Workforce

2012 AMACDT Trainee Forum

scross — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:46:42 +1100

The theme for the 2012 AMACDT Trainee Forum is ‘Training pathways for the future’ and will be held in Sydney on 3 March 2012.

The agenda includes expanding vocational training capacity, teaching and research opportunities for trainees, and global health training.

Details are as follows:

Date: Saturday 3 March 2012, 0900-1700

Location: AMA NSW House, 69 Christie St, St Leonards, NSW, 2065

RSVP: to nbrowne@ama.com.au by Monday 20 February 2012

Submission: Granting registration as a medical practitioner on completion of intern training

nbrowne — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:31:54 +1100

The AMA has made a submission to the Medical Board of Australia's second round consultation on the proposed registration standard for granting registration as a medical practitioner on completion of intern training. In it we have again emphasised that a term in emergency medical care should ideally be completed in an emergency department and recommended that there must be a mechanism for an intern to apply to the MBA to have exceptional circumstances considered on a case-by-case basis. Read the full submission here.

Submission: Draft RACGP Vocational Training Standards

scross — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:57:43 +1100

Did you know that the RACGP Vocational Training Standards are changing? The new draft standards involve significant change and a move to an outcomes based approach. Supervisors and doctors-in-training have expressed concern about some elements of the draft standards. Find out what the changes to the Vocational Training Standards could mean for you by reading our submission.

The Role of Simulated Learning Environments in Postgraduate Medical Education and Training - 2011

nbrowne — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:34:30 +1100

Learn how simulated learning environments can be used to enhance the clinical training experience for doctors-in-training. The AMA position statement on The role of simulated learning environments on postgraduate medical education and training (2011) says that simulation can add significant value to medical training by complementing the education delivered in patient care settings, and encourages further research and evaluation to build an evidence base about what works best for trainees.

Out-of-Hours Primary Medical Care - 2004. Revised 2011

nbrowne — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 12:58:07 +1100

The provision of out-of-hours care is a key part of general practice. The AMA Out-of-Hours Primary Medical Care 2011 position statement has been developed to guide the design of these services, outlining the essential feature of a successful model of out-of-hours primary medical care.

Submission: Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform Strategy

brobinson — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:24:44 +1100

This submission responds to the HWA draft background paper - Rural and Remote Health Workforce Innovation and Reform Strategy released in July 2011 as part of the consultation process.

The AMA believes it is important that the Government gets it right to ensure that the health workforce in rural and remote areas is sustainable and that people in rural communities can access affordable, appropriate health care services when needed.

Submission: Productivity Commission on the impacts of the implementation of national registration and accreditation for the health workforce

mzygmunt — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:05:27 +1100

The AMA submission to the Productivity Commission outlined how the promised administrative efficiencies and economies of scale of the national scheme have not been realised for the medical profession. The scheme:

has increased compliance costs for the medical profession;
has introduced administrative red tape;
lacks clarity on the handling of notifications;
has introduced mandatory reporting requirements that must be thoroughly evaluated before its impact is properly understood; and
requires greater transparency and accountability of AHPRA administration for each registered health profession.

GST, Conduct Monies and Workers Compensation

emijoc — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 18:27:10 +1100

This resources, with links to the ATO, will help doctors understand the implications and impact of GST on their practice.

2010 AMA Specialist Trainee Survey: Report of findings. October 2011

nbrowne — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 14:46:53 +1000

The Report of Findings for the 2010 AMA Specialist Trainee Survey (STS) were released on 2 October 2011. While the STS has been several years in the making, the AMA hopes the results of the survey will provide medical colleges with important trainee feedback about key training issues.

The STS revealed that colleges are performing well in many areas of vocational training, including transparency of selection processes; alignment of clinical experience with training objectives; access to supervision; and adherence to safe hours guidelines. It identified, however, several areas of concern.

Submission: Proposed Registration Standard – Granting registration as a medical practitioner on completion of intern training

nbrowne — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:03:44 +1000

The AMA has made a submission to the Medical Board of Australia on its Proposed Registration Standard – Granting registration as a medical practitioner on completion of intern training. The Board's proposed standard includes the option for health services to provide interns with exposure to emergency medicine (EM) in a general practice context. Of utmost concern to the AMA is the absence of clear criteria about what would constitute appropriate exposure to EM under this type of arrangement. As a result, the AMA has offered to be part of the team that will prepare guidelines to better define the Board’s requirements. In the mean time, the AMA maintains that all interns should have access to a term in an Emergency Department.

Prevocational Medical Education and Training - 2011

nbrowne — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 09:51:28 +1000

This statement outlines the AMA’s position on the scope and structure of prevocational medical education, which encompasses the period between graduation and the commencement of vocational training. In the case of most trainees, it includes postgraduate year 1 (PGY1), also known as internship, and postgraduate year 2 (PGY2). Doctors at this stage of their training are collectively referred to as junior medical officers (JMOs). The statement provides a position on contemporary as well as emerging issues related to prevocational medical education and training, taking into account concerns raised by junior doctors regarding quality, streaming, competencies and vocational pathways.

Mental Health MBS Changes – GP Survey

smorrison — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:52:47 +1000

An assessment of the impact of 2011/12 budget cuts to Medicare funding for GP Mental Health Services

The AMA commissioned an independent survey of GPs by Essential Research about the changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) announced in the 2011/12 Federal Budget, that will reduce the level of Medicare rebates payable to patients who need GP mental health services. 763 GP's participated with the following being a summary of the findings:

Submission: to DoHA on the Role and Governance of Lead Clinician Groups

cmoylan — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 12:38:46 +1100

Second Submission

The AMA submission to the Department of Health and Ageing position paper on the role and governance of Lead Clinician Groups released on 20 May 2011 emphasises that the Commonwealth Government's attempts to provide doctors with a meaningful role in how local hospitals are run has failed.

First Submission - 17 February 2011

The AMA submission to the Department of Health and Ageing discussion paper on the role and governance of Lead Clinician Groups released on 25 January 2011 strongly opposes the limited role for doctors proposed. The AMA submission provides a model for Lead Clinician Groups that ensures doctors are involved in decisions made at the local hospital level about resource allocation, service planning and provision, and patient care.

A Guide to Working Abroad for Australian Medical Students and Junior Doctors

amclennan — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 15:30:37 +1000

Interested in working abroad as a junior doctor? "A Guide to Working Abroad for Australian Medical Students and Junior Doctors" (the Guide) has been developed by the AMA Council of Doctors-in-Training (AMACDT) and Australian Medical Students' Association (AMSA) to meet a strong demand from medical students and junior doctors for evidence based and practical information on studying and training overseas.

Written by eight junior doctors in consultation with a range of Australian experts, the 90 page Guide is the gold standard for any medical student or junior doctor seeking to organise safe and rewarding placements and rotations abroad.

The Guide is available as an electronic supplement to the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA).

Submission: Impact of emergency department targets on junior doctors

mzygmunt — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:49:01 +1000

The AMA has made an additional submission to the Department of Health and Ageing to raise concerns identified by AMA member junior doctors. This submission:

emphasises the need to ensure that time-based targets do not impact on the ability of public hospitals to provide quality clinical education and training;
calls for ongoing resources to support the ability of emergency departments, the hospital and community providers to fulfil education and training obligations; and
recommends that the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of targets also includes the impact on education, training and junior doctor experiences.

This submission supplements the submission lodged by the AMA on 25 May 2011.

Launch of 'A Guide to Working Abroad for Australian Medical Students and Junior Doctors'

amclennan — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:13:03 +1000

Interested in working abroad as a junior doctor? The AMA and AMSA will launch ‘A Guide to Working to Abroad for Australian Medical Students and Junior Doctors’ at an evening seminar at AMA Victoria on Tuesday 21 June 2011.

Details are as follows:

Tuesday 21 June
1830 (refreshments) for 1900
AMA Victoria House, 293 Royal Pde, Parkville
RSVP to amclennan@ama.com.au or 02 6270 5424

Submission: National Clinical Supervision Support Framework – Consultation Draft

amclennan — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:05:28 +1000

The AMA recently made a submission to Health Workforce Australia commenting on its National Clinical Supervision Support Framework - Consultation Draft. While generally supportive of the principles that underlie the Framework, the submission highlighted a number of core issues specific to medical supervision and training that should be addressed.

AMA submission to the Medical Board of Australia on draft guidelines for medical practitioners and medical students infected with blood-borne viruses

mzygmunt — Wed, 25 May 2011 11:58:39 +1000

The AMA submission highlights that the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare 2010 already govern the management of health care practitioners who have blood-borne viruses and makes the point that there is no need to de-register a medical practitioner because they have a blood-borne virus. The AMA has asked the Board to clarify its role in regulating the scope of practice of medical practitioners who are infected with a blood-borne virus in isolation from the way this issue is managed by medical practitioners and the health care organisations in which they practice. The AMA has suggested the Board undertake a second round of consultation once it has clarified what action would constitute a breach of guidelines and that action the Board might take in such cases.

Pathology - 2011

mzygmunt — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:05:45 +1000

Pathology services in Australia are amongst the highest quality and the most accessible in the world. However, Government funding cuts to pathology services have had an impact on the quality, accessibility, affordability and safety of pathology services. Government funding changes can also have a significant impact on the sustainability of the pathology sector including the ability to support ongoing training, research and development.

Use of the title ‘Doctor’

mzygmunt — Tue, 17 May 2011 09:18:07 +1000

It has become increasingly common for health practitioners not holding a medical degree or professional doctorate qualifications, to adopt the title ‘Doctor’ (Dr). The AMA opposes the use of the title ‘Dr’ by health practitioners in a way that misleads people into believing they are consulting or receiving treatment from a medical practitioner.

Role of the Doctor - 2011

amclennan — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 10:38:26 +1000

Within the health care team, each professional brings a particular combination of training and experience which defines their role and responsibilities. This AMA Positition Statement outlines the core knowledge, skills and unique qualities of medical practice that make medical practitioners a pivotal part of Australia’s health system. In this position statement the term ‘doctor’, which is the term in common community use, refers to a medical practitioner and the terms are used interchangeably.

AMA submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee Inquiry into Registration Processes and Support for Overseas Trained Doctors

smorrison — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:05:56 +1100

In its submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing Inquiry into registration processes and support for Overseas Trained Doctors, the AMA calls for removal of the 10 year International Medical Graduates (IMG) moratorium and greater support for IMGs trying to achieve specialist registration through access to other GP training, courses.

AMA submission to the 2010 review of the Medicare provider number legislation

smorrison — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 10:38:01 +1100

The AMA has made a submission to the review of the Medicare provider number legislation. We have called for a number of measures including medical training initiatives; the introduction of a single Medicare provider number for all practice locations; and the grandfathering of pre-1996 non-vocationally registered general practitioners who were accessing GP Medicare rebates prior to 1 November 1996 and have predominantly been in general practice for a minimum of five years since that date.

AMA submission to Health Workforce Australia - Clinical Supervisor Support Program

smorrison — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 09:52:38 +1100

The 2008 national partnership agreement on hospital and health workforce reform includes a specific component to expand clinical training supervision capacity and competence. $28 million has been set aside to expand clinical supervision capacity across the health professions.

Health Workforce Australia (HWA) prepared a discussion paper to consider supervision across professions and the educational continuum from professional entry through to postgraduate and vocational training. The AMA prepared a submission to HWA on the discussion paper.

Primary Health Care - 2010

smorrison — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:30:58 +1000

This Position Statement examines the role of general practice in the delivery of primary care services in Australia.

Competency-based training in medical education - 2010

amclennan — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 13:26:48 +1000

There is an increasing focus on the introduction of competency-based training (CBT) across the health workforce. Within the medical profession, there is growing debate about the potential impact of CBT on the outcomes of medical education. To assist this debate, the AMA has developed a position statement on CBT in medical education. The AMA recognises that while CBT can be an effective part of medical education and training programs, it also has significant limitations.

Doctors' health advisory services

sjanes — Thu, 18 Apr 2002 14:23:00 +1000

State Programs for Doctor Health

Supporting prevocational and vocational training through Health Workforce Australia

swilliams — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:52:11 +1100

The AMA believes that Health Workforce Australia (HWA) can play a significant role in providing funding support to increase available resources for teaching and training prevocational doctors and vocational trainees. The attached AMA paper Supporting prevocational and vocational training through Health Workforce Australia puts forward specific proposals regarding how this can be achieved.

AMACDT submission to CPMEC on national prevocational training and the internship

swilliams — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:05:24 +1100

The Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils (CPMEC) has prepared a discussion paper on the structure and content of the internship - the year of supervised clinical training completed by graduates of an Australian Medical Council-accredited medical school.

The AMA Council of Doctors-in-Training has written to CPMEC and given broad support to the discussion paper’s recommendations as they align with the AMA’s position on the duration of the intern year, its core terms and the role of placements in community settings.

AMA Junior Doctor Training, Education & Supervision Survey Report of Findings

tgoodacre — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:34:12 +1100

Findings of the AMA Junior Doctor Training, Education and Supervision Survey