Training in settings other than an accredited training post

Approval Date: March 2016
Review Date: March 2019
Review By: Board

1. Scope 

This Regulation applies to all Candidates in the RACMA Fellowship Training Program, who decide to seek recognition of training undertaken in alternative settings outside their accredited training post for short period(s) of time.

The Regulation does not cover rotations between accredited training posts across health services undertaken by Candidates as part of non-substantive designated training positions and as part of registrar training posts funded by governments.

RACMA Fellows from across health organisations may offer RACMA Candidates short term placements ranging from 1 to 12 weeks as training experience to broaden medical administration competency development that Candidates are not able to achieve in their current accredited training post. Expanded setting training may be beneficial to those trainees seeking experience in:

• Rural and remote areas,
• Metropolitan hospital settings,
• Mental health care settings,
• Public vs private health sector,
• Private health insurance,
• Community health,
• Private laboratory,
• Disaster medicine
• Informatics,
• Medico-legal,
• industrial relations,
• Government department or authority, and
• Australian Defence Force

2. Background

As part of the RACMA Fellowship Training Program, Candidates will complete the Medical Management Practice Program (MMPP) during which they are supervised, coached, mentored and formatively assessed in the workplace. The period of supervision in the workplace is critically important for the development of medical leadership and management competencies required of the successful specialist medical administrator.

Candidates’ supervised training posts must be evaluated by the College and accredited as suitable for RACMA training. This includes quality of supervision, infrastructure and access to the experiential opportunities. Refer to the Regulation for Accreditation of Training Posts for further information on the accreditation process and requirements.

The capacity of individual training posts to provide the full range of training experiences may vary across health organisations and settings. In those settings where there are limitations in scope identified during accreditation visits, recommendations will be made by the Accreditation Panel for the Candidate to seek rotation/s and/or alternative training experiences. Accreditation Panels may recommend limited accreditation periods for training posts with limited scope.

In cases where such short term training placements are organised, the College will require the Candidate to seek recognition of the new short term training placement in order for that training period to count towards Time in Training in the MMPP as part of the Fellowship Training Program. This is in line with the required period of medical management practice under supervision to be eligible for election to Fellowship. Refer to the Policy of Candidate’s Supervision in the Fellowship Training Program (FTP).

For senior Candidates, particularly those in substantive positions, some limitations may be identified in the training setting. In such cases, a Candidate may be advised to seek a short focused study/training experience in an “expanded” setting/s. This may be through a series of short-term training placements, sabbaticals targeted to fulfil specific training and knowledge gaps, study tours involving shadowing another FRACMA at their workplace or similar study/training arrangements.

Expanded setting training may also be beneficial to those trainees in rural and remote areas who require experiential training in metropolitan hospital settings, or vice-versa, or obtaining public vs private health sector experience.

The College has developed this Regulation to:

• encourage training in expanded settings other than Candidate’s currently accredited training post for the purpose of meeting all training requirements of the FTP
• provide governance for the recognition of training in expanded settings other than candidate’s accredited training post

3. Policy and Procedure 

Candidates choosing to undertake training in such settings may do so without having to take formal leave from their FTP. However, these will be limited to:

• Placements ranging from a minimum of ONE week in an expanded setting to a maximum of 12 weeks. This period may consist of a number of short term placements totalling 12 weeksO) in total in a health care environment or setting in Australia or NZ;
• Placements normally supervised by a FRACMA.
• Placements approved by the College via a notification process. This will be credited to the Candidate’s time in training period
• Placements approved by the College in advance of being undertaken.

This Regulation does not cover significant time taken from the training posts for professional development, conferences attendance or working overseas (other than NZ for Australian based Candidates or Australia for NZ based Candidates). The training placements will not be recognised if they cannot demonstrate training opportunities in line with medical management competencies – i.e. tertiary teaching, research, hospital setting, policy development and private health setting. If the placement in an expanded setting exceeds a 12 week period –- the College will require an application for accreditation of training post and will follow the College accreditation process in line with the Regulation for Accreditation of Training Posts, and the College will arrange a site visit of a new post.

If there is a gap period between the current post and the placement, Candidates will need to apply for Leave from the FTP for the absence period from the training post. Refer to the Policy for Deferment, Taking Leave and Withdrawal from the Fellowship Training Program.


4. Responsibilities

Candidates will be required to:

• submit an application for Training in Expanded Setting outlining the objective for selecting the expanded setting training program, signed off by the Candidate’s Accredited Supervisor and Preceptor
• the application must contain:
  • name of the host organisation/expanded setting/s
  • name of host supervisor/s
  • what training opportunities will be offered or targeted, scope of responsibilities and training activities undertaken during each placement in an expanded setting
  • substantiate the proposed placement for the expanded setting training program by reference to relevant authoritative documentation, e.g. RPL Assessment Interview, Accreditation Panel report, Progression Committee recommendations etc
• upon completion of the expanded setting training, provide a report (or an In Training Assessment Report) to the College with an evaluation of the experience and training outcomes that had been discussed and signed by the Host Supervisor/s in the expanded setting/s and Preceptor.

The onus is on the Candidate to plan such activities that will fulfil their knowledge and/or training gaps and liaise with the FRACMAs in host organisations.

The College will:

• Develop relevant documentation and application forms for Training in Expanded Settings to enable Candidates to comprehensively outline the proposed placement and provide contact details etc. For further information on forms Candidates should refer to the RACMA Website or contact the National Office staff.
• Record the period of expanded settings training against the Candidates training requirements, and subject to satisfactory reporting, recognise this period towards time in training.

The Host Supervisor will be a FRACMA and will:

• Engage the Candidate in training activities addressing identified training/knowledge gaps
• Allow the Candidate to shadow them, as required, to develop competency
• Conduct an assessment of the Candidate’s performance while in the placement
• Develop a report at the end of the period to provide an in-training assessment to the College, Candidate’s Preceptor and the Supervisor in the ‘normal’ training post
• Advise the College of any anomalies in the placement, if applicable

The Candidate’s Accredited Supervisor will:

• Approve Candidate’s application for expanded setting training addressing gaps that may have been identified in the Candidates in-training assessment for the College (ITA), RPL outcome, and/or the Annual Training Plan (ATP).
• Advise the College of any anomalies in the placement, if applicable.

5. Industrial Relations and Human Resource requirements

The candidate will be responsible for the negotiation of any employment related and industrial relations arrangements with the host organisation and their own accredited training post for the release of employment for the purposes of training in an expanded setting. This can be done in liaison with their supervisor and Human Resources in their own organisation for the proposed period. The employer of the Candidate will be responsible:

1. Workers Compensation Insurance,
2. Professional Indemnity Insurance,
3. Public Liability Insurance,
4. Credentialing,
5. HR requirements, and
6. Any IR requirement for the purposes of undertaking this expanded training.

6. Related Documents

Policy for Processing Applications for Candidacy
Policy for Deferment, Taking Leave and Withdrawal/Resignation from the FTP
Regulation for Accreditation of Training Posts
Regulation for the Eligibility to sit the RACMA Pre-Fellowship Oral Examinations
Regulation for the Definition of the Academic Year (AHPRA)
Specialist Training Program (STP) Operational Framework
Policy for Supervision in the Medical Management Program Practice
The College Handbook
RACMA Medical Leadership and Management Curriculum
RACMA Constitution 2009 amended 2015