CMO Bulletin October '98 Vol: 2, No: 2
Newsletter of the Career Medical Officers Association Inc.


CONTENTS:
(Click on the title to move to that section)

President's Address by John Egan
Industrial Update: The RMOs Dispute by Mary G T Webber
Minutes: 7th Meeting of the CMOA Tweed Heads Hospital,
28th August 1998
Book Review
The REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER
by Donald Schon
Reviewed by
Mary G T Webber
The "Doctors In Training" Forum Attended by
John Egan
CMOA Committee 1998
Address for Correspondence
Submitting Items for CMOA Bulletin


Credits: Editor: Mary G T Webber
Cartoons: Kieb Coaxuan
Design & Typesetting: Karyn at Flying Colours Printing (02) 9829 1514
Web-page layout: David Brock for the CMOA
Disclaimer
Important:
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The views expressed within this publication are those of the authors, who enjoy freedom of speech and use it regularly. They are therefore occasionally neither wise nor politically correct. Neither do they necessarily represent the view of the CMOA.


President's Address by John Egan


Industrial Update - The RMOs Dispute by Mary G T Webber


Minutes: 7th Meeting of the CMOA
28 August 1998, Tweed Heads Hospital

The published minutes of the previous meeting were read and received, and our usual brand of spirited discussion was launched over finger food and a couple of beers-a welcome change of pace after a day of listening to a certain amount of back-slapping by the surgical community at the 10th anniversary EMST conference up the road at Surfers.

As ever the primary business hanging over the collective heads of CMOs in general are the paired industrial and educational imperatives. These are the two issues that almost define our dilemma-finding ways to demonstrate a commitment to continuing education across so diverse a group, having suitable opportunities made actually available in ways that reflect real world issues of life, family and interests outside medicine, and having both actual experience and educational commitment recognised both by colleagues and employers in bankable ways.

Interest continues in the interchanging of GP and CMO roles. As opporutnites open up in the private sector, providor numbers, VR, credentialling, billing, quality of service etc are big issues.

We noted an interest in finding and making contact with the new College of Rural Medicine, currently rumoured to be developing a fellowship in Rural Health.

Education

The Continuing Professional Development Programme still very much on the agenda-communication is underway with Louise Garland from the College of Pathologists, who is interested and talking to Peter Love, our education officer, and Brooke Murphy of the University of Sydney spoke at the AGM. There were some queries from David Brock at this meeting as to the validity of the overall process-like why are we bothering? How does it fit into the reality of working and what actual good will it do anyone in the real world? The query was a valid one-the modality we choose to engage in has to be valid in that same "real world". The advantages of this programme (CPDP) over any other is that is responds to our central dilemma as CMOs-it grows flexibly out of our individual working experience and reflects that in a meaningful way. It doesn't matter where you're working, in what goegraphical location or what field of practice. The central phil-osophy is that work itself has value as a learning experience. It is also piggybacked onto a respected College and therefore represents an unassailable modality of documentation for this small and struggling group of independent thinkers. And we will have to document continuing ed. within the forseeable future. Everyone will. Better to be ahead of the curve than trailing it. It also has some recognisable political usefulness-the possibility exists for development of a CMO number implying registration with CPDP to be useful much like a GP number for purposes of documentation.

Other Business:

A copy of The Bulletin will be sent directly to David Brock for addition to the web site -which Dave has kindly agreed to take over and run. We need to raise the profile of the CMOA and also to encourage all our acquaintances to get connected and stay that way. We need to link our site into the main medical nets. Issues to be considered include the contents of the official site, perhaps a register of members and their E-Mail addresses, which parts are privately (password) protected and which are public information. The Bulletin would also sit in the public end. Behind the password would be hot gossip, and other stuff as yet to be determined. A down-loadable membership form is a good idea.

Motion: Dave Brock to become the web meister for the CMOA and to liase with approriate technical support to promote this activity. Proposed: John Egan, Seconded: MaryGT Passed: Unanimously

Once again we noted that only through the commitiment and volunteering of the time and expertise of individuals will our endea-vours be crowned with success. Yea, Dave!

Industrial Matters:

Shortcomings of the CMO award-especially the capping of penalites and overtime at registrar rates. Again, Dave et al had been through the award and noted that leave is reserved therein for the association to apply for variations. Two in particular are of interest-the Grade IV initiative-and the barriers to overtime etc. Portability of Grades is also an issue. Such matters need to be brought up with ASMOF at the earliest opportunity and on an ongoing basis. The industrial convention-reflects need for our own policy "this is what we want" - work it out, give it to ASMOF and tell them to go fight for it. Ron Strauss and John Egan to talk to ASMOF. Aim to create our own specific industrial policy for the end of 1999, when the award is subject to a comprehensive review-an opportune time to change the award to something rather more coherent.

Things we need to do: Review the history of the award, review of its current provisions, review current difficulties, examine the proposed changes-eg. current best practice for OH&S, strategies for change, the tying in of the educational structure to the award in priniciples.

Motion: Joe Ogg to be the OH&S person for the CMOA. Proposed: Dave Brock Seconded: Kate Tree. Passed: Unanimously.

Also Ron Strauss to formulate a list of questions for the medical defence organisations with Warwick Barnes for publication in The Bulletin.

Follow-up on Warwicks letter to the last Bulletin - noted that Medical Defence Union (MDU) rules disadvantage CMOs working in hospital indeminfied positions - that the reduced yearly rate now effectively implies an exit fee - because we're not "full member rate payers". Needs looking into and comparison with the competition.

Administration:

Still suffering from scattered points of reference and multiple databases and officers scattered around the country. MaryGT to tackle the issues of receipts and improving organisation.

Additional:

John mentioned that he would not be standing for re-election next February. We thank him for his pivotal role and incredible efforts over the last two years.


Book Review:
The Reflective Practitioner by Donald A Schon

Reviewed by Mary G T Webber


3rd "Doctors in Training" Forum

Saturday 19th September 1998 - Attended by John Egan


CMOA Committee 1998:

President: John Egan
Vice President:    Stephen Delprado
Secretary / Editor:    Mary Webber
   Ph (H): 02-6361-2018
   Ph (W): 02-6360-5227
   Ph (M): 015-906-105
   email: marygt@ozemail.com.au
Treasurer: Michael King
Public Officer: Jenny Virgona
Education Officer: Peter Love

Industrial Officer: Rami Mezrami
Media & Publicity Officer: Kien Coaxuan
National Coordinator: Warwick Barnes
Council Members:
  Michael Boyd
  Seeta Durvasula
  Jenny Machado
Webmaster: David Brock
  email: davbrock@ozemail.net.au
CMOA Official Website:
  http://www.cmo.asn.au



Address For All CMOA Correspondence:

      CMOA Administration
      PO Box 4 Glenfield
      NSW 2167

    email: bradford@ozemail.com.au

            Karyn Bradford






Submitting Items For CMOA Bulletin

This is your journal. You are welcome to submit letters, articles, papers, photos, cartoons, quotable quotes, in fact just about anything that its legal to print. CMOA Bulletin will only be as good as your contributions make it, so get to your word processor.

All items submitted should be either sent on disc, or e-mail to the Editor, whose mail and e- mail addresses are on page 2. Just about any PC or Mac Word Processing format is OK. When submitting items on disc, please label your disc, and provide a printed copy if possible.

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