Overview

The purpose of basic training is to build on the cognitive and practical skills acquired during medical school and the pre-registration year, to produce trainees with a broad knowledge of internal medicine, and to allow success at the Examination.

During basic training, trainees are expected to gain exposure to the breadth of internal medicine. It will not be possible to cover the full spectrum of disciplines and experiences but the exposure should be as broad as possible.
Trainees will gain experience in longitudinal patient care, both of inpatients (from initial presentation and admission through to discharge) and of outpatients.

n addition to clinical training, trainees will be involved in formal teaching programs in the medical subspecialties. These are provided by individual hospitals or by the College's state committees and are state-based.

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Entry into Training

Trainees can enter the training program after completion of the first post-graduate year (also known as the intern or pre-registration year) if he/she obtains an appropriate training position in an accredited hospital.

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Duration and Content of Training

Basic training is 36 months in duration.

• 36 months may be spent in a university teaching hospital (UTH); up to 24 months may be spent in a general teaching hospital (GTH); six months may be spent in a secondment hospital on rotation from a UTH or GTH; at least 12 months shall be spent in a UTH.
• At least 24 months will be spent in standard general medicine and subspecialty terms (although no more than six months may be spent in any particular subspecialty or paediatrics).
• Of the 24 months at least three months will be spent in general medicine.
• Of the 24 months up to three months may be spent in each of emergency medicine and coronary care.
• The remaining 12 months can be spent in medical terms although the DPT may allow additional periods in:
  • emergency medicine, and night and relieving roster (up to six months in each);
  • psychiatry, nuclear medicine and dermatology (up to a total of six months in each or a combination of those fields);
  • supervised research (up to six months);
  • non-internal medicine terms (up to three months)

If in the opinion of the DPT the terms have adequate supervision and good experience.

 

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