Australian Medicine

Happy Friday! Well, it’s nearly here. Not the weekend, although its arrival will be most welcome, but our National Conference. I look forward to welcoming those of you attending AMA26 in Melbourne on 28 and 29 August and participating in what is always an enjoyable 48 hours of catching up with old friends, meeting new ones, discussing the opportunities and challenges facing us, and hearing about what’s happening across the profession and the country.

The AMA is seeking expressions of interest from members with relevant expertise to represent it on specialist working groups being established as part of the review of the Assessing Fitness to Drive (AFTD) Standards. The working groups will support the next phase of the review, covering: cardiac, diabetes and sleep; neurological, psychiatric and neurodivergence; substance use and medications; vision; and ageing and driving, dementia.

Developed by the AMA’s Council of Doctors in Training (CDT), the position statement builds on long standing CDT advocacy on the costs associated with medical training, including examinations, prerequisite course requirements and admission to fellowship. AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said the principles set a clear expectation for transparent, predictable fees that support trainee wellbeing and diversity, while recognising the central role colleges play in delivering high-quality training.

These principles set out the AMA’s expectations for transparent, predictable and fair specialist medical training fees, supporting trainee wellbeing and diversity while recognising the central role of colleges in delivering high-quality training. Related topics Doctors in Training Equity, diversity and inclusion Health and medical workforce Doctor in Training

Happy Friday! This column is predominantly about the events and topics, and occasional musings that have occupied my week but before I plunge into that this time around, I’d like to take a moment. A moment to highlight the power of work that has been going on across the AMA to prepare for our annual National Conference. With just two weeks go until AMA26, it, like all events of its type, will flash by in what feels like an instant, but it is more than a year in the making.

AMA SA is seeking nominations from eligible members for three Council-appointed Director positions on the AMA SA Board. These positions provide an opportunity for members to contribute to the strategic leadership, governance and long-term sustainability of AMA SA and to help ensure the Association continues to effectively represent and support the South Australian medical profession. Nominations open on 14 August 2026 and will close at 5.00 pm on Friday, 5 September 2026.

Retirement isn't just about stopping work, it's about transitioning to the next chapter with confidence and clarity. For doctors approaching retirement, the decisions made in the years leading up to it can have a significant impact on lifestyle, financial security, practice succession, and the legacy you leave behind.

This week, we launched a new campaign highlighting the true drivers of Medicare gaps across the healthcare system. The Medicare Gap seeks to help patients understand the patchwork and piecemeal nature of Medicare funding for general practice, specialist consultations, and surgery. Recently, doctors have become a convenient target for some people in discussions and media coverage about the out-of-pocket costs of healthcare.

Our submission to the Australian Pharmacy Council’s (APC) review of accreditation standards for pharmacist prescriber education programs strongly reiterates our concerns about pharmacist prescribing, as well as the APC’s proposal. The APC’s review is intended to support the Pharmacy Board of Australia’s (PBA) scheduled medicines endorsement for pharmacists.

Ahpra has recently published the results of an internal review into its notification process. The review, which focused on racism and discrimination — specifically islamophobia and antisemitism — concluded that Ahpra and the National Boards have applied appropriate and proportionate thresholds in dealing with most notifications.