I am delighted to present this edition of O&G Magazine, and the first published in my Presidency. In November, I was honoured to begin my term as RANZCOG President, taking over from Dr Benjamin Bopp. I am extremely grateful to Ben and the RANZCOG Board for their hard work during the 12th Council term, and I look forward to working with the Board, Council, and broader membership for the 13th Council term. As this year draws to a close, I would like to reflect on the achievements of the College, and look ahead to what we can continue to build on over the next two years.

This year, the College underwent the reaccreditation process with the Australian Medical Council and Medical Council of New Zealand. This was a substantial and critical piece of work that the entire RANZCOG membership and staff contributed to. Although the final report is still pending, the preliminary findings appear overwhelmingly positive for the College. I commend all those who were involved in this process.

The Curriculum Team have been working closely with the Dean of Education to revamp the FRANZCOG curriculum, which was launched in October this year. The new curriculum incorporates a cultural safety domain, demonstrating our commitment to improving the O&G training in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. I am confident that the changes to the curriculum will be a positive step towards inclusive healthcare for women across our region.

We recently held the RANZCOG Annual Scientific Meeting in Perth, where I was pleased to see many of my colleagues from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as international delegates. At the ASM, I had the pleasure of launching the RANZCOG Abortion Guideline, the first of its kind in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. I had been highly involved in the development of this guideline, as Chair of the Working Group appointed to develop the guideline, and I am immensely proud of the result.

Thank you to all who participated in the development of this essential tool for women’s health care. Overall, the RANZCOG ASM was a resounding success, with attendees giving overwhelmingly positive feedback about the scientific program, organisation, and professionalism of the event. Congratulations to the Organising Committee and the RANZCOG Events team.

In November, the College was proud to officially open our newest resource, the Assessment, Learning and Examination Centre, otherwise known as ALEC. The centre features 24 examination rooms spread over two floors at Djeembana in Melbourne. We were delighted to be joined by College members as well as representatives from other medical colleges and government agencies at the opening.

It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the facility, which will ultimately be used for RANZCOG examinations, as well as an additional income stream with the leasing of the facility to other organisations.

2023 has certainly been a big year for the College, and it would be remiss of me not to thank our dedicated membership for your engagement with the College. Together we are able to achieve better outcomes for women in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, with the work the College has achieved over the past 12 months testament to the skill and determination of our members.

I would also like to thank the RANZCOG staff for their hard work and dedication to the College, and their support for our members and trainees.

I wish you all a safe and prosperous 2024, and look forward to engaging with you over the next two years of my Presidency.