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Engaged Members
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Inside News
Dr Ziad Thotathil
Radiation Oncologist, Waikato Hospital
Member of the Post Fellowship Education Committee,
Annual Scientific Meeting Management Committee
and the Faculty of Radiation Oncology New Zealand
Executive Committee
Background
I am a radiation oncologist at the
Regional Cancer Centre, Waikato
Hospital in Hamilton, New Zealand.
I completed my oncology specialty
training in India, working in regional
cancer centres in Bangalore and
Mumbai. I then moved to Kuwait to join
the team at the Kuwait Cancer Control
Centre.
I landed in Hamilton, New Zealand, in
2005 to take up an advanced trainee
position in medical oncology at the
Waikato Hospital, as part of my training
towards the Fellowship of The Royal
College of Radiologists in Clinical
Oncology. I joined the Department
of Radiation Oncology as a radiation
oncologist in 2007 and have been there
ever since. My subspecialty interests
include CNS, lung and gynaecology.
I also have an interest in research,
although it is difficult to pursue this
when working in a very busy public
hospital.
Why I Am Involved
It would read better if I said that I
had a dream that inspired me to
take up a position on one of the
College committees. But that’s not
what happened. As the cliché goes,
I was tapped on the shoulder a few
years ago by Dr Carol Johnson, New
Zealand Councillor on the Faculty of
Radiation Oncology Council, and asked
if I wanted to take up the vacant New
Zealand representative position on the
Post Fellowship Education Committee
(PFEC). I turned to her in bemusement
as I was not a ‘Fellow’ of the College.
How could I possibly contribute to the
post-fellowship
committee? Not having
trained locally, I was referred to as an
‘educational affiliate’ member of the
College.
After some enquiries that confirmed
my eligibility, I was accepted. The post
had been vacated by a senior New
Zealand member and I knew I had big
shoes to fill. However, I must say that my
introduction to the administrative side
of the College did not feel daunting
at all and I am grateful for the support
I received from the College staff and
the PFEC Chair. The membership
of the PFEC was quite varied, and I
felt that I could make a contribution
as an ‘outsider’. As a member of a
College committee, I was co-opted to
the RANZCR New Zealand Executive
Group. I am also the PFEC nominee on
the Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM)
Management Committee that offers
support to the local ASM organising
committees.
One of the big projects that the PFEC
has worked on recently is related to the
issue of revalidation. This subject has
caught the attention of the regulatory
bodies both in New Zealand and
Australia, and the College believes
that it is in the best interest of the
membership to take a proactive role
in determining our approach to this
concept. We have looked at revalidation
systems around the world and decided
to adopt some aspects that would work
here. The results of this work are visible
in the latest version of the continuing
professional development program.
We look forward to receiving member
feedback on this, as that will influence
how we take this forward.
I was introduced to the College in
2007 when I attended the assessment
interview required for all IMGs. In
2012, I became a member of a College
committee. A meteoric rise indeed!
I felt honoured to have been granted
the opportunity, and would like to think
that I have made some contribution.
Perhaps it was the ‘external’ viewpoint
that helped. But what I learned is that
the College welcomes everyone working
in the radiology and radiation oncology
fields in Australasia.
Encouragement to Others
There are challenges that lay ahead
for our specialties. Not only increased
workload, but also likely increased
scrutiny for medical practitioners from
the authorities and the public. Many
hands make light work as the saying
goes, and I invite more members to
give their time to the College for the
satisfaction it can bring.
Dr Ziad Thotathil
“I turned to her in
bemusement as I was
not a ‘Fellow’ of the
College. How could
I possibly contribute
to the post-fellowship
committee?”