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Supervisor Professional Development Program

Supervisor Professional Development Program

The Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) is a high-quality training program for final year Advanced Trainees and Fellows^* who supervise trainees in RACP-accredited positions.

Program overview
Workshop booklets
Facilitators
Resources

Workshop registration

You can choose any order to complete all three SPDP workshops via online forums, face-to-face or virtually.

Eligibility requirements

Only eligible supervisors can supervise trainees in RACP physician training programs.

To be an eligible supervisor, all Directors of Physician/Paediatric Education, Training Program Directors, Advanced Training Supervisors and Education Supervisors must complete:

SPDP 3 by the extended due date of Monday, 31 July 2023
SPDP 1 and 2 in line with their accreditation cycle (unless exempt)

New supervisors will have 12 months from the date they commenced supervision to complete all three SPDP workshops to become an approved supervisor.

Provisionally approved supervisors have completed the SPDP 3 workshop and are waiting for approved status.

Supervisors who are currently supervising an RACP trainee and have not met the training requirements by the due date can continue supervising until the end of the trainee’s rotation. They will not be eligible to continue after this time.

Ward Service Consultants (Rotational Supervisors) who supervise trainees are encouraged to complete SPDP 3.

Exemption

Exemption from SPDP 1 and 2 is only possible for supervisors who have both relevant education, skills and experience.

All supervisors must complete SPDP 3, including those granted exemption from SPDP 1 and 2. SPDP 3 focuses on work-based assessment and the content is specific to the trainee assessment process.

To be eligible, you must have completed both:

formal medical education studies or equivalent supervisor training with another medical college (e.g. RCPA)
a minimum of 3 years’ experience as a RACP supervisor.

Apply

Note: We may contact you for further information to support your application.

Outcomes

Application outcomes take up to 6 months. We'll update you on the application outcome.

Where an outcome cannot be determined, the relevant overseeing committee will make the final decision.

^* Overseas Trained Physicians (OTPs) who are actively completing requirements for specialist registration are welcome to complete SPDP in preparation for supervision in the future.

Your time spent participating in SPDP can be claimed as professional development under ‘Category 2: Reviewing Performance’ of the MyCPD Framework.

SPDP 1 | Educational Leadership and Management

Educational and leadership management incorporates the overarching themes of developing trainee expertise and using coaching techniques to improve feedback practice.

This workshop focuses on delivering feedback using 2 frameworks, the GROW model and the 4 areas of feedback. By using these models, supervisors can facilitate change and growth in trainees towards expert performance.

Objectives

Demonstrate strong educational leadership.
Plan and manage for effective supervision.
Advocate for enhanced support for trainees.
Self-reflect on supervisory performance.

SPDP 1 booklet

SPDP 2 | Learning Environment and Culture

Learning environment and culture provides a range of teaching strategies to manage and overcome challenges supervisors face in a complex healthcare setting. These strategies include planning for learning, differentiated instructions for multi-level groups, and using teaching techniques such as questioning.

This workshop explores some cultural aspects that may impact on learning, including the hidden curriculum, tribalism and the need for effective role modelling.

Objectives

Understand how to establish an effective learning environment.
Recognise the importance of planning for learning.
Define and model professional behaviour.
Optimise opportunities for learning.

SPDP 2 booklet

SPDP 3 | Teaching and Facilitating Learning for Safe Practice

Teaching and facilitating learning for safe practice is a complex and necessary part of physician training. The challenges of undertaking work-based learning and assessment along with the complexities of the healthcare environment are many and varied.

This workshop offers techniques and solutions to these challenges that will help supervisors in their vital role.

Objectives

Use safe and effective work-based assessments/activities to guide learning.
Make evidence-based assessment on trainee performance.
Use evidence-based tools to improve supervisory practice.

SPDP 3 booklet

SPDP 3 PHM workshop booklet

SPDP 3 | Public Health Medicine – Teaching and Facilitating Learning for Safe Practice (PDF)

SPDP facilitation

You can become a SPDP facilitator for our face-to-face or virtual 3-hour workshops, and/or our 5-week online courses.

SPDP facilitators are Fellows interested in medical education and facilitating skill-based workshops with their peers.

Facilitators plan, manage, and guide the SPDP workshops or courses with the support of RACP staff to ensure each one is:

credible — physicians are best placed to facilitate training for their peers
focused on supervisor needs — ensure relevancy to supervisors from all training programs
accessible and flexible – with a variety of formats, times and locations

"Through participation in the SPDP workshops, I have been able to facilitate positive changes within my own practice, allowing me to grow as both a supervisor and mentor. I attended a combination of online and face-to-face sessions, finding the content so valuable that when the RACP offered the opportunity to become a facilitator, I jumped at the chance."

Dr Dayna Law

Become a SPDP facilitator

To become a SPDP facilitator, you must:

be an RACP Fellow
have experience in supervision
have attended at least one SPDP workshop or completed at least one Online SPDP Course

If you meet the above criteria and would like to be trained to facilitate SPDP, you can:

attend a Facilitator Training workshop (contact us to express your interest)

complete the SPDP Online Facilitation Course (this can be completed in your own time). Once completed, contact us to start facilitating.

Post-workshop reading

SPDP feedback

Find out more about how the Program has already helped physicians.

Supervisor Professional Development Program

The Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) is a high-quality training program for final year Advanced Trainees and Fellows* who supervise trainees in RACP-accredited positions.

Workshop registration

Eligibility requirements

Exemption

Outcomes

The Supervisor Professional Development Program (SPDP) is a high-quality training program for final year Advanced Trainees and Fellows^* who supervise trainees in RACP-accredited positions.