Specialist Recognition Program Substantially Comparable Post-Fellowship Requirements

1. Specialist Recognition Program Substantially Comparable Post-Fellowship Requirements Policy

1.1 Policy number: CO-E-0037.0

1.2 Category: Education

1.3 Approval date: May 2018

1.4 Revision due date: May 2021

1.5 Unit responsible: Education Services

2. Policy declaration

Substantially Comparable participants who are enrolled in the Specialist Recognition Program and hold Fellowship ad Eundem Gradum (FAEG) must meet the requirements detailed in this policy.

3. Objectives and scope

3.1 Objectives

This policy aims to describe the requirements that participants enrolled on the Specialist Recognition Program must meet in order to maintain their good standing with the RACGP.

3.2 Scope

1. This policy applies to all SIMGs enrolled in the Specialist Recognition Program (SRP), and who have been assessed as Substantially Comparable under the Comparability Assessment.
2. This policy and associated policies will supersede the existing Specialist Pathway Program (SPP) policies as from 3 September 2018 and Comparability Assessments will be conducted from this time. Participants enrolled in the existing SPP before 31 August 2018 will continue their candidacy under the policies of the SPP.

4. Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

1. Comparable/comparability means the extent to which an SIMG’s recency, continuity of practice, continual professional development, assessment, training, qualifications and clinical experience is assessed as equivalent to an Australian-trained specialist general practitioner at the point of Fellowship.
   1. Substantially Comparable means participants assessed as suitable to undertake the intended scope of practice, taking full responsibility for all patients, with limited oversight of their practice by a supervisor (peer review).
2. Comprehensive Australian general practice means
   1. Continuity of care that is person centred, comprehensive and coordinated; focusing on the whole person, and all presenting symptoms
   2. Health promotion and illness prevention services that are based on patient need and the best available evidence
   3. The diagnosis, treatment and management of the full range of undifferentiated conditions in a diverse range of individuals, families and communities not limited by practice intention or business focus
   4. Community-based general practice undertaken in Australia.
3. FAEG means Fellowship ad eundem gradum.
4. Full time general practice experience comprises a 38-hour minimum working week, over a minimum of four days per week, of which 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 of less than one month in any one practice, will not be considered. Hours worked beyond this definition of full time will not be considered.
5. Part time general practice experience is calculated pro-rata against the definition of full time general practice experience. Part time general practice must comprise a 14.5-hour minimum working week, over a minimum of two days per week, of which a minimum of 10.5 hours must be in face-to-face, rostered, patient consultation time undertaking general practice activities. Work periods of less than three consecutive hours, or of less than one month in any one practice, will not be considered.
6. MBA means Medical Board of Australia.
7. MSF means multi source feedback and consists of two components – a colleague feedback assessment tool; (collectively known as Colleague Feedback Evaluation Tool CFET and a patient assessment tool (Doctors’ Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire or DISQ))
8. SIMG means Specialist International Medical Graduate.
9. Specialist Pathway Program (SPP) means the SPP referred to throughout this and associated policies and documentation. This is the pathway superseded by the Specialist Recognition Program on 3 September 2018, and which categorised SIMGs as Category 1, 2 or 3.
10. Specialist Recognition Program (SRP) means the Specialist Recognition Program referred to throughout this and associated policies and documentation. This program superseded the SPP on 3 September 2018, and which assesses SIMGs as Substantially, Partially or Not Comparable.
11. Supervision/supervised practice means principles of supervision and supervised practice will be based upon the prescribed Medical Board of Australia Guidelines – Supervised Practice of International Medical Graduates.
12. WBA means Work Place Based Assessment. It provides 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 support development, providing feedback on progress and identifying areas of difficulty. The emphasis is on assessment for learning and no assessments lead to pass/fail decisions. The WBA may include MSF, self-reflection tasks and supervisor reports.

5. Post-Fellowship Requirements

5.1 Administrative requirements

Participants must:

1. Have met the requirements for Fellowship ad eundem gradum (FAEG) as outlined in the Specialist Recognition Program Substantially Comparable Entry Policy.
2. Maintain financial membership of the RACGP from the time of entering the SRP until the award of their Fellowship certificate or their withdrawal from the program.

5.2 Experience requirements

Participants must:

1. Commence work in an Australian comprehensive general practice within six calendar months of obtaining FAEG.
2. Complete at least six months FTE in comprehensive Australian general practice under mentorship.

5.3 Education requirements

Participants must:

1. Satisfactorily complete a Work-Place Based Assessment (WBA), including completion of an RACGP approved Multi-Source Feedback (MSF) report, between three and six months’ FTE after commencing work in Australia.
2. Repeat the WBA, unless it was satisfactorily completed on the first attempt.

6. Compliance

1. RACGP will audit compliance with the clause 5 requirements six months’ FTE after the candidate has commenced work.
2. Compliant participants will receive a certificate of Fellowship, and be invited to a graduation ceremony.
3. Non-compliant participants may be allowed six further calendar months, at the discretion of RACGP, to become compliant; if after this period of time the clause 5 requirements have not been met, candidate non-compliance will be reported to the Medical Board of Australia as per the requirements of the MBA Registration Standard: Specialist Registration.

7. Related policies, documents and legislation

All policies and guidance documents related to the Specialist Recognition Program are available on our policy page.

8. Administrative procedures

8.1 Access to published policy

This policy will be available via the RACGP website as detailed in clause 7.

8.2 Promulgation of published policy

Relevant staff members, internal and external stakeholders including international medical colleges, existing SRP and SPP participants, and prospective Specialist Recognition Pathway applicants will be provided communications explaining the function and role of this policy.

8.3 Review of this policy

This policy will have a review cycle of three years.