AMC appoints Chair-elect of the Medical School Accreditation Committee

The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of AMC Director Professor Eleanor Milligan as Chair-elect of the Medical School Accreditation Committee (MedSAC). The appointment will take effect from 25 November 2022, on the conclusion of the term of the current Chair, Professor Geoff McColl. As Chair, Professor Milligan will remain a Director and a Member of the AMC.

MedSAC is a standing committee of the AMC which oversees the assessment and accreditation of primary medical programs delivered by Australian and New Zealand medical schools. It advises on accreditation standards and policy, makes recommendations concerning the accreditation of programs and providers, monitors programs and providers once accredited, and contributes to the review and improvement of medical education in Australia and New Zealand. The Committee reports to the AMC Directors.

Professor Milligan has a strong history with the AMC, serving as an AMC Member since 2014 and as a Council-elected Director since 2016. In that role she has served on several AMC committees, including the Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee and on the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Strategy Committee.

Professor Milligan is currently Professor of Ethics and Professional Practice, at Griffith University’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, Chairing both their Human Research Ethics Committee and Student Misconduct Committee. She is also a current serving Board Member of the Medical Board of Australia (Queensland), the North West Hospital and Health Board and is a Member of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Australian Health Ethics Committee.

She has a multidisciplinary academic background in Humanities (PhD – Applied Ethics, BA-Hons 1st – Ethics), Education (Grad Dip Ed) and Biomedical Science (BSc-Microbiology/Biochemistry), Fellowship of the Australian College of Health Service Mangers (FCHSM CHE) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAID).

AMC President, Professor Kate Leslie AO, said the AMC Directors were very attracted to the experience that Eleanor would bring to the Committee.

“Professor Milligan brings to the role a connected, strategic and practical understanding of health practitioner education and accreditation, regulation, healthcare ethics, health service governance, and community experience. This is underpinned by her experience at the AMC and her comprehensive knowledge of its multifaceted work and strategic objectives.

“Professor Milligan has a robust understanding of the impact that the Medical School Standards will have on cultural safe practices and a strong commitment to ensuring that these meet the expectations of the community, the AMC and its stakeholders, while providing a clear and supportable way forward to medical schools. In her work, she has sought to create a culture of continuous improvement and a robust community of medical education practice in Australia and New Zealand and I’m sure this will continue in her new role as Chair of MedSAC.

“The AMC Directors are confident that Professor Milligan will successfully steer in the Committee through the implementation of the revised Standards and its continuing areas of business.”

For further information contact:

Professor Kate Leslie AO FAHMS
President, AMC
president@amc.org.au
Phone 02 6270 9783