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The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG, the College) is pleased to introduce Dr Nisha Khot as the President-Elect for the Fourteenth ��ż���Council, serving from October 2025 to October 2027. Dr Khot will formally assume the role of President following the conclusion of the 2025 Annual General Meeting.

Dr Khot brings extensive experience in women’s health, having served as Vice President of RANZCOG, as well as in key leadership roles across the Board, Council, and various committees and working groups. Dr Khot chairs the Examinations and Assessments Committee and is an examiner for both Fellowship and Advanced Diploma examinations. She is currently the Clinical Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Peninsula Health and is a Board Chair for the Multicultural Centre for Women’s Health (MCWH).

The College interviewed Dr Khot to learn more about her journey, and priorities for presidency.

Can you tell us about your journey to where you are today and what inspired you to get involved with the College?

Dr Khot is a Melbourne-based obstetrician and gynaecologist with a unique international background. Originally trained in India and then the UK, she arrived in Australia 15 years ago and is a Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG).

“I didn’t grow up here and had no connections when I arrived, so in many ways, I am an outsider. It has been an interesting journey,” Dr Khot reflected. “I often hear my colleagues ask what does the College do for us? And to be honest, I was in the same place a few years ago. I thought about it and felt like I needed to find out exactly what the College does, for myself. That curiosity led me to get involved—I put my hand up to be on the council, then the board, and later as Vice President.

And it was that journey that actually brought home to me how much work the College does and how important it is to have a college which is responsible for the training of future generations, responsible for providing that collegiate support. A forum where people who share a common interest can come together and make sure that women’s health stays on everybody’s radar and becomes a priority politically as well as socially.”  

What is important to you?

Dr Khot emphasised the College’s fundamental role in training the next generation of women’s health specialists. “I think for any President Elect, for anybody involved with the College, that has got to be on top of the list. We have done some really good work with redesigning the curriculum and it is now time to translate that into practice, making sure that our next generation is equipped with the tools for whatever lies ahead in this unpredictable world.”

Another key focus for Dr Khot is maintaining access to abortion and contraceptive care. “Again, given the climate around the world, this is something we can’t take our eyes off. It is something that will continue to be challenged. We must make sure that it stays on the agenda and that we continue to ensure women across Australia and New Zealand have access to abortion care, as well as contraception.”

She also highlighted the changing landscape of medical training and specialisation. “There is clearly a desire outside of medicine to change the way medicine is practised and the way specialists are trained in this country, and in other countries.

As a College, we have done well in training the future generation of specialists and we can’t let that fall by the wayside. We must make sure that we stay relevant in this new environment. It’s not that we don’t want to share what we are doing, but I think it’s really important that the standards we have set up continue to be maintained.”

Can you share your priorities for when you first take office?

Dr Khot draws inspiration from the Sanskrit concept Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning ‘the world is one family. We are all interconnected.’

“I want to apply this to the family of women’s healthcare providers. Just like in any other family, we may have different interests and opinions, but we can come together around the central thing that matters to all of us.

We all trained to be obstetrician gynaecologists or GP obstetricians because we care about women’s health. As long as we stay focused on the fact that it is women’s health that we care about – that women are at the centre of what we do – then we will always be able to come together, despite the differences that we have.”

Dr Khot also strongly advocates to protect women’s choice in healthcare. “It is deeply concerning to see private and rural maternity units closing, and attacks around the world on sexual reproductive rights. These things are reducing women’s choices, and women’s ability to be able to take ownership of their own health. Having choice available for women – all women – is important and is something I would like to focus on. Every woman should have access to the best evidence-based care, and the ability to choose what works best for her.”

��ż���President Dr Gillian Gibson congratulated Dr Khot on her election, stating: “Nisha’s extensive experience, tenacity and dedication make her an excellent choice for this role. On behalf of the ��ż���Board and Council, I warmly congratulate her and am confident that her leadership will provide invaluable support and guidance to our members and trainees across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.”

The College looks forward to Dr Khot’s leadership in the years ahead. With a strong commitment to collaboration, advocacy and progress Dr Khot aims to ensure that ��ż���remains a driving force in women’s healthcare.

For media enquiries

Bec McPhee
Head of Advocacy & Communications
bmcphee@ranzcog.edu.au
+61 413 258 166