Paula Fernandez is the Trainee Liaison within the newly established Training Support Unit (TSU). Her role is to offer all RANZCOG trainees a professional and impartial support service. This service extends to Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs), and FRANZCOG, Subspecialty, Certificate of Women’s Health (CWH) and Diploma trainees in the programs across Australia and New Zealand.

The College recognises that trainees may experience periods of professional and personal difficulty. Coping with the demands of a busy profession, maintaining skills and knowledge, as well as balancing family and personal commitments can be challenging. In order to better support you, the TSU has been created.

Unfortunately, forms of bullying or harassment are real problems in the medical profession that can compromise trainee development and patient safety. Any complaints you have about these types of experiences will be managed by the TSU in a fair and transparent manner. Be assured that RANZCOG recognises the difficulties in lodging a complaint and these concerns will be managed sensitively.

RANZCOG is committed to supporting the wellbeing of doctors and enhancing a culture of respect and professionalism. The College has developed a number of resources, some of which will be managed by the TSU, including the ‘Respectful Workplaces’ workshop; a mentoring program; and an eLearning module on providing effective feedback as a supervisor.

Paula will work with trainees to identify a range of potential intervention strategies; and provide valuable resources and appropriate referrals to internal and external support services.

With the establishment of the TSU, the College also partnered with Converge, an external Employee Assistance Program (EAP) service. Converge International is a support service open to all trainees 365 days of the year and can be utilised for any personal or work-related matter. This is a great initiative and trainees are encouraged to use the service if they need to speak with a professional psychologist, social worker or crisis counsellor. Support will be tailored to meet your needs. The service is completely private and confidential.

For further information on the TSU, please go to the RANZCOG Training Support Unit online: www.ranzcog.edu.au/Training/Training-Support-Unit. More information will be added. If there is a topic you would like to see included, do not hesitate to contact Paula. These webpages are dedicated to informing and supporting all RANZCOG trainees.