Why We've Created an IME Alumni Program
A medicolegal peer review group and ongoing professional development, shaped by the psychiatrists who were in the room at IME Discovery
A lot of consideration went into the launch of the next steps from the IME Discovery Conference in August. An alumni program was a logical next step, but what it should look like and who would be eligible needed careful exploration and an invitation to hear from potential participants.
In essence, we asked all participants what they wanted the program to look like, what it would cost and how it would run to fit into already packed clinical and medicolegal calendars.
With the feedback came the development and now the launch of the first group of the program, delivering the essential next steps to develop and grow successful and sustainable practices.
A critical component was always going to be the development of a peer review group(PRG) that would satisfy the RANZCP annual CPD requirements. Every psychiatrist has to complete at least 10 hours of formal peer review a year, and PRG’s are hard to enter when established. It’s also difficult to find PRG’s that meet to discuss medicolegal cases and the inherent complexities rather than clinical cases. In developing the ALumni program we ensured that all CPD hours are completed and more.
We also wanted to make a commitment to participants to offer professional development on an ongoing basis, tailored for the needs and skill level of attendees. We’ll invite guest experts from the medical and legal professions over the year as well, drawing on a wide range of expertise and experience, just as we did at the conference, and rated so highly in the feedback received.
The Alumni is only open to psychiatrists who came to the conference, and secondly those that attended our IME Discovery workshops in person. That might sound a bit exclusive, but it is for a reason. We wanted to build something for psychiatrists that are truly committed to the work and want to be their best when working as an IME. Psychiatrists who committed to attend in person for three days and participated throughout. Psychiatrists from across Australia working in different medicolegal practices or about to begin, who are now considered colleagues, keeping the discussions ongoing.
It also means we all start from the same place. Nobody has to explain the basics before we get to case discussion. And everybody is aware of how essential confidentiality and sensitivity is when working in this space, modelled upon the many discussions we have already had together.
Invitations to join have been sent this week and it is truly exciting to see the acceptances coming in. We start late this month, when we meet again and embark on the next stages of our careers, whether we have only done a few reports or many more.
Dr Helen Schultz is a Psychiatrist IME with years of experience educating and training psychiatrists, and the founder of IME Discovery — The Conference and The Workshops. Find out more at drhelenschultz.com.au or email hello@drhelenschultz.com.au.