Supervising Committee

Joint Specialist Advisory Committee in Haematology (JSAC).

Definition of Specialty

Haematology is an integrated discipline incorporating clinical and laboratory aspects of diseases of the blood. Haematology encompasses the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of neoplastic and benign diseases, including leukaemias and lymphoproliferative disorders, inherited and acquired coagulation abnormalities, abnormalities of haemoglobin and red cells, bone marrow transplantation, and transfusion medicine.

General Principles

1. Training in haematology may be undertaken through one of the following three schemes:
   
   • Joint training with the RACP and the Royal College of Pathologists (RCPA).
     
   • Advanced training program in clinical haematology with the RACP.
     
   • Laboratory training in haematology with the RCPA.
     
2. The joint training scheme is a four-year program of clinical, laboratory, and research aspects of haematology, leading to award of both FRACP and FRCPA, and the ability to practise as a clinical and laboratory haematologist. Entry into the joint training scheme follows successful completion of the written and clinical parts of the FRACP Examination. Trainees must be enrolled with both Colleges throughout training, and will be required to successfully complete Part One and Part Two examinations in haematology conducted by the RCPA.
   
3. The advanced training program in clinical haematology leads to award of FRACP and the ability to practise as a clinical haematologist. Advanced training follows successful completion of the written and clinical parts of the FRACP Examination, and is supervised by the JSAC in Haematology. The clinical advanced training scheme is a three-year program, which includes a compulsory six-month training period in laboratory haematology, but no formal examinations are conducted.
   
4. A laboratory training program in haematology is conducted by the RCPA. This is a five-year program leading to award to FRCPA and the ability to practise as a laboratory haematologist. Trainees must register with the RCPA.
   
5. Training in both the joint and clinical schemes should in general provide a balance of exposure to, and competency in all aspects of clinical and laboratory haematology, with a later emphasis on specialisation in an area of interest. For this reason, training should in principle be undertaken in more than one institution to increase the breadth of exposure and experience.

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