ASM Conference

Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand 8th Annual Scientific Meeting in conjunction with New Zealand Rehabilitation Association (RMSANZ NZRA 2025)

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch
20 - 23 July 2025
www.dccam.com.au/RmsanzNzra2025/

The theme for RMSANZ NZRA 2025 is Building Lives. This theme speaks to the people we look after, the clinicians and allied health representatives involved in their care and our venue. Te Pae Convention Centre sits at the heart of Ōtautahi Christchurch. Te Pae aligns with the Māori concept of ki uta ki tai (from the mountains to the sea) - the movement of water through the landscape and the numerous interactions it has on its way, symbolising our client’s rehabilitation journey.

The program aims to showcase the breadth and depth of rehabilitation. We are delighted to have international guest speakers Dr Nathan D. Zasler and Dr Kathleen Sluka join us along with our binational leaders in the field of rehabilitation. We will provide a forum for Rehabilitation Medicine Physicians and our colleagues from Allied Health, Nursing and related medical specialities to share knowledge, skills, experiences and opportunities to network. We envision this conference as a space for innovative engagement and dialogue focusing on health-optimising solutions in rehabilitation service delivery across the lifespan.

Background information

The Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (RMSANZ) provides high calibre continuing professional development programs for doctors and allied health professionals working in the specialty of Rehabilitation Medicine in Australia and New Zealand.
In order to promote the advancement of knowledge in the field of rehabilitation medicine, since 2016 the RMSANZ has been holding an annual conference as one of its major events. The first Annual Scientific Meeting of the RMSANZ was held in 2016 in Melbourne. The Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) is usually a national event held over three days for members of the Society, Fellows and Trainees of the Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFRM) and other interested parties including allied health professionals, but in some years combined meetings might be organised involving other related bodies, both national and international, such as AOSPRM and ISPRM.

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RMSANZ Scientific Committee

One of the Objects of RMSANZ is to advance and promote research, education and training relevant to the practice of Rehabilitation Medicine, rehabilitation, disability and related areas; to liaise with AFRM/RACP, government, educational and research institutions and to oversee the planning and content of Scientific Meetings. This is implemented by an active Scientific Committee which meets regularly and is represented on ASM Organising Committees for each event.

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Awards

Peter Disler Award: This prize is named for Peter Disler, Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Melbourne from 1993 because in his time at Melbourne he was a pioneer in developing a rehabilitation curriculum for medical students, and was a charismatic, enthusiastic and inspiring mentor and teacher. More information about the prize can be found here: https://mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/study/scholarships/n/rehabilitation-medicine-prize2
Prize: $400 and free registration to the following ASM. Awarded to the student who is regarded by all the members of the viva examining panel as having given the best answer to the Rehabilitation Medicine Prize question in the Aged Care Prize viva exam.
ASM E-Poster Prize: Awarded for the best poster by a trainee (or 'new' Fellow) at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (RMSANZ). The poster can be on any Rehabilitation Medicine related topic.
Norington Lecture: The Norington Lecture was established by AFRM(RACP) in 2003 to utilise the remaining IAHPR funds donated when IAHPR was disbanded. In 2017, responsibility for the Norington Lecture was transferred from AFRM (RACP) to RMSANZ. The Lecture commemorates the seminal contributions made by Dr. Brad Norington, the first President of the Australian College of Rehabilitation Medicine, to the multidisciplinary field of rehabilitation and to the establishment in Australia of the Specialty of Rehabilitation Medicine. As IAHPR was established to enhance relationships with allied health and nursing professionals, a lecture given by an Allied Health Professional or Registered Nurse of eminence in research relevant to rehabilitation is seen by RMSANZ as a celebration of a key historical milestone in the professional development of Rehabilitation Physicians. The medal was awarded to Dr. Kate Laver in 2019.
Garry Pearce Lecture: The Garry Pearce Lecture has been established by RMSANZ to honour Dr. Garry Pearce. It commemorates the extensive contributions of Dr. Pearce to the medical specialty of Rehabilitation Medicine in Australia and internationally. Dr. Pearce provided clinical services, leadership, and research and education across multiple areas. These included neurological disability (particularly multiple sclerosis), outcome measurement and clinical audit (through the development of the Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (AROC), presidency and other roles of the Australian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, and research and clinical practice in occupational rehabilitation. The lecture also commemorates Dr. Pearce’s personal qualities, interpersonal skills, and collegial approach to clinical practice. The medal was awarded to Dr. Mark Bayley in 2019