A Member-led Organisation

Welcome to the New Chief Censor for Radiation Oncology: Dr Lisa Sullivan

Hello! I would like to introduce myself as the new Chief Censor for Radiation Oncology. I’m a Canberra girl, a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, reader, board-game player, and proud Parramatta Eels supporter. Thank you to the Faculty Council for trusting me in this position as it is a privilege and an honour to serve as your Chief Censor. I am lucky to have been mentored by many wonderful radiation oncologists who have shared with me their passion for training. I will strive to follow in their examples of honesty, transparency, kindness, and patient-focused care.

I’d like to give my gratitude to the outgoing Chief Censor, Dr Yaw Chin, for his incredible hard-work, dedication, and resilience over the past three years. Despite a global pandemic, constantly changing isolation rules, travel restrictions, hospital visitor exclusions and a complete change in working arrangements the College was able to successfully deliver all Phase 1 and Phase 2 examinations and launch a brand new, world-class, training program under his leadership.

I’d also like to give my thanks to our outgoing Dean, Dr KeenHun Tai, who worked tirelessly during this challenging time and who inspired with his calm, approachable and considered leadership. It was likely the most difficult three years of any Chief Censor or Dean to date and they not only rose to the challenge but surpassed it with many achievements. I’d also like to specifically thank Dr Yaw Chin, in advance, for continuing to take my phone calls over the next three years for guidance!

In preparation for writing this report I read lots of previous Chief Censor reports. Mostly, to make sure I didn’t write the wrong thing. I’m embarrassed to say that I realised very quickly that I was reading most of those reports for the first time. (Apologies to all the past Chief Censors that probably agonised over their reports like I have done this week—please be reassured, they were all very good).

I suspect I’d skipped over those reports previously as they didn’t seem to be directed to me. I felt removed and distant from the College and the decisions it made. It was an entity that I had sent paperwork to as a trainee and who controlled the exams and results. An entity that I continued to pay fees to as a new consultant, whom I submitted experiences for CPD points and occasionally attended their annual scientific meeting. However, I didn’t feel part of this entity. It was “them” and me.

I was wrong. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists is a member-led organisation. This means that as members (trainees and Fellows) we are ALL the College. It is clinicians, backed by wonderful staff, who lead this college and the direction it goes. If anyone is feeling disconnected or sees the College as “them,” I hope that I can encourage as many of you as possible to get involved. Please volunteer your ideas, suggestions, time, skills and, importantly, sense of humour.

It is only through a diverse and large number of members getting involved that we can accurately reflect the values, skills, and future pathway of our profession as a whole. We are always in need of volunteers particularly for committees, special interest groups, examinations, and accreditation visits. If you are unhappy with decisions or the directions being taken, please feed-back but also consider offering your time so that we can truly represent all members.

New Team

Speaking of volunteers, it is an exciting time as we have many new faces commencing office-bearing positions this year. A/Prof Alex Tan is our Chief of Examinations and A/Prof David Kok is our Chief of Training and Assessment. Both A/Prof Alex Tan and A/Prof David Kok are talented clinicians and passionate medical educators. They bring much knowledge and skills, as well as fresh ideas and energy to the training and assessment sphere.

We are now 12 months into the launch of the new training program and much still needs to be done to develop, improve and maintain our Radiation Oncology Training Program. I am very optimistic in the future of our training program with these two at the helm and I look forward to learning from them and working with them.

The Radiation Oncology Trainee Committee (ROTC) has been essential to the development and launch of the new training program. I look forward to collaborating with chair Dr Tracy Lim and the whole ROTC this year.

I’d also like to welcome all the new trainees starting the training program this year. We know it can be an overwhelming time and we are here to support you and your supervisors. The Learning Outcomes and Handbook are the two most important documents and I strongly encourage you to become familiar with them. They are both available on the College website.

Examinations

I am thrilled to be able to report that the first radiation oncology written exam (Phase 2) was successfully delivered on a digital platform recently. It is an exciting time moving examinations to a digital platform and this has many advantages for both trainees and examiners. However, it is hard work that creates success, and this is only one of many changes the examination team have been working towards. The Phase 1 exam format has changed this year in format and timing with two sittings. There will also be changes to the Phase 2 examination in the future.

I would like to thank the incredibly hard-working examination teams A/Prof Alex Tan, Dr Apsara Windsor, Julia Snedic and all the volunteer examiners for the countless hours they give in ensuring examinations are constructed, delivered and marked with the highest standards.

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Committee (LOAC)

The Radiation Oncology Implementation Working Group (ROIWG) was developed to formulate and implement the changes of the new training program. This group was dissolved at the end of 2022, as was agreed, 12 months from the launch of the training program. It was recognised, however, that there would be a large amount of ongoing work to ensure that the training program remained fit-for-purpose, responsive to feedback and had well-constructed induction and upskilling training for Clinical Supervisors and Directors of Training.

This work will be undertaken by a soon-to-be-formed group, LOAC, and will be chaired by Chief of Training and Assessment, A/Prof David Kok. Expressions of interest will be advertised, and I encourage you to consider contributing to this group. I would like to personally thank all the hardworking members of the ROIWG and hope some of them will consider joining LOAC given their knowledge of the history and implementation of the training program.

This work will be undertaken by a soon-tobe-formed group, LOAC, and will be chaired by Chief of Training and Assessment, A/Prof David Kok. Expressions of interest will be advertised, and I encourage you to consider contributing to this group.

There is much more happening this year and I am excited about the changes and improvements to come in Training and Assessment. There are two specific hard-working groups to mention who will be making significant contributions and exciting changes this year. The Accreditation Review Working Group, chaired by the Chief Accreditation Officer Dr Vanessa Estall, and the Trainee Selection Working Group, chaired by Dr Catherine Bettington.

There will also be a follow-up assessment conducted by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) this year focusing on the outstanding conditions from our 2020 accreditation assessment. These assessments and visits are crucial to our operations and require significant input and work to meet conditions stipulated in our education, training and continued professional development programs. The AMC have asked to meet with some of the College officers and key committee members during their visit in August/September 2023.

A training program has many facets. It is not just about assessment of knowledge and skills. It is about supporting trainees as they learn and work, and supporting the clinicians and staff who teach and assess them. I am very happy to be contacted at any time by anyone who wishes to connect, ask questions, give feedback, volunteer, or needs support.

A training program has many facets. It is not just about assessment of knowledge and skills. It is about supporting trainees as they learn and work, and supporting the clinicians and staff who teach and assess them. I am very happy to be contacted at any time by anyone who wishes to connect, ask questions, give feedback, volunteer, or needs support.

lisa.sullivan@act.gov.au