Australasian College of Tropical Medicine

The Australasian College of Tropical Medicine (ACTM) is an Australasian medical association.

It was founded on 29 May 1991 at a meeting of 10 interested clinicians, scientists and researchers at the Anton Breinl Centre in Townsville, Australia.[1] Professor Peter A. Leggat, the College's Inaugural Honorary Secretary (1991–96), and Professor Rick Speare, the College's Inaugural President (1991–96), are generally acknowledged as the founder and co-founder of the College, respectively. Rick Speare passed the presidency on to Professor Peter A. Leggat (1996–98), who went on to serve a further two terms as President (2002–04 and 2006–08). Other presidents of the College have included Professor John M. Goldsmid (1998–2000), Dr. John L. Heydon (2000–02), Dr. Ken D. Winkel (2004–06), Associate Professor Tim Inglis (2008–10), and Associate Professor David Porter (2010–12).

Since that time, more than 600 of the most distinguished clinicians, scientists and researchers in the field of tropical medicine coming from more than 30 countries have become Fellows, Members, Associates or Affiliates of the College. It has become the preeminent professional organisation in tropical medicine in the Australasian region. Formerly, The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTM&H) was the only professional organisation representing the professional interests of those working in tropical medicine in Australasia. The RSTM&H still has approximately 100 members in Australasia and the ACTM and the RSTM&H have co-hosted joint activities in recent years, including a joint Scientific Meeting in 1997 and the RSTM&H Centennial Lecture series commemorating the Centenary of the RSTM&H in 2007 and the Centenary of Tropical Medicine in Australia in 2010. The ACTM is affiliated with the International Federation for Tropical Medicine (IFTM)[2] and now represents member organisations of the IFTM in Australia.

Aims of the College

The College is committed to the development of tropical medicine and is working with professionals to help manage the global burden of tropical disease and injury through networking, research and development.

The Aims of the College are to:[3]

  • Encourage continuing education and the exchange of knowledge in tropical medicine;
  • Collaborate with other organisations in conducting activities of mutual concern, interest and direction in tropical medicine;
  • Promote research in tropical medicine;
  • Strive for professionalism and competence among its members and those specialising in and entering into the field of tropical medicine; and
  • Maintain a historical collection of items relevant to the development of tropical medicine in Australasia.

Today the ACTM is a multi-disciplinary College, which incorporates a Faculty of Travel Medicine (FTM),[4] a Joint Faculty of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine (see Wilderness medicine) with the Faculty of Travel Medicine, and Standing Committees on Medical Parasitology and Zoonotic Diseases, Publications, Toxinology and Disaster Health, as well as dealing with its core business of tropical medicine. The current Chair of the Faculty of Travel Medicine is Dr. Matthew Klein. The current Chairs of the Standing Committees on Medical Parasitology and Zoonoses, Toxinology, Disaster Health and Publications are Dr. Richard Bradbury, Dr. Ken D. Winkel, Dr. Vlas Efstathis and Professor Derek R. Smith, respectively. The Foundation Chairperson of the Faculty of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine is Associate Professor Marc Shaw.

Membership

Applications for membership of the ACTM and the FTM (and its Joint Faculty) are evaluated on the basis of the applicant's academic and professional qualifications, experience and contributions to tropical medicine or a related field, usually by way of publications, but other contributions are also considered. Applicants for membership of the FTM (and its Joint Faculty of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine) may also have a pass in a relevant examination in travel medicine considered. Applications are made on prescribed membership application forms, which can be obtained from the ACTM Secretariat. The ACTM Secretriat is based at AMA House in Brisbane, Australia.

Fellows, Members and Associates of the ACTM are entitled to use the post-nominal letters FACTM, MACTM and AACTM, respectively. Honorary Fellows and Members of the College are entitled to use the postnominal letters Hon. FACTM and Hon. MACTM, respectively. Notable Honorary Fellows of the College include Frank Fenner, Fred Hollows, and Struan Sutherland. Notable Honorary Members of the College include the Anton Breinl Centre, the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and the World Safety Organization.

Fellows, Associate Fellows and Members of the FTM are entitled to use the postnominal letters FFTM ACTM, AFFTM ACTM and MFTM ACTM, respectively. Honorary Fellows and Members of the FTM are entitled to use the postnominal letters Hon. FFTM ACTM and Hon. MFTM ACTM, respectively.

New members may receive their College testamurs at a Convocation of the College. The first Convocation was held in 1994 and Convocation XX was held in 2008. College awards and honours are also presented at these Convocations, usually held during a Scientific Meeting of the College.

References
  1. Leggat PA. Leading Article: A college of tropical medicine for Australasia. Medical Journal of Australia. 1992; 157: 222–223.
  2. International Federation for Tropical Medicine. Member Societies. URL. IFTM Website Archived 16 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Leggat PA, Winkel KN. Professional Organisation Profile: The Australasian College of Tropical Medicine. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2005; 3: 39–41.
  4. Leggat PA, Klein M. Professional Organisation Profile: The Australasian Faculty of Travel Medicine. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease. 2004; 2: 47–49.
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