ACEM Regional New Fellows Champions

After years of training becoming a FACEM is pretty awesome. One thing I probably took for granted however, was the transition from Registrar to Fellow is a steep learning curve. The New Fellows Program is an amazing initiative by the College that not only allows us to lean on our peers, but also provides resources and support through these early stages. Whether it be management, leadership or wellbeing issues, the program is tailored towards new FACEM life. 

The Northern Territory has a large group of New Fellows which continues to grow. This is an incredible part of Australia to work in, and somewhere I am proud to call home. I look forward to connecting current (and future!) FACEMs from the Top End with the College, and continue the great work already being done.  

My name is Aung, and I am a staff specialist at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH).  I started my ACEM training at the North West Regional Hospital, Tasmania and finished fellowship at the RHH in early 2023. 

I feel fortunate to be representative of Tasmania new Fellows as a New Fellows Champion to the college. It is a fantastic role to support each other via networking and making aware of opportunities at the college and the initiatives. 

ACEM has useful resources for new Fellows but I could be helpful for Fellows making smooth transition as consultants/team leaders without feeling overwhelmed during early transition phase by engaging with Tasmania Faculty and the college. 

You can get in touch with me through noticeboard, faculty meetings or email at [email protected]
I am sure our journey will be smooth and exciting by collaboration and peer support. 

I am Hermione Gray and obtained my FACEM letters September 2022. I am also the proud mother of a growing nearly two-year-old boy! I currently work at Rockingham and Fiona Stanley. I spent half my training working in Darwin in the hospital and doing retrieval for a year!

I applied for this role as I think the transition from trainee to FACEM is awesome but challenging. There are so many opportunities, and help around to make the most of them. I found it a little bit overwhelming at first - trying to manage a new portfolio, chair meetings and learn some management lingo. Learning to say "no" to new tasks is still an ongoing challenge for me. Being able to be involved in our college in a meaningful way is important to me. This is where we really build the specialty and can help influence its future.

Kia ora koutou, Kō Kate toku ingoa. I work in the Emergency Department at Middlemore Hospital and with the Northern Rescue prehospital/retrieval service.

I trained in Newcastle Upon Tyne before venturing to New Zealand for 18 months to “consider career options”. Nine years, two small humans and a large dash of whānau support later I am a newly qualified FACEM. 

I got involved with the college in the lead up to the spring symposium in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) and hosted the New Fellows Workshop. It was a fantastic introduction for me into what the new fellow programme involves, and I am delighted to represent the new fellows of Aotearoa. Becoming a FACEM and stepping up into a consultant role is a challenging time. I see this role as a great opportunity to support the new fellows, ensure our voices are heard and encourage a network of peer support. 

My name is Nivedha, a new Fellow working in Toowoomba Emergency Department, Queensland. I completed all my training in QLD and obtained my fellowship in early 2023. As a new fellow I am aware of the opportunities and challenges faced by new FACEMs in QLD navigating this exciting next step. However, learning how to adapt to the new role as a FACEM in the workplace, difficulties in securing a consultant position in the tightening job market and learning how to navigate the new College requirements as a fellow often make this a very daunting transition for many, including myself. I am excited to take on the QLD Regional New Fellows Champion role to help other new fellows tackle this transition from ACEM to FACEM, to share our experiences and build a supportive network of new fellows to help guide each other during this period.

 I have been fortunate to have had the experience of working across most of the major health networks within South Australia over the course of my ACEM training. Hence, I feel that I am familiar with not only the challenges of becoming a new FACEM but also with the working culture and environment across the different health networks. 

Being elected as the SA New Fellows Champion, I am passionate to be able to assist new Fellows with their Fellowship journey from ACEM to FACEM. It is great to see the efforts the College is putting in order to assist new Fellows going through this steep but exciting phase of their careers. As the new face to the role, I would like to be able to promote and contribute towards those initiatives. 

Hello everyone! My name is Tharaka, and I currently work as a Postgraduate fellow at the Canberra hospital ED. I am a fresh FACEM and would like to congratulate and welcome all the new FACEMs. As the ACT New Fellows Champion, I will be aiming to provide helpful resources during this ACEM to FACEM transformation and to represent your voice as a new fellow at the regional faculty meetings. If required you can contact me via this noticeboard, at Faculty meetings, or through the Membership and Culture team at ACEM. We are expecting a significant number of New Fellows in the ACT from 2023 and it will be exciting times ahead for all of us. 

Hi! My name is Mohammed Shariff, and I am delighted to have this opportunity to work with the College and new Victorian fellows.

I have an excellent work mix between Grampians Health-Ballarat and Epworth Richmond emergency departments, with exposure to both regional-public and metropolitan-private healthcare settings. I call myself a re-branded EM specialist, as I migrated to Australia as a specialist IMG and so this would be the second time I will be transitioning from a trainee to a specialist. 

This transition phase in everyone’s career is exciting, challenging and at times stressful too. The consultant journey is introduced to certain responsibilities beyond just clinical care like leading change, resolving conflict, mentoring, and promoting well-being as some examples. This college initiative is great for new fellows looking for those resources and support, navigating these unfamiliar situations. It also provides a space for engagement with others alike to gain wisdom and confidence moving ahead. 

My name is Thilini Kudagamage. I did all my emergency medicine training in Southwestern Sydney and graduated as a fellow in 2024. I am currently working in regional NSW. Other than my career I am a mom of 2 little boys and the one of the greatest feats of my life has been bringing up children alongside fellowship training. 

I believe the transition from trainee to fellow can be challenging and glad that ACEM college is supporting us through this transition. I am grateful for the opportunity given to me to be the Regional New Fellows Champion. If you have any queries, ideas regarding college related new fellow activities please contact me. Thank you.