SLEEP MEDICINE

Components of Training

Research
It is strongly recommended that trainees undertake a significant research project during their training in order to understand and apply appropriate research methodologies in laboratory and clinical settings, and to be actively involved in research activities including quality assurance. Experience should be gained in: study design; literature research and review; writing submissions for grants and ethics committee approval; data collection, storage and analysis; computer program evaluation for results analysis, statistics and graphics. The aim is to complete a significant project for presentation at a national meeting or for publication..

Teaching
Supervised experience in teaching for undergraduate, graduate, nursing and lay audience groups is desirable. Regular presentation at hospital activities and participation in peer groups is expected.

Training Posts
Centres at which programs of advanced training in sleep medicine (Level I or II) are undertaken should have the following:

• The equivalent of a full-time staff sleep physician or full-time equivalent by visiting sleep physicians.
  
• Opportunity for the trainee to acquire a broad clinical experience in sleep disorders as well as relevant aspects of epidemiology, pathology and pharmacology.
  
• A sleep disorders laboratory with facilities for full polysomnography, MSLT, CPAP and nasal ventilation.
  
• Regular clinical sleep meetings designed for teaching and for consultation with related disciplines.
  
• Library facilities with ready access to major sleep journals and texts, and to literature search facilities such as Medline.

Ideally centres should have access to facilities for the performance of fibreoptic endoscopy, neurophysiology studies, respiratory function studies, ENT surgery and acute respiratory intensive care, as well as relevant clinics in psychiatry and psychology.

Training posts will generally be evaluated at regular intervals and may be designated as suitable for limited periods of training.

[ Back to Vocational Advanced Training Menu ]

[ Home ] [ General Information ] [ Basic Training ] [ Advanced Training ]
[ Advanced Vocational Training ] [ Training outside Australia & New Zealand ]
[ Return to RACP Homepage ]

bl