New Fellows
Congratulations on your incredible acheivement! To assist you as you begin this journey, we’ve brought together everything you need to know to assist you with your transition to Fellowship.
Welcome to Fellowship
Dear Fellows,
Now as a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists you are recognised internationally as a Specialist in women’s health.
You have earnt the trust of your colleagues, community and the women and families for whom you’ll care. Learning is a lifelong experience and Specialist practice need not be as isolated as it may seem at times.
Do not be afraid to reach out to your colleagues, seniors, and mentors to seek their opinion, perspective and assistance if needed.
Their advice is free, they have walked the path you are continuing, and they acknowledge you have joined them in our College family.
As part of a highly respected specialty, there is the opportunity for a challenging career ahead that requires ongoing commitment and dedication.
The rewards are unique, many and varied and reflect the investment you have made and will continue to make in our profession.
Over the coming years, as you devote yourself to your patients and their needs, also remember to care for and respect yourself and your family as, in many ways, they share your journey.
We are immensely proud to welcome you to FRANZCOG.
Dr Gillian Gibson
President
Structure and governance
RANZCOG is governed by a nine-member Board who are the directors of the College, managing the financial, legal and business operations of the organisation. The Board directors and a number of other elected representatives make up the RANZCOG Council. The RANZCOG Council has general oversight of the policy and strategic planning of the College.
The functions and activities of the RANZCOG Board and Council are supported by approximately 50 committees and working parties, which meet regularly and make recommendations to the RANZCOG Board on a range of matters pertaining to women’s health.
Currently, there are more than 2000 Fellows in Australia, New Zealand and overseas. For more information on the College Membership, refer to the Activities Report and Statistical Snapshot, which provides details of the obstetric and gynaecological workforce.
Our vision
Excellence and equity in women’s health
Our mission
To continue to lead in education and training in obstetrics and gynaecology, and advocacy in women’s health
Becoming a Fellow
Ceremony
As a new Fellow of the College, you will have the opportunity to be presented to the Fellowship at a College Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM).
Following your elevation, you will receive an email invitation with a unique registration link to attend the New Fellows Presentation Ceremony and Reception.
At the ceremony, newly elevated Fellows and recently certified subspecialists will be joined by family and friends to celebrate this significant milestone in their career.
Testamur
Fellows will receive a Fellowship certificate following Board approval of their elevation. As specified by the Fellow, certificates may be posted or collected from College Place.
Registering as a Specialist
Before new Fellows can practise as a specialist in Australia they are legally required to register with the Medical Board of Australia via AHPRA. To arrange this, newly qualified Fellows need to make a formal written application to the Medical Board.
New Fellows in New Zealand are eligible to apply for vocational registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand to practise as a specialist.
RANZCOG contact details
RANZCOG trainee email accounts will be deactivated 30 days after elevation to Fellowship.
Please ensure you have provided RANZCOG with your personal email address by logging onto Integrate or by contacting membership@ranzcog.edu.au.
Branding and logos
RANZCOG Branding
The new RANZCOG brand positions the College as modern and contemporary, acknowledging its past, while also paving a bright path into the future. The new visual identity will reflect RANZCOG’s position as a progressive leader and innovator in the Women’s Health sector.
Our Coat of Arms has served as inspiration for the new branding with the shield, rising sun, and the Southern Cross being incorporated into the new branding.
The new branding will co-exist with the current Coat of Arms, which will continue to be used, such as for formal and ceremonial purposes e.g. certificates. The Coat of Arms, which is an important piece of our proud history, has not changed.
Logo use
Congratulations, as a Fellow you are now permitted to use the FRANZCOG postnominal.
As a means of recognising the dedication and professional service of its Fellows and their commitment to excellence in women’s health, the College has developed a FRANZCOG Logo for use by its Fellows.
The FRANZCOG Logo is available for all RANZCOG Fellows to signify membership of the College and can be used on office stationery, including letterhead and business cards, email signatures, room signage and presentation slides.
Log into Acquire to read the logo use guidelines and download various versions of your logo:
Maintaining your Fellowship
Code of Conduct
The RANZCOG Code of Conduct is a statement of the standard of professional and social behaviour expected of our membership.
This Code should be read in conjunction with the RANZCOG Constitution, Regulations, Organisational Values, and the other policies and procedures as detailed within the Code.
For registered medical practitioners, the RANZCOG Code of Conduct sits alongside compliance with the expected standards of professional performance and conduct as set down by statutory registration and standards authorities in the jurisdiction in which a practitioner is practising the profession.
Annual Renewal
Fellows are required to renew their College membership every new financial year.
Annual Renewal emails are sent to all members in the first week of June every year.
As a Fellow, you will have three mandatory components to complete:
1) Annual Renewal Payment;
2) Renewal of Fellowship Declaration; and
3) Practice Profile Details.
The Annual Renewal email will include instructions on how to complete these requirements.
Pro-rata Fees
Recently elevated Fellows, Associates (Procedural) and Certificants will pay their annual renewal fees on a pro-rata basis in the first year.
Fellows’ pro-rata fee is calculated to cover membership period from the Fellowship date to the remainder of the financial year. A full Annual Subscription fee will be charged from the next financial year.
For Subspecialist trainee members, once your Fellowship requirements have been met, a pro-rata fee is calculated at the reduced Fellows-in-Subspecialty-training rate, to cover the membership period from the Fellowship Certification date to the remainder of the financial year. A full Annual Subscription fee, at the reduced Fellows-in-Subspeciality-training rate, will be charged from the next financial year.
If you have any queries about your Annual Renewal, please contact membership@ranzcog.edu.au.
Continual Professional Development
Now that you have attained Fellowship, it is time to start another learning journey.
All health practitioners registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) are required to participate in an approved CPD program.
Resources
As a Fellow of RANZCOG, you will have access to a number of resources including:
ANZJOG
The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology (ANZJOG) is an editorially independent publication owned by RANZCOG.
Six issues are published each year in February, April, June, August, October and December. If you do not wish to receive copies of ANZJOG in the mail, you can update your preferences via Integrate.
Log in via the Integrate portal to view the latest issue of ANZJOG.
O&G
Focusing on a central theme each issue, O&G Magazine reports on the latest topics in the practice of obstetrics and gynaecology.
All new Fellows are welcomed in the summer O&G Magazine issue following their elevation – keep a look out for your name!
Four issues are published each year in March, June, September and December, and are available online. If you do not wish to receive copies of O&G in the mail, you can update your preferences via Integrate. You can view the latest issue or search the archives of O&G Magazine online.
O&G Magazine welcomes submissions of letters to the editor, case reports and other articles of interest to the specialty.
CONNECT
Connect is the College’s weekly e-newsletter distributed to more than 9000 RANZCOG members.
Connect is an accessible hub of information highlighting important announcements, the latest College initiatives and events occurring within the month or near future.
Publish your details on the RANZCOG directory
Did you know we provide a directory of women’s health doctors to the public?
The directory can be searched by specialty, location or consulting languages to help anyone find a women’s health practitioner suitable to their needs.
As part of your Practice Profile, you can indicate whether you would like to have your workplace details published on the directory — as one of our most widely accessed public resources, we encourage you to do so.
The College will publish the details you provide, along with your recorded practice type, on our ‘Find a women’s health doctor’ directory.
To update your Practice Profile and ensure your workplace details are correct:
Log in to Integrate and go to your ‘Practice Profile’ page under ‘Profile’.
View your workplaces on the page and select the ‘Display on O&G’ page checkbox.
If you have not yet logged in and completed your Practice Profile as part of the Annual Renewal, you will be reminded to do so.
Your wellbeing
Support and Wellbeing
College members may from time to time require support to deal with personal issues. This support may be obtained from a range of sources, including:
Collegiate support from colleagues, Councillors and Regional committee members
Access wellbeing webinars through the RANZCOG Website
Medical support: General Practitioners and Fellows should not dismiss their own symptoms and should consult a doctor if they are unwell
Doctors’ advisory phone lines, some of which operate 24 hours per day and are strictly confidential
Connect with your local Wellbeing Advocate
Need help now?
Call Lifeline AU on 13 11 14 or NZ 0800 543 354.
In Australia, contact Hand-n-Hand or Drs4Drs for peer support.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, contact the Doctors Health Advisory Service 24-hour help line.
Wellbeing and CPD
The College also offers the following workshops and online modules for members:
Respectful Workplaces workshop
This workshop gives you the essential skills and knowledge for safe and respectful practice in O&G, preparing you to contribute to creating workplaces that are free from bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Emotional Intelligence and Compassion workshop
Facilitated by psychologist, Sharee Johnson, this workshop aims to improve your emotional literacy. The workshop covers the origins of empathic distress and empathy fatigue, with the overarching objective to cultivate compassion for sustained wellbeing in O&G clinicians.
Engaging with the College
Aotearoa New Zealand office
In Aotearoa New Zealand Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku advocates for excellence and equity in women’s health through training and standards, engagement with Aotearoa New Zealand health groups, advocacy through submissions and nominations, contributions to policy development and the provision of advice on clinical matters.
The Aotearoa New Zealand office and Te Kāhui Oranga ō Nuku communicate with Fellows through Pānui, a regular newsletter highlighting programmes, topical issues, research and events specific to Aotearoa New Zealand.
Australian office and committee contacts
The State and Territory Offices are a key point of contact for RANZCOG members.
Located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, each State and Territory office works with a State or Territory Committee and establishes a state or territory Training and Accreditation Committee, responsible for delivering the FRANZCOG Training program.
Committee members engage with stakeholders from the government, community and health sectors on issues relevant to obstetrics and gynaecology within the region and are responsible for organising Regional Scientific Meetings (RSMs) as well as educational activities for members.