aware of DIT views or don’t give them enough weight? That some of the attitudes and practices you encounter ought to be questioned? Or even that your senior colleagues in the medical profession seem to be part of the problem rather than the solution?

We hope you haven’t felt that way. But one or more of these questions have crossed the minds of many DITs. Sometimes the issues are local and are best handled by the State/Territory Branch of the AMA or your doctors’ union. At times they may involve federal legislators, national policy on postgraduate medical education, vocational trainee selection and bodies like the medical Colleges, the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and the Australian Health Ministers’ Council. Or they may be even tougher, requiring long term attitudinal and cultural change in the profession and the hospital “industry”.

The AMACDT has a role in all these things. Longer term initiatives include:

• AMA Safe Hours campaign (unsafe hours have not been eliminated, but the issue is firmly on the agenda and change is under way)
• policy on the first two years of postgraduate training and experience (through the MTRP)
• fair access to vocational training
• more practice opportunities outside the public hospital system
• Work Life Flexibility project - generating attitudinal and practical changes in medical training and employment

Members of the AMACDT

Dr Andrew Perry - Federal Councillor
Dr Sarah Mansfield - Deputy Chair
Dr Helen Doyle - ACT
Dr Katherine Jeffrey - NSW (job-share)
Dr Kathryn Glasson - NSW (job-share)
Dr Samuel Goodwin - NT (job-share)
Dr Rob McNamara - NT (job-share)
Dr Michael Bonning - QLD
Dr Rick Fielke - SA
Dr Allison Turnock - TAS (job-share)
Dr Jennifer Flynn - TAS (job-share)
Dr Rob Mitchell - VIC
Dr Michael O'Sullivan - WA (job-share)
Dr Dror Maor - WA (job-share)
Ms Tiffany Fulde - Australian Medical Students Association

If you have any comments on this webpage or there is something you would like to see on it, then please feel free to e-mail or if you would like to contact any AMACDT state representative please send an e-mail to ditnetwork@ama.com.au