RESPIRATORY & SLEEP MEDICINE

RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
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DEFINITION OF SPECIALTY

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING

COMPONENTS OF TRAINING

Core training

Desirable Options

Complementary (Non Core) Training

Procedural Skills

Projects or Case Reports

Other Specific Requirements

Research

Training Sites

Rural/Regional Training

RECOGNITION OF ADV. TRAINING PROGRAMS

SPECIAL SOCIETY
Vocational Training
Respiratory and Sleep Medicine (cont.)
RESPIRATORY MEDICINE
Definition of Specialty
Respiratory medicine is a subspecialty of internal medicine encompassing diseases of the respiratory system which includes the upper airway, the lung, the chest wall and the ventilatory control system. Respiratory medicine is a cohesive blend of: clinical knowledge of respiratory diseases; the respiratory sciences of normal and disordered respiratory function; and experience with specialised diagnostic techniques, tests and procedures employed in clinical assessment.

General Principles of Training
  1. Career training in respiratory medicine consists of a structured 3-year program. Advanced training commences with approval of a submitted program. At least 2 years’ training in clinical respiratory medicine is necessary, and is designated as core training. The third year of training may be spent in research or in an approved complementary (non core) year in a related discipline. Complementary training will normally not be completed until at least one year of core respiratory medicine training has been completed.
  2. Trainees are encouraged to become conversant with all diagnostic procedures available, with the current literature, and with research activities in the respiratory field, but are not expected to become expert in all branches of respiratory medicine and in all techniques.
  3. It is expected that training be undertaken at more than one institution and it is envisaged that this will be necessary for many trainees, to enable trainees to acquire a sufficient breadth of experience.
  4. Advanced trainees transferring to the SAC may be advised to undertake some post FRACP supervised training in respiratory medicine to complete their 3-year training program.
  5. Normally, at least one year of advanced training should be undertaken in Australia or New Zealand.
  6. For a trainee enrolled in a higher degree (research), with a clinical component, a proportion of this may count towards core training.

Components of Training
Core training
Clinical Respiratory Medicine
Core training comprises a total of at least 24 months respiratory medicine, of which no more than the equivalent of 3 months can be spent in sleep medicine. Training should include a wide exposure to all common respiratory diseases. It is highly desirable for trainees to gain experience in respiratory intensive care medicine. All advanced trainees in clinical respiratory medicine should also gain sufficient first-hand experience in a respiratory function laboratory to be familiar with the performance application, and interpretation of commonly used respiratory function tests in the management of patients with common respiratory diseases.

Clinical Sleep Medicine
All respiratory medicine trainees must undertake the equivalent of at least 3 months training in sleep medicine. This training should occur in an institution with a sleep laboratory and its associated clinic(s) where the trainee should obtain
  • knowledge of basic sleep physiology;
  • experience in the diagnosis and management of cardiorespiratory sleep disorders;
  • knowledge of the symptomatology and management of non respiratory sleep disorders.

Trainees should obtain experience in the clinical application of polysomnography and should receive basic training in the polysomnographic techniques.

Desirable Options
It is recommended that some experience with subspecialty and related disciplines be obtained and these include thoracic surgery, infectious diseases including pulmonary infection in the immunocompromised, adult cystic fibrosis, lung transplantation, ENT surgery, clinical allergy and immunology, occupational lung disease, palliative medicine and indigenous health.

Complementary (Non Core) Training
Within a 36 month advanced training program, the SAC may approve a maximum of one year of complementary (non core) training, which may be spent in related clinical medicine, respiratory research or laboratory work.

The SAC would recommend that the following areas are suitable for complementary training: Sleep Medicine; Respiratory or Sleep Research; Clinical Respiratory or Sleep Physiology; overseas training in Respiratory Medicine; Intensive Care.

A number of other sub speciality areas of Medicine are likely to be considered suitable for a complementary period in Respiratory Medicine, provided they can demonstrate an appropriate case mix which is relevant to Respiratory Medicine and appropriate clinical rotations. These areas include: Infectious Diseases, Clinical Allergy / Immunology, Cardiology, Indigenous Health and Rural Medicine, Oncology and Palliative Medicine, General Medicine / Geriatrics, and Clinical Pharmacology. Other sub speciality areas of Medicine are less likely to be acceptable for complementary training in Respiratory Medicine, and these rotations will only be approved if a suitable link to Respiratory Medicine training can be demonstrated, and a suitable clinical case mix and supervisor are available. When considering programs for complementary training, trainees are advised to contact the SAC regarding their proposed complementary program and seek advice prior to accepting any clinical position.

Complementary training should normally be prospectively approved by the SAC before commencement of the year of training. Retrospective approval of complementary training will not normally be granted. Training in research will be strongly encouraged during the period of complementary training; ongoing contact with a respiratory supervisor is required.

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This page was last edited: December 2009