COVID-19 update

The following College events have been cancelled:

• Patient Safety Workshop (Brisbane) – 20 March 2020. A coronavirus webinar is being considered as a substitute event
• ACEM SA Education Evening (Adelaide) – 2 April 2020. Please note that the SA Faculty Meeting will be held via Zoom. Please refer to the event details for further details
• ​Queensland Autumn Symposium (Brisbane) – 21-22 May 2020
• OSCE Preparation Course (Melbourne) - 27 May 2020. The College is actively exploring mechanisms by which components of the workshop might be made available as an online educational resource
• Resilient Leadership Workshop (Melbourne) - 29 May 2020. The College is actively exploring mechanisms by which components of the workshop might be made available as an online educational resource
• ACEM Victoria Annual Conference – 28 – 30 August 2020

The following College events are subject to ongoing review in the context of developments over the coming weeks and months:

• 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting (opening of registration to be delayed)

Fellowship Written Examination

The Fellowship Written Examination (2020.1) scheduled for May 2020 has been cancelled following a meeting of the College's Council of Education on 18 March 2020.

Primary Exam Written (2020.2)

Subject to ongoing review in the context of developments over the coming weeks and months. Preparations for development of the examination to proceed according to usual schedule.

Primary Viva (2020.1)

Cancelled

Primary Viva (2020.2)

Subject to ongoing review in the context of developments over the coming weeks and months. Preparations for development of the examination to proceed according to usual schedule.

Fellowship OSCE (2020.2)

Subject to ongoing review in the context of developments over the coming weeks and months. Preparations for development of the examination to proceed according to usual schedule.

Examination Workshops and Meetings

Subject to developments and participant numbers, the following meeting is to proceed:

• Fellowship SAQ Leads Meeting (Melbourne) – 19 May 2020

However the following meetings have been cancelled:

• SAQ Writing Workshop (Adelaide) – 24 March 2020
• Fellowship Written Standard Setting Meeting (Melbourne) – 10 June 2020

SIMG Assessment Interviews

Subject to further developments, including availability of assessors, interviews will proceed as planned.

DEMT and Local WBA Coordinator Workshops

The following workshops have been cancelled:

• Brisbane Local WBA Coordinator Workshop – 18 March 2020
• Sydney Local WBA Coordinator Workshop – 19 March 2020
• Adelaide Local WBA Coordinator Workshop – 23 March 2020
• Perth Local WBA Coordinator Workshop – 25 March 2020
• Perth DEMT (Current) workshop – 26 March 2020
• Melbourne DEMT (New) workshop – 22 April 2020
• Brisbane DEMT (Current) workshop – 20 May 2020

Other Workshops

The following workshops will not proceed:

• ACEM/Swinburne DEM Leadership Course – Session 1 (Melbourne) – 19-20 March 2020. To be rescheduled, although replaced by a two-hour webinar.
• SIMG Assessor Workshop (Wellington) – 16 April 2020
• EMCD Supervisor Workshop (Melbourne) – 21 April 2020
• OSCE Preparation Workshop (Melbourne) – 27 May 2020
• Resilient Leadership Workshop (Melbourne) – 29 May 2020

All accreditation visits until 30^th June have been deferred and arrangements regarding extension of accreditation to be investigated.

Board, CAPP and COE

The following arrangements apply:

• Meetings scheduled to be held by teleconference/webinar proceed as planned, with administrators to canvass all members in advance to ascertain whether the meeting is likely to be quorate.
• Meetings scheduled to be held face-to-face in Melbourne to proceed as planned, with administrators to canvass all members in advance to ascertain whether the meeting is likely to be quorate. Members have the option to participate by teleconference or webinar/videoconference.

Entity and Section Meetings

The following arrangements apply:

• Meetings scheduled to be held by teleconference/webinar proceed as planned, with entity administrators to canvass all members in advance to ascertain whether the meeting is likely to be quorate.
• Meetings scheduled to be held face-to-face in Melbourne to proceed as planned, with administrators to canvass all members in advance to ascertain whether the meeting is likely to be quorate. Members have the option to participate by teleconference or webinar/videoconference.
• Manaaki Mana Rōpū Hui (17 March 2020) to proceed as planned.

Faculty and Faculty Board Meetings

The following arrangements apply:

• Subject to developments over the coming weeks and months, and availability of members, Faculty meetings scheduled to be held face-to-face to proceed, albeit with no staff in attendance in person.
• Any meetings scheduled to be held by teleconference proceed as planned.

We continue to monitor the situation, exercise caution and keep up to date on government health and travel advisories. It is equally important that our responses remain calm, proportionate and evidence based.

The College is not currently proposing or taking any drastic steps in response to COVID-19.
 
Notwithstanding this, the College acknowledges that as health and hospital system responses to COVID-19 ramp up, additional work commitments or employee restrictions may prevent travel. With this in mind, members and trainees are encouraged to make use of tele- and video-conferencing and other remote meeting channels available for College meetings.

At this time, ACEM meetings and significant events including those held in conjunction with ACEM, are proceeding as planned.

Plans to attend these should proceed, keeping in mind any escalated work requirements, your own personal circumstances, and changes to official health and travel advisories that are released closer to time of travel.

We will provide as much notice as possible in relation to any changes to ACEM’s events calendar should they occur.