2009 Annual Report - Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand

Each of them provided complimentary feedback
regarding the programme and the hospitality
extended to them by USANZ and the trainees.
Education Programme
• Education Programme Matrix – Section/
Trainee Week
An educational matrix of topics based on the
training programme and the current curriculum is
under construction with emphasis on depth of topic
knowledge to be covered at a hospital, sectional and
trainee week level.
• USANZ Online Educational Program
The Board of Urology and Urology Executive,
AstraZeneca representatives, educational online
specialists and nominated members of USANZ and
senior trainees reviewed the content and format
of the on-line educational program at an intensive
weekend workshop in August. Progress is being
made with a planned re-launch of a more meaningful
and useful product taking place in 2010.
Finally I wish to thank Anita Clarke for her hard work
with RACS, on our behalf. ■
____________________________________
Continuing Professional Development
Pat Bary
The USANZ online project is advancing. It
is nearing the finish of a gap analysis before
continuing with expansion and inclusion of
appropriate radiology to create an excellent tool for
education of trainees and urologists in the Society.
The RACS PDSB met on 27 October. This is a
summary of the meeting:
1. A working party to establish guidelines for digital
imaging methods has now completed its work,
providing recommendations for the delivery,
access and viewing of diagnostic quality images
for providers and clinicians.
2. The correct patient, side, procedure, site
document put up by the WHO has been adopted
by RACS, has as yet only been mandated by the
NZMC, but not any Australian body.
3. CPD reporting online has continued to grow,
now 21% of Fellows.
4. Australian Day Surgery Council – made up
representatives of many different groups
– RACS; hospitals; private health insurance;
nurses; anaesthetists, etc. There are now 280
Day Care hospitals in Australia. Questions were
34 Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand | Annual Report 2009 www.usanz.org.au
asked why a separate entity needs to exist as
it is a major part of surgery and should come
under RACS aegis. Day Care hospitals should
be seen as untapped teaching resource for
trainee surgeons.
5. Policies for admission to and retirement from
Fellowship were updated.
6. Policies for breaches of RACS code of conduct
were tabled.
7. CPD policy for 2010-2012 to include compulsory
participation in the Australian and NZ Audit of
Mortality where an audit is available. Verification
will increase from 2.5% to 3.5% of Fellows.
8. PDSB endorses use of Younger Fellows’ logo
but discussion as to whether should be with
RACS Coat of Arms.
9. Continue to improve % of supervisors and
trainers who receive training in medical
education (25% so far).
10. Ethnicity box in Fellows’ transcript to be to
identify Maori or ATSI only – NZ section of
RACS thought should be all ethnicities – not
changed.
11. Vascular surgery audit developing well. Looks
good but is expensive - >$100K. Not available
for PDAs yet.
12. ASERNIP-S has undergone review with a
recommendation that it be associated with
the University of Adelaide to allow full funding
(including ancillary benefits it does not at this
time get) to pass to it, the university being happy
to simply act as the conduit and therefore to
have its books look better by the amount passed
on.
13. NZOA joint registry now 10 yrs old. 98% of
surgeons enter cases on registry. It enables
NZOA to notify surgeons whose outcomes fall
outside parameters. Anonymous to begin with,
they have a number of steps that mean they
first must present to their local M&M meeting, ie:
identify themselves. If not helped by that, their
name will be notified to the NZOA that can then
dictate to them what they need to do. It looks
robust and fair and could possibly be adapted by
USANZ. ■
____________________________________
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Andrew Brooks
Helen O’Connell took leave of absence from her
position as Elected Councillor for Urology for the
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS),
from 1 February 2009 for a period of 12 months. As