Provisional Advanced Training

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Divisional Clinical Examination (DCE) is postponed until later in 2020. A provisional Advanced Training (pAT) progression pathway is available to help you continue your training.

Overview
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Sitting the DCE
Exam outcome

Overview

Eligibility requirements

If you were planning to sit the 2020 DCE, you can apply for Provisional Advanced Training (pAT) for either later in 2020 or in early 2021 if you:

completed all other Basic Training (BT) requirements, including passing the Divisional Written Examination AND
secured an AT position that starts after the date you would have sat the clinical exam in 2020 (this position must be in an accredited AT setting, approved by the relevant AT Committee) AND
plan to sit the rescheduled 2020 DCE in late 2020/early 2021

For Basic Trainees currently on the Training Support Pathway:

all of the above conditions must be met AND
your current supervising committee must recommend advancing to provisional AT

pAT pathways

If you were eligible to sit the DCE this year, you can either go into pAT or stay in BT. Use the graphic below to find out more about your options (click to expand).

Application considerations

Discuss the following with your DPE or supervisor before deciding whether pAT is the right pathway for you:

Health and wellbeing
Advanced Training (AT) can be stressful, so starting it while also preparing for exams might impact your day-to-day life, work and training.

Another option is to continue in Basic Training (BT) in 2021, sit the rescheduled DCE and then apply for AT. This could help lower stress and allow you to concentrate on preparing for the DCE in a more supportive environment. Then you could begin AT with fewer distractions.

Preparation and support
We’re working with Health Departments and DPEs to provide pATs with access to support and resources for preparing for the DCE and for this support to continue if your exam outcome is unsuccessful in 2021. New online exam preparation resources are also under development.

We cannot guarantee all pATs will have access to the preparation program they may have expected as a Basic Trainee. You need to consider how you would practice long and short cases and your access to education and training events and study time may not be ideal.

Exam attempts
If you're coming up to your last attempt at the DCE and wish to apply for pAT, carefully consider the implications of preparing for your final attempt and entering into AT at the same time.

All current trainees have been granted a 12-month extension to complete their current training program.

Recruitment implications
Recruitment and selection into AT positions are undertaken by Health Departments and local networks, with limited involvement from the College.

We’re advising recruitment panels not to discriminate against candidates who haven’t been able to sit the DCE due to the postponement. However, local selection panels will make their own selection decisions as usual.

pATs who don’t pass the DCE in late 2020/early 2021 will have gathered useful experience which may be a point of difference between them and other trainees during future recruitment rounds once they have passed the DCE. However, Recognition of Prior Learning will not be granted for the time previously spent in pAT in this case.

Employment implications of not passing the DCE
If your attempt at passing the Clinical Exam at its first scheduled offering in late 2020/early 2021 is unsuccessful, any training provisionally approved as 'conditional upon passing the Clinical Examination' won’t be accepted as AT.

You'll be classified as a Continuation Basic Trainee (per the Progression Through Training Policy). The implications on your employment will be determined by your employer and differ by jurisdiction, network or training setting. For example, you may be able to continue in the same role but in an unaccredited position. Discuss this with your employer before accepting a position.

Length of training
We anticipate that pAT will enable progression in training on similar timelines as if the DCE had not been postponed.

If you pass the DCE at its first scheduled offering in late 2020/early 2021, you’ll continue on in AT. If you fail the DCE, you’ll be able to re-sit later in 2021.

Duration

The pAT process expires after delivery of all DCEs in 2021. This is subject to how the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

Apply

Application process

You can apply now for pAT if you’ve already met the eligibility requirements.

If you're in your final year of Basic Training, you can apply for an AT position during the annual recruitment period if you'll have met all pAT eligibility requirements by the time you would start your position. This includes satisfactorily completing all other BT requirements:

36 months of certified BT
mandatory (core) requirements of the BT program, outlined in the Basic Training handbooks

Once you’ve secured an AT position, prospectively apply for approval of your training from your chosen specialty (per the Progression Through Training Policy). See application dates below. Approval of training periods will be determined by the overseeing committee.

The pAT approval periods (time that can be counted towards pAT) are based on what would have been the 2020 exam dates and are provided in the second table below.

Note: All recruitment into AT positions follows existing Health Department recruitment and selection processes. The College has limited involvement in this process.

Training Support Pathway

If you’re on the Training Support Pathway in 2020, you must remain on the Pathway and continue to complete IPAPs and any additional requirements determined by your Training Committee or supervisor.

If you wish to apply for pAT and you’ve met all other pAT eligibility requirements, your relevant supervising Committee will determine if you can progress to pAT or should remain in BT. Committees will send you a letter with their decision before you apply for AT positions.

Application dates

For Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand AT recruitment, check for specific dates on Health Department/District Health Board websites.

Training application dates

Your training applications must be submitted by the following dates.

Adult Internal Medicine	Australia	Aotearoa New Zealand
Mid-year 2020 pAT applications	Open: 30 June 2020 Close: 30 September 2020	Open: 1 June 2020 Close: 30 June 2020
2021 pAT applications	Close: 15 February 2021 (no change)	Close: 30 November 2020 (no change)

Paediatrics & Child Health	Australia	Aotearoa New Zealand
Mid-year 2020 pAT applications	Open: 30 June 2020 Close: 30 September 2020	Open: 1 June 2020 Close: 30 June 2020
2021 pAT applications	Close: 15 February 2021 (no change)	Close: 30 November 2020 (no change)

pAT approval periods

The maximum amount of pAT that can be claimed is 12 months. The pAT approval periods (time that can be counted towards pAT) are based on what would have been the 2020 exam dates.

Adult Internal Medicine	Australia	Aotearoa New Zealand
Mid-year 2020 pAT applications	From pAT position start date. No earlier than 1 August 2020.	From pAT position start date. No earlier than 1 July 2020.
2021 pAT applications	From pAT position start date in new clinical year (no change).	From pAT position start date in new clinical year (no change).

Paediatrics & Child Health	Australia	Aotearoa New Zealand
Mid-year 2020 pAT applications	From pAT position start date. No earlier than 1 June 2020.	From pAT position start date. No earlier than 1 June 2020.
2021 pAT applications	From pAT position start date in new clinical year (no change).	From pAT position start date in new clinical year (no change).

Fees

If you're in pAT and you pass the first sitting of the DCE in late 2020/early 2021, you must pay the standard membership fee for the full year of AT.

If you fail the DCE, you do not pay any AT fee for that year. Instead, you'll pay the Continuation or Interruption of Training fee to remain in training.

Fees must be paid within 30 days of your exam result notification (not your training approval notification).

See our current fees.

Note: All other trainees must pay the standard membership fees within the normal payment deadlines.

Sitting the Divisional Clinical Examination

While preparing for the exam, you’re still required to meet your AT program requirements, including work-based assessments.

If you’re approved for pAT, you must sit the exam on the postponed date for the 2020 cohort in late 2020/early 2021. You’ll be able to re-sit the exam later in 2021 if you don’t pass.

If you're not applying for or in pAT, but were eligible to sit the 2020 DCE, you’re encouraged to sit the first DCE in late 2020/early 2021. Alternatively, you can choose to wait and sit later in the year with the 2021 cohort instead.

If you pass the Divisional Written Examination in 2021, you’re not eligible to sit the DCE in late 2020/early 2021.

All trainees have been granted a 12-month extension to complete their current training program.

Special considerations

When you apply for pAT, you’re making a commitment to sit the first available DCE in late 2020/early 2021.

Some trainees may be unable to keep this commitment due to unforeseen exceptional circumstances at the time of (or just prior to) the DCE. In these circumstances, the Special Consideration for Assessment policy (PDF) applies.

Exceptional circumstances covered in the policy include:

Temporary impairments: acute medical condition or serious injury that may cause substantial disruption to your preparation or performance during the exam or prevent you from attending the exam.
Non-medical compassionate grounds or serious disruption: situations that may cause substantial disruption to your preparation or performance during the exam or prevent you from attending the exam.

If a special consideration is granted, the pAT completed up to the date of the first available DCE in late 2020/early 2021 can be considered by the relevant supervising AT Committee. Further AT time after this date will not be considered under any circumstances until the DCE is passed.

If a special consideration is not granted, no pAT time will be considered.

Note: We’ll provide more details on how to apply for a special consideration when they’re available.

Exam outcome

Successful

You’ll be granted certification of your prospectively approved pAT and continue in your AT position if:

you pass the DCE at the first sitting in late 2020/early 2021
meet the performance criteria of your Advanced Training program
comply with the Progression Through Training Policy

The maximum amount of pAT that can be claimed is 12 months.

Unsuccessful

Modular exam format candidates (all Australian trainees and NZ Adult Medicine trainees) who do not score above a Band 0 in the Long Cases, you cannot pass the DCE and will not be eligible to sit the Short Cases. As a result, you’ll be unable to proceed into provisional Advanced Training for the 2021 clinical year.

Traditional exam format candidates (NZ Paediatrics & Child Health trainees) who fail the DCE also are unable to proceed into pAT for the 2021 clinical year.

If you have accepted a pAT position for the new clinical year but fail the Long Cases, you will need to discuss employment implications with your current/future employer. Health departments are aware of this scenario and are working through options.

If you are already in a provisional Advanced Training position and do not pass the DCE, any training provisionally approved as ’conditional upon passing the DCE‘ will not be accepted as AT.

You’ll be classified as a ‘Continuing Basic Trainee’ (per the Progression Through Training Policy). The implications on your employment will be determined by your employer and can differ by jurisdiction, network or training setting. For example, you may be able to continue in the same role but in an unaccredited position.

You’ll be able to re-sit the DCE later in the same year with the 2021 exam cohort, exam attempts limits allowing.

If you re-sit the exam later in 2021 and you pass, you’ll only be able claim AT from the date of passing that exam, not any of the pAT you’ve undertaken earlier in the year. Recognition of Prior Learning for previous provisional AT time won’t be accepted at any time in the future.

Attempt limits

If you’re unsuccessful in the postponed 2020 exam, it will not be counted as an official exam attempt. This currently applies only if you sit the postponed 2020 exam on its rescheduled dates, not if you choose to sit the exam later. This applies to Australia and New Zealand.

All trainees have been granted a 12-month extension to complete their current training program. See current attempt limits in the AIM handbook and PCH handbook.