- equip doctors with the high level skills required for leadership positions in hospitals
- provide a hospital-wide perspective on patient care
- provide the knowledge, professional skills, attitudes and ability to be effective doctors, communicators and - clinical care co-ordinators across independent disciplines and to bridge the gaps that exist in hospital processes
- enable doctors to develop a deeper understanding of hospital organisational culture, networks and infrastructure
- give doctors the skills to conduct research-based system redesign
- offer a postgraduate qualification directly relevant to the management of patient care in hospitals or other clinical facilities

www.newcastle.edu.au/school/medicine-public-health/areas-of-study/postgraduate-studies/master-of-clinical-medicine
www.health.nsw.gov.au/training/hospitalist

Specialists interested in the program should also contact NSW Health for advice on any sponsorship options that might be open to them. The closing date has been extended until Friday 17th February 2012

Further information can be obtained from:

Sheila Proust
E: Sheila.Proust@newcastle.edu.au
P: 02 4963 2025

Alex Brown
E: abrow@doh.health.nsw.gov.au
P: 02 9391 9326

The required units of study are:
- Patient assessment and communication
- Hospital therapeutics
- Resuscitation and clinical procedures
- Safety and quality in hospital medical care
- Ethics, law and professionalism
- Basic concepts in education and critical appraisal of the medical literature

There is a choice of electives from:
- Critical care
- Surgical care
- Medical care
- Health systems and management

The latest data from "MABEL" (available here) indicates that amongst medical officers, CMOs were most likely to feel that their personal and professional commitments are in balance.
[Mabel = "Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life".] Mabel is a 5 yr longitudinal survey of Australian doctors up to 2011. Just under 10,500 doctors responded to Wave 1 in 2008, and Wave 2 is currently being conducted. More information is available at their website: www.mabel.org.au

A new concept in Continuing Medical Education resources for CMOs is the "CMO Club".

This club seeks to provide and exchange learning modules for CMOs to present to their peers. Its aims to provide relevant educational resource materials for experienced and/or senior medical staff. It also encourages participants to add their own material to build relvant educational resources [by way of reduced membership fees] within the club.

For more details go to "CMO Club"

Continuing Medical Education Leave under utilised by many NSW CMOs.

It appears that many NSW CMOs remain unaware that changes to their award in 2005 have provided them with a clear entitlement to 7 working days (= 7 x 7.6hrs) of Continuing Medical Education (CME) leave per annum, with full reimbursement of expenses relating to that leave, provided they have worked as a CMO for a minm 12 mth period and the educational activity is relevant to their CMO position. CME leave (& associated entitlements) can accumulate to a maxm of 21 working days [= 21 x 7.6 hrs = 159.6 hrs]. Many CMOs would have now accrued this maxm entitlement and cannot receive any more unless they begin utilising their entitlements.

CMOs have used this leave to attend conferences throughout Australia and New Zealand, such as the recent Spring Seminar in Emergency Medicine (see below). Some CMOs have used CME leave to attend courses with registration fees alone being greater than $3000 per position (eg 1 week ultrasound courses for Emergency physicians). ie: this is a valuable entitlement that can be used effectively to develop and maintain skills relevant to your position.

Some CMOs taking advantage of their CME entitlements have experienced delays and/or difficulties when seeking approval for CME leave and reimbursement for associated expenses (such as meals, accommodation, travel, parking, course registration, etc). Most difficulties have arisen from Employers & CMOs being unfamiliar with CMOs entitlements to CME leave, as well as finding suitable forms to complete, etc. Some Area Health Services are using TESL (Training Education and Study Leave) forms designed for staff specialists to process CMO claims. Some have modified these TESL forms to better suit CMO needs. If you are having difficulties please familiarise yourself with Clause 16 of the NSW CMO Award (click here for a copy of NSW CMO Award). Provide your employer with a copy of this section. Once employers are made aware that the CMO Award provides a clear 'Entitlement' to CME leave + expenses, they usually assist you as best they can. If you continue to have difficulties you can contact David Brock via email davbrock@ozemail.com.au

NB: During negotiations that led to the 2005 award, ASCMO insisted on the inclusion of the word 'ENTITLEMENT' in relation to leave & expenses for continuing medical education leave, and that approval for such activities 'SHALL NOT BE UNREASONABLY WITHHELD'. This means that any employer refusing to provide leave and/or financial re-imbursement for related expenses must have reasons that would withstand potential scrutiny before the NSW Industrial Commission.

NSW Health's policy directive "PD2005_619 Travel Policy" outlines allowable travel expenses subject to the production of receipts. [source: www.health.nsw.gov.au/policies/pd/2005/pdf/PD2005_619.pdf]

ASCMO has obtained a Feb 2008 copy of revised Committee Guidelines for Senior CMO Grading in NSW. These guidelines are being used by the Grading committee when assessing applications. Therefore anyone wanting to apply for Senior CMO Grading in NSW, should ensure their applications cover all aspects within these guidelines.

Click here for full details of the NSW CMO Award arrangements that came into effect in 2005.

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