Requirements overview

Time-based requirements

The Joint Training Program ensures adequate time for you to gain the necessary learning experiences across a range of relevant rotations during your total training time of 5 years (60 months FTE).

Training rotations

Core infectious diseases

24 months FTE minimum must be spent in accredited clinical infectious diseases training positions.

Core microbiology

36 months FTE minimum must be spent in accredited laboratory microbiology positions.

Training locations

At least 12 months of Advanced Training in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology must be undertaken in Australia and/or New Zealand. This is to ensure that you receive adequate exposure to local practices and health services.

The RCPA allows a maximum of 12 months of core laboratory training to be completed outside Australia and New Zealand, and all training in non-accredited laboratories must be pre-approved. Refer to the RCPA Trainee Handbook for more information.

Program key dates

January - March

• 31 January: Previous year’s Supervisor’s Report and all PREP tools due (for trainees not applying for Fellowship in December)
• 15 February: Applications for Approval of Advanced Training due
• mid-February: Applications for RCPA Examinations due – trainees must apply to the RCPA directly
• Learning Needs Analysis (core infectious diseases training only)
• Case-based Discussion (core infectious diseases training only)

April - June

• Learning Needs Analysis (core infectious diseases training only)
• Case-based Discussion (core infectious diseases training only)
• Professional Qualities Reflection (core infectious diseases training only)

July - September

• 15 July: Supervisor’s Report due
• 31 August: Applications for Approval of Advanced Training for the second half of the year due
• 15 September: Research Project due
• Learning Needs Analysis (core infectious diseases training only)
• Case-based Discussion (core infectious diseases training only)

October - December

• 15 October: Supervisor’s Report and all PREP tools due for trainees eligible for Fellowship in December
• Learning Needs Analysis (core infectious diseases training only)
• Case-based Discussion (core infectious diseases training only)
• Professional Qualities Reflection (core infectious diseases training only)

Interim requirements

Entry requirements

Work-based learning and assessment requirements

Leave allowances

In 2020, 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 Committee for Joint College Training (CJCT) 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 CJCT will take into account this documentation when considering your certification of training.

Advanced Life Support (ALS) course

Case-based Discussions (CbD)

Developmental and Psychosocial Training

Learning Needs Analysis (LNA)

Logbook

Professional Qualities Reflection (PQR)

Supervisor’s Reports

Trainees who commenced before 2019

Trainees commencing 2019 onwards

Case-based Discussion

Learning Need Analysis

A Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) embeds the process of planning and evaluating learning in the trainee’s practice.

A LNA is designed to help you:

• tailor your learning experiences and build on clinical knowledge and skills
• enhance face-to-face communication with your supervisor
• provide information on your learning needs and progress
• reflect on your strengths, limitations and future learning strategies

Your ward/service consultant or supervisor are responsible for:

• advising you of available learning opportunities and resources
• ensuring you have set appropriate goals and identified achievable learning objectives
• reviewing your completed LNA and providing you feedback

Step-by-step: Learning Need Analysis

Trainees need to complete a specified number of LNAs each year to meet their program requirements. Refer to your LNA requirements for the specified number per rotation.

Prepare for your LNA

To plan the learning objectives for each training period, you should discuss the learning opportunities and resources available with your ward/service consultant or supervisor.

1. Meet with your consultant/supervisor to discuss:
   • career goals
   • personal strengths and weaknesses
   • strengths and constraints of the training site/rotation, including the expertise of the medical staff and the resources available
   • requirements established in the curriculum, the Professional Practice Framework and Professional Standards (PDF)

Create a LNA: Part 1

2. Log into your online training portal and create a new LNA
   Basic Training Portal^* | Advanced Training Portal | AFOEM Portal | AFRM Portal


3. You'll be prompted to enter:
   • learning goals for the training period
   • self-evaluation on current competency for the goals identified
   • learning objectives from the curricula that map to their goals (optional)
   • strategies and resources that will assist their learning
   • contact details of additional supervisors (optional)
4. Submit Part 1 of your LNA


5. You and your consultant/supervisor can meet to review and improve your LNA


6. Begin implementing your LNA over your training period

Complete your LNA: Part 2

At the end of your training period, you'll complete a self-evaluation of your LNA.

7. Login to your online portal and open Part 2 of your LNA


8. Provide your input on:
   • competency in the areas specified in the learning plan
   • evidence of learning
   • reflection on training period
9. Complete your LNA by submitting LNA Part 2


10. Your consultant/supervisor can access your completed LNA

Supervisor responsibilities

Your ward/service consultant or supervisor are responsible for:

• advising you of available learning opportunities and resources
• ensuring you have set appropriate goals and identified achievable learning objectives
• reviewing your completed LNA and provide you feedback
• AFOEM only: provide revision suggestions (if needed) and approve your LNA

More information

Professional Qualities Reflection

A Professional Qualities Reflection (PQR) allows a trainee to reflect on an event, or series of events, that is medically or professionally significant to them.

Through analysis of the event(s), you’ll be able to identify and integrate new skills and knowledge to improve your performance.

Reflecting on your professional qualities can cause you to question your beliefs, attitudes and behaviours, and develop new ideas and insights to inform your future practice.

When planning your PQR, you should consider:

• What happened?
• Why did it happen?
• What did you learn?
• How can you improve patient care?
• What action did you or will you take?

Refer to your Basic Training Program or Advanced Training Program for more about your specific program requirements.

Choosing an event

Analyse an event or events that impacts your professional practice.

The event(s) can be positive or negative but don’t have to be dramatic or life threatening. The event(s) should relate to a variety of different encounters you might experience in a healthcare setting.

Qualified Privilege

Australia

The PQR is a quality assurance activity that has been declared on behalf of the Minister of Health and Aged Care by the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health under Part VC section 124X of the Health Insurance Act 1973 under the Commonwealth Qualified Privilege Scheme.

New Zealand

Information entered in the PQR tool and which has become known solely as a result of the PQR is protected under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.

The Act outlines conditions which apply to use of the PQR, which include:

• information already existing, for example in patient notes, is not protected.
• information entered in the PQR cannot be disclosed to, or recorded by, others who are outside the PQR activity.

The Minister of Health can authorize disclosure for investigation purposes if they are satisfied that the material relates to a serious offence.

Anonymity and confidentiality

The RACP strongly advises de-identifying any information entered in a PQR. Please de-identify any names of patients, peers, persons or organisation(s) to protect the privacy of individuals/organisation(s) in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Medical Association Privacy Handbook.

The College won’t release any information that you give in this self-reflective tool to any third party without consent unless it’s required to do so by law.

Supervisor’s Report

A Supervisor's Report provides a comprehensive overview of your progress and achievement during the training year. It provides you with structured feedback on your performance from your Supervisor and will inform the decision on the certification of your training.

You and your supervisor are to discuss and sign every report.

A Supervisor’s Report is also required to complete Developmental and Psychosocial Training (if applicable).

Refer to the Supervisor’s Report under Program Requirements for specialty-specific requirements and submission deadlines.

Responsibilities

Supervisors

• The Supervisor’s Report must be completed by supervisors who have directly overseen the trainee.
• If the supervisor didn’t directly supervise the trainee throughout their whole rotation, the supervisor must produce a composite report of Supervisor’s Reports obtained from those staff who directly supervised the trainee.
• A supervisor must discuss the Supervisor’s Report with the trainee prior to both parties signing the report
• A copy of each report should be provided to the trainee.

Trainees

• You must provide your supervisor(s) a copy of the Supervisor’s Report form. Failure to do so can result in delays or non-certification of that training period.
• Provide copies of your previous Supervisor's Report(s) to your next rotation’s or year’s supervisor.
• Submit a Trainee’s Report to provide feedback to the Advanced Training Committee for use in future training program evaluations.

The Trainee’s Report encourages trainees to reflect on their training rotations, and to embed reflection and review into their practice. It’s a confidential report and supervisors don’t need to review the report.

The College can provide subsequent supervisors copies of the trainee’s past reports as well as any other documents deemed relevant to that trainee’s training program.

Progression to the next year of training is dependent upon the College receiving satisfactory Supervisor’s Report(s) covering the full year/period of training completed.

Late submission

The College reserves the right to not certify training if your Supervisor’s Report is submitted after the specified deadline.

If you submit your Supervisor’s Report late, you must attach an Application for Special Consideration. You can also submit a letter of explanation to support your application.

You must attempt to apply for Special Consideration to the College prior to the Supervisor’s Report deadline.

Applications will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the Special Consideration for Assessment Policy.

More information

See education policies for further details, documents and forms.

Australia

A mandatory period of Developmental and Psychosocial Training for all paediatricians was introduced to ensure that the changing nature of developmental and behavioural aspects in paediatric practice

Areas of training

• Developmental/behavioural paediatrics
• Community paediatrics
• Disability/rehabilitation paediatrics
• Child protection
• Child and adolescent mental health
• Palliative Medicine

These areas reflect a holistic approach to the health problems of children and young people. An understanding of the roles and inter-relationships of many allied health and community-based services, in a way that distinguishes them from experience in organ-based specialties, is required.

Requirements

Time length: 6 months (minimum) in one or more training areas.

Approved training options

A prospectively approved psychosocial training position (6 months)
The 6-month training program can be completed as either:

• 2 x 3-month terms
• 1 x 6-month block
• A continuous part-time position, such as 2.5 days a week for 12 months^*

A prospectively approved rural position (6 months)
The 6-month training comprised of a documented weekly program in the psychosocial training areas with an appropriate level of supervision.

Attendance at a prospectively approved clinic
For 2 sessions a week for 18 months or for 1 session a week for 3 years, plus completion of an approved learning module

Approved clinics

An approved clinic is determined to be a clinic where other health and/or educational professionals are involved, and supervision is directed by a paediatrician who is experienced in one or multiple areas of Developmental and Psychosocial Training, such as behaviour, development, rehabilitation and child protection.

Approved learning module options

• Evidence of attendance at a lecture series at a recognise institution, related to the Developmental and Psychosocial Training areas
• 3 x referenced case reports/essays – demonstrating comprehensive understanding of 3 different issues in the areas of psychosocial training, for example rehabilitation or community paediatrics (1500–2000 words each)
• Completion of the Griffith Mental Developmental Scales course

Other prospectively approved modules may be considered.

Supervision

Trainees must nominate a supervisor for their Developmental and Psychosocial Training component, either during Basic Training or Advanced Training.

A satisfactory Supervisor’s Report for Developmental and Psychosocial Training is required for your training to be certified.

Approval and certification

Basic Training

Apply prospectively through the Basic Training online registration system and check the box to apply Developmental and Psychosocial training.

Didn’t apply in your online application? Submit a Basic Training Developmental and Psychosocial Training application form by the application deadline.

At the end of your rotation, you must submit a Basic Training Developmental and Psychosocial Training Supervisor's Report.

Advanced Training

Apply prospectively through your Advanced Training specialty.

If you want your Developmental and Psychosocial Training rotation to count towards your specialty training time, you must submit a Supervisor’s Report for your specialty.

All other trainees must submit an Advanced Training Developmental and Psychosocial Training Supervisor's Report.

New Zealand

Time length: 3 months (minimum) in one or more training areas

Alternatively, trainees can gain the required training by managing suitable cases over a longer period with appropriate supervision. The training must be documented in a logbook.

For trainees, attempting Developmental and Psychosocial Training during their Basic Training, see suitable rotations.

Logbook

Trainees must keep a record of at least 12 cases they have personally managed under supervision.

In your logbook, your entries must cover a range of conditions:

• Developmental problems, with a focus on the response of parents, families and care-givers to the diagnosis and ongoing care of the child with special needs
• Pervasive developmental disorders
• General learning disability – the behaviour problems that arise secondary to this condition
• Chronic illness – behavioural and psychological problems resulting from chronic illness, and parent and family difficulties resulting from chronic conditions, such as diabetes, epilepsy, chronic arthritis, chronic respiratory disease, physical disability and childhood cancer
• Common behavioural paediatric problems such as enuresis, encopresis, sleep disturbance, eating difficulties, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, depression, and pre-school behavioural adjustment disorders.

You are to provide a summary of the issues involved in each case and how they were managed. Copies of clinical letters are not appropriate.

Cases will generally accumulate over a 2-year period and each case record must be signed by the supervisor.

Supervision

Trainees must nominate a paediatrician with a special interest and skill in behavioural paediatrics or, where available, a child psychiatrist or paediatric clinical psychologist, to act as their supervisor.

The RACP program director will provide the nominated supervisor with information about the requirements for the logbook as well as review the logbook.

Approval and certification

Basic Training

Apply prospectively through the Basic Training online registration system and check the box to apply Developmental and Psychosocial training.

Didn’t apply in your online application? Submit a Basic Training Developmental and Psychosocial application form to basic.training@racp.org.nz 

At the end of your rotation, complete and submit your Basic Training Developmental and Psychosocial Supervisors Report to basic.training@racp.org.nz

Advanced Training

Apply prospectively through your Advanced Training specialty.

If you want your Developmental and Psychosocial Training rotation to count towards your specialty training time, you must submit a Supervisor’s Report for that specialty.

All other trainees must submit an Advanced Training Developmental and Psychosocial Training Supervisor's Report.

If you are completing your Developmental and Psychosocial Training by logbook, submit your logbook via your Advanced Training specialty.

Logbook resources

Psychosocial Logbook template
Psychosocial Logbook example