Medical Training Review Panel 19th Report

Further Information

Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia

ROYAL AUSTRALASIAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS

Training Program

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) provides vocational training programs in the following areas:

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  Adult Medicine;
  
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  Paediatrics and Child Health;
  
• 
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine;
  
• 
  Public Health Medicine;
  
• 
  Rehabilitation Medicine;
  
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  Palliative Medicine;
  
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  Addiction Medicine; and
  
• 
  Sexual Health Medicine.
  

Each of these has separate training programs which vary in length between three to eight years depending on the specialty chosen. Commencing in 2008, the RACP has phased in a common educational framework called Physician Readiness for Expert Practice (PREP). The PREP program is a comprehensive system of formative education throughout Basic and Advanced Training.

The key principles of PREP centre around provision of a supportive learning environment, a physician-led, learner-centred approach and reflective practice. Components of the framework include training program curriculum, professional qualities curriculum, formative and summative assessments, teaching and learning tools, comprehensive supervision and an e-learning environment.

Basic Training - Adult Medicine and Paediatrics and Child Health

The Basic Training program is three years in length and is designed to provide trainees with a multi-specialty foundation by introducing and developing the range of core knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours required to become a competent physician or paediatrician.

Advanced Training

Advanced Training is provided in all the specialties listed above and most programs are a minimum of three years in length.

Within adult medicine and paediatrics there are a broad range of specialties not listed which include cardiology, clinical genetics, clinical pharmacology, community child health (paediatrics only), endocrinology, gastroenterology, general and acute care medicine (adult medicine only), general paediatrics (paeds only), geriatric medicine (adult medicine only), clinical haematology, clinical immunology and allergy, infectious diseases, medical oncology, neonatal/perinatal medicine (paeds only), nephrology, neurology, nuclear medicine, palliative medicine, paediatric rehabilitation medicine, respiratory medicine rheumatology and sleep medicine.

There are also specialty advanced training programs which are conducted jointly with other specialist colleges:

haematology, immunology and allergy, endocrinology and chemical pathology and infectious diseases and microbiology, with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA);

paediatric emergency medicine with the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM);

nuclear medicine with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR); and

paediatrics and child and adolescent psychiatry with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)⁸.