Police were called to an extraordinary general meeting of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) in Sydney last week, as rival leaders clashed over control of one of Australia’s oldest medical colleges. The meeting, held on the 27th floor of a building overlooking Sydney Harbour, was convened to vote on the removal of President Prof Jennifer Martin five weeks before her term was due to end.
The conflict centres on a push for constitutional reform to separate the roles of president and board chair, advocated by President-elect Dr Sharmila Chandran. The board, composed of volunteer directors, has been plagued by months of infighting, described by frustrated physicians as “a royal mess”, “an absolute shitshow”, and “a trainwreck in slow motion”. The dispute culminated in a request for intervention by the national charities regulator.
At the meeting, a disagreement arose over who would chair the proceedings. Martin sought to chair as president, but Chandran argued it was inappropriate given the motion concerned Martin’s removal. The board alleged Chandran “spoke over the chair and did not stop” and continued the meeting in a separate room, excluding Martin, the CEO, and others. Chandran said she felt intimidated and her husband called the police. NSW police attended but determined no crime had been committed.
Of the 32,000 RACP members, only 4,260 voted, with a majority (2,179) in favour of ousting Martin. However, the board declared the vote invalid, stating it was not properly scrutineered and that Martin remains chair. Chandran countered that the board’s statement was unauthorised. By Wednesday evening, Martin had been removed as a director in documents lodged with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
The RACP, which represents physicians across 33 specialties in Australia and New Zealand, requires trainees to pay thousands in annual fees. The turmoil highlights deeper cultural problems within medicine, according to observers.
