Are Disgraced Doctors Still Okay with ACCS ?

Disgraced; Dr Michael Zacharia

Disgraced; Dr Joseph Tiong

The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS) ardently seeks in its publications to convey the idea, that it views the interests, of cosmetic medical consumers, as paramount to its concerns

However I note that two conditionally registered doctors who have both been prosecuted and found guilty, by the medical authorities, of a variety of non-trivial medical infractions, continue to be listed as members of the ACCS.

I speak of course, of Dr Joseph Tiong, and of Dr Michael Zacharia who is also a former president and a former secretary of the ACCS.

In my opinion, if the ACCS is to warrant a perception of it, as a body that is unquestionably devoted to the interests of consumers, it should not, for one thing, allow membership for conditionally registered doctors.

I believe most consumers or intending consumers of cosmetic medicine would agree with me on that.

My blog readers are reminded that training and awards offered by the ACCS are not recognised or accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC).

The ACCS is a wholly private organisation.

The ACCS currently has an application before the AMC which is receiving a lot of strong opposition from the Royal Australian College of Surgeons, the Australian Heath Ministers' Advisory Council, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons.

In 2009 Dr Tiong made an individual submission to the AMC in support of the ACCS's application, as did many other individual doctors who are members of the ACCC.

In his submission, which clearly reveals his limited command of the English language, Dr Tiong stated the following amongst other things-

"By no mean ACCS is perfect and there are lots of work to be done to raise the standard and regulate the practitioners. On the other hand they are many good descent doctors in the College who can contribute to the Australian Society in a long term if they were given a chance to prove themselves."

To read Dr Tiong's submission in full click here

 

Royal Australian College of Surgeons Opposes ACCS Application

The Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) has opposed the ACCS application to the AMC.

Click here to read more-

Royal Australian Society of General Practitioners Opposes ACCS Application

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) opposes the ACCS's application to the AMC.

Click here to read its opposing submission-

Health Ministers' Advisory Council Opposes ACCS Application

The ACCS application to the AMC is opposed by the advisory council to Australia's health ministers.
Click here to read

Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons Opposes ACCS Application.

The ACCS application to the AMC has been opposed by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Click here to read more

ACCS Not Recognised or Accredited!

I am often contacted by confused intending consumers of cosmetic surgery who want to know about the standing of training that is provided by a private organisation which calls itself the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS).

Doctors who adhere to this group are mostly GP’s who seek to perform cosmetic surgery.

In an attempt to dispel some of the confusion, and to address some of the pertinent questions properly, and especially as I am not qualified myself to assess the worth of medical training provided by the ACCS, I have written to the Australian Medical Council (AMC) about the ACCS, and issues pertaining to accreditation and recognition in cosmetic surgery, for greater clarity on this matter. (See copies of the correspondence concerned below)

This is what I have surmised as a result of the exercise-

• Medical training in cosmetic surgery provided by the ACCS is not recognised by the AMC, which is the only body nationally, that is authorised to accredit medical training programs on behalf of the Australian Government.
• Therefore if a doctor tells you he is accredited by the ACCS, you need to bear in mind that this accreditation, does not in turn enjoy the backing of the AMC.
• Further to this, cosmetic surgery is not a recognised specialty. So if a doctor says he/she is a ‘specialist in cosmetic surgery’, that is not true in the formal sense, since cosmetic surgery is not a recognised specialty.

Click here to learn about the differences between Plastic Surgeons, and 'cosmetic surgeons'.

The ACCS currently has an application for recognition of cosmetic surgery as a specialty in progress with the AMC.

To read submissions for and against this proposal click here.


Dr Michael Zacharia (left) a founding member of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS), and currently a conditionally registered doctor, appears to be handing an ACCS award to a colleague. ACCS awards are not accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC).

This is the email I sent to the AMC
From: Deidre Nolan [mailto:deidre.nolan@yahoo.com.au]
Sent: Monday, 5 July 2010 4:33 PM
To: Australian Medical Council
Subject: Accreditation and Recognition
To whom it may concern,
Could you please assist me with the following inquiries?
1) Besides the AMC, what other body is authorised to recognise medical specialties or accredit medical training programs on behalf of the Australian Government?
2) Does the AMC currently recognise cosmetic surgery as a medical specialty?
3) Does the AMC currently accredit any training programs provided by The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery?
Thank you for helping me with these matters.
Yours sincerely
Deidre Nolan.

This is the response I received from the AMC

Tue, 3 August, 2010 5:13:12 PM

Accreditation and Recognition – Australian Medical Council

From:	AMC Recognition recognition@amc.org.au
To:	deidre.nolan@yahoo.com.au

Dear Deidre,
Thank you for your enquiry concerning the recognition and accreditation of medical specialties. Responses to your questions are provided below:
1) Besides the AMC, what other body is authorised to recognise medical specialties or accredit medical training programs on behalf of the Australian Government?
The AMC is the national standards body for medical education and training in Australia . The AMC is the sole accrediting authority for Australian and New Zealand medical schools and medical courses and Australian/ Australasian programs of specialist medical training. The AMC is also responsible for providing advice to the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing on the recognition of medical specialties.
Note at no stage is the AMC authorised to make a decision concerning the recognition of a medical specialty, the decision to recognise a medical specialty is currently made by the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing.
As you may be aware, Australia ’s new national registration and accreditation scheme commenced on 1 July 2010. From this date, a new National Law (the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act 2009) will come into effect and the 10 health professions (which include medicine) will be regulated by nationally consistent legislation. As a result the Medical Board of Australia will now also be responsible for providing advice to the Ministers on the recognition of medical specialties for the purposes of registration. The Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing will continue to have responsibilities for decisions in relation to recognition for Medicare purposes.
2) Does the AMC currently recognise cosmetic surgery as a medical specialty?
Cosmetic Surgery is not listed on either the AMC managed List of Australian Recognised Medical Specialties (http://www.amc.org.au/images/Recognition/AMC-list-of-specialties.pdf) or the Medical Board of Australia’s List of Specialties, fields of specialty practice, and related specialist titles (http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/en/Registration-Standards.aspx), therefore Cosmetic Surgery is not recognised as a medical specialty.
3) Does the AMC currently accredit any training programs provided by The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery?
The AMC does not currently accredit any training programs of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery. The AMC accredits training programs in recognised medical specialties.
The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS) has applied for recognition of cosmetic medical practice as a medical specialty. The AMC has begun its detailed assessment of the case for recognition of cosmetic medical practice as a medical specialty. As the assessment is ongoing the AMC makes no comment on the advice it may provide regarding the assessment of the case for recognition of cosmetic medical practice as a medical specialty. The AMC anticipates that it will complete Stage 1 of the assessment and provide advice to the Minister by early 2011.
The recognition process is described in detail in The Recognition of Medical Specialties: Policy and Process available at: http://www.amc.org.au/images/Recognition/recognition-guidelines.pdf

Stacey Yeats

Research & Policy Officer

Australian Medical Council

Level 3, 11 Lancaster Place

Majura Park, ACT 2609

I hope this addresses your questions. Should you have any further queries regarding the AMC recognition processes please email: recognition@amc.org.au.
 

Opinion;Disgraced,Convicted Doctor- Joseph Tiong

Disgraced; Dr Tiong

Despite his current professionally disgraced condition, at one of his own websites, the following is being stated in relation to how great Dr Tiong really is-

"What separates our certified and experienced cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Joseph Tiong, from any other cosmetic surgeon is his ability to enhance natural beauty and subtly improve appearance. His combination of surgical artistry, advanced technology and sensitivity to a patient’s individual needs has established new standards of excellence in cosmetic surgery in Sydney."

The clear implication of this, and other similar assertions, on his websites, is that, he, Dr Tiong, is an absolute supremo and a total world-beater in the field of cosmetic surgery! No other cosmetic surgeon is quite as marvelous as him!

If this unverifiable slush makes you cringe, and feel a little bit sick, spare a thought for the likely feelings of the woman he has disfigured with the botched breast lift surgery, that he performed on her helpless, anaesthetised body, in the absence of her properly informed consent!

I wonder what she thinks of these golden claims about his 'surgical artistry' and his 'sensitivity to individual needs'!

It's surely got to hurt in her position, and I for one, certainly couldn't find any expressions of apology or regret concerning the tragic outcome he's caused for this person, amidst all the rather unrestrained puffery, at Joey Tiong's websites.

So it seems to me, that Dr Tiong's Medical Tribunal ordered re-training in medical ethics, really can't come soon enough!

It's not as if Dr Tiong is claiming that he's suffered a 'bum wrap' regarding the HCCC's prosecution, and in which he has been found to have been guilty of serious misconduct in relation to this patient- in fact- he actually made various admissions, illustrating the same- so in these circumstances, I have to say, why doesn't this man quit already, with the unseemly self aggrandisements, and demonstrate a little bit of decent public remorse on his websites, and maybe go and do some charity work or something, while he takes a really good look at himself.

Click on the link for the details of the full decision arising from the HCCC prosecution of the not so great Dr Tat Kong Joseph Tiong.

Despite his conditional registration, Dr Tiong is still listed as a member of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS).

Training and awards provided by the ACCS are not recognised or accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC).

Dr Joseph Tiong; Prosecuted & Found Guilty!

Dr Joseph Tiong;Guilty! 

Dr Joseph Tiong, a self-styled cosmetic surgeon, has been prosecuted by the NSW medical authorities and found to be guilty of failing to provide a patient with informed consent to a breast lift operation that actually resulted in the unfortunate woman's permanent deformity.

Details of the prosecution, its findings and disciplinary decisions, are available to the general public at the website of the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC). Click here to view.

Dr Tiong is a member of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCC), a private medical organisation.

Training and awards offered by the ACCC are not accredited or recognised by the Australian Medical Council (AMC).

The AMC is the only body nationally, with the authority to endorse the training and awards provided by private medical colleges on behalf of the Australian commonwealth.

Amongst other things, Dr Tiong has now been restricted from the practise of cosmetic surgery for six months, and ordered to undergo training in medical ethics.

Read the Sydney Morning Herald story about Dr Tiong's prosecution.

Click here for further comment about Dr Tiong.

Dr Tiong practises in the Sydney CBD and at Kariong on the Central Coast.

He has no AMC accredited qualifications above GP status.

It continues to be legal, albeit controversially to many, for GPs, in NSW, and other states, to practise cosmetic surgery, and call themselves cosmetic surgeons.

Click here to learn about the many possible differences between Plastic Surgeons, who are recognised by the AMC as bone fide medical specialists, and so called 'cosmetic surgeons' who are often just GPs.

Dr Michael Zacharia - Authorities Take Action!

For the protection of patients the Queensland and NSW medical boards have imposed a range of conditions and restrictions on the registration of Dr Michael Zacharia, celebrity surgeon. These relate to the possession and administration of 'anti-aging' medications.

Dr Zac as he likes to be known, is familiar to viewers of the 'Kerri Anne Show'.

Dr Zac is a qualified ENT specialist and a self styled cosmetic surgeon, not to mention a very active businessman, who regards himself as a leader in anti-aging medicine.

Amongst other things, he is associated with the Esteem cosmetic clinics in Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane, the About Face studio in Sydney and the Bondi Junction Private Hospital. Dr Zac is also immediate past president of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and is its current secretary.

To check any up to date details of Dr Zacharia's conditional registration, contact the Queensland and NSW medical boards.

Call to Stop the GP Infiltration of Cosmetic Surgery- Dr Gordon Moyes MLC

In the wake of the disturbing findings of the recent CHOICE report on the practices of 30 Sydney and Brisbane cosmetic surgeons,The Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes MLC has called for GP's to be excluded from the practice of cosmetic surgery, and stated his view that Plastic Surgeons are the medics who are best placed to perform this kind of surgery.

It is legal albeit highly controversial for GP's to describe themselves as cosmetic surgeons, and wield the knife in the practice of cosmetic surgery and in a lucrative industry, many do!

Plastic Surgeons have 7 to 10 years of properly accredited specialist training further to their basic GP qualification.

Dr Moyes says that problems in cosmetic surgery are further compounded by false and misleading advertising in the industry which is under regulated, and that women and girls are being placed tragically at risk in these circumstances.

Bravo Dr Moyes!

Click here to read

'Deidre Nolan v Dr Anoop Rastogi' in the Media.

The Sydney Morning Herald has picked up on Dr Anoop Rastogi's Supreme Court proceedings against me. Now we're both famous!

Click here to read

Ongoing Activism Despite Injunction!

Dr Anoop Rastogi's legal actions against me are an ongoing strain, and I've been as sick as! But a bit of an injunction and an illness doesn't keep a good woman down!

I'm still blogging as you can see and I now have the deidrenolan YouTube channel.

Click now to get informed about issues in cosmetic surgery.

And another thing don't forget to tell me your stories! I answer all emails and I'm happy to hear about your complaints and make representations on your behalf to parliaments or other entities in respect of concerns either about particular surgeons or issues in cosmetic surgery generally speaking. That's what I do, so don't be shy to ask!

Regards Deidre

Cosmetic Underbelly! Appalling Practices Exposed in Secret CHOICE Survey!

Do we have a dangerous breed of quacks on the loose in cosmetic surgery?

The utterly irregulated state of the industry would certainly seem to favour the liklihood.

Read the disturbing findings of a recent undercover investigation of 'cosmetic surgeons' practising in Brisbane and Sydney, which has been conducted by the highly respected CHOICE consumer group, in conjunction with the assistance of Plastic Surgeons from the highly respected Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons.

Click here

The Ups and Downs of Dr Martyn Mendelsohn- Another Colourful Identity in the Annals of Cosmetic Surgery!

Dr Martyn Mendelsohn

High profile medic Dr Martyn Mendelsohn 50, has told the NSW Medical Tribunal that he has allowed a 22 year old patient to perform oral sex on him his Sydney rooms, during the course of an after hours appointment where he gave her a 'nose job' without the presence or assistance of other personnel.

Oddly enough, now its his turn to go down!

Dr Mendelsohn has been struck from the medical register for the next 2 years, not only for being too sexy for his scalpel, but also for failing to properly assess and monitor the health of the woman concerned.

Dr Mendelsohn has a not unimpressive medical resume, and originally came to public prominence for his TV appearances on Good Medicine and RPA.

Unfortunately this is not the first time the good doctor's been in a spot of bother over allegations about his penis finding its way into the mouth of a patient under his care.

However allegations of sexual assault which have been made to police, have been denied by Mendelsohn, and have not resulted in successful criminal prosecutions.

Click below to read more.

Celebrity Doctor on Rape Charge. By Natasha Wallace

Celeb Doctor Sex Assault Charge Dropped

Celebrity Doctor Tells of Oral Sex in Surgery. By Harriet Alexander

A Blowjob for a Nose Job

Doctor Had Oral Sex With Nose-Job Patient. By Lauren Wilson

RPA TV Doctor 'crossed boundary'. By Kim Arlington

Doctor Struck Off After Oral Sex with Patient

Cosmetic Surgery Regulation

Every now and then, the NSW Government makes a show of itself giving lip service to the idea of strict regulation in cosmetic surgery. I for one really object to this as it is not sincere as far as I can see, and tends to give prospective consumers a false sense of security when venturing into this field.

Recently, the NSW Government has been banging on about the need for truth in advertising in cosmetic surgery. And if you were to take the lip service to heart you might think that regulation was so stringent that no doctor would dare to indulge in the practice of false and misleading advertising to pump up his/her business prospects

You might think that fundamentally, we do have truth in advertising where cosmetic surgery is concerned, when in fact that is far from the truth of the matter, with examples of advertising and promotions that flout the ‘stringent regulations’ being plentiful and easy to find,when you know what to look for.

Basically the ‘stringent rules’ appear to be a government showpiece designed to cover up for the lack of any real and effective regulation in this area. That's certainly my view.

I’m not ‘buying it’ and neither should you! The ‘stringent rules’ are not there to protect you and me they’re there to protect the government’s backside.

That's a disgrace in and of itself ofcourse, and all the more so, because it tends to give prospective consumers the very false idea that they can relax because they are already safe and protected, and dealing with practitioners in a heavily scrutinised industry, and therefore their existence, actually seems to contribute further to the possibility or likelihood that consumers will come to harm, due to the promotion of an unwarranted sense of security, which is a dangerous thing to have, in what is in fact an essentially unregulated industry.

Consumers cannot afford to take a relaxed and trusting approach in this industry, a list of regulations without constant monitoring and scrutiny of actual activity in the industry, along with unfailing enforcement of penalties for breaches, doesn’t protect consumers from anything, and this cynical, irresponsible government knows it!

I think the government will probably continue to obfuscate in this area unless more pressure can be brought to bear upon it, and that means that media support is required, to give victims of this industry a voice.

Fortunately a few politicians in the NSW Parliament are conscious of the problems and dangers in cosmetic surgery and are willing to help.

I urge anyone, especially any victim of any kind of abuse, or other unsatisfactory treatment in cosmetic surgery, who believes that women and girls should be protected from danger and exploitation in this industry to write to media and the following politicians to give them your support and encouragement in this matter.


Ms Lee Rhiannon
Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
The Greens
Phone (02) 9230 3551 Fax (02) 9230 3550 lee.rhiannon@parliament.nsw.gov.au


Reverend the Hon. Dr Gordon Moyes
Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) member
Phone (02) 9230 3340 Fax (02) 9230 2132 gordon.moyes@parliament.nsw.gov.au


Reverend the Hon. Fred Nile
Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Christian Democratic Party (Fred Nile Group) Assistant President
Phone (02) 9230 2478 Fax (02) 9230 2098 F.Nile@parliament.nsw.gov.au


The Hon. Michael Veitch
Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Deputy Government Whip in the Legislative Council Australian
Labor Party member
Phone (02) 9230 2111 Fax (02) 9233 3661 mailto:mmick.veitch@parliament.nsw.gov.au


The Hon. Catherine Cusack
Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Shadow Minister for Fair Trading
Shadow Minister for Volunteering
Liberal Party member
Phone (02) 9230 2915 Fax (02) 9230 2385 catherine.cusack@parliament.nsw.gov.au


Mrs Judy Hopwood
Suite 5 The Madison, 25-29 Hunter Street, HORNSBY NSW 2077
In her capacity as Member for Hornsby
Liberal Party member
Phone (02) 9476 3411 Fax (02) 9476 2965 hornsby@parliament.nsw.gov.au


Ms Clover Moore
58 Oxford Street, PADDINGTON NSW 2021
Independent memberIn her capacity as Member for Sydney:
Phone (02) 9360 3053 Fax (02) 9331 6963 sydney@parliament.nsw.gov.au


Ms Virginia Judge
Minister for Fair Trading
Minister for Citizenship
and Minister Assisting the Premier on the Arts
In her capacity as Minister for Fair Trading, Minister for Citizenship, and Minister Assisting the
Premier on the Arts:
Australian Labor Party member
Phone (02) 9228 5900 Fax (02) 9228 5899 office@judge.minister.nsw.gov.au
In her capacity as Member for Strathfield:
Phone (02) 9747 1711 Fax (02) 9747 6054 strathfield@parliament.nsw.gov.au


Mrs Jillian Skinner
Suite 3, 40 Yeo Street, NEUTRAL BAY NSW 2089
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Shadow Minister for Health
Liberal Party member
In her capacity as Member for North Shore:
Phone (02) 9909 2594 Fax (02) 9909 2654 northshore@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Buyer of Beauty Beware - The Four Corners Report

"As Australians queue for breast enhancements, tummy tucks, nose jobs and liposuction, Jonathan Holmes asks if safety lags behind profits in the booming and sparsely regulated business of cosmetic surgery."

Click here for more

Dr Cynthia Weinstein - Cosmetic Doctor

Dr Cynthia Weinstein seems to know how to find trouble.

She's been in the 'bad books' with authorities, over and again.

She's a member of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS).

Have a read about her!

Dodgy Doc's Bubble Bursts in Plastic World

Dr Skin Accused of Botched Operations

A Blemished Career

Pioneer Cosmetic Surgeon Faces New Peer Probe

Dr Daniel Lanzer - Cosmetic Surgeon

Back in 2006 Today Tonight got a drubbing from Media Watch for a credulous story it ran on a procedure that was being offered by Dr Daniel Lanzer.

Dr Lanzer is a member of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS)

Click here to read more

Pamela Noon - Cosmetic Surgery Consultant

Pamela Noon is a cosmetic surgery consultant.

She was recently featured on two Channel 9 programs.

So... should we believe the good news we saw on the 'Kerrie-Anne Show' or the bad news we saw on A Current Affair? And to what extent should we rely on media representations at all to derive our information about cosmetic surgery?

Check out the Media Watch story by Jonathan Holmes and enter into your own deliberations!


Pamela Noon has been getting a pretty bad wrap (she says its a bum wrap) from Channel 9's A Current Affair (ACA) concerning the way she runs her cosmetic surgery cosultancy business, for the last 10 years or so.


But paid advertorial on Channel 9's, Mornings with Kerrie-Anne paints a different, more alluring picture.


Pamela Noon with Ros Switzer on the Kerrie-Anne Show.
She reckons "good facial surgery will have you looking as young as you feel".

Click here to view the Media Watch story

Breast Implants and Suicide

We're talking about one of the leading forms of cosmetic surgery and if we are to believe the advertising hype of some practioners it's a very safe form of surgery involving high rates of satisfaction.

Other sources present a more troubling picture.

Cosmetic Surgery Case Study- Breast Implants- CHOICE Magazine

Study: Breast Implants Up Suicide Risk 7 Aug 2007 ... Study: Breast Implants Up Suicide Risk, A new study of more than 3500 Swedish women concludes that women with breast implants have an ...

Breast implants Triple Rate of Suicide Swedish study, published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery, reinforces several others that have shown women who have breast enlargements have higher suicide risks.

Can breast implants lead to depression and suicide?

Breast implant surgery gone wrong. CHOICE Magazine identifies breast augmentation as high risk surgery.