Medical Program

The delivery of well-supervised, high quality specialist training opportunities is a collaboration between the Commonwealth, States and Territories and training organisations including the Medical Specialist Colleges of Australia (the Colleges), private and community health sectors as well as international professionals.

The delivery of well-supervised, high quality specialist training opportunities is a collaboration between the Commonwealth, States and Territories and training organisations including the Medical Specialist Colleges of Australia (the Colleges), private and community health sectors as well as international professionals. The Specialist Training Program (STP) seeks to extend vocational training for specialist registrars into settings outside traditional metropolitan teaching hospitals where trainees can obtain skills and benefits from learning experiences to meet the professional standards required of their discipline that are not generally available in conventional training arrangements.

Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of the STP are to:

(a) increase the capacity of the health care sector to provide high quality, appropriate training opportunities to facilitate the required educational experiences for specialists in training;
(b) supplement the available specialist workforce in outer metropolitan, rural and remote locations; and
(c) develop specialist training arrangements beyond traditional inner metropolitan teaching settings:
(i) with rotations to accredited training posts in health care settings that include private hospitals; specialists’ rooms; clinics and day surgeries; publicly funded health care facilities which can provide training opportunities not previously available, particularly in areas of workforce shortage (such as regional, rural and community health settings); and non-clinical settings (such as simulated learning environments);
(ii) with training in these settings fully integrated with and complementing training occurring at the major public teaching hospitals; and
(iii) that provide training for Australian specialist trainees, overseas trained doctors (OTDs) and specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs) in pursuit of Fellowship of the relevant College within the boundaries of Australia.

Outcome of the program

Expected outcomes for the STP include:

(a) specialist trainees rotating through an integrated range of settings beyond traditional inner metropolitan teaching hospitals, including a range of public settings (including regional, rural and ambulatory settings), the private sector (hospitals and rooms), community settings and non-clinical environments;
(b) increased number and better distribution of specialist services;
(c) increased capacity within the sector to train specialists;
(d) improved quality of specialist training with trainees gaining appropriate skills not otherwise available through traditional settings;
(e) developing system wide education and infrastructure support projects to enhance training opportunities for eligible trainees;
(f) improved access to appropriate training for overseas trained specialists seeking Fellowship with a College;
(g) increased flexibility within the specialist workforce;
(h) development of specialist training initiatives that complement those currently provided within the States and Territories; and
(i) establishing processes which enable effective and efficient administration of specialist training posts, with reduced complexity for both stakeholders and the department.

Outcomes will be monitored through progress reports on posts provided to the Department by the Participants