Medical Training Review Panel 19th Report

Further Information

Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF ANAESTHETISTS
– FACULTY OF PAIN MEDICINE

Training Program

Fellowship of the Faculty of Pain Medicine (FFPMANZCA) is a post specialist qualification. Those wishing to obtain this qualification are required to hold, or be training toward, a specialist qualification acceptable to the board (anaesthesia, medicine, surgery, psychiatry, rehabilitation medicine, general practice, obstetrics and gynaecology and occupational medicine). Trainees may commence pain medicine training after having completed at least three years (full time) training towards their primary specialty qualification, and training for pain medicine may be concurrent with, training programs for the diploma of fellowship of their primary specialty.

The program comprises a minimum of two years (88 weeks) full-time equivalent of approved clinical experience directly related to pain medicine, distributed over two mandatory stages. Each training stage comprises 44 weeks of clinical activity (one hospital employment year). The core training and practice development stages are directly relevant to the practice of the discipline of pain medicine and enable trainees to develop practical clinical skills in a supervised learning environment. There is some provision for retrospective approval by the Assessor of prior experience and training.

The training program provides for part-time training. The minimum trainee commitment must be 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE). There is also provision for interruptions to training.

Prior to commencing, training applicants must sit and pass the Foundations of Pain Medicine Examination. It is a requirement of the training program that all trainees receive training and experience in the broad areas of acute, chronic and cancer pain. Trainees maintain a learning portfolio during their training which they show to their direct supervisor at quarterly meetings. All requirements of the training program need to be completed within five years of commencing the core training stage.