Radiation Oncology
Radiation Oncology Trainee Matters consultation with all parties within the College—his is definitely not an enviable position to be in during this stressful time! Also, considering the unique plights and challenges faced by different trainees in the lead up to the examinations, it might be worthwhile having a read through of the Consideration of Special Circumstances Policy in case it applies to you.
Dr Wee Loon Ong As we enter the third quarter of 2020, COVID-19 continues to dominate our daily lives. Unfortunately, Australia has been plagued by a second COVID-19 wave, mandating further lockdown restrictions in certain states and jurisdictions. At the time of writing, COVID-19 appears to have crept back into New Zealand as well—the COVID-19 situation across the Tasman will continue to evolve in the coming weeks and months. It is inevitable that our training is affected by COVID-19 in many different ways. The deferred Phase 1 and Phase 2 examinations have been one of the major concerns for many trainees over the past few months. It is hoped that the recent announcement of the examination dates will provide some reassurance to affected trainees. Acknowledging the examination-related stress among trainees, it is important to recognise the mammoth effort that Dr Yaw Chin, our Chief Censor, has put into drafting an examination process and contingency plan, which accommodates COVID-19 considerations, in
As we adapt to the new norm in the COVID-19, online education or webinars have become an important part of our education resources. Following the virtual TROG ASM earlier in the year, many other major international conferences (for example, ASCO and ASTRO) have been/ will also be conducted in virtual format. While the College ASM has been deferred to 2021, the ASM committee is actively exploring the possibilities of holding a webinar series this year, involving some keynote speakers and top-rated abstracts submitted for the 2020 ASM. ROTC will continue to share any radiation oncology-related education webinars with trainees across Australia and New Zealand in the coming months. For Australian trainees, many of you may remember the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Medical Training Survey (MTS) that was conducted in 2019. Some of the issues highlighted in the survey centred around bullying, harassment, discrimination, and trainee wellbeing. The annual Medical Training Survey is now live for 2020— upon completion of your AHPRA annual registration renewal process, you will receive a link for the Medical Training Survey. I would encourage trainees to complete this survey as it will allow the College to gather a more representative response, to better understand the quality of our training program, and identify ways to improve our training
experience, in particular from a trainee’s health and wellbeing aspect. More information can be found on www.medicaltrainingsurvey.gov.au As many specialist training colleges, including the College, are bi-national, future surveys may be conducted in collaboration with the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ). In this edition of Trainee Matters, we have two ROTC members, Dr Revadhi Chelvarajah and Dr James Gallo, telling us a bit more about their involvement in the Radiation Oncology Education and Training Committee (ROETC) and the Economic and Workforce Committee (EWC) respectively. Lastly, it is important to look out for one another, providing mutual support during this unprecedented time. Not only will the various COVID-19 restrictions in place impact our daily routines and training, but they will also affect our physical, mental and social wellbeing. Stay safe and well! Dr Wee Loon Ong Chair, ROTC 2020 @weeloonong
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Volume 16 No 4 I September 2020
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