Inside News

Engaged Members

Volume 12 No 3

June 2016

Dr Meredith Thomas

Consultant Radiologist at Royal Adelaide Hospital

Chair Curriculum Advisory Committee, Network Training

Director South Australian Radiology Training Network, Lead

Examiner Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Committee Member

Clinical Radiology Education and Training Committee,

Committee Member Clinical Radiology Examination Review

Panel, Executive Member Australian and New Zealand

Emergency Radiology Group

Background

I came to radiology by an

unconventional pathway after having

spent 14 years in clinical medicine,

initially in surgical training, followed by

emergency medicine. I had also worked

in general practice and as a cardiac

medical officer in the private sector.

With this broad clinical background

I ambitiously undertook radiology

training in my late 30s with a young

and growing family, demonstrating that

with enough resolve (and a supportive

family), anything is possible. I have never

regretted that decision, and I have never

missed clinical medicine.

Following training, I followed my

passions of obstetrics and gynaecology

and emergency and trauma imaging,

undertaking Fellowships in women’s

imaging and MRI, before accepting

consultant positions at the Royal

Adelaide Hospital (RAH) and the

Women’s and Children’s Hospital in

Adelaide.

When I accepted the role of Director

of Training at RAH, the new curriculum

had recently been introduced, there

were many new acronyms (TATS, DOPS,

CATs, MSF, IPX) and I spent many hours

poring over the ‘Blue Book’ trying

to understand the curriculum and its

assessment tools. The more I read, the

more I felt a need to become involved

with the College that had enabled my

specialist training.

Since that time I have become

increasingly engaged with the

educational pillar of the College,

particularly in relation to curriculum,

and in relation to the implementation

of network training, being a member

of the Network Training Steering

Committee, the Radiology Network

Training Policy Committee, and the

more recent Network Accreditation

Standards Working Group. I have

been an examiner in obstetrics and

gynaecology for some years and I am

a Lead Examiner in this field, being a

member of the hard-working Clinical

Radiology Examination Review Panel.

With a particular interest in curriculum,

I joined the Clinical Radiology

Curriculum Advisory Committee several

years ago, and I am privileged to have

recently been elected Chair. With my

background in emergency medicine I

am also proud to be a founding member

of the recently formed College special

interest group, the Australia and New

Zealand Emergency Radiology Group.

Why I Am Involved

As radiologists we are doubly privileged,

having been professionally trained

initially as doctors, and subsequently as

radiologists. We have opportunities for

employment, usually in a geographical

location and in a work environment of

our choosing. We can be generalists

or, increasingly, we can subspecialise.

We are well remunerated, and we often

have opportunities for travel. In this

environment I felt an obligation to offer

my time and commitment to the College

that had trained me in radiology, and

more recently, to the university where

I completed my medical training. I am

committed to ensuring the highest

training standards are maintained

through our curriculum, and through

anticipated strengthening of our training

and assessment processes following the

recent ACER Prideaux Examination and

Assessment Review.

Encouragement to Others

Ultimately the time and energy I commit

to the educational pillar of the College

is to benefit the trainees. As a specialty

training college, we are attracting

high achieving and ambitious medical

graduates, and these trainees are the

College’s greatest assets going forward.

Personally I have gained a great deal; I

have been privileged to work alongside

many clever and dedicated Fellows and

members of the College secretariat,

and I have met many wonderful trainees

whose contributions to the various

College committees are invaluable.

There will be ongoing evolution of

training and assessment processes in

coming years, and it is an exciting time

for Fellows with an interest and passion

for education to become involved. The

recent review of College committees

and their governance and terms of

reference will ensure opportunities

for new Fellows to serve on these

committees, and there are opportunities

for involvement through local Branches

and Networks, as examiners, or as

Directors or Supervisors of Training.

Dr Meredith Thomas