Australasian Society of Career Medical Officers
www. ascmo.org.au

President's Address - Dr David Tree
June 2002

Welcome to ASCMO. It is my pleasure to be elected president of ASCMO this year.

It has been a year of big changes. Terrorism abroad, and the medical insurance crisis in Australia. The CMOA has changed its name to ASCMO to include NZ members - we are an inclusive organisation. Back home, after many years of predominant CMOs, our A&E department was the scene of a FACEM corporate takeover - staff numbers have more than doubled. The sand bypass at the Tweed rivermouth has radically changed the Gold Coast surf breaks. My youngest child learned to ride a bike and climb trees, and the eldest learned to surf. A big year for adapting to change, conflicting interests and risk management, on various fronts.

We feel that CMOs will probably be a growing group - not everyone can be a visiting specialist or pieceworking general practitioner. It would be sad to see a public medical workforce composed largely of insecure and disaffected "area of need" doctors and stalled registrars, with associated lack of private opportunities - in the end it would be bad for nearly everyone. CMOs need to be assertive and ride out the changes and keep their jobs respected, viable and attractive.

So in NSW we have put a new award on the table for negotiation, and have started the CPDP education documentation programme - being proactive. We encourage all CMOs, public or private, in Australia or New Zealand, to be active lobbying in your own areas. You can use ASCMO for advice or resources such as this website or follow our lead. And we wish you a happy and productive year.

David Tree
MBBS FRACGP
President, ASCMO

Contact me at:

1: Email (preferred): dcmgtree@iprimus.com.au
2: Postal: A & E Dept., Tweed Hospital, Powell St., Tweed Heads, NSW 2485
3: Work phone: 07 5506 7445 (shifts)
4: I work shifts so do not contact me at home - this applies to mistresses also.