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Supervisor Professional Development Program

Supervisor Professional Development Program

The Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) is a high-quality training program for final year Advanced Trainees and Fellows^* who supervise trainees in RACP-accredited positions.

^*Overseas Trained Physicians (OTPs) who are actively completing requirements for specialist registration are also welcome to complete SPDP in preparation for supervision in the future.

Program overview
Exemption
Facilitators
Resources

Workshop registration

You can choose any order to complete all 3 SPDP workshops via online forums, face-to-face or virtually.

Requirements to become an RACP approved supervisor

To be an RACP Approved Supervisor:

All DPEs, Training Program Directors, Advanced Training (AT) Supervisors and Education Supervisors must complete SPDP 3 by end of 2022.
All DPEs, Training Program Directors, AT Supervisors and Education Supervisors must complete (or be exempt from) SPDP 1 and 2 in line with their accreditation cycle.
Rotational Supervisors (RS) / Ward Service Assistants (WSA) are only required to complete SPDP 3 (non-member RS/WSA are encouraged to complete SPDP 3 but there is no requirement).

After completing the SPDP 3 workshop and prior to achieving Approved status, supervisors will be referred to as Provisionally Approved.

SPDP 1 | Educational Leadership and Management

Educational and leadership management incorporates the overarching themes of developing trainee expertise and using coaching techniques to improve feedback practice.

This workshop focuses on delivering feedback using 2 frameworks, the GROW model and the 4 areas of feedback. By using these models, supervisors can facilitate change and growth in trainees towards expert performance.

Objectives

Demonstrate strong educational leadership.
Plan and manage for effective supervision.
Advocate for enhanced support for trainees.
Self-reflect on supervisory performance.

SPDP 1 booklet

SPDP 2 | Learning Environment and Culture

Learning environment and culture provides a range of teaching strategies to manage and overcome challenges supervisors face in a complex healthcare setting. These strategies include planning for learning, differentiated instructions for multi-level groups, and using teaching techniques such as questioning.

This workshop explores some cultural aspects that may impact on learning, including the hidden curriculum, tribalism and the need for effective role modelling.

Objectives

Understand how to establish an effective learning environment.
Recognise the importance of planning for learning.
Define and model professional behaviour.
Optimise opportunities for learning.

SPDP 2 booklet

SPDP 3 | Teaching and Facilitating Learning for Safe Practice

Teaching and facilitating learning for safe practice is a complex and necessary part of physician training. The challenges of undertaking work-based learning and assessment along with the complexities of the healthcare environment are many and varied.

This workshop offers techniques and solutions to these challenges that will help supervisors in their vital role.

Objectives

Use safe and effective work-based assessments/activities to guide learning.
Make evidence-based assessment on trainee performance.
Use evidence-based tools to improve supervisory practice.

SPDP 3 booklet

AFOEM and AFPHM workshop booklets

SPDP 1 | AFOEM/AFPHM – Educational Leadership and Management (PDF)
SPDP 2 | AFOEM/AFPHM – Learning Environment and Culture (PDF)
SPDP 3 | Public Health Medicine – Teaching and Facilitating Learning for Safe Practice (PDF)

SPDP is a 'Category 2: Reviewing Performance' activity in the 2020 MyCPD Framework. You earn 3 CPD credits per hour.

Eligibility

Exemption from SPDP 1 and 2 is only possible for supervisors who have both relevant education, skills and experience.

All supervisors must complete SPDP 3, including those granted exemption from SPDP 1 and 2. SPDP 3 focuses on work-based assessment and the content is specific to the trainee assessment process.

To be eligible, you have completed both of the following eligibility criteria:

formal medical education studies or equivalent supervisor training with another medical college (e.g. RCPA)
a minimum of 3 years’ experience as a RACP supervisor.

Apply

Note: We may contact you for further information to support your application.

Outcomes

Application outcomes take up to 6 weeks. We'll update you on the application outcome.

Where an outcome cannot be determined, the relevant overseeing committee will make the final decision.

"Through participation in the SPDP workshops, I have been able to facilitate positive changes within my own practice, allowing me to grow as both a supervisor and mentor. I attended a combination of online and face-to-face sessions, finding the content so valuable that when the RACP offered the opportunity to become a facilitator, I jumped at the chance."

Dr Dayna Law

Become a facilitator

You can become a SPDP workshop facilitator or host a workshop.

SPDP workshop facilitators are Fellows interested in medical education and facilitating skill-based workshops with their peers.

2022 Facilitator Training

A workshop will be held on 2 June.

Facilitators plan, manage and guide SPDP workshops to ensure each one is:

credible — physicians are best placed to facilitate training for their peers
focused on supervisor needs — ensure relevancy to supervisors from all training programs
accessible and flexible — workshops can be held at a variety of locations

Training and support is provided for facilitators:

training for facilitators of face-to-face workshops (6-hour 1-day Facilitator Training Workshop)
preparation of facilitator and participant workshop materials
onsite support from locally based Member Support Officers
organisation and logistics support from the Supervisor Learning Support team
online courses and training in facilitation with technical support are under development

To become a SPDP workshop facilitator or to host a workshop, contact us.

Eligibility Criteria for registration:

RACP Fellow
Experienced in supervision
Attended at least one SPDP workshop.

Post-workshop reading

SPDP feedback

Find out more about how the Program has already helped physicians.

Supervisor Professional Development Program

The Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) is a high-quality training program for final year Advanced Trainees and Fellows^* who supervise trainees in RACP-accredited positions.

Workshop registration

Requirements to become an RACP approved supervisor

SPDP 1 | Educational Leadership and Management

Objectives

SPDP 2 | Learning Environment and Culture

Objectives

SPDP 3 | Teaching and Facilitating Learning for Safe Practice

Objectives

AFOEM and AFPHM workshop booklets

Eligibility

Outcomes

Dr Dayna Law

Become a facilitator

2022 Facilitator Training

Post-workshop reading

SPDP 1

Support

SPDP 2

eLearning

SPDP 3

SPDP feedback

Donate to RACP Foundation | Further tomorrow's medicine today.

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians

Supervisor Professional Development Program

The Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) is a high-quality training program for final year Advanced Trainees and Fellows* who supervise trainees in RACP-accredited positions.

Workshop registration

Requirements to become an RACP approved supervisor

SPDP 1 | Educational Leadership and Management

Objectives

SPDP 2 | Learning Environment and Culture

Objectives

SPDP 3 | Teaching and Facilitating Learning for Safe Practice

Objectives

AFOEM and AFPHM workshop booklets

Donate to RACP Foundation | Further tomorrow's medicine today.

The Royal Australasian College of Physicians

The Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) is a high-quality training program for final year Advanced Trainees and Fellows^* who supervise trainees in RACP-accredited positions.