Requirements overview

2023-24 program updates

In your 2023 and 2024 training year, these requirement changes will apply.

Work-based learning and assessment requirements

Time-based requirements

The Advanced Training Program in General Rehabilitation Medicine allows adequate time for you to gain the necessary learning experiences across a range of relevant rotations during your 4-year total training period (48 months FTE).

Trainees who commenced in 2022 onwards are required to complete Advanced Training at a minimum of 2 training settings.

Trainees who commenced before 2022 are encouraged to complete Advanced Training at more than 1 training setting.

Trainees are unable to progress into their third year of Advanced Training before passing both Module 1 Assessment and Module 2 Clinical Assessments. A maximum of 24 months FTE training time is eligible for approval prior to passing both Module 1 and Module 2 assessments.

Training rotations

Your 48 months of certified training time consists of:

• 36 months minimum of core training, spent in RACP-accredited settings
• 12 months maximum of non-core training in other clinical training disciplines or in research

The AFRM Training Committee prospectively approves non-core training rotations on a case-by-case basis. 

Non-core training time will only be considered if there is a substantial (minimum 0.5 FTE) clinical component equivalent to Advanced Training.

Training time

Trainees must spend a minimum of 36 months (FTE) core training in Australia and/or Aotearoa New Zealand, with the exception of trainees based in Hong Kong and Singapore.

This requirement ensures that you receive adequate exposure to local practices and health services.

Trainees considering training in overseas positions should seek guidance from the AFRM Training Committee prior to applying for prospective approval.

Program key dates

January – June

• 28 February | Previous rotation’s Supervisor’s Report and all PREP learning and assessment tools due
• 28 February | Applications for Prospective Approval for the first half or whole of the year due
• March | Module 1 Assessment applications open and close
• March | Fellowship Written Examination applications open and close
• April | Module 2 Clinical Assessment applications open and close
• April | Fellowship Clinical Examination applications open and close

Requirements for completion:

• Learning Needs Analysis
• Learning Needs Analysis self-evaluation
• 2 x In-training Long Case Assessments
• Professional Qualities Reflection
• 3 x Supervisor meetings (minimum)
• Training Term Evaluation Form

July – December

• 31 August | Applications for Prospective Approval for second half of the year due
• 31 August | Previous rotation’s Supervisor’s Report and all PREP learning and assessment tools due

Requirements for completion:

• Learning Needs Analysis
• Learning Needs Analysis self-evaluation
• 2 x In-training Long Case Assessments
• Professional Qualities Reflection
• 3 x Supervisor meetings (minimum)
• Training Term Evaluation Form

Interim requirements

Leave allowances

In 2022, up to 14 days of leave related to COVID-19 for quarantine or sickness can be taken.

If you exceed your 14-day COVID-19 leave allowance, and it impacts your progression, you can apply to the Faculty Training Committee (FTC) in Rehabilitation Medicine for special consideration.

Requests for special consideration are considered by the Committee COVID-19 Lead on a case-by-case basis.

How to apply

Submit an application for special consideration (DOC) with supporting evidence from your employer, GP and/or other relevant medical practitioners.

Your FTC will take into account this documentation when considering your certification of training.

Overview

Requirements

Overview

Requirements

Accepted project formats

Presentation guidelines

Submission guidelines

Marking outcomes

Project supervisor's role

Overview

Requirements

Unit 1 | Severe traumatic brain injury

Unit 2 | Mild traumatic brain injury

Unit 3 | Dementia

Unit 4 | Frontal lobe disorders

Unit 5 | Apraxia, agnosia and visuoperceptual problems

Overview

Requirements

Submission guidelines

Option 1 | AROC Report

Part 1

Scenario: You’re the Director of Rehabilitation Medicine Services in your hospital and you have just received your 6-monthly report from AROC for the period January to June.

You have chosen the following 4 graphs to present to your hospital’s Quality Management meeting.

Assignment

Prepare a report explaining these 4 graphs. Your report should follow this format:

• Executive summary | 200 to 250 words
  Summary of your interpretation (write your summary at the end)
• Australasian Rehabilitation Outcomes Centre | 200 to 250 words
  • What is it?
  • How do you contribute data?
  • What are you benchmarked against?
  • What data is provided?
• Explanation of graphs | 500 words
  Explain what each graph means and the possible reasons for variations.
• Recommendations | 200 words
  Indicate what changes you may be making to the management of the flow of your patients through your rehabilitation ward.

Part 2

Scenario: Your Director of Medical Services requests a meeting with you a couple of days after the Quality Management meeting in early August. They tell you that the Hospital Executive has been told to urgently reduce spending.

Your usual 5-week closure over the New Year period has been extended. Your ward will close for 5 months from 1 September this year until 31 January next year.

Assignment

Outline what you will do to ensure that your rehabilitation ward is re-opened in 5 months and that the patients receive a high-quality rehabilitation service in the meantime.

Word limit: 1000 to 1500 words.

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Resources

Academic Integrity in Training Policy
Citing and referencing | Monash University
Rehabilitation Medicine Assessment cover sheet (PDF)

Option 2 | Management and budget administration

Part 2

In Part 2, you’re to read and understand a budget report and its appendices (XLS).

Appendix 1 is a report from a typical hospital-based rehabilitation service. The question assumes information that is further discussed in the next part of the assignment. The provided organisational charts (appendices 2 and 3) relate to the service for which this budget report was prepared.

The routine budget report (appendix 1) has been provided to the budget holder (Nursing Unit Manager) of the rehabilitation service and cost centre. The report was printed in May and details expenditure for the first 10 months of the financial year (ends 30 June).

1. Based on expenditure for the first 10 months, what is your estimate of the total expenditure for the rehabilitation service for the full accounting period? Explain how you calculated this.


2. Based on the pattern of expenditure in the year-to-date reported, what do estimate the total budget variance will be in both actual dollars and percentage of budgeted expenditure for the full accounting period? Explain how you calculated this.


3. The expenditure line for Agency and Casual Nurses has both positive and negative entries. The variance line for this expense is both negative (unfavourable) and positive (favourable). Aside from an entry error, what possible explanation could there be for this?


4. What proportion (as a percentage) of total expenditure is the cost of salaries and associated expenses? Is this typical for Australian hospitals?

Length: 200 words per question.

Part 3

In this part, you’re to examine the relationship between organisational structure and financial control of the organisation.

Management accounting is a branch of accounting that attempts to provide managers with the financial information needed to make well-informed decisions on the organisation’s performance and to allow the monitoring of decision makers within the organisation.

It uses the concept of ‘responsibility centres’ to design and structure information collection, budget development and financial reporting.

A responsibility centre can be defined as:

1. Discuss whether the rehabilitation service in this hospital should be treated as a responsibility centre for accounting purposes. To appropriately answer this question, you’ll need to consider the:
   • service goals that hospital management is likely to expect the rehabilitation service to achieve
   • organisation structure of the rehabilitation service
   • impact of structure on cost control and service delivery
2. Identify the components of the budget report that the Nursing Unit Manager has limited control over and explain why it is the case.
   
   Also, identify which manager should be made responsible for any budget components that you believe don’t belong with the Nursing Unit Manager and explain why.


3. Briefly discuss the impact the current reporting lines are likely to have on the treating team cohesion. Does this have any relevance to or impact on the quality of care given?
   
   In answering this, consider the role of leadership in the team and the links between leadership and organisational structure.

Length: 1000 words total.

Part 4

In Part 4, you’ll need to demonstrate an understanding of the level to which costs are effectively ‘fixed’ or ‘variable’ in the short-term (see Part 1).

You’ll also need to show some understanding of the links between control over costs and control over the staff that incur those costs (see Part 3).

In your answer, remember to calculate the actual dollar reductions needed to achieve budget and identify where savings could be made. In order to form an opinion on the feasibility of each of the identified options, you will need to identify the:

• problem areas within the budget
• options for altering costs within the current budget cycle
• likely impact on staff and service delivery

Resources

Academic Integrity in Training Policy
Budget report and appendices (XLS)
Citing and referencing | Monash University
Rehabilitation Medicine Assessment cover sheet (PDF)

Option 3 | Quality and safety

Option 4 | Service planning

Submission guidelines

Overview

Requirements

Submission guidelines

Key content and readings

Topic A | Biopsychosocial approach

Topic B | Process/experience of rehabilitation

Topic C | Process/experience of disability

Topic D | Rural, remote and culturally appropriate rehabilitation

Overview

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Overview

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Overview

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Overview

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Overview

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Overview

Requirements

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit the assessment, you must:

• apply by the due date
• have at least 2 full years of postgraduate supervised training in general medical and surgical areas
• be in an accredited training position or on an approved training interruption
• have current medical registration
• be in your first or second year of Advanced Training
• comply with requirements in Progression Through Training Policy 

If you have outstanding training fees, you're ineligible to sit the exam. See College Fees Terms and Conditions.

Exam attempt limit

You cannot continue Advanced Training if you exceed the examination attempt limit, which is based on when you commenced training.

See Progression Through Training Policy for more information about examination attempts.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit the assessment, you must:

• apply by the due date
• have at least 2 full years of postgraduate supervised training in general medical and surgical areas
• be in an accredited training position or on an approved training interruption
• have current medical registration
• be in your first or second year of Advanced Training
• comply with requirements in Progression Through Training Policy 

If you have outstanding training fees, you're ineligible to sit the exam. See College Fees Terms and Conditions.

Exam attempt limit

You cannot continue Advanced Training if you exceed the examination attempt limit, which is based on when you commenced training.

See Progression Through Training Policy for more information about examination attempts.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit the examination, you must have:

• completed 24 months FTE of certified training in general rehabilitation medicine
• paid the exam fee by the due date, in order to guarantee your place
• your College training fees paid up in full

If you have outstanding training fees, you’re ineligible to sit the exam. See College Fees Terms and Conditions.

Exam attempt limit

You cannot continue Advanced Training if you exceed the examination attempt limit, which is based on when you commenced training.

^* Trainees who commenced before 2018 must successfully pass the Fellowship Written and Clinical Examinations within a period of 47 months from their first attempt at the assessment.

See Progression Through Training Policy for more information about examination attempts.

Eligibility

To be eligible to sit the examination, you must have:

• completed 24 months FTE of certified training in general rehabilitation medicine
• paid the exam fee by the due date, in order to guarantee your place
• your College training fees paid up in full

If you have outstanding training fees, you’re ineligible to sit the exam. See College Fees Terms and Conditions.

Exam attempt limit

You cannot continue Advanced Training if you exceed the examination attempt limit, which is based on when you commenced training.

^* Trainees who commenced before 2018 must successfully pass the Fellowship Written and Clinical Examinations within a period of 47 months from their first attempt at the assessment.

See Progression Through Training Policy for more information about examination attempts.