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Formation | 1995 |
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Field | Medical Genetics |
President | Gemma Poke |
Parent organization | Human Genetics Society of Australasia |
Website | aacg |
The Australasian Association of Clinical Geneticists (AACG) is a professional membership organization for medical specialists who are qualified to work in the field of clinical genetics. The Association was founded in 1995. As of 2021, the organization had approximately 180 members. The Association's members include fully qualified clinical geneticists from Australia and New Zealand as well as individuals training in the field from those jurisdictions. [1] The Association is a Special Interest Group of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (HGSA).
The AACG's mission is to:
The purpose of the AACG is to:
The AACG's Biannual Meeting is the only National meeting of clinical geneticists in the region. The meeting brings specialists in the field together in the one place for education, clinical case discussions, and professional networking. The March meeting is held in an Australian capital city, on a rotational basis, and consists of an educational day for trainees plus a day for clinical case discussion for all members. A business meeting of the AACG is also held. The second meeting of the year is held concurrently with the Annual Scientific Meeting of the HGSA. The Association's annual general meeting is held at this time.
The Association awards prizes to its trainees based on merit. The Association's highest honor, awarded annually since 2015, is the Nigel Clarke Memorial Bursary, established in memory of clinical geneticist and researcher Dr Nigel Clarke. Several prizes are also awarded at the HGSA annual scientific meeting for best poster
The AACG promotes awareness of human genetics, advocates for genetic health care equity, acts as the peak clinical body in Australia and New Zealand to advise on professional education and curricula, and provides specialist advice on human genetic healthcare to governments and policymakers. [3]
As the peak professional body representing clinical genetics physicians/paediatricians in Australia and New Zealand, the AACG advises the Royal Australasian College of Physicians on training requirements in clinical genetics. [4]
Nephrology is a specialty for both adult internal medicine and pediatric medicine that concerns the study of the kidneys, specifically normal kidney function and kidney disease, the preservation of kidney health, and the treatment of kidney disease, from diet and medication to renal replacement therapy. The word "renal" is an adjective meaning "relating to the kidneys", and its roots are French or late Latin. Whereas according to some opinions, "renal" and "nephro" should be replaced with "kidney" in scientific writings such as "kidney medicine" or "kidney replacement therapy", other experts have advocated preserving the use of renal and nephro as appropriate including in "nephrology" and "renal replacement therapy", respectively.
Internal medicine, also known as general internal medicine in Commonwealth nations, is a medical specialty for medical doctors focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of internal diseases in adults. Medical practitioners of internal medicine are referred to as internists, or physicians in Commonwealth nations. Internists possess specialized skills in managing patients with undifferentiated or multi-system disease processes. They provide care to both hospitalized (inpatient) and ambulatory (outpatient) patients and often contribute significantly to teaching and research. Internists are qualified physicians who have undergone postgraduate training in internal medicine, and should not be confused with "interns", a term commonly used for a medical doctor who has obtained a medical degree but does not yet have a license to practice medicine unsupervised.
Genetic counseling is the process of investigating individuals and families affected by or at risk of genetic disorders to help them understand and adapt to the medical, psychological and familial implications of genetic contributions to disease. This field is considered necessary for the implementation of genomic medicine. The process integrates:
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) is the leading professional organisation for the promotion of the science and practice of the medical specialties of clinical radiology and radiation oncology in Australia and New Zealand. The college has members throughout the world. RANZCR provides the educational curricula for medical graduates training to enter the specialties.
A number of professional degrees in dentistry are offered by dental schools in various countries around the world.
A medical specialty is a branch of medical practice that is focused on a defined group of patients, diseases, skills, or philosophy. Examples include those branches of medicine that deal exclusively with children (paediatrics), cancer (oncology), laboratory medicine (pathology), or primary care. After completing medical school or other basic training, physicians or surgeons and other clinicians usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple-year residency to become a specialist.
The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), based in Melbourne Australia, is the primary training body for specialist emergency physicians in Australia and New Zealand. The college is recognised by the Australian Medical Council and Medical Council of New Zealand as such and provides services for approximately 2700 Fellows and 2600 Trainees.
Medical genetics is the branch of medicine that involves the diagnosis and management of hereditary disorders. Medical genetics differs from human genetics in that human genetics is a field of scientific research that may or may not apply to medicine, while medical genetics refers to the application of genetics to medical care. For example, research on the causes and inheritance of genetic disorders would be considered within both human genetics and medical genetics, while the diagnosis, management, and counselling people with genetic disorders would be considered part of medical genetics.
Medical education in Australia includes the educational activities involved in the initial and ongoing training of Medical Practitioners. In Australia, medical education begins in Medical School; upon graduation it is followed by a period of pre-vocational training including Internship and Residency; thereafter, enrolment into a specialist-vocational training program as a Registrar eventually leads to fellowship qualification and recognition as a fully qualified Specialist Medical Practitioner. Medical education in Australia is facilitated by Medical Schools and the Medical Specialty Colleges, and is regulated by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) of which includes the Medical Board of Australia where medical practitioners are registered nationally.
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is a not-for-profit professional organisation responsible for training and educating physicians and paediatricians across Australia and New Zealand.
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) is the leading advocate for surgical standards, professionalism and surgical education in Australia and New Zealand.
Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, abbreviated as the post-nominal initials FRACP, is a recognition of the completion of the prescribed postgraduate specialist training programme in internal adult or internal paediatric medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), founded in 1948, is a professional membership organization for specialists in human genetics. As of 2009, the organization had approximately 8,000 members. The society's members include researchers, academicians, clinicians, laboratory practice professionals, genetic counselors, nurses, and others who have a special interest in the field of human genetics.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) is the principal organisation representing the medical specialty of psychiatry in Australia and New Zealand and has responsibility for training, examining and awarding the qualification of Fellowship of the College (FRANZCP) to medical practitioners. The college was established on 9 October 1946, and received Royal patronage in 1977.
A geneticist is a biologist or physician who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a scientist or a lecturer. Geneticists may perform general research on genetic processes or develop genetic technologies to aid in the pharmaceutical or and agriculture industries. Some geneticists perform experiments in model organisms such as Drosophila, C. elegans, zebrafish, rodents or humans and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of biological traits. A basic science geneticist is a scientist who usually has earned a PhD in genetics and undertakes research and/or lectures in the field. A medical geneticist is a physician who has been trained in medical genetics as a specialization and evaluates, diagnoses, and manages patients with hereditary conditions or congenital malformations; and provides genetic risk calculations and mutation analysis.
The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy(ASCIA) is the peak professional body of clinical immunologists, allergy specialists, immunology scientists, and other health professionals working in allergy and immunology in Australia and New Zealand.
The Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) is an accredited specialist medical college comprising medical practitioners with specialist training in management and leadership of health services and systems. Fellows of the college combine clinical knowledge, skill, and judgement and apply this at an organisation wide level. This may include administering or managing a hospital or other health service, or developing health operational policy, or planning or purchasing health services. The college is responsible for the training of medical professionals as specialist health leaders in Australia and New Zealand and has responsibility for assessing candidates and awarding the qualification of Fellowship of the college (FRACMA) to medical practitioners.
The Human Genetics Society of Australasia (HGSA) is a membership organization for individuals in the field of human genetics who primarily practise in the Oceania region. Members typically hold both a qualification in human genetics and work in the field. Membership is drawn from clinical, laboratory and academic specialties. Members include clinical geneticists; genetic counsellors; laboratory scientists ; and academics.
Professor Asha Bowen is an Australian Paediatric Infectious Diseases clinician-scientist and a leading voice and advocate for children's health and well-being. She is Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Perth Children's Hospital, and Head of the Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention team at Telethon Kids Institute. She was the former Program Head of the End Rheumatic Heart Disease program (2022-2023) at the Telethon Kids Institute. Bowen leads a large body of skin health research in partnership with healthcare workers and community in the Kimberley while expanding her team and work to understand skin health in urban Aboriginal children better. She has been widely acknowledged and awarded for her contributions towards improving the health and well-being of Australian children, and addressing existing health inequities faced by First Nations Australian children and their families. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic she contributed her knowledge and expertise to clinical research, guideline development and on several national and public health committees. She has published widely in the area of paediatric infectious diseases and is a recognized expert in the field who regularly contributes to popular Australian media sources such as The Conversation.
Michael Terrence Gabbett is an Australian clinical geneticist and academic. He holds academic titles at a number of universities in South East Queensland. Gabbett is known for contributing to discovering the genetic basis of semi-identical (sesquizygotic) twins and defining the clinical features and molecular cause of Temple-Baraitser syndrome.