The RCPA acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and cultures, and to Elders past, present and emerging.
The RCPA acknowledges the rangatiratanga of Māori as tangata whenua and Treaty of Waitangi partners in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Artwork by: Jordan Lovegrove, Ngarrindjeri Artist of Dreamtime Creative, Tiaki Terekia of Ngāti Kōhuru and Margaret Aull of Te Rarawa, Tūwharetoa and Fijian descent
Introduction & Overview
An executive review of the work of the RCPA over the past year.
From the President
In reviewing the RCPA’s achievements of the past year, I am immensely proud of the breadth and depth of the projects we have delivered at the College across all areas of our work – from education and training, to advocacy and policy, to grant-funded projects. As we transitioned to a new CEO, we saw the biggest change in the College’s history in a quarter century. With that, we look forward to building on our legacy and continuing to modernise our operations to deliver what our members expect for future generations of pathologists and senior scientists.
Strategic Plan 2024–2027
Our new Strategic Plan for 2024–2027 (see page 10) embodies our vision to build a resilient, sustainable, inclusive and innovative organisation with strong governance. We need to be an organisation that is agile and responsive to the opportunities and pressures facing the medical community, while enhancing the value and support we provide to our members.
Informed by member insights and industry consultation, the Plan has seven areas of focus that encompass the key functions of the College and recognise the complex challenges impacting our profession.
The Plan puts advocacy and policy engagement front and centre, and it will come as no surprise that workforce sustainability will be the key priority for this body of work for the College over the next three years.
Advances in genomics, digital pathology, health informatics and artificial intelligence have also been major areas of focus for the College over the past two years. We can expect fast-paced developments in all of these areas, and the Plan makes provisions to ensure that the College remains fully across the nuances of digital health to advocate for the profession with government and, more broadly, within the healthcare community.
Workforce sustainability
In 2023, the RCPA commissioned a workforce study to build an updated picture of the pathology workforce across Australia and New Zealand (see page 50). The findings of this study will inform and facilitate active engagement with government and various organisations regarding Specialist Training Program (STP) funding, streamlining the entry of overseas-trained specialists and other workforce issues.
Demonstrating impact
This Annual Report is all about demonstrating impact. Here are just a few of the highlights of what the College has been involved in over the past year:
RCPA Manual update and app launch. The RCPA Manual, which for over 30 years has served as the pathology bible for generations of GPs, Trainees, junior medical officers and medical students, was updated and a companion app launched to allow access in practice and on the move (see page 46).
Clinical indications for pharmacogenomic testing. The RCPA published indications for 35 medicines to provide consensus-based guidance for prescribers, pharmacologists and pathologists in Australia (see page 47).
RCPA perinatal training package. The RCPA’s perinatal training package was launched to highlight the shortage of perinatal pathologists and encourage Trainees to consider a career in this vital subspecialty (see page 48).
Independent Review of Medicare Integrity and Compliance. In collaborating with the Department of Health on this Review, the RCPA highlighted that successful compliance requires Medicare reform to update the Medicare Benefits Schedule to reflect changes to the way complex pathology testing is delivered.
RCPA Environmental Sustainability Guideline. The RCPA published its RCPA Environmental Sustainability Guideline to help pathology laboratories implement and monitor environmental sustainability actions and improvements.
‘Keep Pathology Bulk-billed’ campaign. The College supported Australian Pathology’s campaign and advocated for indexation with the Department of Health and the Minister directly, together successfully ensuring the reintroduction of annual indexation of Medicare rebates for selected pathology services after a 20+ year freeze.
Climate Change Committee. The RCPA took an important step to join 12 other medical colleges to support the Healthy Climate Future Campaign, which advocates for climate action that protects health and strengthens health systems.
Global health
As an Australasian organisation, our remit reaches out as far as New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. However, as clinicians, we all have a contribution to make to global health.
The work of the RCPA’s Pathology Education Outreach Program (see page 39) in supporting colleagues in countries further afield, such as Kiribati, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, is therefore to be commended. This knowledge sharing is fundamental to our ethos as healthcare professionals and I am extremely grateful to all Fellows who volunteer their time to host, train and mentor those from countries where pathology services are still developing.
I am keen to continue to strengthen our ties with Asia and the Pacific nations beyond the shores of Australia and New Zealand to build on the immense goodwill our colleagues abroad assign to the College. We will be working across the regions to ensure we represent the interests and needs of our members in these areas.
Thank you
In wrapping up, I must thank Dr Lawrie Bott for his dedicated and enthusiastic work during his presidency, and Dr Debra Graves OAM (see page 8) for her 25 years of service to the College. I look forward to bringing to fruition much of the work we started together.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the many members who volunteer for the College (see page 8). We couldn’t do the work that we do without you. The support and goodwill of the pathology community is the bedrock of this organisation, and I thank you all for your generous contribution to the work of the College.
Thank you also to the staff team – the cogs of the machine that drives the organisation behind the scenes. Your knowledge, experience and commitment to advancing the profession of pathology is much appreciated.
A new chapter for the College
If the past year has been about change, the next looks set to be a year of transformation. In developing the Strategic Plan for the next three years, we have laid the foundations for the work that must follow for the RCPA to deliver for members today and for those in years to come.
RCPA President
From the CEO
It’s a privilege to have been appointed CEO of the RCPA. As only the second CEO in the history of the College, I am excited to be representing and advocating for the profession of pathology in this next chapter, and I thank the RCPA Board of Directors for this immense opportunity.
I joined the RCPA on 1 March 2024, so much of this Annual Report reflects the work led by the College’s long-serving CEO, Dr Debra Graves OAM. I’m tremendously grateful to Debra for her work over 25 years – her contributions have shaped the RCPA to train arguably the best pathologists and senior scientists in the world across all the territories in which we operate. I look forward to building on her legacy and continuing to strengthen the College’s standing in the years ahead.
This year’s new look Annual Report takes on a more visual approach which showcases and highlights the important and diverse work carried out by the College. The College remains in a strong financial position which allows us some freedom to develop new initiatives and enhance our services to members.
As set out in the Strategic Plan for 2024-2027, there will be a continued and increasing emphasis on advocating for the profession to ensure that governments and regulators truly understand the importance of pathology in modern medicine, and the pivotal role that pathologists and senior scientists play in healthcare.
In the year ahead, we will be looking at how the College best serves our members to meet their professional needs – from training to continuing professional development. A key focus of this will be to review the systems and processes employed by the College and how these can be improved. Specifically, technology will play a central role to our member engagement strategy. I am particularly keen to see the rollout of a new customer relationship management system and modern integrated website to better deliver member services and communicate the work of the profession.
We have taken significant steps in our move to online examinations (see page 28) and the development of an online training portal to better support both Trainees and supervisors. This will continue to be rolled out in the next financial year.
The College has continued to benefit from a number of government grants, particularly in areas around digital pathology (see page 42). This work builds important networks and collaboration among the medical specialties to promote the ‘practice of pathology’ and elevate the voice of pathology in healthcare.
The professional journey in any medical College – from Trainee to Fellow to advocate – is lifelong and critical to the success of a member organisation such as ours. As new CEO, I am struck by the hugely dedicated membership, with so many members giving back through committee work and supporting the training of future pathologists (see page 8). I would therefore like to echo the President’s words and extend my personal thanks to you all for your immense and invaluable contributions to the work of the College.
I look forward to working with you to ensure that your professional journey reflects your needs as a valued member of the healthcare community and a member of the RCPA.
Dr David Andrews RCPA Chief Executive Officer
Dr Debra Graves OAM
In March 2024, we said farewell to Dr Debra Graves OAM after 25 years as RCPA’s CEO. Our sincere thanks to Debra for her passion and commitment in promoting the profession of pathology and the College.
During her time at the College, Debra worked with 14 presidents and grew the staff team from a handful of people to more than 40. She developed the College’s standing within healthcare to give the profession a voice and ensure we have a seat at the table when it comes to advocating for pathology. In doing so, she has built a phenomenal legacy.
Giving back to the profession
From our Board of Directors, to our examiners, training supervisors, training network coordinators, committee members, expert panels and working parties, accreditation assessors, editors, peerreviewers, CPD representatives, outreach coordinators, as well as those attending our events to promote pathology and inspire the next generation of doctors, RCPA volunteers are making a difference in every aspect of College operations.
Our volunteer network at the College is a cast of thousands, all of whom make an immense and unique contribution to advancing and supporting the profession of pathology.
Many of our volunteers wear multiple hats, serving on numerous committees while also playing a pivotal part in educating and training future pathologists. The impact of this work is invaluable, and we are hugely grateful to all our volunteers for giving their time so generously and for sharing their experience and expert voice.
Meet the Board
A/Prof Trishe Leong
President
Prof Noel Woodford
Secretary/Treasurer
Dr Helen Wordsworth
Advisory Committee Chairs Representative
A/Prof Daniel Owens
A/Prof Jurgen Stahl
Dr Elizabeth Roberts
Chair of the Board of Education and Assessment New Zealand
Dr Kym Mina
Council Representative
State and Regional Representative Vice President
Dr Daman Langguth
Chair of the Board of Professional Practice and Quality
A/Prof Kenneth Lee
RCPA Strategic Plan 2024–2027
RCPA’s Strategic Plan for 2024–2027 puts advocacy and policy front and centre. Informed by member insights, this Plan is the blueprint for future growth and innovation.
Workforce
We will enhance our existing plans and develop new strategic initiatives to effect sustainable growth and ongoing support for the pathology workforce.
Education and continuing professional development (CPD)
We advance the profession of pathology by delivering highquality, effective training programs for Trainees and Fellows and by supporting our Fellows and members in their CPD activities.
Standards
We lead pathology in Australasia by supporting, developing, monitoring and maintaining evidence-based and qualityfocused standards in pathology.
Organisational resilience
We ensure the College’s resilience through our inclusive and supportive culture, effective planning, governance, resourcing and investment in our people and processes.
Advocacy and awareness
We engage with governments, industry and other stakeholders in pathology to effect change and raise awareness.
Member support and communication
We ensure that Fellows, Trainees and other members are effectively served by the College throughout their career and wherever they are located.
Our communities and the future
We are committed to high-quality, equitable pathology services that are equipped to deliver safe and comprehensive care for our diverse communities.
I . V
RCPA's Year in Review
The RCPA in numbers. A snapshot of the RCPA’s financial year from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, while charting the growth of the College from 2018 to 2024.
Annual Report 2023—2024 2023–2024
HONG KONG – 5%
176 Fellows and Trainees
Faculty Fellows
SINGAPORE – 3%
130 Fellows and Trainees
MALAYSIA – 1%
18 Fellows and Trainees
806 Trainees
OTHER – 3%
124 Fellows and Trainees
AUSTRALIA – 79%
3016 Fellows and Trainees
NEW ZEALAND – 9%
360 Fellows and Trainees
Trainees and Faculty members
Disciplines
Fellows by discipline
Trainees by discipline
35 15 Advisory Committee Meetings
I.V.II
State Committee Meetings
Income and expenditure
$28,401,208
Grant income (54%)
Membership fees (19%)
Training fees (12%)
Investment income (6%)
Events income (6%)
Sundry income (3%)
$27,310,890
Total expenditure
Government funded programs and projects (56%)
Employment (18%)
Administration and operating costs (13%)
Examination expenses (4%)
Travel (4%)
Membership engagement (4%)
Prizes and awards (1%)
. VI
RCPA in the Regions
The RCPA supports a number of activities in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. This includes advocating for pathology and building strong local partnerships while continuing to strengthen our training and professional development programs for doctors and scientists in these countries.
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Challenges and opportunities for pathology services in New Zealand
Medicopolitics continued to dominate RCPA’s activities in New Zealand over the past year. Working with the New Zealand Society of Pathologists (NZSP), members of the RCPA New Zealand Committee met with senior staff at Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) to discuss a national approach for pathology services in New Zealand.
This approach, based on the agreed principles developed by New Zealand Fellows at a Hui (meeting) held early in 2023, sets out the importance of delivering coordinated pathology services. In particular, it calls for a national training scheme and recruitment process to address the pathology workforce shortages impacting both pathologists and scientists in New Zealand.
This was followed by another productive meeting with Dr Shane Reti, the Minister for Health in New Zealand (who was the then health spokesperson for the
opposition) and a former GP, to reinforce the role of pathology in supporting good healthcare. Although a national plan for pathology services still has some way to go, it is reassuring to see that Te Whatu Ora is very receptive to input from the College and other pathologist representative groups.
To support our work in New Zealand, the RCPA carried out a formal review of the workforce in New Zealand, the findings of which will be published later in 2024.
The New Zealand Committee has also been working on ways to better communicate vacant training positions throughout the country. There has been an increased number of training positions, including an additional three places in Dunedin.
Celebrating the NZSP's 75th birthday
Run jointly by the RCPA and the New Zealand Society of Pathologists (NZSP), the New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting in Tauranga in September 2023 brought together over 100 New Zealand anatomical pathologists for New Zealand's first face-to-face annual scientific meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The meeting this year also celebrated the NZSP’s 75th birthday.
The event’s scientific program – Tissue in Tauranga – focused on gastrointestinal, bladder and prostate pathology, as well as cervical cancer, with a variety of Australasian speakers and international guest speaker Dr Gladell Paner from the University of Chicago.
Congratulations also to winners of the IGENZ Trainee prizes – Dr Theepah Maran for producing the best e-poster on 'Composite phaeochromocytomaganglioneuroma: a case series', and Dr Grant Crane for his oral presentation on 'Evaluating the effectiveness of CXCL9 and LAG3 immunohistochemistry in identifying POLE subtype endometrial carcinoma'.
RCPA in Asia: meeting colleagues, building networks
Nine percent of RCPA’s members are based in Asia in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. In September 2023, the College was finally able to travel to meet Fellows, Trainees and colleagues across the waters in our Asian member countries after the hiatus that COVID restrictions necessitated.
The executive team visited three laboratories in Singapore – Singapore General Hospital, National University Hospital (NUH) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital to tour the laboratories, meet with Fellows, Trainees and staff, and update our members on the many developments within the College, including the RCPA’s online training portal, which will allow Trainees to sit exams online no matter where they are based.
In Malaysia, the team visited the UKM Medical Centre, University of Malaya Medical Centre and the Institute of Medical Research, which all provide RCPA accredited training in the country.
The team also attended the International Congress of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (ICPALM), where two RCPA Fellows, Prof John Rasko AO and Dr Harsha Sheorey gave excellent talks.
Overseas Lecture Series: Dr Harsha Sheorey in Hong Kong
In 2023, the RCPA was also able to resume its Overseas Lecture Series. Consultant Medical Microbiologist, Dr Harsha Sheorey, from St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne, delivered a workshop on diagnostic parasitology in Hong Kong as part of an RCPA Visiting Lectureship, co-organised with the Hong Kong College of Pathologists.
RCPA training sites in Singapore and Malaysia
A/Prof Anoop Enjeti, RCPA Chief Examiner for Haematology, and Jane Conway, RCPA Head of Education and Assessment, visited a number of sites in Asia to review haematology training and education.
As part of the visit, RCPA also held highly successful workshops presented by the Chief Examiner in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for RCPA Trainees and supervisors in haematology.
This RCPA visit to Singapore and Malaysia was a significant milestone as it was the first overseas onsite RCPA site visit by the team since 2016 (excluding New Zealand).
The RCPA visited:
Sunway Medical Centre
Ampang Hospital, Selangor
University of Malaya Medical Centre
Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia
Honorary Fellowship for Dr Lawrie Bott in Malaysia
Dr Lawrie Bott, the then RCPA President, received an honorary Fellowship from Council of the Academy of Medicine of Malaysia in 2023.
The RCPA works closely with the Academy, and many RCPA Malaysian Fellows are also members of the Academy.
Dr Bott commented “I’m delighted to receive this honour on behalf of the College, and we very much look forward to continuing to build our links in the region.”
Member Spotlight I . VII
RCPA members far and wide make a difference in the lives of people when it matters most. As pathologists and scientists, the focus is on diagnosis and best patient care. Here, we shine a light on just a few who have made the headlines in the past year, inspiring others in what is the art and science of medicine.
Annual Report 2023—2024 2023–2024
Professor Richard Scolyer AO
Australian of the Year 2024
RCPA Fellow Professor Richard Scolyer AO and Professor Georgina Long AO, Co-Medical Directors at Melanoma Institute Australia, were honoured as the 2024 Australians of the Year, highlighting their worldleading research into melanoma and advocacy for sun-safe behaviour and cancer prevention.
Prof Scolyer is a renowned pathologist whose work has significantly impacted the field of pathology and melanoma. His research has led to advances in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of melanoma, helping to improve patient outcomes. His work has also focused on the development of more accurate and reliable diagnostic techniques for melanoma, leading to better classification and staging of the disease. Prof Scolyer's contributions have not only advanced the field of pathology but have also had a direct impact on patient care and the management of melanoma worldwide.
Prof Scolyer generated widespread interest when, faced with a shock diagnosis of Grade 4 glioblastoma, he started to publicly document his own cancer journey. By receiving an experimental pre-surgical combination immunotherapy, developed under the leadership of Prof Long, and based on their pioneering work in melanoma, which risks shortening his life, he is advancing the understanding of brain cancer which will benefit future patients.
During his acceptance speech for Australian of the Year, Prof Scolyer said, “Devising this world-first experimental treatment for my type of brain cancer was bold. For me, the decision to take on Georgina’s groundbreaking plan was a no-brainer. Here was an opportunity for us to crack another incurable cancer and make a difference, if not for me, then for others.”
Until March 2024, Prof Scolyer was Editor-in-Chief of RCPA’s Pathology journal and he continues to support the journal as an Emeritus Editor.
Photo: Prof Georgina Long AO, Hon Anthony Albanese and Prof Richard Scolyer AO
Professor Anthony Gill AM
2023 NSW Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year
RCPA Fellow Professor Anthony Gill AM was named 2023 Outstanding Cancer Researcher of the Year at the NSW Premier’s Awards hosted by Cancer Institute NSW. This is NSW’s highest accolade for cancer research, recognising Prof Gill’s significant contributions to cancer research.
Prof Gill is Professor of Surgical Pathology at the University of Sydney and a senior staff specialist in anatomical pathology at Royal North Shore Hospital. In 2010, he founded the Cancer Diagnosis and Pathology Group – a research group focusing on tissue cancer biomarker discovery and validation.
Prof Gill is internationally renowned for describing a new class of cancers known as ‘succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) deficient’. These unique tumours, alongside other entities he helped to describe, are now recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a distinct category of cancer. These mutation-driven and aggressive tumours are now diagnosable with profound clinical importance for cancer centres around the world.
Prof Gill helped put Australia on the global map in pancreatic cancer research, initially as lead pathologist, and then chairman of the Australian Pancreatic Genome Initiative. Highlights of his work in this area include a number of the highest cited research papers in Australian history.
Since 2017, Prof Gill has served as a standing member of the editorial board of the WHO Classification of Tumours – the peak global group in cancer pathology responsible for setting the internationally agreed diagnostic classifications for all tumours.
In addition, Prof Gill is the prestigious Series Champion for the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) Endocrine Pathology Datasets as well as an author of the ICCR Carcinomas of the Exocrine Pancreas Dataset. The ICCR is the pre-eminent alliance of major pathology and cancer organisations that produce global pathology reporting recommendations.
Professor Catriona McLean AO
Winner of the Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation Medal
RCPA Fellow Professor Catriona McLean AO was awarded the 2023 Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation Medal for her contribution to neuropathology services over several decades. This award is open for all branches of medicine and science in the fields of neurodegeneration, stroke and palliative care, so it is a significant honour for a pathologist to be recognised.
On accepting her medal, Prof McLean thanked her many mentors and champions and said “I hope more than anything that I have helped patients and their families and inspired other doctors and scientists to continue this important work.”
Professor McLean is Head of the Department of Anatomical Pathology at Alfred Health where she also heads the solid cancer Molecular Pathology Unit. She is the Director of the Victorian Neuromuscular Service (VNLS) and is chief neuropathologist for the VNLS diagnosing muscle and nerve pathology from these sites, running multiple hospital and state-wide neuromuscular case discussion meetings.
She is director of the Victorian Brain Bank at The Florey and has examined close to a million microscope slides during her decades-long career.
She provides diagnoses for Alzheimer’s disease, rare dementias including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), complex epilepsies, complex brain tumours, muscular dystrophies, diseases that cause nerves to stop functioning and many more conditions. Professor McLean regularly collaborates with Australian and international researchers investigating malignancies, muscle disorders and neurodegeneration.
The Bethlehem Griffiths Research Foundation described Professor McLean’s “legendary dedication, determination and enduring commitment to the essential role of neuropathology”.
The Foundation cited Professor McLean’s work as having a profound influence on outcomes for patients and their families. She had pursued her intellectual curiosity and continued to study and hone her now unique knowledge.
In the top 2% of international rankings, Professor McLean has published more than 500 papers and her work is widely cited.
Professor McLean is also pathologist to the Victorian Melanoma Unit and honorary neuropathologist for the ANZCJD Registry, which is also housed at The Florey.
Professor Brett Delahunt Foreign Adjunct Professor at the Karolinska Institutet
In 2023, former University of Otago’s Emeritus Professor Brett Delahunt was appointed as foreign adjunct professor at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden. He was the only researcher from New Zealand to be named among the 12 appointments made from around the world.
Prof Delahunt is an RCPA Fellow and a former Editorin-Chief of RCPA’s Pathology journal. He continues to contribute as an Emeritus Editor of the journal.
For more than 40 years, Prof Delahunt served on the academic staff of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at Otago University’s Wellington campus. His most significant achievements include developing a gold standard grading system for classifying kidney cancers and developing and validating a new grading system for diagnosing prostate cancer.
Of the 84 research papers he has published with authors at the Karolinska, 10 are leading studies assessing the potential for artificial intelligence models to diagnose prostate cancer.
Prof Delahunt said he was humbled by the appointment. "I’m honoured and delighted to be joining the roll of distinguished academics who have served as foreign adjunct professors at the Institutet."
The Karolinska Institutet is home to the Nobel Assembly, which selects the Nobel Prize winners in physiology or medicine each year.
Dr Benjamin Armstrong
AIDA Indigenous Doctor of the Year 2023
Dr Benjamin Armstrong was awarded the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) Indigenous Doctor of the Year 2023 as Australia’s first clinical microbiologist to identify as being Aboriginal.
Dr Armstrong is a Tasmanian Aboriginal (Palawa) –a Melukerdee and Pinterrairer, Lia Pootah man, and was one of the first Indigenous students to graduate with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Wollongong.
He is a member of the RCPA’s Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Health & Workforce Steering Committee and is also an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of New South Wales.
Dr Armstrong’s research and policy interests are ocular infections, bloodborne viruses and sexually transmissible infections, particularly in Indigenous Australians.
Training & Education II
Innovation in learning for future generations of the pathology workforce. RCPA is transitioning to move more of its training and education programs online.
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Shaping future leaders in pathology
RCPA’s training and education portfolio provides a range of training and assessment services that deliver best practice educational experiences. In addition, it administers continuing professional development (CPD) activities for Fellows.
Train and support Trainees and Fellows
Recruit Trainees of the highest potential
Create contemporary environments to enable flexible and interactive learning
Focus on the needs of Trainees and Fellows, ensuring effective two-way channels for communication and feedback
Examinations
The RCPA continued to successfully deliver fully online, proctored examinations via its online training portal and ProctorExam, and increased the number of online examinations held since 2023. The College also successfully delivered all other examinations in the traditional format.
The College increased the number of slide examinations delivered in a digital format using the SECTRA platform, with all but one medical discipline using this platform in 2024 for all slide examinations.
Examinations via RCPA's online training portal and ProctorExam
Online examinations
87
27 In-person examinations
Online examinations
57 20
Online examinations
In-person examinations
In-person examinations
30
2023 2024 2024 07
In-person examinations
2023
NPAAC examinations
The RCPA facilitated the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Committee (NPAAC) examinations for the fourth year running. This is for non-genetic pathology candidates pursuing certification via the training and assessment pathway to ensure that appropriate measures are in place so that Fellows who are supervising clinically robust molecular and genetic testing services can maintain their involvement.
In November 2023, 40 candidates sat for exams across anatomical pathology, haematology and microbiology. The haematology NPAAC written examinations were successfully delivered fully online via RCPA's online training portal and ProctorExam, with the oral examinations facilitated via Zoom from Cliftons venues.
From next year, NPAAC examinations will be referred to as molecular certification examinations to make the certification easier to understand and more relevant for RCPA Fellows outside Australia.
40
19 04 17 Fellows certified by examination
17
Anatomical pathology Microbiology Haematology
Fellows certified through recognition of prior learning
Basic Pathological Sciences Examination
The 2024 Basic Pathological Sciences (BPS) Examination was delivered fully online via the RCPA’s online training portal and invigilated by ProctorExam.
Four hundred and fourteen candidates sat the BPS exam, a record number for any examination at the College.
414 candidates
87 Trainees
154 Students
173 Doctors
Change in candidates sitting the Basic Pathological Sciences Examination from 2020 to 2024 Trainees Students Doctors
Dr Chin Zhong Ng, joint winner of the Neil Prentice Memorial Prize for the top scoring Trainee in New Zealand in the 2024 BPS exam.
Dr Ng is a haematology Trainee working towards a joint Fellowship with both the RCPA and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP).
Studying pathology as a joint Trainee, he says, equips him with the skills to provide end-to-end care. “I can perform a bone marrow biopsy myself, report it and interpret its flow cytometry to come out with a unifying diagnosis. Subsequently, I can meet the patient myself on the same day to explain the diagnosis and come out with an interim treating plan.”
Dr Ng is currently preparing for his Part I exam in haematology and says that his pathology training has helped to refine his understanding of the diseases his patients have and complements his clinical training at the RACP very well.
“Joint haematology is about team work to deliver the right diagnosis using multimodal diagnostic methods to deliver the best clinical care for a patient,” he says. Taking the BPS exam, he adds, has allowed him to understand molecular haematology, especially cellular signalling pathways, to better evaluate the essential diagnostic criteria involved in many haematology disorders.
Program accreditation
In 2016, the College underwent an Australian Medical Council (AMC) re-accreditation assessment resulting in the training and education programs of the College being granted accreditation until March 2023. The College submitted an Accreditation Extension Submission in June 2022 and accreditation was granted until 31 March 2027. The AMC and Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) annual accreditation submission for 2023 was accepted without condition in July 2023 and the 2024 report was submitted in March 2024.
The process for recognition of genetic pathology as a new field of specialty practice continued into its final stages. The AMC panel’s draft assessment report was presented to the College for a final review in April 2024. This report was circulated for comment among relevant stakeholders, including senior genetic pathology Fellows. The report has been submitted to the Recognition of Medical Specialties Subcommittee and will then be presented to the Health Minister for a final decision.
The annual submission for the Australian Dental Council was submitted on behalf of the Faculty of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology (FOMP) for the Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Forensic Odontology programs and accepted in November 2023.
New program
Curriculum development for a new program in surgical pathology dissection is progressing well, with a Chief Examiner appointed.
Curriculum reviews
In 2023, five-yearly curriculum reviews were undertaken for genetic pathology (medical genomics) and dermatopathology for implementation in 2024.
The updated curriculum for genetic pathology (medical genomics) was implemented in 2024. Curriculum reviews for haematology, immunopathology, clinical forensic medicine and genetic pathology (biochemical genetics) are taking place in 2024. The updated curriculum for genetic pathology (biochemical genetics) will be implemented in 2025 while the updated curriculum for immunopathology and clinical forensic medicine will be implemented in 2026.
10
Site accreditation visits
In-person and virtual site visits conducted in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia to cover a number of disciplines and Faculties.
RCPA ceases accreditation of sites and training in Saudi Arabia
For several years, the College has had some accredited training sites for anatomical pathology and haematology in Saudi Arabia. All Saudi-based site accreditations expired in 2023/2024 and none of the previously accredited sites chose to apply to renew their accreditation with the College.
A decision was therefore made to stop offering programs to new Trainees in Saudi Arabia. The College continues to support any currently active Trainees based in sites in Saudi Arabia to complete their training.
Post-Fellowship Certificates
The RCPA, along with all 15 specialist medical colleges in Australia, were notified by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TESQA), which registers and regulates higher education providers delivering accredited courses of study, that the College can no longer use the title of ‘Diploma’ for its Post-Fellowship training programs.
This mandate came into force on 1 January 2024 and the College took steps to re-badge all future Post-Fellowship Diplomas as Post-Fellowship Certificates. In accordance with TESQA’s mandate, candidates will be awarded a Post-Fellowship Certificate from 1 January 2024.
New Trainee induction program
RCPA's Education Advisors deliver an induction program for all incoming Trainees across Australasia including Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.
New Trainees registered with the RCPA
Trainee inductions carried out
Supervisor workshops 2023-2024
RCPA’s Education Advisors facilitated 24 supervisor accreditation workshops over the financial year.
The larger workshops included supervisors from several disciplines of pathology, while the smaller workshops were discipline specific on request.
Total number of accredited RCPA supervisors
New supervisors accredited
Supervisor accreditation workshops facilitated by RCPA’s Education Advisors
New accredited supervisors by discipline
Continuing professional development
The RCPA is an AMC-accredited CPD Home. The first CPD Homes monitoring submission was completed in September 2023 and accepted on condition that six criteria be met in the 2024 annual submission. These criteria mostly related to incorporating program level requirements such as cultural safety, addressing health inequities, professionalism and ethics.
The College’s CPD program was updated in November 2023 for the 2024 CPD year to reflect the reduction in the number of required hours from 60 to 50 and to provide members with more choice about how they can allocate their hours. The revised program allows members to indicate that they are fully compliant with AMC and MCNZ requirements.
Specialist international medical graduates
The RCPA regularly conducts assessments of the qualifications, training and experience of specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs) for the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) (for SIMGs seeking specialist registration in Australia) and the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) (for SIMGs seeking registration in the vocational scope of practice of pathology in New Zealand). During the period of 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, the College completed 31 assessments.
Specialist international medical graduate assessments and Fellowships by location
Specialist international medical graduates attained Fellowship
Specialist international medical graduate assessments
Specialist international medical graduate assessments
Australia (Ahpra)
New Zealand (MCNZ) Fellowships attained
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Professor Jane Dahlstrom OAM
Inspiring future generations of doctors and medical specialists
Professor Jane Dahlstrom OAM’s professional journey charts an illustrious career as a clinician, educator, mentor, researcher, manager and leader. In 2023, she was awarded the RCPA Distinguished Fellow Award for her work spanning over more than 30 years and her outstanding contribution to pathology both at home and internationally, and her passion for teaching and education.
An RCPA Fellow since 1999, she has dedicated her career to perinatal, breast and oral pathology and has 159 peer-reviewed publications, 15 academic reports, 117 published abstracts, nine book chapters and 405 presentations at scientific meetings (35 of which have won awards) to her name.
She has held many high-profile roles in both public and private pathology as well as in teaching, including Executive Director of ACT Pathology, inaugural Dean of the College of Health and Medicine at the Australian National University (ANU), and Chair and Professor of Pathology at the ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, College of Health and Medicine.
In 2023, she was appointed Chair of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) Medical School Accreditation Committee (MedSAC).
She has sat on numerous RCPA Advisory Committees, as well as serving as an Editorial Board Member and Associate Editor of Pathology journal, Chair of the RCPA Board of Education, a member on the RCPA Council, a member of the Program Committee of the RCPA QAP Pty Ltd and Chair of the Cancer Services Advisory Committee. She was an examiner in anatomical pathology and oral pathology, and Chief Examiner for the Basic Pathological Sciences Examination. She was also Chair of the Head, Neck and Endocrine Series of Structured Reporting Groups for the RCPA.
Prof Dahlstrom has also travelled to underresourced countries such as Fiji and Sri Lanka to deliver pathology teaching to registrars and educational programs aimed at reducing stillbirth.
RCPA Faculties
Faculty of Science
290
Faculty of Clinical Forensic Medicine
61
04 18
The Faculty of Science is in the process of implementing the recommendations of its 10-year review. The 32 recommendations will improve the Faculty training standards for the Faculty Trainees, Fellows and the RCPA in general.
Faculty training fees were reduced during the year to help support more senior clinical scientists to undertake the Faculty Fellowship.
The Faculty held a successful session ‘Supporting Faculty Trainees in their Learning Session’ during RCPA’s Pathology Update 2024 annual conference. The session was very well attended with positive feedback.
A new RCPA Foundation Faculty of Science Fellowship Grant worth $5000 was launched to help a current Faculty Trainee with the cost of training.
33
Fellows Fellows
40 01
The Faculty of Clinical Forensic Medicine Committee continues to focus on the development of guidelines and standards for professional practice and ensure access to continuing professional development opportunities for members.
Faculty of Oral Maxillofacial Pathology
The College is pursuing opportunities to accredit new training sites and to recruit more Trainees into clinical forensic medicine. Although the College’s submission to the Medical Board of Australia for recognition of clinical forensic medicine as a new field of specialty practice was declined, the Faculty continues to explore ways to progress this further.
The Faculty Committee is working to admit Fellows through a recognition of prior learning stream. There are four current Trainees: two at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, one at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and one at the Gold Coast Hospital, the latter having recently gained accreditation.
The Faculty of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology continues to address the issue of a lack of accredited training sites. A Faculty subcommittee is exploring forensic odontology recognition as a specialist scope in New Zealand.
The Faculty of Postmortem Imaging has a total of 39 founding Fellows. The Faculty is in the process of drafting a curriculum and appointing two Chief Examiners, one of which will be a pathologist and the other a radiologist.
RCPA Foundation
Supporting research and education in pathology
The RCPA Foundation provides grants and awards to actively invest in better health for future generations by supporting research and education in pathology to develop a greater understanding of the causes of disease.
The Foundation also supports initiatives to educate healthcare professionals and the public of advances in pathology and the vital role it plays in the delivery of high-quality healthcare.
$294,000 15 49
Offered as grant funding Grants Applications received
RCPA Foundation Grants and Award Winners 2023
RCPA Quality Assurance Programs Research Grant
Dr Christina Trambas Chemical Pathology, Fellow
A pilot project to implement routine testing and develop a quality assurance program for glycosylated ferritin (future plan for QAP program for glycosylated ferritin)
Prof Gelareh Farshid Anatomical Pathology, Fellow
The Australian IHC HER2 low concordance study for invasive breast cancer
Dr Hiu Tat Chan Microbiology, Fellow
Formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) contrived clinical specimens for quality assurance of molecular assays for detection and typing of human papillomavirus in FFPE tissue samples
Kanematsu Research Award
Dr Anita Campbell Non-member
SNOOPY (Staphylococcus aureus Network; ultrasOund for diagnOsis of endovascular disease in paediatrics and youth)
Research Grant-in-Aid
Dr Tamalee Roberts Microbiology, Faculty Fellow
Diagnosis and prevalence of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Laos
Dr Lucy Ding Chemical Pathology, Fellow
Clinical utility of serum thyroglobulin by mass spectrometry in thyroid cancer
Bev Rowbotham Pathology Leaders Award
Dr David Foley Microbiology, Fellow
Mike and Carole Ralston Travelling Fellowship
Dr Aditya Tedjaseputra Haematology, Trainee
Identifying novel molecular determinants of clinical outcome in children and adults with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
Postgraduate Research Fellowship
Dr Adrian Lee Immunopathology, Fellow
A multi-omic approach to improving diagnosis and monitoring of autoantibody associated diseases in the immunopathology laboratory
Dr Alexander Troelnikov Immunopathology, Trainee
Germline immunoglobulin gene influences on expressed antibodies in health and disease
Dr Stephen Boyle Haematology, Fellow
Developing more effective Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for plasma cell myeloma
Melody Caramins Trainee and Early Career Genetic Pathology Grant
Dr Samuel Cotton Genetic Pathology, Trainee
Improving the accuracy of rare disease genetic diagnosis by using unselected volunteer populations
Pathology Education Outreach Fellowship
Prof David Roxby Haematology, Faculty Fellow
Developing local capacity for a sustainable laboratory and clinical transfusion education and training program in Samoa: a pilot program for transfusion education in the South Pacific
Faculty of Science Fellowship
Ms Susy Mathew Microbiology, Faculty Trainee
Utility of whole genome sequencing in Enterobacterales isolates with reduced carbapenem susceptibility and negative CPE PCR
III.
Policy & Advocacy
Policy and advocacy is a key priority of RCPA’s Strategic Plan for 2024–2027 to elevate the voice of the pathology profession.
Return to contents
Board of Professional Practice and Quality
4
RCPA Board of Professional Practice and Quality meetings
24
Policy documents created or revised
The RCPA’s Board of Professional Practice and Quality (BPPQ) oversees the medicopolitical and medicoeconomic activities of the College to work appropriately with Federal and State governments and statutory authorities.
The BPPQ also engages with government on:
The extension of the Temporary MBS Items for COVID-19 and other Respiratory Pathogen Testing
Fiscal and regulatory sustainability of pathology services
Approved collection centre arrangements
Federal budgets for pathology-related issues
The Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) process
RCPA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group
The RCPA established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Working Group in 2023 to review the College’s DEI policies and to identify any gaps or areas for improvement in workforce diversity and equality across the membership and staff.
The Group comprises seven members, and is chaired by Dr Kym Mina, who sits on the RCPA Board as Council Representative and who will report the findings and recommendations of the Group to the RCPA Board of Directors. The Group’s first meeting took place in December 2023.
The BPPQ met four times in 2023–2024 during which time it continued to focus on pathology professional standards and quality issues in Australasia. The BPPQ provided advice on specific questions relating to preand post-analytical quality, laboratory accreditation, laboratory and professional standards in the practice of pathology.
The BPPQ has an ongoing schedule of policy revision and development, and frequently makes recommendations for policy documents and advice to external stakeholders. From July 2023 to June 2024, the BPPQ discussed 24 new or revised policy documents.
Government advocacy
Supporting evidence-based standards in pathology
During the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, the College submitted four applications to the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) for public funding of pathology items in Australia. Two of these applications were part of the pharmacogenomics project (PGx) (see page 47), and one application was submitted as part of the Stillbirth Investigations Project (see page 42) . These applications are currently at various stages in the MSAC process:
Anal human papillomavirus cytology testing and treatment in high-risk populations
DPYD genotyping to predict fluoropyrimidineinduced toxicity (PGx)
HLA sensitivity to carbamazepine (PGx)
Placental complexity revised fees
During the same period, the item numbers associated with a number of successful MSAC applications came online:
Whole genome sequencing for antimicrobialresistant pathogens
Somatic gene testing for the diagnosis of glioma, including glioblastoma
Genetic testing for variants associated with haematological malignancies
Targeted carrier testing for severe monogenic conditions
Detection of measurable residual disease in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Small gene panel testing for non-small cell lung carcinoma
Since 2013, the average time to progress an application from submission date to MSAC decision has been 21.7 ± 9.6 months, which doesn’t include the average of six months to prepare submissions. Successful applications would not be possible without the support and hard work of the Fellows who volunteer at least two years of their lives to be on application working parties. Over the past decade, the College has been successful in getting 86 per cent of applications approved by the MSAC, providing equity of access to testing for all Australian patients. Since 2020, the average time from approval to live MBS item numbers has been 18 ± 7.3 months.
Pathology beyond borders
RCPA Pathology Education Outreach Committee
The RCPA’s Pathology Education Outreach Committee (PEOC) supports colleagues in countries where pathology services are still developing.
It aims to build pathology service delivery and clinical capacity in countries such as Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, and other Pacific and Southeast Asian nations through education and training. This is provided by many RCPA Fellows who generously give their time to share their knowledge and mentor colleagues in these regions.
The ultimate goal of initiatives such as these is to develop a self-sustaining model whereby the RCPA trains professionals in the region, have them appropriately qualified, and train them to train their colleagues. This will also help to build preventive strategies in these countries.
Australia Awards Fellowship
In 2023, the RCPA was awarded funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) Australia Awards Fellowship to host six pathology Trainees from Fiji, Kiribati, Vietnam and Tonga to undertake Australian laboratory placements for up to three months. The training was provided by RCPA Fellows in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia Awards Fellowships aim to build networks of influence and leadership by strengthening partnerships between Australian organisations and partner organisations in the region. Fellowships target senior and mid-career officials and professionals who are in a position to advance development outcomes in priority areas and increase the institutional capacity of partner countries through their leadership.
Dr Patrick Penitani
Dr Patrick Penitani, a pathologist from Tonga, trained at Australian Clinical Labs in Geelong for 11 weeks. Dr Penitani said that, as part of this placement, he was being exposed to tests that are not currently being carried out in Tonga. He said that it is a good learning experience and that he learns something new every day which he hopes to be able to implement in the health system back in Tonga to improve healthcare there.
Dr Tiaeke Tewareka
Dr Tiaeke Tewareka, a pathology Trainee from Kiribati, completed 13 weeks of pathology laboratory training at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. As the only pathologist in Kiribati, Dr Tewareka was keen to learn new skills and knowledge to take home to Kiribati where he hopes to raise cancer awareness and contribute to the creation of a cancer registry. He would like to see the establishment of Kiribati's own histology laboratory which would hugely improve the turnaround time for pathology tests, ultimately leading to better patient care.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Associate Professor Raghwa Sharma
RCPA Meritorious Service Award winner in recognition of his outreach work
A/Prof Raghwa Sharma, a past Chair of the RCPA Pathology Education Outreach Committee (PEOC), was awarded the RCPA Meritorious Service Award for his work in setting up specialist postgraduate pathology training in South Pacific Island countries.
Noting that many of these countries have almost non-existent specialty provision in their health services as a result of small health budgets and a lack of specialists, A/Prof Sharma sought and successfully achieved approval for a Master’s program in pathology training at Fiji National University. As part of this work, he coordinated a roster for Fellows from Australia and New Zealand to visit the region to present lectures and training in their areas of expertise.
As Chair of PEOC, he successfully applied for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) funding in 2016/17 to host five final-year Trainees for three months of laboratory placements in Australia. This partnership with DFAT continues through the Australia Awards Fellowship to this day (see page 39), and allows RCPA to share expertise with overseas colleagues in several Pacific Island and Southeast Asian countries to provide advanced training in diagnosis and treatment protocols.
Pathology in Practice IV.
RCPA’s special project team develops member-led resources for the healthcare community to highlight the impact of pathology in clinical decision making for better patient outcomes.
Report 2023—2024 2023–2024
Grants and projects
Driving excellence in clinical practice
Over 50% of the RCPA’s annual income is provided through grants. A large portion of this comes from the Australian Government’s Specialist Training Program (STP) which supports a number of training positions at the College (see page 43).
Additional funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care as well as other funders allows the RCPA to develop and publish guidance resources for the profession and the wider healthcare community (see table below).
Funded projects
Contract term Funder
Apr 24–Nov 24
May 24–Jun 25
Nov 23–Jun 25
Apr 23–Jun 24
Apr 23–Jun 24
Jul 22–Mar 24
Oct 22–Dec 24
Jan 22–Jun 25
Apr 23–Aug 25
Apr 24–Jun 26
Jul 22– Jun 24
AstraZeneca
Australian Digital Health Agency
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care
Australian Genomics
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care
Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care
The work to develop and maintain these resources over more than a decade is thanks to the countless professional hours provided by RCPA member volunteers. These resources are freely available on the College website and include:
The RCPA Manual
The Macroscopic Cut-Up Manual
Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer Protocols
Standardised Pathology Informatics in Australia (SPIA) Pathology Terminology Reference Sets and Information Models
Pharmacogenomic Indications in Australia
Project title
Development of an Australian RCPA guideline for molecular testing of lung cancers
Development of priority pathology tests for SPIA adoption
Support the development and validation of the pathology request Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) value sets based on the RCPA SPIA requesting pathology terminology reference sets
Pathology Workforce Review – an evaluation of capacity and competence
PathSupport – electronic Clinical Decision Support (eCDS) workflow requirements for use within the Australian health system
Pharmacogenomics Indications in Australia
Pathology Informatics Interoperablility Pilot –Pathology and the Patient
Stillbirth Investigations – Pathologists Project
Increasing stillbirth autopsies – supporting pathologists into perinatal pathology career pathways program
Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer Protocols – digital implementation trial
RCPA Manual
IV.I.I GRANTS AND PROJECTS
Specialist Training Program
The Specialist Training Program (STP) is a funding initiative of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. There are around 920 STPfunded training positions across Australia, managed by 13 medical colleges. RCPA receives funding for 92 STP posts and an additional three posts under the Tasmanian Project.
The RCPA is in the third year of a four-year funding agreement which is due to end in December 2025. Funding received via the STP helps to cover the annual salary of Trainee specialists, Rural Support Loading (RSL) allowance for training positions in regional, rural and remote areas, and a Private Infrastructure and Clinical Supervision (PICS) allowance for training positions in a private sector setting.
Under the STP, the College also receives funding to develop and deliver education and training support projects that promote the delivery of specialty training in expanded healthcare settings.
Training positions by sector
Fill rate for all STP positions
STP-funded positions in Tasmania
Funded positions
Medical students and junior doctors engaged via STP events 100% 03 92 07 188
Additional genetic/molecular STP-funded training positions (2022–2025)
Local and regional: showcasing pathology
Over the past year, the RCPA held seven information evenings across five sites in Albury, Launceston, Newcastle, Townsville and Darwin, reaching a total of 188 medical students and junior medical officers.
This STP engagement project was designed to showcase pathology as a specialist training pathway among regional medical students and junior doctors.
Collaboration with local Training Hubs
Working with Regional Training Hubs, the RCPA organised a series of information evenings where RCPA State Councillors, pathologists and local Trainees presented alongside RCPA’s Education Advisor to provide information on pathology as a career and the process and pathways to becoming a fully-fledged pathologist.
These events provide the perfect setting for medical students and early career medical professionals to learn more about potential career pathways, while connecting with the pathologists and Trainees attending the event and hearing about their personal journeys in pathology.
Feedback
Feedback from those attending has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants commenting that no other college had set out the training pathway so clearly for them. In their responses, many participants said that they were not aware of the range of disciplines involved in the field of pathology. At least three students at each event expressed a strong interest in becoming a pathologist.
Fourth- and fifth-year students said that they would have loved to have had sessions such as these earlier in their education so first- to third-year students now all have the opportunity of attending these sessions.
Students and Regional Training Hub staff were particularly thrilled that the RCPA had engaged with them directly and visited their local region.
Events 188 05
Medical students and junior doctors
Next steps
The RCPA has successfully obtained future STP Support Funding for Networking and Education events in rural and regional areas. This will allow us to partner with more Regional Training Hubs and medical schools to deliver face-to-face educational opportunities to promote pathology training pathways over the next 20 months.
RCPA Manual
New updated pathology reference guide in practice and on the move
1990 1997 2001 2024 2004
Steering Committee meetings
The RCPA launched the 8th edition of its Manual of Use and Interpretation of Laboratory Tests with a companion app to allow use both in practice and on the move.
This edition underwent extensive updating to incorporate revised and new testing methodologies and protocols to ensure its continued relevance in contemporary medical practice.
Over 30 years, the Manual has moved from print to online to mobile app. By facilitating offline use, the app recognises the increasingly diverse settings in which healthcare professionals operate and therefore provides enhanced accessibility for those working in remote and regional locations.
This update and the creation of the app was made possible by generous support from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care and its predecessors to update and maintain the Manual. This was done with the help of RCPA Fellows representing each discipline and the College is immensely grateful to the many Fellows who have contributed to the Manual over the years.
Access the RCPA Manual online
Steering Committee members
Project duration: October 2022 to February 2024 7 13
Project aims
An in-depth review of existing content
Delivered digitally via the RCPA website and as an app
Offline capabilities of the app provides enhanced accessibility
2397
383,166 29,817 598
623 64 586
App downloads
App views
Website users
Existing tests reviewed
Clinical problems reviewed
New test entries created
Tests published
New resources for pharmacogenomic indications in Australia
The RCPA developed new resources in partnership with the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) to provide consensus-based guidance for prescribers, pharmacologists and pathologists about drugs for which pharmacogenomic testing may be indicated. This project, funded by Australian Genomics, provides clinical indications for 35 medications for pharmacogenomic testing in Australia with the aim of improving medicine use by increasing efficacy and avoiding adverse reactions.
Framework for development
Draft guidelines were developed after first consolidating the evidence to support the appropriate use of each drug. These drafts were then reviewed by stakeholders to reach a consensus before revised draft guidelines were submitted for feedback and endorsement from external stakeholders.
The strength of the recommendation for pharmacogenomic testing for each drug is indicated as:
Testing is recommended
Testing could be considered
No consensus. This means that, while pharmacogenomic testing is available, there was no consensus from international regulatory agencies and key organisations about the indications for testing
Full list of pharmacogenomic indications
Developed by a team of multidisciplinary experts, and reviewed and endorsed by external stakeholders, the guidelines highlight how pharmacogenomic testing can be implemented:
Reactively after a drug has caused side-effects or has not had the expected therapeutic response
Proactively before a specific prescribing decision is made to predict the likelihood of therapeutic response or adverse reaction to that drug
Indications developed for 35 medications
Providing guidance for prescribers, pharmacologists and pathologists
Developed by multidisciplinary experts
Reviewed and endorsed by external stakeholders
IV.I.V GRANTS AND PROJECTS
RCPA perinatal training package
The RCPA launched a training package to promote a career in perinatal pathology as part of its Stillbirth Investigations Project, supported by the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care.
This training package highlights the training pathway to becoming a perinatal pathologist and provides comprehensive resources for members interested in building their knowledge in this vital subspecialty.
The RCPA was contracted by the Australian Government to carry out the Stillbirth Investigations Project to increase the pathology profession’s capacity to undertake stillbirth investigations. This project also aims to promote a greater awareness among prenatal care professionals of the availability and access to stillbirth investigations and autopsies performed by specialised pathologists.
Perinatal pathology awards
As part of the RCPA’s Stillbirths Investigations Project, the College launched three perinatal pathology awards to support anatomical pathologists, Trainees, perinatal loss coordinators, and mortuary staff to advance their knowledge in the area of perinatal pathology.
Congratulations to the recipients of RCPA’s inaugural perinatal pathology awards!
Perinatal Conference and Education Award
Ms Kyra Lyell Dr Paul O’Neill
Mrs Susan Guinane Dr Mthulisi Viki
Dr Tiffany Foo
Perinatal Practising Pathology Award
Dr Anuradha Pareek
Dr Jonathan McGuane
Perinatal Travelling Fellowship Award
Dr Mitali Fadia
Dr Victoria Yachmenikova
View the RCPA perinatal training package
Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer
RCPA Structured Pathology Reporting of Cancer (SPRC) protocol development represents an invaluable resource for Trainees and early career pathologists, providing guidance on state-of-the-art techniques and emerging practices.
These protocols support professional practice standards that meet the evolving needs of healthcare professionals and patients in Australasia, and digital adaptations will provide an opportunity to guide and influence future technology requirements that represent best practice.
SPRC protocols – digital implementation trial
The RCPA recently received funding for two years (2024–2026) from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care through the Quality Use of Pathology Program (QUPP) (now known as the Quality Use of Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Pathology [QUDTP] Program) to support continuation of the SPRC project. The funding provided will be used to progress the development of SPRC protocols in addition to undertaking a software trial to showcase the digital implementation of five protocol templates in four cloud-based software products in a free software trial for pathologists.
SPRC protocols incorporate international recommendations from the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR), as well as the latest World Health Organization (WHO) tumour classifications and peer-reviewed scientific evidence. The goal of the national SPRC project will continue to support evidence-based standardised cancer reporting in Australasia for world-class patient care and to maintain highest-level patient outcomes.
5443
3 7 9 9 15,136 69
Users accessed the SPRC protocols webpages
Website views for the SPRC protocols webpages
Expert committees engaged
RCPA SPRC protocol experts engaged
New protocols published
Protocols in development
Open consultation review periods
RCPA SPRC software trial
RCPA’s SPRC software trial is a multi-stakeholder software trial and the first of its kind providing local opportunities to support more widespread adoption of digital SPRC reporting software.
It has the support of over 38 anatomical pathology laboratories, state and national cancer registries and passionate individual clinicians.
624
Webpage views
44
Pathologists have participated from 6 states and territories in Australia in addition to New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore
01
489 Users
18
Questionnaires have been completed by anatomical pathology labs with 102 reports submitted
RCPA webinar held to promote the software trial
IV.I.VII GRANTS AND PROJECTS
Pathology workforce review
The RCPA received funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care through the Quality Use of Pathology Program (QUPP) to undertake a review of the Australian pathology workforce to understand the current and expected future composition of the workforce and to inform the design of workforce planning strategies that will ensure its growth and sustainability.
An external consultant, HealthConsult, was engaged over 12 months to undertake a comprehensive environmental scan to establish an understanding of key trends and issues impacting the pathology workforce in Australia
IV.I.VIII GRANTS AND PROJECTS
and combined this with consultations with key stakeholders to highlight issues relating to specific jurisdictions, sectors and disciplines. As part of this study, data was to be further analysed to develop Australian pathology workforce supply, demand and capacity models, including data sources, limitations and proposed assumptions.
A similar review for New Zealand was commissioned at the same time; this component of the study was funded by the College.
Results of the study were published in July 2024. Read the workforce review
Pathology Informatics Interoperability Pilot
In addition to continuing terminology development, the RCPA’s current informatics pilot project funded through the Department of Health and Aged Care is assessing Standardised Pathology Informatics in Australia (SPIA) compliance for two laboratories (one private, one public) for a series of eight pathology tests and six panels.
This aspect of the College’s informatics work continues to focus on interoperability, consistent use of terminology, and standardised pathology report presentation to patients/referring clinicians with each element underpinning the core considerations for valuable patient outcomes, as well as providing an integral part in the creation and use of national Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standards in healthcare information exchange under the CSIRO Sparked Initiative.
Throughout this pilot, the College has organised and hosted annual pathology informatics workshops, including a Pathology Standards Refresher workshop in November 2022 and an informatics workshop in April 2023. In May 2024, 175 delegates participated in Our Digital Future workshop, a collaboration with RCPA Quality Assurance Programs Pty Ltd (RCPAQAP) and the Australasian Association for Clinical Biochemistry
and Laboratory Medicine (AACB) which featured 16 speakers discussing various aspects of interoperability and practical solutions to known interoperability issues.
As part of this project, RCPAQAP has developed an automated SPIA compliance program for selected pathology tests and panels to guide the assessment process and provide feedback to laboratories to improve compliance. The project aims to demonstrate the advantages of interoperability and the benefits realised when adopting RCPA SPIA guidelines for the broader pathology and consumer community, including for the patient, pathologist, referring clinicians, registries, and quality control in laboratories.
e-Requesting and electronic Clinical Decision Support (eCDS)
The RCPA undertook work under a Quality Use of Pathology Program (QUPP) grant to understand the current state of e-requesting and eCDS, including the development of workflows for both requesting and reporting.
The College’s work over the last decade to develop SPIA guidelines, which provide advice relating to standardised requesting and reporting terminology, standardised units of measure, and report rendering in Australian pathology laboratories, is key to this work. The project
makes several recommendations, including the potential adoption of SPIA guidelines as mandatory laboratory accreditation and assessment criteria under the National Pathology Accreditation Advisory Committee (NPAAC).
This project highlighted that patient choice will become increasingly important in the future. It also described the future use of eCDS and how that can assist GPs and provide more appropriate testing of pathology, with benefits to consumers, GPs and pathologists.
eCDS user story: Patient Choice
V.
Membership & Engagement
Building communities and networks. RCPA events, publications, resources and services to support members in their professional journey from Trainee to Fellow, and promote the pivotal role of pathology in healthcare.
Return to contents
Events
As well as organising RCPA’s flagship Annual Scientific Meeting, Pathology Update (see page 56), the RCPA runs a full program of educational activities for Trainees and Fellows each year.
College representatives also attend a number of careers events at universities, student medical conferences and careers expos in Australia and New Zealand to engage with medical students and junior doctors to promote pathology as a career.
Highlights over the past year included the launch of RCPA’s Medical Students Summer School (see page 54) and the hugely popular Anatomical Pathology and Laboratory Skills (APLS) workshop (see page 55), now in its 12th year.
16
25
RCPA events Careers days
Medical Students Summer School
2 to 3 December 2023, RCPA HQ, Surry Hills New South Wales
Medical students from around Australia and New Zealand attended 59
RCPA held its first Medical Students Summer School in December 2023 in Sydney at its headquarters in Surry Hills. Fifty-nine medical students from around Australia and New Zealand attended the event to learn about a career in pathology.
The two-day program was developed by the RCPA Academic Advisory Committee to engage students early on in their medical education to showcase the pivotal role of pathology in healthcare and research. It provided a taster of the career opportunities open to those specialising in pathology, and included presentations on the training pathway involved in becoming a specialist pathologist.
The second RCPA Summer School will take place in December 2024.
Anatomical Pathology and Laboratory Skills (APLS) workshop
26 to 29 October 2023, Ballarat Victoria
The 12th annual Anatomical Pathology and Laboratory Skills (APLS) workshop took place at the Mercure Ballarat in October 2023. This course is designed for junior anatomical pathology Trainees to develop their laboratory skills and approach to microscopic diagnosis as part of their preparation for Part I examinations in 2024.
The event provides valuable hands-on experience and learning for participants. This workshop was also attended by medical students and junior medical officers, with many in the past having gone on to commence training in anatomical pathology.
EVENT SPOTLIGHT
Pathology Update 2024 – Bound for South Australia for Answers in Adelaide
1 to 3 March 2024, Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, South Australia
In 2024, RCPA’s Annual Scientific Meeting, Pathology Update, travelled to Adelaide in South Australia for the first time in its history. We welcomed 1384 delegates and 175 speakers from around the globe to showcase the best of science, research, teaching and training in pathology.
As always, the event provided a great forum to bring members together to discuss, learn and collaborate, no matter where they may be in their professional journey – leading experts in pathology or the next generation of pathologists and scientists.
Over three days, we heard from Trainees, Fellows and speakers across eight disciplines. Artificial intelligence in pathology and its role in the profession was a major focus and generated thought-provoking debate. Pharmacogenomics and personalised medicine was another hot topic during the conference with Prof Sir Munir Pirmohamed from the UK giving a fascinating presentation on the subject for the Eva Raik Memorial Oration.
Naturally, one of the highlights of the event is the Awards Ceremony where the RCPA welcomes its new Fellows.
Marketing and Communications
Brand RCPA
Following member feedback, the RCPA Board made the decision to bolster marketing and communications functions at the College by creating a dedicated team to oversee RCPA’s content and brand strategy to better promote and communicate the work of the College both to members and more widely to other stakeholders, government, the public and media.
In 2023, a Marketing and Communications Manager and a Social Media and Communications Officer were recruited with a view to building an integrated marketing and communications strategy encompassing both traditional and digital channels to raise awareness of the profession while celebrating member stories.
Launch of the RCPA Career Guide
As part of the RCPA’s drive to engage with medical students and junior doctors to promote pathology as a medical specialty, the College produced a Career Guide to highlight the training pathway for each of the disciplines.
This strategy, created to align with the RCPA’s Strategic Plan, focuses on building the RCPA’s brand and reputation as a trusted and professional organisation to deliver authoritative, targeted, modern and fresh marketing and communications, while engaging new audiences.
In June 2024, the RCPA initiated a rebranding project to review its branding guidelines, last created in 2002. This project will take a deep dive into the College’s external and internal communications to deliver updated messaging and positioning that goes beyond simply creating a new logo and ‘look and feel’. This project will be the first crucial step in modernising all aspects of RCPA marketing and communications, including its website, online communications, social media and promotional materials.
This Guide encompasses the key training opportunities provided by the College for those considering a career in pathology.
Communicating in digital times
RCPA website
2,650,835
Website views
603,403 Users
Podcasts
Manuals: 461,285
Education and training: 41,245
Events: 41,005
A career in pathology: 11,380
PathWay: 10,120
Pathology Today
Fortnightly member newsletter
993
Downloads
06 Podcast episodes published
PathWay
Monthly newsletter for health professionals
25 Issues
Providing RCPA members College updates and information about pathology events, jobs, training and education
7.6%
130,769
Total newsletters sent
11
Issues
Highlighting the pivotal role of pathology in the diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases
56,668 Total newsletters sent
Social media
The College is active across a number of social media channels including Facebook, Instagram, Kiko, LinkedIn, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube. RCPA's social media platforms are used as a space to promote RCPA’s work, further engage with its members, and increase public awareness about the practice of pathology and the pivotal role it plays in healthcare.
828,040
Impressions
27,900
From 2023–2024, RCPA's social media saw growth across all platforms, with the introduction of a social media strategy and content calendar aimed to deliver more consistent posting and purpose-driven content. During this time, LinkedIn also became the College's most followed social media account.
4438
1504
4994
3800
A breakdown of RCPA's social media engagement
3339
1143
International Pathology Day 2023
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was the theme for RCPA’s International Pathology Day in 2023. This media event, held at RCPA headquarters in Sydney, included guest speakers, A/Prof Michael Buckland, a neuropathologist and Australian Sports Brain Bank (ASBB) Founding and Executive Director, A/Prof Linda Iles, a forensic pathologist and Head of Forensic Pathology Services at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, as well as family members of those affected by CTE.
The event highlighted RCPA’s position statement on CTE, developed in collaboration with the ASBB and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, to raise awareness and understanding about CTE. In this statement, the RCPA acknowledged the causal link between exposure to repeated traumatic brain injuries and the development of CTE.
In order to protect future generations from CTE, the statement called for government action to facilitate greater research into the diagnosis and treatment of CTE, and the development of prevention measures for CTE.
Full position statement
International Pathology Day was first established by the RCPA in 2012 as an annual awareness day dedicated to highlighting the pivotal role pathology plays in healthcare, and overall health and wellbeing.
325 Items of media coverage
Distribution of media items
17
5,469,521 Media interviews carried out
Potential audience reach
Pathology journal
RCPA's peer-reviewed scientific journal
Pathology is published six times a year with the help of a dedicated team of editors. In addition, we publish a special issue each year and the Pathology Update Abstracts supplement.
Editorial Board
Prof Richard Scolyer stepped down as Editor-in-Chief at the Editorial Board meeting in March 2024. Clinical Prof John Burnett was appointed to the role, with Prof Wendy Cooper as the new Deputy Editor-in-Chief.
Clin Prof Burnett and Prof Cooper have made some changes to the journal with the aim of reducing turnaround times and improving workflows, broadening expertise on the Editorial Board, providing guidance to reviewers, inviting topical articles and establishing benchmarks to monitor progress.
All journal roles are undertaken on a voluntary basis and the RCPA is immensely grateful to everyone involved for their contributions.
Editorial and production
Elsevier continues to publish Pathology under contract until the end of 2026. The Elsevier team produces, distributes and markets the journal and provides advice on publishing policies and ethical issues.
The CiteScore for Pathology is 6.5 and the Impact Factor is 3.6, and the journal is ranked 20 of 88 journals in the pathology category.
The March 2024 special issue focused on ‘Predictive and prognostic biomarkers in solid tumours’, edited by Prof Wendy Cooper and Prof Puay Hoon Tan.
The Pathology Update meeting abstracts were again published online as a supplement to the journal.
The journal went green and moved online in 2024 with fewer than 100 Fellows opting to receive it in print.
1078 408 443,055 575 22% 88 124 95
Journal pages published
Pages in abstracts supplement
Full articles published
Correspondence articles published
Peer reviewers
Completed peer reviews
Articles accepted
221,838 RCPA journal site
Full text views in 2023
221,217 Elsevier sites
Clin Prof John Burnett and Prof Wendy Cooper
The Pathology Article of the Year Award is awarded by the editors of the journal for an article showing outstanding scientific merit which is considered the most significant eligible manuscript published in the year. To be eligible, an article must have an RCPA Fellow, Faculty Member or Trainee as the first or corresponding author. In 2023, Russell et al. received the award for their article ‘Real-world prevalence of PD-L1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer: an Australia-wide multi-centre retrospective observational study’.
Pathology social media
Promoting groundbreaking research in pathology on social media.
137,443 308 2279 1085 296
3320 94 Followers
Total posts
Professor Wendy Cooper
International Academy of Pathology Distinguished Pathologist Medal
Professor Wendy Cooper, RCPA Fellow and Deputy Editor-In-Chief of Pathology, was awarded the Distinguished Pathologist medal at the 48th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Division International Academy of Pathology (IAP).
This medal is awarded to a pathologist who has made an outstanding contribution to the discipline of pathology. It recognises an individual’s contribution to the IAP and pathology in Australasia, as well as their work to create and foster activities that are of significance in anatomical pathology such as achievements in pathology education, research and/or pathology practice.
Prof Cooper is a Senior Staff Specialist in tissue pathology and diagnostic oncology at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Anatomical Pathology Clinical Stream Lead for NSW Health Pathology, a Clinical Professor at the University of Sydney and a Conjoint Professor at the University of Western Sydney.
She is on the 6th edition WHO Classification of Tumours Standing Editorial Board. Her research is in the field of lung cancer, molecular biomarkers and thoracic pathology with over 180 publications.
VI. In Recognition
Honours, awards and in memoriam.
RCPA Fellows awarded from July 2023 to June 2024
Dr Khalid Ahmed Zahran Al-Azri — Haematology
Dr Mohammad Khalid Mohammad Al-Shinnag — Genetic Pathology (Medical Genomics)
Dr Aaron Andreas — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Sze Jet Aw — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Alexander Robert Awford — Haematology
Dr Timothy Cecil Badrick — Microbiology
Dr Diva Baggio — Haematology
Dr Shanti Balasubramaniam — Genetic Pathology (Biochemical)
Dr Akshay Bapat — Haematology
Dr Luani Maree Barge — Haematology
Dr Sai Rupa Baskar — Microbiology
Dr Cleo Natalie Beylis — Microbiology
Dr Jamie Anne Bishop — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Rachael Claire Boles — Haematology
Dr Peter Benjamin Palermo Bradhurst — Immunopathology
Dr Thomas Anthony Brennan — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Sunisha Chahal — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Deborah Chaves Gomes — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Aakash Varun Chhibber — Microbiology
Dr Noel Yida Chia — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Valerie Chiang — Immunopathology
Dr Ke Li Chow — Immunopathology
Dr Kimberley Kuen Yee Chung — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Jesse Macgregor Collyer — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Thomas Jan De Hoog — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Jared Scott Fairbank — Haematology
Dr Elisabeth Janu Farhat — Haematology
Dr Dr Ingrid Hirell Fewings — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Miriam Fewtrell — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Timothy Fielder — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Brett Fivelman — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Elise Flynn — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Andrew Fox-Lewis — Genetic Pathology
Dr Taryn Elise Freeman — Haematology
Dr Logan Stuart Gardner — Immunopathology
Dr Jack Kevin Garland — Forensic Pathology
Dr Sophia Merilyn George — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Andrew Maurice Gilkison — Forensic Pathology
Dr Hannah Kathleen Gooding — Microbiology
Dr Sophie Hale — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Enas Hamad — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Diana Siao Cheng Han — Chemical Pathology
Dr Annjaleen Hansa — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Harini Parasakti Haran — Haematology
Dr Denham Gordon John Harloe — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Sean Patrick Harrop — Haematology
Dr Robert Campbell Roydon Heron — Chemical Pathology
Dr Ravin Malinka Hettiarachchi — Microbiology
Dr Marsa Hosseinzadeh — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Annaleise Howard-Jones — Microbiology
Dr Kevin Hung — Haematology
Dr Sonya Natasha Hutabarat — Microbiology
Dr Joshua George Jacob — Immunopathology
Dr Rohini Joshi — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Emily Catherine Jude — Haematology
Dr Jee Yong Jung — General Pathology
Dr Sher Lin Joanna Kang — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Kankanamage Malinda Amesh Karasinghe — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Hyun Joon Kim — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Chankyung Kim — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Taehyun Kim — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Paul Kinsella — Microbiology
Dr Ashwati Krishnan Varikara — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Winwhole Larry Ruey Si Lam — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Ka Ngai Lau — Haematology
Dr Nicholas Charles William Laundy — Microbiology
Dr Karen Lawler — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Patrick Edward Lawrence — Haematology
Dr Myron Andrew Lee — Chemical Pathology
Dr Katie David Lewis — Haematology
Dr Jian Li — Haematology
Dr Kwee Chin Liew — Microbiology
Dr Ming Hwee Lim — Chemical Pathology
Dr Guang Wei Jonathan Mark Lim — Haematology
Dr Jun Keit Lim — Haematology
Dr Ross Lindell-Innes — Haematology
Dr Chun Hai Lo — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Tomas Vidhura Thilina Mahaliyana — Haematology
Dr David Martin — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Suneeth Fiona Mathew — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Hector George Maxwell-Scott — Microbiology
Dr Sinead Mary McCarthy — Forensic Pathology
Dr Alexandra Mary McClughan — Microbiology
Dr Sean Joseph McKeague — Haematology
Dr Anna Rose Menzies — Haematology
Dr Natalie Ann Mercuri — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Ella Manybarr Meumann — Microbiology
Dr Mridula Mokoonlall — Haematology
Dr Ka Man Joanna Ng — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Paul Ryan O'Neill — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Erin O'Reilly — Haematology
Dr Susannah Alison Sybil Payne — Haematology
Dr David Pham — Microbiology
Dr Elizabeth Catherine Prime — Haematology
Dr Jeremy Nicholas Pulvers — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Pratheepan Puvanakumar — Haematology
Dr Karthik Rajah — Haematology
Dr Suhasa Ramesh — Haematology
Additional Scope of Practice
Dr Jason Ka Shun Tseung — Genetic Pathology (Medical Genomics)
Post Fellowship Diploma
Dr Kirralee Anne Patton — Forensic Pathology
Dr Oliver Treacy — Biochemical Genetics
Danielle Katherine Vignati — Dermatopathology
Dr Bharti Girdarilal Ramnani — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Benjamin Hugh Reardon — Haematology
Dr Maxine Rae Revoltar — Haematology
Dr Lauren Joy Rimmer — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Tukten Alexander Rolfe — Haematology
Dr James Peter William Rowland — Haematology
Dr Antoinette Jacqueline Amelia Runge — Haematology
Dr Ferris Satyaputra — Microbiology
Dr Opelo Bophelo Sefhore — Haematology
Dr Pirathaban Sivabalan — Microbiology
Dr Portia India Smallbone — Haematology
Dr Andrew Ian Stacey — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Adam Graham Stewart — Microbiology
Dr Paola Rossana Tacuri Bravo — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Stephanie Talam — Haematology
Dr Shireen Yan Ling Tan — Microbiology
Dr Joanne Lay Cheng Tan — Haematology
Dr David Gerard Taylor — Forensic Pathology
Dr Gerard William Taylor — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Aditya Tedjaseputra — Haematology
Dr Victoria Isabelle Van Winden — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Luke Thivaharan Vasanthakumar — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Shelley Kiran Verma — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Julian Max Verran — Haematology
Dr Alexandra Mary Louisa Walton — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Anders Shiu-Man Wong — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Ke Xu — Haematology
Dr Kaitian Audrey Yeo — Forensic Pathology
Dr Wei Ling Yeoh — Anatomical Pathology
Dr Albert Hong Yin — Anatomical Pathology
Fellow Faculty of Science by examination
Ms Nicole Louise Bain — Genetic Pathology (Medical Genomics)
Mrs Sarah Clare Beck — Immunopathology
Ms Mary Bernadette Diviney — Immunogenetics and Transplantation
Mr Jonathan Gary Downing — Immunogenetics and Transplantation
Dr Karen Rankin — Chemical Pathology
Ms Julie Thuy Nhon Sherfan — Chemical Pathology
Ms Narelle Florence Watson — Immunogenetics and Transplantation
Ms Xiumei Wei — Immunopathology
Fellow Faculty of Science by research
Dr Dianne De Santis — Immunopathology
Prof Suresh Mahalingam — Immunopathology
Ms Gianina Ravenscroft — Genetic Pathology (Medical Genomics)
Fellow Faculty of Science by scientific achievement
