Supervised Practice in the RACMA Fellowship Training Program

Subject:                           Supervised Practice in the RACMA Fellowship Training Program
Approval Date:              August 2013; December 2017
Review Date:                 December 2018
Endorsed By:                 Education and Training Committee

1. Scope
This Regulation applies to all Candidates in the RACMA Fellowship Training Program and to those Candidates who have passed the Pre-Fellowship Oral Examination but may have outstanding training/assessment requirements to meet eligibility for election to Fellowship. These Candidates still remaining in Candidacy are required to be in an accredited training medical management post under supervision until the completion of their Fellowship eligibility tasks.. 


2. Supervised Medical Management Practice 

The Medical Management Practice Program requires that Candidates are successful in 3-4 years accredited supervised practice. This period of formative learning is critically important for the development of the medical leadership and management competencies required of the successful specialist medical administrator.

The supervised medical management practice period is defined by a set of training experiences that are outlined in the RACMA Curriculum. The Candidate’s line manager (on site Supervisor) will guide the Candidate in selecting experiences and training opportunities to develop competency. During this period, the Candidate’s progress will be observed by the line manager (Supervisor) and formative assessments will be made. The documentation of these ‘measurement moments’ will facilitate regular discussion for feedback and reflection by the Candidate.

The completion of Annual Training Plan (ATP) and the In-Training Assessment (ITA) forms are monitored at a state and national level in the deliberations of the Training Progress Committee.

A ‘year’ of supervised medical management practice is defined as 47 weeks and aligned with the AHPRA & Medical Board of Australia (MBA) definition (July 2011) – www.ahpra.gov.au.  The Candidate must complete at least 47 weeks (one academic year) within a period of no more than 2 years. This period excludes annual/extended sick leave but may include up to two weeks of professional development leave.

Part time Standard Pathway Candidates are required to be in medical management practice at least 0.5 FTE, hence their ‘year’ would be defined by 94 weeks at half-time.
 

3. Accreditation of Training Posts for Candidates in Supervised Practice

The College accredits training posts within health service training organisations by assessing supervision, infrastructure and support services at the workplace and the experiential opportunities available within the training post/organisation that are mapped to the competencies of the Fellowship Training Program.

Continuing in the FTP and maintenance of accreditation for the health setting where the training post is located is also dependent upon a Candidate remaining in an accredited training post with an appropriate supervision and medical management structure. Candidates who change their training post (i.e. change their employment or rotate) are required to notify the College and the College will proceed with surveying the new post for accreditation, if required.

If a Candidate, who has trained in a particular post that is still accredited, has changed his/her training position, the post does not need to be accredited again by the College, unless the duration of accreditation has expired. 

The College generally provides provisional accreditation to new training posts and will follow up with an Accreditation Site Visit for confirmation. Regulation for Accreditation of Training Posts, and its process and requirements, are located on the RACMA Website.


4. Business rules

4.1 To be eligible for continuing in the supervised medical management practice Candidates must:
 

• Show evidence of satisfactory engagement and completion of supervised medical management practice and of the required training activities per each training year;  
• Participate in the development of the Annual Training Plan (ATP) and submit the ATP in accordance with the Training Calendar, with the sign off from the Candidate’s Preceptor and Supervisor/s;
• Participate in the review and successful completion with their Supervisor of the bi-annual In Training Assessment (ITA) reports and comply with the recommendations for training and skill development as discussed with the Supervisor;
• Undertake any additional training, placements or external courses as recommended by Supervisor and/or Preceptor to address any training or knowledge gaps;
• Submit on time any assignments and assessment tasks (formative or summative) associated with the supervised medical management practice in accordance with the identified training activities in the ITA and as defined by the role competencies of the RACMA Curriculum;
• Maintain Supervisor and Preceptor relationship and ensure that appropriate engagement is initiated, and regular meetings and discussions around the FTP are conducted in a constructive manner for the purpose of assessing Candidate’s progression through the FTP;
• Meet all the eligibility requirements for staying in the Fellowship Training Program and supervised medical management practice in line with the College policies and regulations for assessment, examination and training in the FTP;
• The supervised practice period will extend beyond the minimum period of three (3) years in medical management at 1.0 full time equivalent (47 weeks per year), if Candidates fail at oral examination or have outstanding assessments to meet eligibility to Fellowship. These Candidates must remain in an accredited supervised medical management post while completing the program’s requirements, as all requirements of the FTP must be met prior to being eligible for election to Fellowship;
• Those Candidates who are making a subsequent attempt at the Oral Examination, who may have completed all other FTP requirements, will be required to remain in an accredited medical management training post under supervision and submit ITA and ATP, until such time that they complete all the requirements of the Fellowship Training Program and are eligible for election to Fellowship.

4.2 In the event of failed attempt(s) at the exams, Candidates may be required to undertake further training to develop competencies in line with the recommendations for remediation or observations made by Supervisor in the workplace, Preceptor or Jurisdictional Coordinator of Training. These can be external placements, training workshops, external courses or additional experiential training in the workplace to build knowledge and skill development and expand exposure to broader medical management competencies. 

4.3 Candidates’ performance and engagement is reviewed quarterly by the RACMA Training Progress Committee, which makes recommendations for remediation if the Candidate is perceived to be in difficulty.  The Committee may make recommendations for additional courses or placements to be undertaken by the Candidate, following investigation, on the advice of the Jurisdictional Co-ordinator of Training. 

If a Candidate is deemed to at risk of not progressing (e.g. submission of more than one unsatisfactory ITA) the circumstances will be reported to the Faculty Board for assessment by investigation and interview. The deliberations of the Faculty Board may result in a requirement for further time in special supervised practice. 

4.4 In the event that a Candidate has passed most of the FTP assessments, including satisfactory completion of the RACMA Oral exam, but may have outstanding Masters units that must be completed within 6 months of sitting the exam to be eligible for election to Fellowship, such Candidate will be required to comply to the Candidacy and requirements of the supervised medical management practice under 4.1 – 4.4. 


4.5 Inability to meet these requirements or non-compliance may lead to suspension or revocation of Candidacy.  


In line with the College policies and regulations, this will be determined by the relevant College Officers and stakeholders: Jurisdictional Coordinator of Training, Training Progress Committee, Dean of Education and/or Faculty Board, and the Education and Training Committee, followed by the final approval by the RACMA Board. Candidates will be required to ‘show cause’ why they would be allowed to remain in the FTP.


4.6 Allowance for recognition of prior learning (RPL) may be considered should an application be made for re-entry to the Fellowship Training Program or election to Fellowship, subject to showing evidence of completion of outstanding requirements. 



5. Exceptions for completion of FTP requirements prior to the RACMA Oral Exam

    There are 3 training components of the FTP that can be completed within six (6) months of sitting (and/or successfully passing) the Pre-Fellowship Oral Examination:

a.     Required period of the Supervised Medical Management Practice (MMP) and time in training in the MMP
b.     Masters’ program – any outstanding Masters units as per the theoretical requirements of the FTP. 
c. Research based written paper as part of the summative assessment of the Research Training Program in the FTP and Scholar role competency in the RACMA Curriculum

 
Note: Candidates who are undertaking Master’s program and/or the RTP under the auspice of the University supervision and assessment may be required to comply with the university academic and submission timeframes. Hence these Candidates may be in need of a further extension of an additional six (6) months (up to 12 months in total) to be able to complete their Masters and/or research project that meets the university and RACMA requirements.

In these above exceptions, Candidates will still be required to remain in and satisfactorily continue their supervised practice in an appropriate accredited training post while meeting the requirements of the extension and new deadlines.

Candidates may refer to relevant Policies and Regulations: Policy for Extensions, the RTP Handbook, Policy for Special Consideration or Policy for Reconsideration, Review and Appeals against decisions made by the College Officers and Committees and Regulations for the Trainees in Difficulty and Election to Fellowship. 


5. Responsibilities

Candidates:
·       Candidates must advise the National Office of any changes in their training post, supervision or if a new position has been acquired. It is the responsibility of the Candidate to comply with the requirements outlined in this Regulation. 
·       To be eligible to continue in the FTP and meet its requirements for supervised medical management practice, Candidates must adhere to the stipulations in section 4 in this Regulation as per above and other College policies/regulation in relation to assessment, examination and election to Fellowship.

Supervisors:

Supervisors of Candidates’ in the RACMA training posts will need to: 

·       Notify the National Office and the Jurisdictional Coordinator of Training of any changes in the candidate’s employment, training and supervision,
·       Allocate dedicated time and facilitate opportunities for observation of Candidates’ performance and guided reflection on their workplace interactions, 
·       Have regular discussions or meetings with the Candidate’s Preceptor in relation to progress and performance, being mindful of the welfare of the Candidates, 
·       Participate in the College accreditation site-visit of the training post as required and adhere to the RACMA Regulation for Accreditation of Training Posts,
·       Comply with the College policies and regulations on assessment, supervision, and eligibility to examination and election to Fellowship. 
·       Support the Candidate through progression in the FTP and facilitate appropriate training environment and opportunities to develop medical management competencies in accordance with the RACMA Curriculum
·       Foster and develop any training opportunities to meet any recommendations for remediation as advised by the Training Progress Committee/JCTs and/or Candidate’s Preceptor 
·       Provide appropriate PD opportunities in the workplace, foster external training opportunities and provide support for study leave and PD via organisational HR provisions

National Office:

The National Office will:

·       Provide the appropriate advice and data to the relevant stakeholders for the purposes of monitoring progress of Candidates in the FTP through the required submission and completion of tasks, ITA reports and Time in Supervised practice forms. 

·       Advise the Training Progress Committee and other stakeholders/committees of any shortfalls in Candidates’ progress. 

·       Advise Candidates in supervised medical management practice on the appropriate College support and guidance, in consultation with the Supervisor, Preceptor and Jurisdictional Coordinator of Training. 

·       Provide advice on the prescribed set of training and assessment activities as reflected in the ITA and as defined in the Curriculum, and while under supervised practice, monitor their compliance with the requirements of the FTP and Accreditation standards leading up to the Oral Exams and subsequent election to Fellowship

Related Documents

• Policy for Processing Applications for Candidacy
• Regulation for Accreditation of Training Posts
• Policy for Special Consideration
• Regulation for Eligibility to sit the RACMA Pre-Fellowship Oral Examinations
• Regulation for the Conduct of the RACMA Oral Exam
• Regulation for the Definition of the Academic Year
• RACMA Constitution 2009
• Supervisor and Preceptor Position Description
• College Handbook
• Research Training Program Handbook
• Regulation for election to Fellowship;
• Regulation for Trainees in Difficulty
• Regulation for the Request of Extensions on assessment tasks in the fellowship Training Program