The examination evaluates your ability to deal with clinical problems and tasks relevant to the practice of rehabilitation medicine, as set out in the Rehabilitation Medicine Advanced Training Curriculum.

Requirement

One clinical examination must be passed over the course of training, usually held between July and September of the calendar year.

Additional information

• The Fellowship Clinical Examination takes the form of a standardised clinical examination (commonly referred to as an SCE).
• Candidates rotate through 12 stations over a period of 2½ to 3 hours.
• Assessors rate a trainee’s performance in each station by reference to predetermined standardised criteria set for each station, candidates are required to demonstrate a satisfactory performance across all areas of the Fellowship Clinical Examination.
• Each station presents a different clinical scenario and may set out a specific written task or problem.
• Trainees will rotate through the stations, each of approximately eight minutes, with a three-minute break between stations
• A candidate must pass both the written component (Fellowship Written Examination) and clinical component (Fellowship Clinical Examination) of the AFRM Fellowship Examinations.
• Fellowship Examinations can be taken in any order during the third year or fourth year of Advanced Training with the Faculty - the Fellowship Written Examination is not a barrier to attempting the Fellowship Clinical Examination.

Eligibility

• Trainees are eligible to apply for the 2017 Fellowship Examinations (Written and Clinical) if they have satisfactorily completed at least 24 months of certified full-time training in rehabilitation medicine and have submitted External Training Modules 4 and 6 before 1 April 2017.
• Trainees are eligible to apply for the 2018 Fellowship Examinations (Written and Clinical) if they have satisfactorily completed at least 24 months of certified full-time training in rehabilitation medicine (submission of External Training Modules 4 and 6 before 1 April is not required for trainees who are first attempting the Fellowship Examinations in 2018).
• Trainees must be fully current with all College training fees. Trainees with outstanding training fees will not be eligible to sit the Fellowship Clinical Examination unless they have made an application in writing to the Honorary Treasurer requesting special consideration.
• Trainees must have completed payment of examination fee by due date in order to be guaranteed a place at the examination.

Exam attempt limit

You have three attempts to complete this examination.

More information

• Progression through Training policy

The examination is designed to test your ability to:

• evaluate and assess complex problems of a clinical or administrative nature
• communicate relevant information in a clear written form, within the time available
• demonstrate an awareness of the judgement of priorities and the importance of sensitive interdisciplinary planning and liaison
• adopt an orderly, logical and mature approach to current areas of debate and controversy in disability management

Requirement 

One written examination is to be passed over the course of training, usually held between March to June of the calendar year.

Additional information

• The Fellowship Written Examination includes two papers taken on the same day, as follows:
  • Paper A – Eight modified essay questions (3.5 hours)
  • Paper B – 130 multiple-choice questions (3 hours).
• Paper A and Paper B are unbundled and are considered as separate assessment outcomes.
• A satisfactory standard must be reached for both Paper A and Paper B to be granted an overall pass in the Fellowship Written Examination.
• Paper B, the multiple-choice question paper, consists of 130 A-type questions (single best response of four or five alternatives).
• The Fellowship Written Examination examines the candidate’s knowledge and competence in the assessment and management of disability, including any matters referred to in the Rehabilitation Medicine Advanced Training Curriculum.
• Candidates must pass both the written component (Fellowship Written Examination) and the clinical component (Fellowship Clinical Examination) of the AFRM Fellowship Examinations.
• Fellowship Examinations can be taken in any order during the third year or fourth year of Advanced Training with the Faculty - the Fellowship Written Examination is not a barrier to attempting the Fellowship Clinical Examination.

Eligibility

• You are eligible to apply for the  Fellowship Examinations (Written and Clinical) if you have satisfactorily completed at least 24 months of certified full-time training in rehabilitation medicine
• Trainees must be fully current with all College training fees. Trainees with outstanding training fees will not be eligible to sit the Fellowship Written Examination unless they have made an application in writing to the Honorary Treasurer requesting special consideration.
• Trainees must have completed payment of examination fee by due date in order to be guaranteed a place at the examination.

Exam attempt limit

You have three attempts to complete this examination.

More information

• Progression through Training Policy

This is a requirement for trainees who commenced training in 2011 onwards only, but recommended for all trainees.

This course provides training in FIM™ (Functional Independence Measure), a functional assessment scale for collecting uniform measurement and data on disability and rehabilitation outcomes. It is an important tool for rehabilitation physicians and most staff members in rehabilitation units are expected to be FIM™ credentialed.

Requirement

One FIM^TM training course is to be completed over the course of training, due by the end of Advanced Training.

It should be noted that final certification for Fellowship may be delayed unless the overseeing committee is satisfied that all the requirements for the training program have been adequately met.

More information

•  Australasian Paediatric Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre (University of Wollongong)

This assessment evaluates your level of professional judgement exercised when dealing with common clinical problems in rehabilitation medicine when you are nearing consultancy.

Requirement

2 x satisfactory Formal Long Case Assessments under examination conditions by the end of Advanced Training, usually during your final 6-month training term (additional to your In-Training Long Case Assessment).

• The Formal Long Case Assessments are to be completed under examination conditions before being eligible for recommendation to FAFRM.
• The two assessments may be completed at different times with different assessors or in sequence on the same day if necessary.
• Formal Long Case Assessments are assessed by two Fellows of the Faculty, one of whom must be an accredited AFRM Long Case Assessor. The other assessor may be the trainee’s current supervisor or other nominated Faculty Fellow.
• The Long Case Assessment rating form needs to be completed and submitted by the assessors, not the trainee.
• The assessors are not required to directly observe the trainee during the 60 minutes spent with the patient for history taking and clinical examination.
• No performance feedback is provided to trainees by the assessors at the time of the Formal Long Case Assessment.

More information

• See Additional Resources for the Long Case Assessment Rating Form

This formative assessment evaluates the level of professional judgement exercised in dealing with common clinical problems in rehabilitation medicine. 

Requirement

• Year 1: Two per year (minimum) completed in the second six-month period of the year, later in the training term
• Year 2 and Year 3: Four per year (minimum), two completed per six-month period, later in the training term.
• Year 4: Two per year (minimum) completed in the first six-month period of the year, later in the term

Trainees are required to complete a minimum of 12 In-Training Long Case Assessments including at least three (one per year during Years 2-4)) which are directly observed by the end of Advanced Training.

An In-Training Long Case Assessment encounter involves a comprehensive review of clinical cases between an Advanced Trainee and an assessor, resulting in feedback being given to the trainee across a range of areas.

Part-time trainees are also expected to undertake at least two In-Training Long Case Assessments during each six-month term. Part-time trainees must complete the same number of formative and summative assessment activities and teaching and learning tools as full-time trainees.

More information

• Enter the results of each In-training Long Case Assessment via the AFRM Training Portal​
• See Additional resources for the In-training Long Case Assessment rating form
• In-Training Long Case Assessment information

Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) assists you in identifying your learning needs, plan your learning objectives, and evaluate your progress in your practice.

Requirement

One LNA is to be completed per six-month training term (core and non-core), early in the term, due 31 August (for training in the first half of the year) and 28 February (for training in the second half of the year)

More information

• Complete and submit the LNA via the Advanced Training Portal.
• See Learning Needs Analysis for information sheets and other resources. 

This written assessment is designed to evaluate your knowledge of basic and clinical sciences.

Requirement

One Written Assessment is to be successfully completed before progressing to the third year of Advanced Training. You will not be eligible to proceed to the third year of Advanced Training until Module 1 has been completed. Modules 1 and 2 may be undertaken in any order.

Eligibilty

• Be fully current with all College training fees. Trainees with outstanding training fees will not be eligible to sit Module 1 unless they have made an application in writing to the Honorary Treasurer requesting special consideration.
• Complete payment.

Exam attempt limit

You have three attempts to complete this examination.

Module 1 Written Assessment is only be held once a year.

More information

• AFRM Examination information

This assessment examines your ability to perform a competent clinical examination and to interpret general medical and surgical problems and other data relevant to rehabilitation physicians in the management of rehabilitation patients.

Requirement

One Clinical Assessment must be passed over the course of training, before progressing to the third year of Advanced Training. You will not be eligible to proceed to the third year of Advanced Training until Module 2 has been completed. You may take Modules 1 and 2 in any order.

It is recommended that you sit the Module 2 Clinical Assessment in your first year of Advanced Training.

Eligiblity

Be fully current with all College training fees. Trainees with outstanding training fees will not be eligible to sit Module 2 unless they have made an application in writing to the Honorary Treasurer requesting special consideration.

Have completed payment of examination fee by due date in order to be guaranteed a place at the examination.

Exam attempt limit

You have three attempts to complete this examination.

More information

• Contact your Training Program Director

Research requirements enable you to gain experience:

• in research methods
• in interpretation of research literature
• in participation in research at some stage of your career
• to develop quality improvement skills

Submission of a research project provides:

• evidence of the skills of considering and defining research problems
• the systematic acquisition, analysis, synthesis and interpretation of data
• effective written communication

Requirement

Trainees commencing training in 2017 onwards:

One satisfactory Advanced Training Research Project is to be submitted over the course of training, due by the annual submission date of 15 September in any year before the end of Advanced Training.

Trainees who commenced training before 2017

• 1 satisfactory Advanced Training Research Project, due by the annual submission date of 15 September in any year before the end of Advanced Training; or
• 1 Clinical Research Project and 2 article critiques over the course of training, due by 15 September in your penultimate year; or
• 2 satisfactory Research Projects: one project is to be assessed as satisfactory by the end of your second year of training; the second project is to be assessed as satisfactory by the end of your third year of training, due by 15 September 

Advanced Training Research Project

The Advanced Training Research Project must be marked as satisfactory prior to admission to Fellowship. It is recommended that you submit your research project by 15 September in the penultimate year of training to allow time for marking and resubmission of research projects initially marked 'Resubmit'.

More information

• Research Projects
• Research Projects eLearning@RACP module
• Education policies

Clinical Research Project and Article Critiques

After accessing and reading critical appraisal guidelines, you are required to evaluate two published research articles and write 600-word reports describing the methodology and results for each one. Trainees will also be required to design and implement a limited clinical research project.

The final presentation of the project should be in a format suitable for journal publication and be no longer than 3000 words.

Trainees should contact the Faculty at Rehab@racp.edu.au to apply and request the course outline.

Rehabilitation Medicine Research Projects

Each project will be assessed by two independent reviewers. One project should be submitted and assessed as satisfactory by the end of the second year of training in order to progress to the third year of training.

Preparation of a project requires the trainee to demonstrate an understanding of research methodology, in order to have a better understanding of the type of scientific material that they will be exposed to during their practice as physicians. Projects require the trainee to demonstrate an ability to communicate original thought in an articulate and succinct manner.

The projects are a major requirement for physician training, and should be of an appropriate standard. The projects are assessed upon scientific merit, relevance to the field of rehabilitation medicine, interpretation of the material, and the relevance of the literature review to the case study or research being presented. Projects are also assessed on their unique and honest intellectual content. The ability to accurately paraphrase the literature is not adequate.

Excellent summaries of the literature are widely available (e.g. UpToDate). Work that is of publishable standard is usually satisfactory, whereas a project that is scientifically sound but could have been undertaken by a medical student or junior doctor is not.

The project should usually be presented in a standard scientific format. Care should be taken with the presentation including spelling and grammar. PowerPoint and other electronic formats are not acceptable, although a project discussing an online production or PowerPoint presentation may be acceptable. Trainees should seek advice from the Convenor of External Training Module 3 before embarking on such a project.

It is a requirement that the project must be prepared specifically for this task. The same work may not have been used for any other purpose such as a project for another training program. A thesis or project prepared for a higher qualification such as a Doctorate or Masters may not be submitted as a project, although a reformatted project based on the work undertaken during these studies may be.

References must be presented in a consistent format, and must be sufficiently detailed to enable the assessor to check them, if desired. Three hardcopies of the project should be submitted.

Role of the supervisor

The role of the supervisor is to assist the trainee with the selection of the project and project design, and to guide the trainee in completion of the project. The supervisor is not a joint author. The trainee and their project supervisor should meet early in the course of training to devise the projects that will be undertaken.

Once the projects are decided, the supervisor should meet with the trainee on a regular basis to ensure that the project is progressing and conforms to the guidelines. The supervisor should read the final project, and certify that the project is ready for submission. Trainees must allow adequate time for their supervisor to read and provide feedback prior to the submission date.

In certain cases, the trainee’s project supervisor may be different from their term supervisor. Trainees should exercise particular caution in this instance, and ensure that the term supervisor remains informed of their 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 rehabilitation medicine, is uncertain.

All other projects will be marked independently by two markers. If there are not two ‘satisfactory’ ratings, the project will be referred to the Convenor of External Training for Module 3, who may resolve to pass or fail the project, seek a third review, or invite submission of a revised project.

Acceptable Rehabilitation Medicine project formats

• The written piece should have direct relevance to the practice of rehabilitation 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 AFRM’s Annual Scientific Meeting.
• Projects should be novel and incorporate original thought. Trainees will sometimes be working as part of a 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 to a standard suitable for publication and should adhere 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 be free of grammatical and typographical errors. A standard, consistent method of citing the literature should be used.

Projects can take any of the following formats:

• Original scholarship*
  Results of original work done by a trainee alone or as part of a team. Indication of a trainee’s involvement will need to be made clear in the latter case. Sample length: 3000 words (indicative only)
• Literature review
  Comprehensive review of a topic including search strategy used. Sample length: 3000–5000 words (indicative only)
  Example: M. V. Morton and P. Wehman; Psychosocial and emotional sequelae of individuals with traumatic brain injury: a literature review and recommendations. Brain Injury, 1995, Vol. 9, No. 1, pages 81-92.
• Case report and review
  Review of an interesting case and brief literature review. Case reports should be of publishable standard, i.e. provide novel knowledge or insights. Only one case report should be submitted during the course of Advanced Training. Sample length: 2000–3000 words (indicative only)
  Example: Elizabeth S. Bensen MD, Kenneth M. Jaffe MD, Phillip I. Tarr MD; Acute gastric dilatation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: a case report and review of the literature. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Volume 77, Issue 5, May 1996, pages 512-514.
• Research proposal
  A completed proposal for research including background, literature review, estimated cost, and how ethics approval will be sought. Sample length: 2000 words (indicative only).
• Presentation
  Summary of oral or poster presentation made to the Australian & New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine (ANZSGM) Annual Scientific Meeting, including abstract. PowerPoint presentations will not be accepted. Projects should be written in a style suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. 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. Sample length: 2000 words (indicative only).
• Audit or quality assurance
  Audits should generally be substantial and lead to recommendations for clinical care or quality improvement. Sample length: 2000 words (indicative only).

This training module provides you with a neuropsychological perspective of brain impairment and introduces some of the major neuropsychological syndromes encountered in patients referred to a Paediatric Rehabilitation Medicine Unit.

Requirement

One Clinical Neuropsychology module is to be completed over the course of training. Five essay-type answers of no more than 1200 words each must be submitted over the course of training. 

• Severe traumatic brain injury
• Mild traumatic brain injury
• Dementia
• Disorders of frontal lobe dysfunctioning
• Apraxia/agnosia/visuoperceptual problems.

More information

• See Additional resources for the External Modules Cover Sheet and course outline

This module was formerly called ‘Administration & Management of Rehabilitation Services’
This training module provides you with the necessary knowledge and skills to attain competency in administration, leadership and quality management.

Requirement

To complete this training module, one of the following should be submitted over the course of training, due 6 months prior to the completion of training:

• Two written assignments (2000 words each) on topics such as:
  • administration and leadership of a rehabilitation service
  • safety and quality in healthcare
  • using evidence-based research to improve health outcomes

OR 

• A 500-word reflective essay on an accredited workshop
  The workshop attended must be about management or leadership for clinicians (of at least two days). Satisfactory completion of a the reflective essay at the conclusion of the workshop is compulsory.

At the conclusion of this module, trainees should be able to:

• demonstrate sound knowledge of the administration of a rehabilitation service, including skills in leadership and management of an interdisciplinary team
• understand current quality management practices and be able to assess the quality of rehabilitation programs and outcomes

More information

• see Additional resources for the External Modules Cover Sheet and course outline

This module provides you with an understanding of psychological and sociological theories and research relevant to the understanding of how people experience disability and rehabilitation.

Requirement

You must complete four written assignment paper over the course of training.

Assignment Papers

A satisfactory assignment paper comprises four sections. Section A consists of one topic (The biopsychosocial model of medical care), which is a compulsory assignment for all trainees.
Trainees must then choose one assignment from the topics listed in each of the following sections:

• Section B – The Process/experience of Rehabilitation (1 topic to be attempted)
• Section C – The Process/experience of Disability (1 topic to be attempted)
• Section D – Rural, Remote and Culturally Appropriate Rehabilitation (1 topic attempted)

Assignments are to be written in formal academic style, including a comprehensive list of references presented in the form used in the reading list. Contact the Education Officer for a copy of the reading list.

Module outcomes

On the completion of this course, you will be able to:

• employ relevant behavioural sciences’ concepts to describe and/or explain issues in rehabilitation
• use selected examples of the behavioural sciences’ literature to explore psychobehavioural and psychosocial aspects of rehabilitation 
• write about contemporary issues in rehabilitation medicine in a manner that displays knowledge of, and readings in, the behavioural sciences
• identify and understand that rehabilitation is influenced by geographical, social and cultural factors.

You will have the opportunity to relate concepts and processes in rehabilitation medicine to psychological, behavioural and social sciences literature, theories and research, and to develop an understanding of theories and research in behavioural sciences relevant to:

• people with disability in society
• a person’s experience of becoming and being disabled
• psychological, social and cultural factors influencing rehabilitation rural and remote communities.

More information

• See Additional resources for the External Modules Cover Sheet and the course outline

This exercise helps you articulate and formalise ideas and insights about ​your professional development through the process of reflection.

Requirement

Two PQRs are to be completed per year (core and non-core).

More information

• Complete and submit the PQR via the Advanced Training Portal
• See Additional Resources for information sheets and workflows