Medical Training Review Panel 19th Report

Trainee Selection

Entry into the training program requires completion of PGY1 and PGY2 and be a permanent resident or be allowed to stay in Australia indefinitely. Applicants must complete the on-line form, accompanied by payment. Shortlisted applicants are considered for interview dependent on the projected number of vacancies.

Trainee Assessment

Trainees pass through two defined stages in their training. These stages are designed to facilitate the progressive and cumulative acquisition of knowledge and skills. Basic training must be completed satisfactorily before the trainee can progress to advanced training.

Basic Training

To be eligible to proceed to advanced training trainees must pass the clinical sciences self-paced online modules and the pharmacology examination within the first 12 months of training and perform satisfactorily in the workplace.

Advanced Training

Trainees are eligible to apply to sit the fellowship examinations in their fourth year of training. These examinations consist of the following:

• 
  written papers in dermatological medicine, procedural dermatology and clinical pharmacology;
  
• 
  objective structured clinical examinations in procedural dermatology and laboratory dermatology; and
  
• 
  clinical vivas in dermatological medicine.
  

Trainees who do not satisfy all the requirements of the training program, including passing both the written and clinical fellowship examinations in their fourth year of training, may be invited to complete an additional year of training. This will be dependent upon the availability of a Fellow to oversee the trainee in a non-accredited training position and at the discretion of the National Training Committee.

In addition to the examinations described above, trainees undertake throughout their four years of training a number of work-based assessments: ProDAs (Procedural Dermatology Assessments), DermCEXs (Dermatology Clinical Evaluation Exercises) and CbDs (Case-based Discussions). They have regular summative in-training assessments (SITAs). All these assessments must be passed. Through these assessment methods, along with the College’s formal examinations, trainees must be assessed as competent to independently perform all essential procedures and treatment modalities as described in the Training Program Handbook.

International Medical Graduates

International medical graduate applicants are assessed against the standards expected of recently trained Australian dermatologists, making allowance for the number of years since graduation in determining comparability.

Applicants must submit all application material to the ACD. The college assesses applications on behalf of the MBA. The ACD International Medical Graduate Assessment Committee undertakes an initial assessment of the applicant based on their submitted documentation.

There are three potential initial assessment outcomes:

• 
  Applicant is not comparable:
  The applicant is not substantially comparable to an Australian-trained dermatologist and could not obtain equivalence with further supervised clinical training in Australia within a maximum period of two years.
  
• 
  Applicant is partially comparable:
  The applicant is not substantially comparable to an Australian-trained dermatologist but may be able to obtain substantial comparability with further specific supervised clinical training in Australia within a maximum period of two years.
  
• 
  Applicant is substantially comparable:
  The applicant is substantially comparable to an Australian-trained dermatologist and is recommended for acceptance to practise as a dermatologist in Australia.
  

An interview will be required to confirm the assessment. The committee undertakes structured interviews four times per year that include resume-specific questions, clinical scenario questions and competency-based questions. The interview allows the committee to make a final assessment recommendation including the specific nature of any additional training and or assessment required. Full details of assessment criteria and processes are available on the college website.

Accreditation

The college does not accredit training facilities; instead individual training positions are accredited. All positions are regularly inspected to ensure that they continue to meet the college’s accreditation requirements. These requirements are available on the college website.

Further Information

Australasian College of Dermatologists