Members of the college responsible for the training of Australia’s specialist doctors are threatening to walk out.
Hundreds of members of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians forced an extraordinary general meeting to deal with concerns management is not accountable, transparent or democratic.
Concerned member Professor Paul Komesaroff said the meeting’s result would be of public importance.
“This is an important issue for all Australians because many people are indeed patients of specialist physicians and the health of the college of physicians may well affect the quality of medical services that are available in Australia,” he said.
Professor Komesaroff is one of the members and fellows who have requisitioned the college with a demand for more democracy, transparency and consultation.
The resulting general meeting will be held next month to address the concerns of about 400 of its 22,000 members to an estimated cost of $100,000.
The announcement came just one month after the college’s annual general meeting, but Mr Komesaroff said the dissent was significant.
“The board meets in secret, the minutes of the board are not available,” he said.
“We’re denied even knowledge of the salary of the CEO, the results of the elections for the president are concealed from the members and so on.”
“What we need now is to introduce structural changes.”
Mr Komesaroff wants members to be involved in the day-to-day working of the society and to collectively share ideas and develop skills and expertise.
College president Professor Nick Talley highlighted the board’s view that the proposals should be voted down because they would undermine the college’s proper functioning, in a letter to members.
Professor Talley was not available for an interview.
The extraordinary general meeting will be held on July 9 at the College Education Centre in Sydney.