A/Prof David Francis

The Australasian College of Dermatologists has launched a Strategic Plan for 2020 – 2023 with four key priorities of ‘Represent, Lead, Deliver and Innovate’.

College President Associate Professor David Francis says the plan’s four key areas were identified by the Board of Directors and Fellows from around Australia as a way of maintaining the College as the peak professional body and leading advocates for skin health in Australia

“This Plan marks a new era for our College, building upon a range of achievements over the last five years. We have continued to deliver our excellent training program, graduating 78 new Fellows between 2015 and 2019, growing the specialist workforce and helping to improve access to dermatology care across Australia.,” he writes in the Plan’s foreword.

“We have made considerable progress in our educational offerings, our government and community advocacy efforts and our member services. We strive for continual improvement to ensure that the education and training we provide best meets the needs of our patients, who remain at the core of everything we do as a professional organisation and as medical practitioners.”

The four new priorities are:

1. To be the representative voice for our members, their patients and our communities on any skin health matter, and to set the clinical and policy agenda in skin health in Australia.
2. To be the unifying leader in skin health education and training for specialist dermatologists, other health professionals, students, communities and patients.
3. To deliver responsive and quality services which will support members to work effectively and collaboratively at each stage of their career progression.
4. To be the driving force for dermatological research and innovation in Australia.

The plan supersedes the College’s 2015-2019 Strategic Plan which saw achievements such as public health campaigns on skin health, numerous policy submissions to government, and the development of post-fellowship education programs for dermatologists and specialist-led courses for GPs.