Meet Our Team

Dr Zaahid Pandie​
MBChB FRACP PEM FACEM

Trained in South Africa and immigrated to Australia in 2000, Zaahid has 20 yrs of experience in General and Paediatric Emergency Medicine and having been involved in ACEM Exam teaching for a decade, he has  previously held positions as a Co-DEMT,  Director of Emergency Medicine, an ACEM College SAQ Exam Committee member.  He has co-founded many course including  APEM, AFEM and PEM Revision. Zaahid has had a strong interest in volunteering in resource challenged settings like South Africa, Fiji, India  and would love to extend EM teaching online  to rural Australia. Zaahid clinical skills and interest broadly cover work in ED, some private paediatrics as well as the occasional international retrieval with Vector 360 (an Aeromedical Rescue and Retrieval Service based on the Sunshine Coast).  Together with Vector 360 Zaahid hopes to continue teaching in areas of need like Papua NewGuinea, Solomon Islands and Fiji where they retrieve most of their patients from. When he is not working or teaching he is on the cricket field either coaching or watching his sons play cricket.

Dr Yogesh Nataly
MBBS FACEM Dip Child Health

Worked as an Emergency Physician for Queensland Health at Redland Hospital having completed his Fellowship training in 2009. He spent a year at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane with a Diploma in Child Health from Sydney University. Throughout his training he has worked in several hospitals in Auckland (NZ), South East Qld and in parts of NSW which has provided Dr Nataly with a tremendous range of experience. His other passion is teaching and he is active in the local training program for registrars at Redlands hospital.Besides work and teaching, other interest are travelling, keeping fit which included a recent trip to the Himalayas where he successfully made it to base camp! Excited about being on board for the 2020 OSCE series.

Dr Peter Rizzo
​MD Facem Dip ABEM

Dr Peter Rizzo completed his medical training at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital in the Bronx New York where he honed his skills in Emergency Medicine and specifically in Trauma Medicine. He moved to Brisbane in 2008 to spend time with his son and commenced at Logan Hospital in Brisbane as a FACEM. The original 'ACE the ACEM' team was born in this partnership at Logan Hospital which was an awesome place to work and train. Doctors Pandie, Nataly and Rizzo worked on the same team in ED, managing a range of emergencies across the spectrum of Adult, Paediatric, Neonatal, Trauma, Obstetric & Gynaecological and Geriatric Medicine. In 2011 Peter held the position of Medical Superintendent of Beaudesert Hospital. Peter currently works as a FACEM at The Prince Charles Hospital and has held portfolios across Quality & Safety, and Mortality & Morbidity reviews. He has recently been appointed as the Medical Director of Vector 360 - an Aeromedical Rescue and Retrieval Service based on the Sunshine Coast. Peter is spending the next 6 months in Western Australia to achieve his Dip PHARM and then hopefully tackle the FACRRM. He looks forward to teaching some of the retrieval webinars and setting the toughest SAQs for the mock exams. Peter is an avid rugby fan and has multiple coaching diplomas in the role as a rugby referee. ​

Dr Shaheen Pandie
MBChB Physican PHD Cardiology

Completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Town and proceeded to study Emergency Medicine, completing the Diploma in Emergency Care and training for 2 years in Brisbane at Mater Public Hospital in Emergency Medicine. He returned to Cape Town where completed his Physician Fellowship in Internal Medicine and then sub-specialised in Interventional Cardiology in Cape Town and Hamilton Canada. He currently works as the Head of Interventional Cardiology at Grootte Schuur in Cape Town, as well as the private sector at Rondebosch Private Hospital.  He has always had a passion for education and research, being awarded the 2013 Edith Sorrell Cardiology Research Academic Fellowship Award. Pleased to have him on the team to review some of the most challenging ECG's and ACS cases we are likely to encounter - don't miss his session on the the 'Worst ECG's in the whole world ever'! ​

Barry McCarthy
RcpN Dip Nrsg, Clin Ed, Dip Mgt

Barry is the director of Bledisloe Medical, a clinical simulation company. Trained in New Zealand, and passionate about simulation, with 30 years experience in all aspects of Critical Care nursing, as well as a wealth of current knowledge and understanding of the pre hospital realm. Barry is the perfect fit for our OSCE Simulation course in Brisbane as he is able to deliver high quality training, simulations, clinical assessments..  Currently employed as a Clinical Nurse Consultant (Emergency Response) on the Sunshine Coast and a retrieval nurse for Vector 360 - an Aeromedical Rescue and Retrieval Service based on the Sunshine Coast.

Ben Lepke
Medical Recruitment Specialist

Specialising in Emergency Medicine, Rural Medicine (ACRRM/RACGP), Critical Care and Pre-hospital/Retrieval Medicine across Australasia, Ben has over 14 years expertise in this area. By taking a consultative approach, he understands exactly what a doctor is looking for ensuring, that all doctors and hospitals receive the utmost level of service and that the placement is successful. There is an increase in the need for Emergency Specialists (FACEMs) being sought for work in regional hospitals and having trainees focus on getting through their OSCE exam, they can leave permanent or locum job hunting  in the hands of a trained professional service. An abundance of locums and 6 to 12 month terms are regularly available for  doctors looking for a different experience or needing flexibility while preparing for FACEM exams. Ace the ACEM has engaged with Ben, as our faculty has used his services over many years and we have a strong working relationship with 1Medical.