Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA)

Are you a VIC-based unaccredited registrar, junior doctor, or final year medical student interested in orthopaedics? Join us at the VIC Winter Welcome Free Workshop on Friday 26 July, Leopard Lodge, Melbourne Zoo. Stryker will lead the workshop with stations on joint replacement featuring the Mako joint replacement robot, trauma, and sportsmed. You can then ask all your burning orthopaedic questions at a Q&A session with VIC Branch Scientific Secretary Sina Babazadeh. Registration is free and we're halfway to capacity, so make sure you reserve your spot at aoa.org.au/vicww See you there!

Join us for an exciting adventure in Brisbane Australia at the ISOLS International Society of Limb Salvage Meeting 2024! The program is now available, and registration is open. Don’t miss out and register today and be part of this incredible event! www.isols2024.org/

Last chance to register for the 2024 AOA ASM for your chance to win complimentary registration and accommodation (four nights) for the AOA ASM 13-17 October in Brisbane. Register before COB tomorrow (12 July) to secure your spot and automatically enter the draw. Register at aoa.org.au/24asm Please note, only four-day onsite registrations are eligible to enter the draw. 

Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud is this year’s National NAIDOC theme. What does the 2024 theme mean to you? The fire represents the enduring strength and vitality of Indigenous cultures, passed down through generations despite the challenges faced. Blak, Loud and Proud encapsulates the unapologetic celebration of Indigenous identity, empowering us to stand tall in our heritage and assert our place in the modern world. What does the 2024 NAIDOC theme mean to you? We asked AIDA leaders for their reflections and would love you to share yours too, as a comment below. #KeepTheFireBurning #NAIDOC #NAIDOC2024 #NAIDOCWeek #AboriginalDoctors #CloseTheGap #aboriginalhealthinaborignalhands

Yesterday marked the beginning of #NAIDOC2024 week, with this year’s theme ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’. NAIDOC week celebrates and recognises the history, culture, achievements, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We look forward to listening, learning, and celebrating the oldest continuing culture on earth. To get involved in NAIDOC events in your area, visit the NAIDOC events page https://lnkd.in/dexeVKVM AOA recognises and respects the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the health sector. We seek to support increased participation in the orthopaedic community and amplify First Nations voices through initiatives in the Culture, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategic pillar of the AOA Strategy 2022-2026. Initiatives include: - Continued membership of Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) and AOA members leading the Exposure and Skills in Orthopaedics workshop at the AIDA Conference. - The creation and launch of the AOA AIDA 2024 ASM Bursary. - Involvement of two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors and presentations in the 2024 Emerging Leadership Forum (ELF) - The commencement of a reconciliation action plan (RAP) through Reconciliation Australia. - An AOA Cultural Competence and Cultural Safety (CCCS) guide for members involved in training/ - Promotion and access for members to the AIDA cultural awareness course. For more information, visit the NAIDOC website https://www.naidoc.org.au/ or read the AOA Strategy 2022-2026 at https://lnkd.in/gm5bZnwQ

Exciting news! Register for the 2024 AOA ASM by COB 12 July for your chance to win complimentary registration and accommodation (four nights) for the AOA ASM from 13–17 October in Brisbane. Register now at aoa.org.au/24asm to secure your spot and automatically enter the draw. Please note, only four-day onsite registrations are eligible to enter the draw.

Closing out the afternoon sessions on the ELF day two, delegates had the opportunity to ask any burning questions of some of the speakers with a panel Q&A. Questions ranged from advice in practice and consulting, the lasting effects of the pandemic, AI in medicine, leadership strategies, and wellness tools. It was a fantastic session that synthesised all the learnings over the past two days and highlighted areas for further exploration. The Great Debate ‘Leaders are made not born’ fittingly followed the Q&A session, with moderator AOA CEO Adrian Cosenza. Richard Hanly, Jonathon (Jono) de Hoog, and Glenn Clifford made up the affirmative (made) team and Piet Rogers, Omar Khorshid, and Angela Alder-Price made up the negative (born) team. Victory was a close call, with strong arguments from both sides. Ultimately Team Born was victorious, winning bragging rights until the next ELF.  Thanks to all debaters for your participation and to Doncaster BMW for providing the generous prize to the Team Born winners!

That’s a wrap on the ELF for 2024! A fantastic two-days packed with insightful presentations from leading figures in health, tech, social enterprise, and finance, along with networking, group activities, and social functions. Our thanks to all the delegates from across Australia, New Zealand, and surgical specialities for your participation and dedication to growth, learning, and leadership. Our thanks to our guest speakers for their generosity in sharing their knowledge and expertise including Ms Anne Garlick, A/Prof Catherine Green, AO, Ms Corinne Archer, Dr David Bade, A/Prof Fiona Maclean, Prof Flavia Senkubuge, Prof Jason R. Frank, Dr Jonathan Newchurch, Mr Matt Hanrahan, Dr Omar Khorshid, Prof. Peter Choong AO, Ms Ronni Kahn AO, Dr. Viren Naik, Ms Michelle Sinclair (Findex), Ms Olivia Howden (Stryker), AOA President Michael Johnson, and First Vice-President Scott Fletcher. Special thanks to co-convenors Mr Adrian Cosenza and Prof Ian Incoll. AOA also extends thanks to major event sponsors Findex and Stryker, and trade exhibition sponsors Avant Mutual and Prescribe Practice Management for supporting the next generation of leaders in health. Finally, a big thanks to the AOA staff who have made this forum possible. If you are interested in attending the next ELF or participating as a speaker, please contact aoa@aoa.org.au

ELF Day Two Following the advocacy sessions led by Matt Hanrahan and Dr Omar Khorshid, the presentations turned to self-advocacy and the importance of wellness with Dr David Bade, orthopaedic surgeon and chair of the AOA QLD Surgeon Wellbeing Working Group. David drew upon his own experiences of burnout in his presentation to share valuable insights and tools with delegates to support their wellness as surgeons and how to lead with a wellness focus. Prof Jason R. Frank and Prof Dr. Viren Naik joined us virtually from Canada to share international perspectives on leadership in health and education, with a focus on surgeon wellbeing building upon David's previous presentation. The differences between a leader and a manager were woven throughout, with Viren noting 'leadership is not a title, not a job. It is a vision for a better world'.

2024 ELF Day Two CEO of Healthe Care Matt Hanrahan’s presentation charted the path of medical leadership from the dark side in to the centre stage of the present day and beyond. Matt provided valuable insights from a non-surgical perspective on health care and reminded delegates of their influence as trusted doctors and surgeons. Dr Omar Khorshid’s presentation on advocacy and leadership drew upon his experiences as president of the Australian Medical Association from 2020 to 2022 as a key figure in Australia’s pandemic response. Omar also led key advocacy initiatives around health system funding reform, private health insurance and Prostheses List reform, primary care, and public health. Omar highlighted to delegates that 'any big change doesn't happen quickly' and the importance of drawing upon the expertise of the people around you, especially in times of crisis.