2016 AMA Trainee Forum: Summary & Outcomes
The annual AMA Trainee Forum was held in Melbourne on 5 March 2016. The event provided an opportunity for vocational trainees from across the country to discuss current and emerging issues in specialty education. Almost 40 doctors and doctors in training attended, including representatives from the college trainee committees.
Trainee committee chairs were able to raise specific policy issues and give voice to their concerns regarding vocational training. The top priorities identified for advocacy were:
- Diversity in medicine and training, with a particular focus on supporting indigenous doctors to undertake vocational traniing and including indigenous doctor workforce issues in college and doctor in training meeting agendas
- Transparency and procedural fairness in examination, assessment and grievance processes
- Workforce planning, distribution and security of employment
Dr Danika Thiemt, Chair, AMACDT, said, "Perhaps the biggest take home message from the Forum for AMACDT was the call from AIDA to include Indigenous Doctor workforce issues on the agenda of all college and doctor in training meetings. AMACDT will be incorporating Indigenous Doctor workforce issues into future AMACDT meetings , policy work and advocacy in 2016."
"Workforce planning and security of employment, access to flexible work and training arrangements, greater transparency around the costs of training, and improving the diversity in medicine will also drive our policy and advocacy agenda for the forthcoming year,” said Dr Thiemt.
Dr Danika Thiemt, Dr Danielle McMullen, AMACDT, and Dr Brian Morton, Chair, AMACGP, also launched the AMA Vision Statement for GP Training 2016. The vision statement sets out the key principles for the development of an appropriately trained and sustainable general practice workforce that meets individual and community needs, serves the most disadvantaged, and achieves health equity.
"It emphasises the professional and personal rewards of a general practice career, with the aim of attracting more medical students into the specialty and is an important step in validating the value of general practice", said Dr Thiemt.