FACEM Associate Professor Andrew Singer AM has achieved a lot in his career, culminating in him being recognised in the Queen's Birthday 2018 honours list.
But it hasn’t always been the result of best-laid plans.
Starting out in medicine, Associate Professor Singer grappled with surgery or general practice when thinking about what he would specialise in before the excitement of emergency medicine caught his eye.
“I enjoyed the variety of the work, the interaction with the patients. It was quite good to actually find something that I have enjoyed and suited me well over the years,” Associate Professor Singer says.
That love saw him become a Member (AM) in the General Division for ‘significant service to emergency medicine as a clinician, educator and administrator, and to professional medical organisations’.
And that love for emergency medicine also saw him contribute to the College. “At a fairly early stage I knew I wanted to have a role in how training was organised and how things were done in the College,” he says. “A lot of what I ended up doing essentially came from that.
“I remember Dr Paul Gaudry [Foundation Fellow], who at the time I finished training was not only Censor-in-Chief but also my boss at Westmead [Hospital], I said to him, ‘I’d like to start getting involved in helping the College’s training program’. He mentioned there were a couple of vacancies for members on the Fellowship Exam Committee, and it just sort of cascaded from there. Each opportunity presented itself and I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.”
Since his election to Fellowship in 1990, Associate Professor Singer has been involved as an examiner for many years. He has represented the College as an ACEM ACT Councillor supporting the development of emergency medicine in that jurisdiction, and is a past President of the College, serving from 2004 to 2008. In addition, Associate Professor Singer has been the recipient of College awards including the Foundation Medal and the ACEM Medal and was chosen by his peers as the 2013 Tom Hamilton Orator.
Further, he represented the College on the Committee of Presidents of Medical Colleges and the Board of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine. He was instrumental in the reformation and restructuring of the College at a very important stage of the College's growth and evolution. His vision saw him establish extensive data records which formed the basis of the College’s ability to plan for future developments and expansion.
That vision has also seen him make his mark in several high profile roles outside the College. He has been the Principal Medical Advisor for the Australian Government’s Department of Health since 2008 and is Deputy Chair of the Specialist Education Accreditation Committee at the Australian Medical Council (AMC). At ACT Health he is the Senior Specialist in Emergency and Retrieval Medicine, a position he has held since 1999.
So, at the ripe young age of 57, is there any sign of Associate Professor Singer slowing down? Not really, especially when he has just been appointed Chair of the Prevocational Standards Accreditation Committee at the AMC.
“Again, it is something I am interested in, the opportunity presented itself so I saw no reason not to put my hand up for it,” Associate Professor Singer says.
It is that spirit, work ethic and willingness to contribute to the College and advancing emergency medicine which makes Associate Professor Andrew Singer AM a worthy recipient of his Order of Australia honour.
Commenting on Associate Professor Singer’s achievements, ACEM ACT Faculty Chair Dr Suzanne Smallbane said: “Andrew Singer remains passionate for clinical medicine both as an Emergency Physician on the floor and as a retrieval specialist.”
“He has always been a strong trainee advocate, making time for examination practice and trainee issues despite a very busy schedule and he remains a career mentor for many of his consultant colleagues.”