Practice Experience Program Specialist – Supervision Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to describe the principles and requirements applicable to the Supervision of Participants in the Practice Experience Program Specialist (PEP SP).

2. Scope

2.1 This policy applies to:

1. 1. PEP SP Participants

   2. Supervisors

   3. RACGP Staff

2.2 This policy is to be read in conjunction with the PEP SP Application Handbook - Partially Comparable Stream or the PEP SP Participant Handbook - Substantially Comparable Stream.

2.3 This policy will come into effect as of 01 July 2024.

3. General principles

3.1 Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) who are granted limited or provisional registration while they complete the PEP SP must be supervised for the duration of their limited or provisional registration, as per the Medical Board of Australia's (MBA) Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines.

3.2 The MBA is responsible for:

1. 1. approving Supervisors for PEP SP Participants, and

   2. determining the required level of Supervision for PEP SP Participants.

      1. The MBA will consider recommendations from the RACGP when determining the required level of Supervision; however, it is not required to accept RACGP recommendations.

​4. Level of Supervision

4.1 The RACGP will make recommendations to the MBA on the Supervision requirements for PEP SP Participants by considering factors including:

1. 1. the outcome of the Participant’s Comparability Assessment, and

   2. the Participant’s intended position and context of practice.

4.2 Unless varied by clauses 4.3 and 4.4, the RACGP will recommend Level 3 Supervision for all PEP SP Participants at the start of the Training Program.

4.3 The RACGP will recommend Level 2 Supervision if the Participant was granted entry into the PEP SP as per clauses 2.6.i, 2.6.ii or 2.6.iii of the PEP SP Comparability Assessment Guide.

4.4 The RACGP will review a Participant’s recommended level of Supervision after it receives the results of the Workplace-Based Assessments undertaken at least three calendar months after the Participant’s Commencement Date on the Training Program. 

1. 1. A change to a higher or lower level of Supervision may be recommended to the MBA if deemed appropriate by the RACGP.

5. Supervisor requirements

5.1 Supervisors must:

1. 1. hold full and unrestricted registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a specialist general practitioner,

      1. Supervisors must promptly disclose any:

         1. Addenda on their medical registration, whether in Australia or overseas, and/or

         2. regulatory authority activity, whether in Australia or overseas, that:

            1. has led or may lead to a change in registration status, or

            2. has led to an adverse finding for the Supervisor or forms part of an ongoing investigation; and/or

         3. other Notifiable Conduct.

   2. be a practising specialist general practitioner,

   3. have a minimum of three years’ practice (Full Time Equivalent) with general and/or specialist registration in Australia prior to being appointed as a Supervisor, and

   4. have completed the MBA’s online education and assessment module pertaining to the MBA's Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines.

5.2 Supervisors must identify and appropriately manage Conflicts of Interest (actual, potential or perceived). In some circumstances this may include a declaration via the Declaration of Conflict of Interest and Gift/s Form. 

1. 1. The RACGP will manage each declaration on a case-by-case basis.

6. Amendment of this policy

The Censor-in-Chief (CiC) may, without the consent of the RACGP Board, make Minor, Moderate and Consequential Amendments to this policy at any time.

If the CiC makes amendments, they must advise the RACGP Board of those amendments as soon as practicable.

The RACGP Board may make amendments to this policy at any time.

7. Responsibilities

7.1 Censor-in-Chief	Approving Minor Amendments Approving Moderate Amendments ​Approving Consequential Amendments
7.2 RACGP	Making recommendations to the Medical Board of Australia regarding the Participant’s supervision requirements Reviewing the Participant’s supervision requirements after results of the Workplace-Based Assessments have been received
7.3 RACGP Board	Approving Major Amendments
7.4 Supervisor	Ensuring they adhere to the MBA's Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines. Identifying and managing actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest

8. Glossary

8.1 Addenda	Includes, but is not limited to, restrictions, conditions, limitations, reprimands, supervision requirements, tribunal outcomes, suspensions, undertakings and/or any other remarks or changes on a Participant’s medical registration. Refer to AHPRA’s website for more information.
8.2 AHPRA Medical Registration	Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), which allows the registrant to practise medicine. Refer to AHPRA’s website for more information.
8.3 Commencement Date	The day the Participant starts work in Australia in an RACGP-Approved Practice.
8.4  Comparability Assessment	The process of determining the extent to which an SIMG is comparable to an Australian-trained general practitioner at the point of admission to Fellowship.
8.5 Conflict of interest	A situation in which it is reasonable to conclude that an individual’s or group of individuals’ personal interests directly conflict with the best interests of the Participant or where individuals’ actions may be influenced by their personal interests rather than education and training outcomes. A Conflict of Interest includes, but is not limited to, when: close personal friends or family members are involved,  an individual or their close friends or family members may make financial gain or gain some other form of advantage, and an individual is bound by prior agreements or allegiances to other individuals or agencies that require them to act in the interests of that person or agency or to take a particular position on an issue.
8.6 Consequential Amendment	An amendment that requires urgent implementation as a necessary result of an amendment to another policy or process.
8.7 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)	A 38-hour working week, over a minimum of four days per week. A minimum of 27 hours must be in face-to-face, rostered, patient consultation time undertaking general practice activities. Work periods of less than three consecutive hours, or less than 4 calendar weeks in any one practice, will not be considered. Hours worked beyond this definition of full time will not be considered.
8.8 Level 2 Supervision	As defined in the MBA's Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines.
8.9 Level 3 Supervision	As defined in the MBA's Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines.
8.10 Major Amendment	An amendment that materially changes the operation of the policy but is not otherwise a Minor or Moderate Amendment (ie a change to one major clause or policy review).
8.11 Minor Amendment	An amendment to style, to correct grammatical mistakes, change overall formatting, make updates that do not materially change meaning, or any other amendment, which in the opinion of the Censor-in-Chief, does not materially alter the operation of the policy.
8.12 Moderate Amendment	An amendment that materially changes the operation of a policy by a limited amount (ie a change to one minor clause, or changes that have a limited impact on the outcome of the policy).
8.13 Notifiable Conduct	Notifiable conduct holds the same definition as the MBA's Guidelines for mandatory notifications about registered health practitioners.
8.14 Participant	An SIMG who has been accepted into the PEP SP.
8.15 Practice Experience Program Specialist (PEP SP)	The route to Fellowship available to Specialist International Medical Graduates who have been assessed as Substantially Comparable or Partially Comparable to an Australian-trained specialist general practitioner at the point of admission to Fellowship.
8.16 RACGP Staff	Anyone who is an employee or contractor of the RACGP.
8.17 Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG)	An overseas-trained medical practitioner who: holds a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS), has satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practise as a specialist general practitioner and has been awarded a specialist general practice qualification in their country of origin, and had their specialist general practice qualification’s curriculum assessed by the RACGP as comparable or partially comparable to the RACGP curriculum and syllabus for Australian general practice.
8.18 Supervision / Supervised Practice	Supervision in line with the principles of supervision and supervised practice, based upon the prescribed MBA's Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines.
8.19 Supervisor	A general practitioner who is both a clinician and a role model, who takes responsibility for the educational and training needs of the PEP SP Participant while in the practice, in adherence with the MBA's Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines.
8.20 Training Program	The six-calendar-month period that starts from the day the Participant commences work in Australia in an RACGP-Approved Practice. Participants must complete the program requirements within this six-calendar-month timeframe.
8.21 Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA)	A framework for evaluating a doctor’s performance and progress in those areas of practice best assessed in the context of the workplace. The aim is to provide evidence that the Participant is competent for unsupervised practice in Australia.

9. Related Documents, Legislation and Policies

• Declaration of Conflict of Interest and Gift/s Form
• PEP SP Comparability Assessment Guide
• PEP SP Participant Handbook - Partially Comparable Stream
• PEP SP Participant Handbook - Substantially Comparable Stream
• MBA's Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines

10. Policy Review and Currency

This policy will be reviewed every three calendar years from the last approval date, or when there is a significant change in the intent of the policy. This policy remains valid and applicable notwithstanding if it is overdue for review.