New Medical Faculty Dean appointed by the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery
Dr Mary Dingley has been appointed the new Dean of Medical Faculty of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery (ACCS). She has been a Fellow of the Faculty of Medicine of the College since 2003.

"The Medical Faculty of the College attracts great interest from doctors wishing to obtain training in cosmetic medicine so I was very happy when President Daniel Fleming contacted me in April to offer me the position," Dr Dingley said.

"One of my main objectives will be to ensure the success of the College’s recently released Diploma of Cosmetic Medicine. The Diploma is designed so that doctors can work around their existing practice and clinic hours to complete the work and assignments necessary to graduate," she said.

In addition to her 21 years of experience in cosmetic medicine, Dr Dingley is part of the panel of experts of United Medical Protection (UMP), is the only Cosmetic Physician member of the Australian association All About Acne Resource Group and is a Fellow of the American Society for Lasers in Medicine and Surgery. Dr Dingley has also recently been appointed President of the Cosmetic Physicians Society of Australasia (CPSA). She also completed a Diploma in Laser with the ACCS.

"Over the years, the surgical side of the College has been more prominent, so I will be working at further improving the Medical Faculty to give it more standing within the College," Dr Dingley said.

"I will be focussing with the College Council on creating a better awareness within the medical community of the issues that affect patients seeking cosmetic procedures. The College is working on raising standards in the industry. We believe patients have a right to know who is and who is not a trained and accredited specialist in cosmetic procedures. As the specialty is not currently recognised patients cannot do this.

"We have applied for cosmetic surgery to be recognised as a specialty by the Australian Medical Council (AMC). The preliminary application has been approved by the AMC and the full application will be assessed later this year," she said.

Since its foundation, the College has been a supporter of regulations to raise surgery standards and protect patients. It is looking to cooperate with industry groups such as the Australian Medical Association, medical boards, Government and regulatory bodies to establish higher standards of skill and practice in the field of cosmetic or aesthetic surgery.

The ACCS was established in 1999 as the only multidisciplinary body in Australia which offers formal training and accreditation in cosmetic medicine and surgery. The College has medical and surgical faculties which accredit cosmetic physicians and surgeons.

For more information, visit www.accs.org.au or call 1800 804 781.

Released for Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery by Dennis Rutzou Public Relations (www.drpr.com.au)
For further information please call Kim Larochelle or Nicola Rutzou on (02) 9413 4244.