Associate Prof Julian Rait

Who Associate Prof Julian Rait is

Associate Professor Julian Rait OAM is a specialist ophthalmologist and glaucoma expert, elected Vice President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) on 4 August 2024 alongside President Dr Danielle McMullen. He holds an honorary appointment as Principal Fellow in Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne and has been a practising glaucoma specialist since leading the Glaucoma Unit at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital from 1993 to 2005. He previously served as President of AMA Victoria (2018–2021) and Chair of the AMA Federal Council (2020–2022). He has advocated publicly on GP underfunding, private hospital sustainability, workforce shortages, and preventive public health measures including a sugar tax. On Australia Day 2018 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to ophthalmology and to the development of overseas aid.

References for this biography

1. 1.Associate Professor Julian Rait elected AMA Vice President | Australian Medical Association — Confirms election as AMA Vice President at AMA24 conference, August 2024, and outlines policy priorities
2. 2.Associate Professor Julian Rait OAM | Vision Australia — Confirms role as AMA Vice President, past AMA Victoria President, OAM award, and Deputy Chair of Vision Australia
3. 3.Structure and Federal Council | Australian Medical Association — Confirms AMA Federal Council chair role 2020–2022, Council of Private Specialist Practice lead 2016–2022, and policy advocacy areas
4. 4.Associate Professor Julian Rait – Ophthalmologist and Opinion Leader — Confirms Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at University of Melbourne from 2005, and Head of Glaucoma Unit 1993–2005
5. 5.Honorary Titles – Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne — Lists Julian Rait as Principal Fellow in Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne
6. 6.Speakers | First Nations Eye Health Alliance — Confirms honorary life membership of the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists (2022) and OAM award

Notable achievements

• Elected Vice President of the Australian Medical Association at the AMA24 national conference, August 2024 Source ↗
• Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Australia Day 2018 for service to ophthalmology and to the development of overseas aid Source ↗
• Granted honorary life membership of the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists in 2022 Source ↗
• Chaired the AMA Federal Council 2020–2022 and served as President of AMA Victoria 2018–2021 Source ↗

Recent social activity

• Corporate influence in the USA has created conflicts of interest between doctors and their patients, where doctors have been incentivised to recommend procedures or treatments that benefit the corporate entity rather than the patient!

  x.com ↗

• And a Vic Government spokesman was quoted yesterday and said; “we’ve made it clear that wage theft will not be tolerated”. So let’s hope that they mean it this time!

  x.com ↗

Where Associate Prof Julian Rait has been quoted

1. Struggling to afford specialist doctors’ fees? See if your GP can refer you to one of Australia’s free public hospital clinicstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Related media coverage

Recent UK press coverage of their topics — not necessarily citing them directly.

• Leaders in Care Awards 2026 | Lifetime Achievement: Care Homes winner revealedHome Care Insight
• GP architect of neighbourhood health reforms to leave NHS EnglandPulse Today
• An important step forward in ending corridor care - Colin Poolman | Blog | RCN ScotlandRoyal College of Nursing

Contact & links

• Xhttps://x.com/eyerait58
• LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-rait-334b6811/
• Websitehttp://www.julianrait.com.au/
• Staff pagehttps://www.ama.com.au/about/board-and-leadership

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.