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Vocational Training
Haematology
Supervising
Committee
Joint Specialist Advisory Committee (JSAC) in Haematology.
Definition of Specialty
Paediatric haematology encompasses the diagnosis and treatment of a range of benign
and neoplastic disorders of the blood and blood forming tissues of childhood and
adolescence, including disorders of coagulation and abnormalities of red blood
cells, bone marrow and marrow transplantation, and leukaemias and lympho-proliferative
disorders.
General Principles
Training
in haematology may be undertaken through one of the following 3 schemes:
- joint training with the RACP and the Royal College of Pathologists of
Australasia (RCPA)
- advanced training program in clinical haematology with
the RACP
- laboratory training in haematology with the RCPA.
- The joint training scheme is a 4-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 Park 1 and Part 2 examinations in
haematology conducted by the RCPA.
- The advanced training program in clinical
haematology leads to award of FRACP and the ability to practise as a clinical
paediatric 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 3-year program,
which includes a compulsory 6-month training period in laboratory haematology,
but no formal examinations are conducted.
- A laboratory training program
in haematology is conducted by the RCPA. This is a 5-year program leading to award
to FRCPA and the ability to practise as a laboratory haematologist. Trainees must
register with the RCPA.
- 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 be undertaken in more
than one institution to increase the breadth of exposure and experience.
- In
Australia, annual applications for training need
to be submitted to the RACP by March for prospective
approval of the entire calendar year or by August for
prospective approval of training to be undertaken in the last 6 months of the
year for RACP trainees.
Deadlines are listed on the College website. In New
Zealand the deadline is 31 December for consideration
of the entire year or 31 May for the second half
of the year. Applications must be submitted to the
RCPA before 31 January. (Trainees in Australia can download a
full calendar
of important dates below.)
- All subspecialty paediatric trainees must
complete the community and child health requirements for paediatric training.
Note
that the guidelines differ between Australia and New Zealand.
Important Dates for Haematology Trainees (Australia)
Joint, RACP, and RCPA Trainees Calendar
Components of Training
Clinical Haematology
Advanced
training in paediatric clinical haematology will be for at least 3 years following
satisfactory completion of basic paediatric training and the FRACP Examination
in Paediatrics.
Core Training
A
minimum of 2 years is required. During this period the trainee shall:- acquire
knowledge of the nature, pathology, natural history and epidemiology of haematological
disease in children;
- gain experience in investigation and management of
patients with these disorders including clinical examination, laboratory investigation
and diagnostic imaging;
- acquire knowledge of the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics,
use and side effects of anti-neoplastic and other drugs relevant to management
of children with these disorders;
- obtain experience in the multi-disciplinary
approach to management of children and adolescents with malignant disease or complicated
haematological problems including palliative care;
- gain experience in
the role of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the management of malignant,
haematological and metabolic disorders in children and adolescents;
- gain
experience in design, implementation and evaluation of clinical trials protocols
for the management of haematological disease in children and adolescents including
statistical design and analysis.
Non
Core Training
You can undertake a minimum of 12 months non core training.
This period may be used to gain further clinical or laboratory experience in related
specialties or to undertake a period of research in a field of direct relevance
to paediatric haematology and oncology. You are strongly encouraged to obtain
experience in a haematology laboratory during this period.
Laboratory
Haematology
Laboratory training in haematology is an integral part of the
joint training program, and a period of 3 years of laboratory training is a requirement
of the RCPA program. This should include experience in all aspects of the haematology
laboratory including coagulation, transfusion, and immuno-haematology, haemoglobinopathies,
diagnostic haematology and morphology. Exposure to special areas such as flow
cytometry, cytogenetics, molecular diagnostic techniques and tissue typing is
highly desirable.
A period of at least 12 months laboratory experience
is required before you become eligible to sit the RCPA Part 1 Examination. During
initial laboratory training there should be an emphasis upon direct involvement
with laboratory practice, including theoretical aspects of specific test procedures,
trouble shooting and QA. You should acquire experience in dealing with consultations
from the laboratory perspective and with laboratory management issues.
Exposure
to the haematology laboratory should continue beyond the RCPA Part 1 Examination.
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