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Text on screen: Panel members are highly experienced medical practitioners from a range of specialities.
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Text on screen: Dr Leanne Rowe, Presiding Member Medical Panels Victoria, General Practitioner
Leanne: I've been a part of Medical Panels for over 6 years now, and over that time I've done hundreds of cases.
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I have to admit that I was a little reluctant initially,
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because I thought it would be overly administrative.
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But when I did the training, I quickly realised that it was a great opportunity to
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meet with lots of lots of different specialists together we will discuss a case after the interview.
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And I'm always learning. My clinical skills couldn't be stronger at this point of my career which I find really rewarding.
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Text on screen: Panel members receive ongoing development and training opportunuities.
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Text on screen: Gary Speck, Panel Member Medical Panels Victoria, Orthopaedic Surgeon
Gary: I first started doing Medical Panels back in 1990.
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I thought it was a useful area to put my expertise to use.
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It's outside my general orthopaedic practice and it allows me to use my brain in a different way.
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And so we've got the extra input of having a legal process,
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having to deal with documents and come up with reasoning to show,
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you get to a conclusion thats logical.
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Text on screen: Medical Panel members may be eligible for continuing professional development points.
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There is opportunity to increase their knowledge of
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the interchange between medicine and law, and the
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adherence to the principles, the fundamental philosophy and principles of natural justice.
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Leanne I think working at Medical Panels is very rewarding and I would recommend that people
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join Medical Panels if they are at a stage of their career,
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where they perhaps got a little bit of time, where they want to diversify their skills.
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However, I would say that it's important to have very strong communication and clinical skills to be an effective panels member.
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Obviously the skills that are required are not only the clinical expertise,
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which is what we look for initially, but also the capacity to be able to
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work with other doctors, and be able to come to a concensus opinion.
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Text on screen: Being a panel member has a range of benefits.
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Gary: It allows you to put back to the community
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and the community, both the medical community and the patients.
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So that the patients can feel that they have been seen by people that are knowledgable,
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interested in them and your fellow colleagues can feel that,
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their case has been put to a group of people who are actually their peers,
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and are able to give a good answer as to whether treatment is appropriate,
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whether the persons got work capacity and so on.
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Leanne It gives you a different experience, but it allows you to
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use all of those skills that you've developed over your clinical career.
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And to use them in a very positive way.
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Overwhelmingly, Medical Practitioners who are part of Medical Panels find the work,
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enjoyable. It is a very satisfying role, both intellectually and as part of their medical practice.
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