The Support for Rural Specialists in Australia (SRSA) program provides educational opportunities that support continuing professional development (CPD) for specialists in rural and remote locations in Australia. SRSA is an initiative of the Department of Health, managed by the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC).

The aim of the program is to provide rural and remote non-GP specialists with access to professional support and training opportunities through:

  • individual CPD grants to enable rural and remote specialists to access CPD educational activities/courses/events not available in their current location of practice; and
  • the provision of online learning programs to address relevant CPD themes and topics.

Department of Health

The Commonwealth Department of Health and The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) have launched the Support for Rural Specialists in Australia (SRSA) Program to provide individual grants for rural and remote specialists to undertake continuing professional development (CPD).

The SRSA Program will build upon the successful Rural Health Continuing Education (RHCE) Stream One Program.

Australian Government Department of Health website.

Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges

The Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) as part of the Funding Agreement, has established the SRSA Sub-Committee to oversee the strategic management and implementation of the Program. The committee membership includes Fellows and CEO representatives from the Specialist Medical Colleges.

Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges website.

Steering Committee

The SRSA Steering Committee oversee the strategic management and implementation of the Program. Members were appointed through an Expression of Interest process and were confirmed by the CPMC Board.

Steering Committee Members:

Dr Kym Jenkins FRANZCP (Chair) VIC
Prof Michael Buist FCICM FRACP TAS
Dr Jennifer Chambers OAM FRACS NSW
Dr Ghana Chapagain FRANZCP NSW
Ms Lyn Johnson Executive Director, Education and Training, ACEM VIC
Ms Angela Magarry CEO CPMC ACT
Dr Diane Mohen FRANZCOG WA
Dr Lisa Sorger FRANZCR WA
Dr Annette Turley FANZCA FRACMA QLD

Contact SRSA

Email: admin@ruralspecialist.org.au
Phone: (02) 9256 5419
Postal Address: 145 Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ruralspecialist

Chair SRSA 2019-present

Dr Kym Jenkins FRANZCP

Kym is the current Chair of the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) and the immediate past president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP).

Dr Jenkins has held a range of roles as a Consultant Psychiatrist in both the public and private sectors. She is currently Medical Director of the Victorian Doctors Health Program; adjunct Senior Lecturer at Monash University; and runs a small private practice.

Chair SRSA 2017-2019

Mr Philip Truskett AM

Philip is a General Surgeon with an interest in Upper GI. Philip is the immediate past President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Philip is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland.

In 2014 he was named a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for his significant service to medicine.

SRSA National Director

Ms Angela Magarry RPAH cert, BHA(UNSW),MPS(UNSW),CHE, FCHSM. Angela is the CPMC Chief Executive and SRSA National Director. Contact CPMC

 

SRSA Program Management Unit

The SRSA Program Management Unit (PMU) is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Program. The PMU administer the Funding Rounds and co-ordinate the design and development of CPD online learning resources, in collaboration with the Specialist Medical Colleges.

Bernard Bucalon has been the Program Manager of SRSA since 2016. Bernard has worked in medical education for over nine years, previously at the RACP designing, developing, and conducting research into online educational resources.

Kylie Sommerville has been Program Support Officer of SRSA since May 2019. Kylie previously worked for the NSW State government in health, transport and heritage policy and stakeholder engagement. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of NSW.