com·mu·nity
NOUN
a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common

In this Summer issue of O&G Magazine, we’re celebrating community, in all its different configurations. As members, you’re part of the RANZCOG community. As doctors, trainees, Diplomates, Fellows, specialists, subspecialists, you may branch out into further communities. Further, you all contribute to your own communities and serve various others in your work. Community is also found within your culture, identity, hobbies and, quite simply, within the area in which you reside.

Community is a place to be understood, supported and accepted.

One of the many things the last few years have taught us is the importance of community.

Our College and members do so much for our community, our respective communities and volunteering in global communities.

In this issue, we touch on the incredible importance of the First Nations community with Cherrise Buzzacott in Leaders in Focus, and we will explore First Nations and Māori cultures in more depth in our upcoming People of the Land issue.

We explore the different roles the College plays in the community – rurally with the OGET project, broadly with the Consumer Network Working Group and by supporting the important work of our members with Scholarships and the RANZCOG Foundation.

We have two orations which celebrate the lives of Brian Spurrett and Arthur Wilson. Their incredible work and dedication benefited various communities, and they have both left a legacy that ensures this important work continues.

There is also an important address from our Past President, Dr Vijay Roach, on the significance of inclusion.

As you read this issue of O&G Magazine, it is a great chance to reflect on all the varied communities you either belong to or work within. It’s also an opportunity to consider communities for which you may have little exposure. We all need our communities; to be understood, supported and accepted.