Our mission
Promote excellence in the delivery of quality emergency care to all of our communities through our committed and expert members.
Role
The College's role is to:
- Deliver Emergency Medicine education and training leading to specialist recognition and Fellowship, as well as other training programs including the Certificate, and Associateship Training Programs in Emergency Medicine.
- Maintain professional standards in training, including accreditation of Emergency Departments, for Emergency Medicine training.
- Advance professional standards in emergency medicine.
- Advocate on behalf of the profession, including providing expert guidance and advice on policy to relevant bodies on matters relating to Emergency Medicine.
- Improve and enhance emergency medical education, training and emergency medical care in rural and regional areas.
- Engage in proactive discussions with jurisdictions and agencies in relation to complex matters such as workforce, as well as widening the membership of College entities to ensure that the necessary breadth of stakeholder input is available to enable informed decision-making.
Emergency Medicine
Members and trainees
ACEM is a member-based, not-for-profit organisation with over 3,850 members throughout Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The College's membership comprises:
- Specialist emergency medicine practitioners / Fellows (FACEMs)
- Retired Fellows
- Honorary Fellows
- Certificants, Diplomates and Advanced Diplomates of Emergency Medicine
- Educational Affiliates
- International Affiliates
There are over 3,250 trainees undertaking one of the College training programs. Of this number, over 2,700 are enrolled in and undertaking the Specialist Emergency Medicine (FACEM) Training Program across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Trained by FACEMs, trainees undertake their training in Emergency Departments accredited by the College.
ACEM Strategic Plan
The work of the College is guided by the ACEM Strategic Plan 2022–2024: Building on Success, with six strategic priorities:
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Education
ACEM will continue to facilitate and support the training and education of emergency medicine professionals in a way that ensures the development of a high-quality emergency care workforce that meets the needs of diverse populations and communities throughout Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Member Support and Wellbeing
ACEM will advocate for and support a safe and inclusive culture within emergency medicine through programs, initiatives and activities that promote inclusion, engagement and career progression and sustainability, so that emergency medicine professionals can work to their full potential, recognising the need for member and trainee contributions to the work of the College.
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Equity Through Advocacy
Through advice and proactive advocacy, ACEM will highlight the leadership role of emergency physicians in the health system and seek to influence key decision-makers to achieve equitable access to high-quality, patient-centred outcomes for people who seek and have need for emergency care.
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Research
ACEM will ensure that high-quality research data analysis and critical appraisal informs and supports its activities and will work to strengthen the culture, profile, skills base and capacity of emergency medicine research to advance patient care.
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Standards
ACEM will continue to set, monitor and maintain standards for the provision of high-quality emergency care and responsible healthcare stewardship in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and will foster increased participation, commitment and provision of expertise by trainees and members in emergency medicine related patient safety activities.
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Organisational Sustainability
ACEM will continue its development of infrastructure and processes to strengthen its role as a socially responsible, inclusive and environmentally sustainable organisation, through response to changing social expectations brought about by factors such as climate change and global pandemics.
Commitment to Reconciliation and improving outcomes for Māori
The College's vision for reconciliation addresses the inequities in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The College is progressing a strategy to achieve equity for Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand.