Supervising Committee

The Committee for Physician Training, in conjunction with either the SAC in General Medicine or the appropriate subspecialty SAC (depending on the form of the training program).

Definition of Specialty

Rural medicine comprises the various forms of practice of adult medicine that occur in nonmetropolitan Australia. It includes components of general and subspecialty medicine depending on the site in which it is practised, but there are certain characteristics that distinguish it from metropolitan practice. These include:

• The need for a broad knowledge of most subspecialties.
  
• The requirement for procedural skills in a number of subspecialties.
  
• The necessity to maintain skills in resuscitation and basic intensive care.
  
• Development of generic physician skills to a high level.
  
• Basic knowledge of telemedicine.
  
• Basic knowledge of indigenous health.

Although there is a spectrum of rural medicine, it is likely that the type of practice in communities with a population of less than 20,000 will be predominantly general medicine while that in larger centres will be predominantly subspecialty medicine, but with a strong component of general medicine.

Rural medicine is not a subspecialty of adult medicine. However, the development of a training program and its inclusion in the Physician Training Guidelines is an affirmation by the College that rural practice requires particular skills that may not be gained by participation in traditional training programs alone.

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General Principles

1. Career training in rural medicine consists of a structured three-year program that includes at least twelve months in nonmetropolitan hospitals.
   
2. It is important that the training program for the entirety of training (and, if possible, beyond) be mapped out at the start of the three-year period. This is to ensure that terms and training sites will complement training already undertaken during basic training.
   
3. In conjunction with the relevant SAC, the CPT will assist the trainee to map out an entire training program and will, if necessary, try to facilitate the necessary rotations to be undertaken.
   
4. Some trainees, particularly those who plan to work in larger centres, may wish to gain full subspecialty training and recognition. The trainee, CPT and appropriate SAC will determine how the elective year should be spent and whether part of specialty training can be undertaken in a nonmetropolitan hospital.
   
5. Some trainees may wish to undertake more than three years advanced training, particularly if both sub-specialty and general medicine training is sought. This may result in an advanced training program that includes a component of post-FRACP training.

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