Committee News
Queensland Regional Committee (QRC) Wraps Up a Stellar Year!
The ANZCA Queensland Regional Committee has once again exemplified exceptional commitment, collaboration, and professionalism throughout 2025, helping to ensure the seamless delivery of college activities across the region. On behalf of the Queensland regional team, we extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks for their unwavering support and remarkable contributions.
Your dedication continues to elevate the ANZCA experience for our members and trainees, fostering a culture of excellence and collegiality throughout the Queensland region. We deeply appreciate the time, expertise, and energy each committee member brings to their role.
We offer special acknowledgment to QRC Chair Dr Sarah Bowman for her thoughtful leadership, and our warmest thanks to all our wonderful committee members:
Dr Shannon Morrison, Dr Hannah Bellwood, Dr Usha Gurunathan, Dr David Highton, Dr Jane Leadbeater, Associate Professor Paul Lee-Archer, Dr Claire Maxwell, Dr Mary O’Shea, Dr Christopher Stonell, Dr Soon Yee Teoh, Dr Lada Kordich, Professor David Sturgess, Dr Maggie Keys, Dr Gabriela Kelly, Dr Gunjeet Minhas, Dr Yasmin Whately, Dr Dale Kerr, Dr Brett Segal, Dr Ivan Rapchuk, and Dr Elizabeth Robinson.
As we celebrate the achievements of 2025, we look ahead with excitement to 2026 and the opportunity to continue this strong collaboration. Thank you for being an indispensable part of our success and for everything you do for the Queensland region.
Queensland Anaesthetic Rotational Training Scheme (QARTS)
🎉 Celebrating Our QARTS Heroes! 🎉
The 2025 QARTS interviews process has wrapped up—and what an extraordinary success they’ve been! Thanks to the dedication, professionalism, and unwavering teamwork of our incredible QARTS committee, this year’s process ran seamlessly, setting a strong foundation for the future of anaesthesia training in Queensland.
This achievement is a true testament to the outstanding individuals who contributed their time, expertise, and energy. We are proud to celebrate the remarkable leaders and supporters who made it all possible:
🌟 Special Recognition Goes To:
- QARTS Committee Chair: Dr Dale Kerr
- Northern Rotation Supervisor: Dr Alexander Cottle
- Southern Rotation Supervisors: Dr Rachel Ng, Dr Allen Hurley (outgoing), and Dr Thomas Druitt (Deputy, incoming)
- Central Rotation Supervisors: Dr Kate McCrossin and Dr Alexander Robinson (Deputy, incoming)
- Gold Coast Rotation Supervisor: Dr Leanne Ryan
- QARTS Lead Interview Coordinator: Dr Suzanne Bertrand
- QARTS Interview Coordinators: Dr Sarah Bowman and Dr Ashwini Tambe
- Queensland Education Officer: Dr Yasmin Whately
- Director of Anaesthesia 2025 Chair: Dr David Highton — for his steadfast and generous support throughout
- ACT Regional Coordinator: Kym Buckley
- VIC Regional Coordinator: Cathy O’Brien
and our phenomenal ANZCA regional staff, whose behind-the-scenes efforts keep everything running smoothly.
Together, we transformed a complex and demanding year into an inspiring success story. Your dedication ensures that our trainees are supported, our standards remain high, and our region continues to thrive.
Thank you for your incredible work—we simply couldn’t have done it without you!
Committee news
The Queensland Anaesthesia Continuing Education (ACE) Committee
The Anaesthesia Continuing Education (ACE) committee held their end of year meeting at Ovolo the Valley, on Tuesday 25 November 2025. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Sarah Bowman accompanied by a steak dinner and dessert, while reflecting on 2025 CME’s and how to improve for next year’s CME plans.
The dinner was well received and a lovely send off for those who have decided to step down from the committee this year including Dr Sarah Bowman (Chair), Dr Georgina Cameron, Dr Galina Gaidamaka, Dr Sarah Earnshaw and Dr Catherine Pease.
We’d like to thank all the ACE members for their constant support, hard work and attendance to make the CME evenings a resounding success this year. Here’s to next year being even better, with new faces joining the committee and our newly appointed co-chairs Dr Benjamin Cahill and Dr Thar Nyan Lwin.
Image - Dr Sarah Bowman (ACE Committee Chair) and Miss Cara Austin (Committee Support Officer)
Celebrating the Queensland Trainee Committee
The Queensland Regional Office proudly recognises the outstanding contributions of the 2025 Queensland Trainee Committee (QTC) for their dedication, advocacy, and leadership in supporting trainees across the state.
Co-Chairs: Dr Maggie Keys and Dr Gabriela Kelly, along with committee members Dr Lynsey Cochrane, Dr Tahlia Gentle, Dr Rosie Herrmann, Dr Sophie Moin, Dr Jessie Wang, Dr Luke Salmon, Dr San-Rene Tan, Dr Anirudh Bhardwaj, and Dr Alanna Platz, have worked tirelessly throughout the year to enhance the trainee experience. Special thanks to our Co-Chairs for their exceptional guidance and leadership.
The year concluded with a celebratory end-of-year dinner on Tuesday 11 November 2025 at The Inchcolm by Ovolo Hotels, organised by Kyle Dacer (QLD Course Coordinator) and supported by Karan Shah (QLD Regional Coordinator) and Cara Austin (QLD Events & Exams Coordinator). The private dining evening was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on achievements, celebrate successes, and enjoy each other’s company.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all 2025 QTC members their enthusiasm and dedication have left a lasting impact on Queensland trainees.
Image - Queensland trainee committee 2025 members along with Mrs Kyle Dacer (bottom left) and Mr Karan Shah (bottom right)
Events
The Queensland Anaesthesia Continuing Education (ACE) Committee
The Anaesthesia Continuing Education (ACE) committee held their end of year meeting at Ovolo the Valley, on Tuesday 25 November 2025. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Sarah Bowman accompanied by a steak dinner and dessert, while reflecting on 2025 CME’s and how to improve for next year’s CME plans.
The dinner was well received and a lovely send off for those who have decided to step down from the committee this year including Dr Sarah Bowman (Chair), Dr Georgina Cameron, Dr Galina Gaidamaka, Dr Sarah Earnshaw and Dr Catherine Pease.
We’d like to thank all the ACE members for their constant support, hard work and attendance to make the CME evenings a resounding success this year. Here’s to next year being even better, with new faces joining the committee and our newly appointed co-chairs Dr Benjamin Cahill and Dr Thar Nyan Lwin.
Queensland FPM November Evening Lecture 2025
The FPM QLD Regional Committee organised a CME evening lecture focused on basics to innovation in percutaneous therapies with special guest speaker Dr Robert Wright, held on Monday 24 November 2025, at the Ovolo Hotel in Brisbane City.
During the evening, attendees engaged in Dr Wright’s presentation, while enjoying a divine dinner and drinks, kindly sponsored by Echo Therapeutics. The attendees were very eager and asked many questions to Dr. Wright throughout the presentation from different perspectives, with pain specialists and trainees in attendance.
We again thank Echo Therapeutics for sponsoring the evening and providing dinner, their representative Ms Samar Abi spoke about the benefits of their services with fellows and trainees, which was positively received.
Special thanks go to Dr Gunjeet Minhas for facilitating the event, as well as Dr Robert Wright for generously sharing his time and insights on his work.
Courses
Primary exam refresher course (PERC)
The second Primary Exam Refresher Course for 2025 was held from Monday 17 to Friday 21 November at the QLD Regional Office in West End, welcoming an impressive cohort of 36 candidates. Led by the ever-passionate course convenor, Dr Anthony Hade, the week offered an energising and immersive learning experience featuring daily SAQ “bootcamp” sessions, dynamic lectures, and a final mock SAQ exam to culminate the program.
Dr Hade once again brought his trademark enthusiasm, humour, and dedication to teaching, creating a motivating and memorable atmosphere throughout the week. Trainee highlights included the intensive SAQ bootcamp, a lively and interactive gameshow-style learning activity complete with prizes such as coffee vouchers, chocolates, and books, and the much-anticipated grand finale followed by the mock SAQ.
The week concluded with a celebratory gathering at Good Good Café, marking the moment trainees sent off their SAQs to be scanned and reviewed by our exceptional team of mock examiners.
The course received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with participants praising both the academic content and the engaging delivery. One trainee noted, “Great venue, engaging presenters, exam-focused lectures, and a good breakdown of topics.” Another appreciated the clarity brought to challenging concepts: “They went through misconceptions and made the graphs make more sense.” Others highlighted the practical value: “It was so helpful to see how to approach the equipment study,” and “The maternal–foetal physiology and pharmacology practice structures were incredibly useful.”
A heartfelt thank you to our convenor, Dr Anthony Hade, along with the 21 presenters and 12 mock SAQ examiners who generously contributed their time, expertise, and enthusiasm. Your collective commitment continues to elevate this course and support candidates on their journey to success.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to our sponsors, Mr Tony Friend and Mr Michael Pignat from Avant, for their generous support. Their contribution plays a vital role in enabling high-quality educational experiences like this one, and we are deeply grateful for their ongoing partnership.
Primary Practice VIVA Course
Honouring Dr Joyce Leung’s Outstanding Contribution
The QLD Regional Office proudly recognises Dr Joyce Leung for her remarkable leadership and dedication as Convenor of the QLD Primary Practice VIVA Course. Since 2023, Dr Leung has generously volunteered her time and expertise, guiding and inspiring Primary Exam trainees through one of the most challenging stages of their exam journey.
Over the past two years, she has transformed the VIVA preparation experience in Queensland, bringing structure, clarity, and encouragement to every session. Many trainees credit her guidance as a cornerstone of their success, and the course she developed has become a trusted and valued resource that will benefit candidates for years to come.
As Dr Leung steps down, we are delighted to welcome Dr Lynsey Cochrane, who will carry forward the program and build on the strong foundation Joyce has established. Her passion for education and commitment to trainee success will ensure the course continues to thrive.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr Joyce Leung for her exceptional service, vision, and leadership. Her contribution to Queensland primary exam trainees has been truly outstanding, and her legacy will continue to inspire.
Primary Viva Weekend Course
Queensland primary weekend viva course was held at ANZCA QLD regional office on the Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October with 10-12 candidates each day and 6 to 8 examiners rotating across 5-6 viva stations throughout the day.
The course was a success with convenor Dr Anoop Jain. All candidates enjoyed the opportunities to answer the questions and observe others answering to get as much feedback as possible. Some of the topics discussed were fentanyl, preoxygenation, intermittent positive pressure ventilation & capnograms.
Overall, the weekend was a success, and all candidates gained sound knowledge and experience to perform their primary viva exam.
Special thank you, Dr John Jones, Dr Jerry Qian, Dr Gamini Wijerathne and Dr Sarah Bowman, for giving away their time.
Upcoming courses and events
Upcoming courses
Queensland Introduction to Anaesthesia Course 2026
Queensland primary lecture program series 1, 2026
Queensland final exam refresher course 1, 2026
Upcoming ACE events
25 March 2026 – “Case Base Discussion”
17-19 July 2026 – Annual Meeting (ACE Conference)
Cultural Awareness Lecture Evening 2026 - date to be confirmed
Save the date (tentative)
Queensland FPM CME - 16 February 2026 - Topic to be confirmed
Qld directory
West End Corporate Park, River Tower, 20 Pidgeon Close, West End QLD 4101
+61 7 3846 1233
The Queensland Regional Committee is an elected body that acts as a conduit between fellows and trainees in the Queensland region and the ANZCA Council to which they report.
The Queensland Trainee Committee is an elected body that acts as a conduit between fellows and trainees in the Queensland region and the ANZCA Council to which they report.
The FPM QRC is an elected body that acts as a conduit between fellows and trainees in the Queensland region, and the FPM Board to which they report.