Endocrinologist numbers increase revealed by AHPRA
The endocrinologist workforce has grown by an additional 197 physicians over the last five years, with 856 medical practitioners now registered in the specialist physician category of endocrinology field of practice, according to the latest statistics on medical registration released by AHPRA.
The figures show that numbers of endocrinologists have increased from 659 registered in 2016.
As well as the adult medicine endocrinologists there are also 57 specialists in paediatric endocrinology field of practice.
The locations of practice of endocrinologists include 14 in the ACT, 280 in NSW, 11 in the Northern Territory, 150 in Queensland, 48 in South Australia, 18 in Tasmania, 256 in Victoria, and 67 in WA.
Overall, there are 130,476 registered medical practitioners in total in Australia, and 11,114 practitioners registered as specialists.
Adding muscle to fracture risk prediction
Muscle strength and performance measurements improve fracture risk prediction in men beyond Garvan and FRAX and should be considered for inclusion in fracture risk assessment tools.
US data from 5,665 community-dwelling men aged ≥ 65 years in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study found worse muscle strength and physical performance were associated with increased any, major osteoprotoic fracture (MOF), initial hip, and any hip fracture risk, over and above the established risk factors
“Each one SD weaker (8.5kg decrease) grip strength, one SD slower (0.24m/s decrease) gait, and one SD longer (1.3s increase) chair stand time were associated with increased risk of any fracture (HRs ranged from 1.11 to 1.20) and MOF (HRs 1.14 to 1.27),” the study said.
The study found muscle strength and performance were as or more important than other established risk factors in the fracture risk tools.
“Adding muscle strength and physical performance measurements improved prediction of all fracture outcomes.”
Read more in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research
Specialty training colleges’ ‘dirty secret’
Training colleges, consultants, and hospital executives have been blamed for enabling ongoing abuse and overwork of registrars, in an article about speciality training written by an anonymous junior doctor deploring what they describe as medicine’s ‘dirty secret’.
Published in mainstream newspapers this week, the article entitled ‘Distressed doctors don’t bend, so they break’ describes a training regime that encourages mental distress and suicide among registrars who are given a heavy workload and responsibilities but no support from senior doctors or management.
“They are the first to arrive at the hospital and the last to leave. You are told not to make waves, to keep your head down, to get through it. You are often working unsupervised with vast responsibilities and unsupportive distant supervisors. The less you complain, the more you’re willing to endure, the more attractive and hireable you become. Troublemakers do not get hired,” it says.
The article says the current approach by training colleges is flawed because “the focus has been on coping with abuse rather than ending abuse.”
“The medical fraternity needs to host a meaningful discussion about how to fix our training system to provide more support for doctors and improve their wellbeing. Workload is an issue but the crux of the problem is the lack of support from those in authority,” it concludes.