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Local selection

Local selection

Local selection into training should be rigorous, fair and transparent.

The RACP sets and monitors standards for selection, and provides advice on the selection and recruitment of trainee physicians.

Health service employers play a role by determining the number of training positions available at their site.

To assist, we have developed resources to support Training Providers and Fellows with their local selection practices.

Trainee Selection and Recruitment Guide

Planning

It begins with setting up a Selection Committee and planning the selection process.

Position design and posting

Key tasks in designing a description that is reflective of the role.

Applications

Application form icon A transparent and informative application process is the goal.

Interviewing

A blue icon of two people sitting at a table for an interview The most important step of the recruitment process.

Deciding

A round table of people reviewing candidate rating forms How to assess references, compile shortlists and candidate feedback.

Next steps

Icon of two hands shaking Once you make your offer and finalise the recruitment process, what's next?

Indigenous doctors in training

We want to assist local selection programs with supporting Indigenous trainees entering training.

Responsibilities

How the recruitment or selection of trainee physicians into vocational training position occurs is the responsibility of the employing health service. They determine who and how many medical trainees are employed into training positions in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and how recruitment to vocational training positions is conducted.

RACP	Training Setting or Network
Defines the principles and standards for selection into training Determines the eligibility criteria and the selection criteria for its training programs Provides guidance and resources to training providers to assist them with their local selection process Accredits training providers	Conducts local selection and recruitment of new trainees Ultimate decision-maker of which medical trainees receive a position within the setting Ensures compliance to appropriate governing legislation Complies with RACP selection policies, guidelines and Accreditation Standards

Unacceptable conduct

The Fair Work Ombudsman defines 'unlawful workplace discrimination' as occurring when an employer takes adverse action against a person who is an employee or prospective employee because of the following attributes of the person:

race
colour
sex
sexual orientation
age
physical or mental disability
marital status
family or carer’s responsibilities
pregnancy
religion
political opinion
national extraction
social origin

Questions on any of these topics may be problematic unless you can show a direct link between the question and the person’s ability to perform the tasks required of them.

Asking inappropriate questions during interviews or pre-interviews or behaving in an unprofessional or inappropriate way through the selection or recruitment process isn'tt acceptable to the RACP. This conduct can be unlawful and also contravenes the standards of member conduct required under the RACP Code of Conduct.

Guidelines

Guidelines for Training Providers on Local Selection for Training have been developed outlining how principles of the RACP Selection into Training Policy and Training Provider Accreditation Standards can be applied in practice to the local selection of physician trainees for its Training Providers.

Trainee selection survey

In November 2019, we ran an anonymous pulse survey (PDF) on the trainee selection experience. We received over 500 trainee responses with the majority of experiences positive, which was excellent to hear.

However, some trainees shared experiences that concerned us and we're taking steps to eliminate these practices in the selection process.

As a part of our report we’ve made recommendations to help selection panels and we’ll be reinforcing communications around fair practices. We hope to run the selection pulse survey again to ensure practices are improving for trainees.

Acknowledgements

The RACP acknowledges the following, Fellows, Trainees, and others who provided a significant contribution of their time and professional expertise and were integral to the development of this guide.

Dr Anthony Llewellyn	Great Mynds Pty Ltd
Mr Gerard Rooney	People Strengths
Dr Jonathan Christiansen	Chair of Selection into Basic Training Project Group
Dr Jason Frank	Director of Specialty Education, Strategy, and Standards, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
Dr Abu Abraham	Director of Physician Training, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth Western Australia
Prof Phillippa Poole	Head, Department of Medicine, Auckland Hospital, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland
Dr Vanaja Sabesan	Network Medical Director, Medical Vocational Training Pathways, Queensland Country Practice
A/Prof Sanghamitra Guha	Director of Postgraduate Education, Royal Adelaide Hospital
Dr Cheryl Johnson	Clinical Director Geriatric Medicine, Director of Physician Education, Older Adults and Home Health, Waitemata DHB
Dr John Fink	Clinical Director, Department of Neurology, Director of Physician Education, Christchurch Hospital
Dr Spencer Toombes	Physician Training Medical Director, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, Queensland Country Practice
A/Prof Chris Roberts	Associate Professor in Medical Education, Sydney Medical School - Northern
Dr Tina Marinelli	Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Advanced Trainee, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Chair College Trainees' Committee, RACP
Dr Emma Spencer	Director of Physician Education, Royal Darwin Hospital
Dr Davina Buntsma	Paediatric Registrar, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, >Trainee Representative - RACP Paediatrics & Child Health Division Council, Trainee Representative - RACP College Education Committee
Dr Margot Nash	Co-Director of Paediatric Physician Training, Royal Childrens' Hospital Melbourne
A/Prof Sean Beggs	Clinical Director Woman's and Children's Services, Head of Department Paediatrics, Royal Hobart Hospital, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania
Dr Eric Holmboe	Senior Vice President, Milestone Development and Evaluation, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
Dr Greg Phillips	Medical Anthropologist, CEO Abstarr Consulting
Dr Glen Bandiera	Chief of Emergency Medicine, Professor and Associate Dean, PGME University of Toronto
Dr Ian Walker	Clinical Associate Professor, Dept of Emergency Medicine, Director of Admissions, Director, Pathways to Medicine Program, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Dr Frank Alvaro	Network Director of Paediatric Physician Training, Northern Network, NSW

Definition and glossary

AHPRA	Australian Health Practitioner Regularity Authority
AIDA	Australian Indigenous Doctors Association
BPT	Basic Physician Training (for Adult Internal Medicine and Paediatric & Child Health)
BT	Basic Trainee. A medical trainee enrolled in either the RACP Basic Training program in Adult Internal Medicine or Paediatrics & Child Health
CPST	Clinical Problem Solving Test
Cultural competence	Cultural competence requires an awareness of cultural diversity and the ability to function effectively, and respectfully, when working with and treating people of different cultural backgrounds. Cultural competence means a doctor has the attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed to achieve this. A culturally competent doctor will acknowledge: That Australia and New Zealand have culturally diverse populations. That a doctor’s culture and belief systems influence his or her interactions with patients and accepts this may impact on the doctor-patient relationship. That a positive patient outcome is achieved when a doctor and patient have mutual respect and understanding
Cultural safety	To recognise and improve the impact that our own beliefs, assumptions and behaviours have on others. For health care practitioners, it is recognising the serious adverse impacts on colleagues, patients and whānau (family) of practicing in a culturally unsafe way. Culturally safe practices include actions which recognise and respect the cultural identities of others, safely meet their needs, expectations and rights, and empower cultural identity and well-being of an individual.
CV	Curriculum Vitae
DHBs	District Health Boards (regional health service entities in New Zealand)
DMS	Director of Medical Services
eRecruitment (also known as online recruitment)	The practice of using technology and web-based resources for tasks involved with recruitment and selection
GMA	General Mental Ability
HR	Human Resources
Local Selection	The recruitment and selection process by which a Training Provider appoints doctors into vocational training positions.
MCNZ	Medical Council of New Zealand
MMI	Multiple Mini Interview
Network Director	The Fellow responsible for educational leadership and the oversight and delivery of the Network Training Program (where a network exists).
PBQ	Past Behaviour Question
Prevocational Trainee	A doctor in Australia or New Zealand normally in their first or second postgraduate year who is working at the stage prior to entering specialty (vocational) training. May be referred to in terms such as Interns, Residents, Junior House Officers, PGY1 and PGY2.
RACP	Royal Australasian College of Physicians
Recruitment	A human resources process to facilitate applicants being employed. In Local Selection, it is an activity where employers look for and attempt to attract the best candidates from a limited pool of candidates.
Rotation	A placement of a trainee within a service for a fixed period for the purposes of training.
Selection	An activity where the employer selects the successful individual(s) from a large pool of candidates. It can also be the process where a decision is made for a candidate to enter a College training program.
Selection into training	An assessment of candidates to predict their success in the training program and their ability to progress to competent independent practice.
SJT	Situational Judgement Test
SLOR	Standardized Letter of Reference
SQ	Situational Question
Supervisor	A Fellow responsible for the oversight of educational requirements and the longitudinal progression of individual trainees and/or direct observation and oversight of teaching, learning and assessment of individual trainees in a rotation.
Te Ora	Māori Medical Practitioners Association
Trainee	A doctor who is undertaking a program of Basic Training or Advanced Training approved by the College to gain Fellowship of a Division, Chapter or Faculty of the College.
Training Network	A collective of Training Settings, with a formal agreement, that work together to manage and deliver an Integrated Training Program.
Training Provider	A Training Setting or Network that coordinates and delivers the workplace components of a Training Program(s).
Training Program	A formal alignment of work-based experiential rotations, social and formal learning activities that delivers a curriculum. Basic Training is a separate training program as are each of the specialty Advanced Training programs. The RACP’s Divisions, Faculties and Chapters, and joint training programs with other medical colleges are responsible for these programs.
Training Setting	A separately constituted health service that responsible for the governance, administration and financial management of a service unit(s) providing health care and training.
Training Program Director (TPD) (previous known as Director of Physician Education)	The Fellow responsible for educational leadership and the oversight of Training Program delivery at a Training Setting.
UofT	University of Toronto
Workforce planning	A process used to align service needs and priorities with those of workforce requirements.