Trainees' Advisory Council

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About the Trainees' Advisory Council

In August 2022, the Trainees’ Advisory Council (TAC) was established as a part of a new governance model developed with the Bi-national Committee for Trainees (BCT). The TAC is a broader body to enhance engagement and bring together trainees of the BCT, trainee representatives from other College committees, as well as chairs (or delegates) of recognised external associations of trainees.

Role of the TAC

The role of the TAC is to:

Provide information and advice to the BCT on a variety of issues relating to RANZCP trainees, as well as broader issues relating to psychiatry across Australia and New Zealand.
Provide a forum to raise and discuss issues between trainees at all stages of training, and from all Australian states and territories, and New Zealand, in order to identify concerns that might impact on their training and assessment, wellbeing and engagement within the RANZCP.

TAC regulations

Further information about the role and composition of the TAC can be found within the Trainees' Advisory Council Regulations.

Membership

The TAC is made up of all BCT members, all trainees that hold a trainee representative position on any RANZCP committee, including the advisory groups and the chair (or delegate) of any recognised external association of trainees.

Trainee representatives by Committee

Chair - Trainees’ Advisory Council

Appointed Director, Trainee - Dr Ava Carter

Board Committees

Education Committee - Dr Georgia Ramsden

Members' Advisory Council - Dr Georgia Ramsden and Dr Elise Witter

Membership Engagement Committee - Dr Elise Witter

Practice, Policy and Partnerships Committee - Dr Natalie Hunt

Corporate Governance and Risk Committee - Dr David Townsend

Education Committees

Accreditation Committee - Dr Alex Wilson

Committee for Education Evaluation, Monitoring and Reporting - Dr Ashna Basu

Committee for Examinations - Dr James Li

Committee for Training - Dr Michael O'Rawe

Practice, Policy and Partnership Committees

Committee for Evidence-Based Practice - Dr Maria Restivo

Committee for Professional Practice - Dr Liv Harley

Committee for Research - Dr Ashna Basu

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health Committee - Dr Jessica King and Dr Mangatjay McGregor

Community Collaboration Committee - Dr Kieran Allen

Te Kaunihera - Dr Hemi Simonsson and Dr Kai Ropata

Membership Engagement Committees

Psychiatry Interest Forum Advisory Group - Dr Mischa Tosswill and Dr Emily Hartmann

Journals Committee - Dr Ashna Khalid

Branch and National Committees, Branch and National Training Committees

ACT Representative - Dr James Li

NSW Representative - Dr Ashna Basu

NT Representative - Dr Andrew Wren

NZ Representatives - Dr Michael O'Rawe and Dr Mischa Tosswill

SA Representative - Dr Eleanor Clarke

TAS Representative - Dr Alex Wilson

QLD Representative - Dr Kiran Sharma

VIC Representative - Dr Liv Harley

WA Representative - Dr Jarrad Paul

Bi-national Faculty Committees

Faculty of Addiction Psychiatry Committee - Dr Serena Hossain

Faculty of Adult Psychiatry Committee - Dr Surabhi Sinha

Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Committee - Dr Timothy Ghan

Faculty of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Committee - Dr Bill Lu

Faculty of Forensic Psychiatry Committee - Dr Natalie Puchalski

Faculty of Psychotherapy - Dr Luke Ciantar

Faculty of Psychiatry of Old Age Committee - Dr Anneliese Sayes

Bi-national Section Committees

Section of Early Career Psychiatrists Committee - Dr Elizabeth Lun

Section of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Neurostimulation Committee - Dr David Nguyen

Section of Leadership and Management Committee - Dr Ra Vivek

Section of Neuropsychiatry Committee - Dr Laurant Kang

Section of Philosophy and Humanities Committee - Dr Benjamin Vialle

Section of Psychiatry of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Committee - Dr Yoon Kwon Choi

Section of Perinatal and Infant Psychiatry Committee - Dr Emma Gray

Section of Private Practice Psychiatry Committee - Dr Ashish Rana

Section of Rural Psychiatry Committee - Dr Skye Kinder

Section of Social Cultural and Rehabilitation Psychiatry Committee - Dr Lauren Barnett

Section of Youth Mental Health Committee - Dr Jarrad Paul

Vacant

Section of Child and Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry Committee

Network Committees

Asylum Seeker and Refugee Mental Health Network Committee - Dr Trushna Murgahayah

Family Violence Psychiatry Network Committee - Dr Liv Harley

Military, Veterans' and Emergency Services Personnel Mental Health Network Committee - Dr Simran Kaur

ADHD Network Committee - Dr Elizabeth Lun

Working Groups and Steering Groups

EPA Working Group - Dr Georgia Ramsden

Racism Awareness Steering Group - Dr Helena Niu

Formal Education Courses (FEC) Working Group - Dr Mischa Tosswill and Dr Nicola Campbell

External Associations of Psychiatry Trainees

Queensland Psychiatry Trainees Association (QPTA) - Dr Noori Dhaliwal

Aotearoa Association of Psychiatry Trainees (AAPT) - Dr Jibi Kunnethedam

Victorian Psychiatry Training Committee (VAPT) - Dr Thomas Sellitto

WA Association of Psychiatry Trainees (WAAPT) - Dr Matthew Davidson

Association of Psychiatry Trainees SA (APTSA) - Dr Michael Fyfe

NSW Association of Psychiatry Trainees (NAPT) - Dr Lauren Amor

Upcoming meeting dates

Committee	Day and date	Time	Meeting type
TAC	Thursday, 31 October 2024	12.30pm - 3.30pm AEDT	Virtual
BCT	Wednesday, 27 November 2024	1pm - 3pm AEDT	Virtual
2025 dates will be released in the coming months

Communications

The TAC and BCT Chairs regularly publish articles in the College's Training and Assessment Newsletter, and on the News and analysis section of the website. These resources provide lots of great information about what the TAC and BCT are currently working on, and what to look out for in the trainee space.

Minutes and agendas from previous meetings

The meeting papers from the most recent meeting can be found through MyRANZCP [member log in required].

If you can't find what you're looking for, please contact binational.committees@ranzcp.org

Training support

The Support for Trainees web page is a useful resource for trainees seeking help across all areas of their work and personal life. If you're a trainee who is experiencing problems in your training, speak with your supervisor and/or Director of Training, or call the Member Welfare Support Line for confidential support and advice.

Contact

We welcome your feedback, questions, concerns, and all things trainee-related. Please contact tac@ranzcp.org with your enquiry.

Contacting an external association of psychiatry trainees

Association	President	Contact email address
Queensland Psychiatry Trainees Association (QPTA)	Dr Noori Dhaliwal	qld.psych.trainee.association@gmail.com
Aotearoa Association of Psychiatry Trainees (AAPT)	Dr Jibi Kunnethedam	aptc.chair@gmail.com
Victorian Psychiatry Training Committee (VAPT)	Dr Thomas Sellitto	president@vapt.org.au
WA Association of Psychiatry Trainees (WAAPT)	Dr Matthew Davidson	waapt.anzapt@gmail.com
Association of Psychiatry Trainees SA (APTSA)	Dr Michael Fyfe	info.aptsa@gmail.com
NSW Association of Psychiatry Trainees (NAPT)	Dr Lauren Amor	nswpsychtrainees@gmail.com
The following jurisdictions do not have an external APT: NT, ACT, and TAS