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Vocational Training Geriatric Medicine (cont.) Projects Projects are commonly cited as a cause of concern for trainees, supervisors and STC members. Although not prescriptive, these notes seek to provide some guidance for trainees and supervisors regarding projects. Trainees in New Zealand who began advanced training prior to January 2005 are required to submit a minimum of one written project. From January 2005, each advanced trainee is required to submit two written projects during three years of advanced training. Each project will be assessed by two independent reviewers. One project should be submitted and assessed as satisfactory by the end of second year of training in order to progress into the third year of training. Purpose The intention of the “two project rule” is that trainees have an opportunity to develop two substantial projects of high quality. Project submission is a “hurdle” in advanced training. The main aim of project submission is to evidence useful learning experiences in considering and defining clinical problems; the systematic acquisition, synthesis and interpretation of data; and effective written communication. Roles of Supervisors, Trainees and Markers Trainees utilise the assistance of supervisors to varying extents. Generally supervisors should:
Some trainees work with project supervisors different to their term supervisors. This can introduce problems if there is not clear communication between supervisors and particular caution is required to ensure that the trainee’s term supervisor remains appraised of the trainee’s progress in their project work. Trainee projects already published in an acceptable peer reviewed journal will usually be considered “satisfactory” without further review. Exceptions may arise if the trainee’s contribution, or relevance of the project to geriatric medicine, is uncertain. All other projects will be marked independently by two markers. Markers will usually be STC or GMET members, although other external markers are sometimes co-opted. If there are not two “satisfactory” ratings the project will be referred to the Markers Panel, which may resolve to Pass or Fail the project, to seek a third review or to invite submission of a revised project. Acceptable Standard for Projects The written piece should have direct relevance to the practice of geriatric medicine, and each trainee should aim to present and/or publish at least one research project in an appropriate forum during the course of advanced training. A presentation, for example, might be made to the Australian & New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine (ANZSGM) Annual Scientific Meeting. Projects should be novel and incorporate original thought. Trainees will sometimes be working as part of larger group or project; however trainees are required to make an original contribution to the planning or interpretation of their study. Projects should be presented in a standard suitable for publication and adhering to usual norms for scientific writing. Projects should provide defined aims, clearly articulated objectives and prospectively defined methodology. The conclusions should relate to the aims. Discussion should place the new work in the context of the published literature. In addition projects should be written in sound English and free from grammatical and typographical errors. A standard, consistent method of citing the literature should be used. Projects can take any of the following formats:
1 The recommended length is indicative only. 2 Includes scholarly work, such as original research and educational projects, written in IMRD (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion) format. 3 Only one case report should be submitted during the course of advanced training. 3 Please note: Power Point presentations will not be accepted. Projects should be written in a style suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. 5 Published examples, accessible in the public domain, are provided. Published projects are of a high standard and thus are not intended to indicate the “satisfactory” standard. Other projects formats may also be acceptable. For example occasional trainees have submitted prose or creative writing pieces. If in doubt, the trainee should discuss the proposal with a member of the STC. TimelinesProjects may now bridge more than one year of training. The “two project” rules aim to allow trainees to avoid rushed submission of projects. Trainees should ensure that their supervisor has provided critical feedback before the project is submitted to the STC. It is essential that work is presented to supervisors in a timely fashion, to enable any changes recommended to be incorporated before submission deadlines. Trainees in their third year should aim to present projects to their supervisors at least 4 months prior to becoming eligible for fellowship and to the STC three months prior to the fellowship round. This is essential to avoid delay in award of FRACP. When submitting a project for review, three copies must be submitted along with three copies of the project cover sheet. The cover sheet is available from the College website. *You will need to be a member of the RACP to access
this section of the website.
The written project will be assessed by 2 members of the SAC and may be submitted at any time during the year to which it applies, but not later than 15 September in Australia or 31 October in New Zealand. If submitted later, there will be a delay in accreditation of training. This is particularly important for trainees in their final year of advanced training as a delay in project accreditation may result in a delay in admission to Fellowship. See
the section on Advanced Training Projects
in Australia for further advice on preparing project
reports.
 Specialty Society Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine (ANZSGM). Advanced trainee membership is encouraged. For information about the requirements for registration with the society, please contact: The Secretariat Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine 145 Macquarie Street Sydney NSW 2000 Tel. 61 2 9256 5460 Fax: 61 2 9241 3458 E-mail: admin@anzsgm.org Website: www.anzsgm.org New Zealand: Dr Paul Owen Chair SAC Geriatric Medicine Older People's Health Auckland City Hospital Private Bag 92024 Auckland E-mail: powen@adhb.govt.nz
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