Our industrial relations partner, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation Queensland (ASMOFQ), recently achieved significant progress in its work to provide Visiting Medical Officers (VMOs) coverage under the upcoming Medical Officers’ Certified Agreement  (MOCA 6).

Towards the end of last year, ASMOFQ obtained a guarantee from the previous Health Minister that Queensland Health will include VMOs under MOCA 6, together with Senior Medical Officers (SMO), Registrars and Resident Medical Officers.

Our Workplace Relations team are a wealth of information on key issues that may impact your private practice. Here's a recent article they prepared on a case that upheld an employee's right to inquire.  

When an employer dismissed an employee for asking questions about a pay review and car-related entitlements, they quickly found themselves on the wrong side of a general protections claim.

The recent case highlights an employee's right to make an inquiry about their employment without fear of dismissal.

We currently have a casual vacancy on our AMA Queensland Council for a Greater Brisbane Area representative position – postcodes:

• 4000-4199;
• 4300-4349;
• 4500-4513; and
• 4514-4549 inclusive.

The term of this casual vacancy runs until the end of the Annual General Meeting in May 2022.

We are encouraging members within the Greater Brisbane Area who are interested in joining the AMA Queensland Council to put their nominations forward for this casual vacancy.

Dr Ira van der Steenstraten, a trained psychiatrist, psychotherapist and systems therapist, spoke with us about her work as the facilitator of our Wellbeing at Work program.

Now working as a life coach and mindfulness trainer, Dr van der Steenstraten connects with and empowers first-year medical interns across Queensland through the landmark Wellbeing at Work program that equips young doctors with the resilience and coping skills needed to survive and thrive in medicine.

AMA Queensland salaried medical officers enjoy free membership with our industrial relations partner, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation Queensland (ASMOFQ).

ASMOFQ represents our public practice members in industrial relations negotiations and workplace disputes and helps members navigate entitlements and specific working conditions.

Nominations are now open for Hospital Representative Positions in the 2021 Queensland Council of Doctors in Training (CDT).

Read the guide to the CDT election process for more information on the timeframe for applications and voting processes.

The path to becoming a doctor is not often an easy one, but throw in a family of five and having to leave your home town to complete a year-long placement and it’s downright difficult.

Luckily, the AMA Queensland Foundation offers a scholarship to James Cook University medical students who are suffering financial hardship and who plan to work in Indigenous or rural Queensland communities.

We hope you had time over the festive season to reset and reflect on the challenges we faced in 2020 and have returned to work with renewed energy. That is certainly the case for us and we intend to continue to work hard for you in 2021 as we advocate for the advancement of the Queensland medical profession and the health and wellbeing of our community.

Our policy team works on numerous issues on behalf of our members and regularly seeks feedback on key topics.

Currently, we are seeking feedback from AMA Queensland members on the Queensland Mental Health Commission’s (QMHC) renewed approach to alcohol and other drugs (AOD) in the state.

We are recruiting our new executive team for the 2021 Queensland Council of Doctors in Training (CDT).

To nominate for a position, you must be a financial member of AMA Queensland and a doctor in training (DIT). Not a member? Join now here.