Abstract
As I write my last column as President, I reflect on the last 2 years. When I commenced my term in May 2021, we were amid the COVID-19 pandemic and were adapting to new ways of doing business. After strong 2 years, I leave the College in a better place, continuously learning and moving onwards and upwards. There have been many achievements – including a new look President’s Update which was the hallmark of our communication and connection with members. Thank you to everyone who wrote to me. You certainly kept me thinking and exploring various ways to be more effective in supporting everyone and in how we carried out our business.
I started with a clear set of goals, and several others were added to that list as time progressed. I am very pleased that together we have achieved a lot. We finalised and released our new 2022–2025 Strategic Plan and it gives me confidence that many of the other priorities will continue to progress as part of this plan.
Policy and advocacy
I am proud to look back on the improvements and changes that have happened in the College and the mental health sector due to our commitment and advocacy. We have strongly enhanced our political engagement with all levels of government, in both Australia and New Zealand. This has led to an improved support for psychiatrists, as well as for the services provided by our members to our communities. Recent recognition of the nine College Fellows in the Australia Day 2023 Honours List, our highest ever, is a great example of our ever-increasing profile.
Key examples of our effective advocacy include a robust and strategic approach in relation to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, MBS listing for rTMS for Major Depression, our action on climate change, the continuation and increase of Commonwealth-supported training positions, as well as a strong focus on addressing inequity within mental health systems. As our policy work continues, I am proud of the endless work that our members and staff do in producing clinical memorandums, practice guidelines and a great many policy submissions. These initiatives improve the knowledge and information about psychiatry practice, and provide guidance to policy makers to address the social determinants which underpin illness and wellbeing.
Education
We have also seen several significant changes in our education and training portfolio and maintained accreditation by the Australian Medical Council. With the interruptions that COVID-19 has caused, we found the need for both short-term and long-term strategies to implement change. Among these changes, the College has begun the implementation of the Clinical Competency Assessment (CCA) as an initial replacement for the OSCEs. This has allowed us to explore alternatives to high stakes assessments and keep us contemporary in our approach to assessments. Despite the initial reason for this, I am proud to say that the College has been at the forefront of this work amongst all specialist medical colleges. We continue to work towards a long-term strategy.
Changes have also included the addition of an Appointed Director, Trainee to the Board of Directors, introducing a new training fees model, and identifying how our specialist international medical graduates on a pathway to Fellowship can be automatically granted Affiliate Membership. Recent adjustments to our CPD program have also resulted in the upgrade and enhancements of our InTrain and LearnIt platform capabilities, to further support our membership in their ongoing professional development and upskilling. Our online offering for professional development has taken great strides in the last 2 years including our hybrid events and conferences.
College matters
We welcomed Ms Sharon McGowan as our new CEO in February this year. Although we have worked together for only a short period, I am confident that the College is in good hands with her excellent leadership. The same goes for our incoming President, Dr Elizabeth Moore, to whom I again offer my congratulations. We have been a great team and the support I received from Elizabeth was excellent.
I thank everyone I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with during my time as President. It has been a real privilege. A special thanks to the College Board and the executive staff who have worked tirelessly to take us forward. My sincere thanks also go to all the College staff for their ongoing support and commitment to the College. To the membership, thank you for your passion and dedication to our profession and for always pushing the College to continuously improve, grow, adapt and pursue our vision.
On the day I took over as President I quoted a verse from Bhagwad Gita, an ancient scripture about a dialogue between Krishna and Arjun in a mentor/mentee relationship that covers a broad range of spiritual topics, touching upon ethical dilemmas and several philosophical issues. Some also call it as a way of life. There were plenty of challenges during the last 2 years and every time I faced a challenge, I reminded myself of this verse.
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन । मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भुर्मा ते संगोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ॥
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
In simple terms it means: Keep on performing your duties without expecting any reward in return, leading a selfless life.
I tried and lived up to this theme and remained focused on my duty.