Training news
This page contains news about the RANZCP Fellowship Program:
Current newsletter
For the latest news in training program, please read our current Training Newsletter.
Training updates
May 2017
Modified OSCE Circuit Implementation – April 2018
To ensure the ongoing sustainability of the OSCEs and meet the demand of the increasing OSCE applications, the EC and the Board have approved the introduction of a modified OSCE circuit from April 2018 onwards.
Candidates are directed to a Communiqué outlining the rationale and explaining the modified OSCE circuit.
November 2016
Targeted Learning in relation to the deadline points outlined in the Progression though Training Policy
Targeted learning is intended to be a meaningful process, aiming to assist trainees to pass summative assessments.
With the reactivation of the Failure to Progress Policy in January 2017, targeted learning is required if a trainee has not passed a summative exam by the deadline set in the Progression through Training Policy.
The Committee for Training wishes to advise trainees that if targeted learning was completed between the last summative assessment application deadline and the targeted learning deadline, trainees will not be required to undertake additional targeted learning for that particular summative assessment.
Example
In January 2017 trainees who have accrued 36 (or more) FTE months of training and have not yet passed the MCQ Exam would be required to undertake targeted learning as per the Progression though Training Policy. If they have completed targeted learning after 18 November 2016 (the last MCQ application deadline) for 2 unsuccessful attempts at the MCQ Exam, the completed targeted learning is considered sufficient to meet this requirement.
August 2016
Reactivation of the Trainee Progress Trajectory
Recently, the Board approved a revised Trainee Progress Trajectory [PDF; 162 KB] and the reactivation of the Failure to progress policy and procedure to take effect from 1 January 2017.
Targeted Learning
During the consultation process with the Trainee Representative Committee, DOTs and the Committee for Training (CFT) to develop a revised and more accommodating Trainee Progress Trajectory, it also became evident that the term remediation (and remedial plans) is often viewed negatively by trainees, making it difficult for DOTs and supervisors to frame remediation as a positive and supportive process.
Moving forward, targeted learning/targeted learning plans will replace remediation/remedial plans throughout the Fellowship Program. In addition, to provide more clarity about the standard expected for centrally administered assessments, the standard expected at the ‘end of Stage 3' (i.e. the month in which a trainee completes all training requirements and becomes a Fellow) will replace junior consultant.
Deadlines
The revised trajectory is available on the Training program documents page. The targeted learning and show cause deadlines for the Essay-style Exam, OSCE, Scholarly Project and Psychotherapy Written Case have all been extended to 60 FTE months and 72 FTE months respectively.
The targeted learning deadline for the MCQ Exam remains at 36 FTE months; however, the show cause deadline was extended to 48 FTE months from the previous 42 FTE months. For those trainees who have accrued 36 FTE months (or more) of training without having attempted or passed the MCQ Exam while the deadlines are suspended during 2016, there has been no requirement to undertake targeted learning.
For any trainee who has accrued at least 36 FTE months training prior to 31 December 2016 and who has not passed the MCQ Exam, the targeted learning deadline is considered to be 1 January 2017. The show cause deadline will follow 12 FTE months later.
Please note: trainees who transitioned from the 2003 Fellowship Program accrue time towards targeted learning and show cause deadlines based on their transition date (typically 14 December 2015 for New Zealand and 1 February 2016 for Australia) regardless of how many FTE months of training they accrued in the 2003 training program.
Centralised summative assessments - three unsuccessful attempts
Another potential requirement to show cause to the CFT is three failed attempts at the same summative assessment. For the small number of trainees who are attempting the MCQ Exam or Essay-style Exam in August 2016 for the third time, if they are unsuccessful at these exams, they will not be required to show cause immediately. However, with the reactivation of the Failure to progress policy, these trainees would be required to show cause to the CFT from January 2017 and demonstrate any exceptional or mitigating circumstances. Trainees in this situation are still eligible to enrol in the February 2017 exams should they wish (as applications close in November 2016 while the requirement to show cause is still suspended). Their requirement to show cause will be included in the exams result letters where relevant.
Please note: trainees who transitioned from the 2003 Fellowship Program accrue attempts at summative assessments based on the number of unsuccessful attempts in the 2012 Fellowship Program.
The Fellowship Program policies, procedures and website will be progressively updated over the next 6 months to include the revised terminology and targeted learning and show cause deadlines.
Should you have any queries about the revised trajectory, the reactivation of the policy or require any assistance, we encourage you to contact the training team at training@ranzcp.org.
Previous newsletters
2017
2016
Previous year