AMA welcomes majority of medical intern review recommendations
The AMA has cautiously welcomed many of the recommendations from the Medical Intern Review, which was conducted by the COAG Health Council.
The Review’s findings focus on improving the learning experience for doctors in training during the first two years of postgraduate training, and emphasise that this should be a period of transition to practice.
AMA President, Professor Brian Owler, said today that it was significant that the Review concluded that existing milestones for medical registration should remain unchanged.
“In our submission to the Review, the AMA said that the fundamentals of the current model of internship were not broken,” Professor Owler said.
“We recommended an incremental, evidence-based approach to change, and we are pleased the Review listened to our ideas.
“In particular, we are delighted that our recommendations for improving supervision and assessment processes, and expanding prevocational experience in non-traditional settings such as the community and private settings have been taken up by the Review.
“The Review has also recommended a National Training Survey.
“The AMA has for some time been advocating for a National Training Survey to provide better information on whether we are providing relevant, high quality training and a safe training environment.
“There are question marks over the Review’s option of piloting a program where the two-year transition to practice is split between university in the first year and the second year in the workplace.
“The AMA is yet to be convinced that there is any evidence or need to support such a radical change,” Professor Owler said.
The Review has now been referred by Health Ministers to a Working Group consisting of all State and Territory Postgraduate Medical Councils, the Medical Board of Australia, the Australian Medical Council, and jurisdictions for further advice.
Professor Owler said it is important that doctors in training are not excluded from this process, with the AMA recommending that doctor in training representatives are included on the Working Party, and that stakeholder consultation is extensive.
11 November 2015
CONTACT: John Flannery 02 6270 5477 / 0419 494 761
Kirsty Waterford 02 6270 5464 / 0407 726 905