The Specialist Training Program extends vocational training for specialist registrars into settings outside traditional metropolitan teaching hospitals, including regional, rural, remote and private facilities.
The National Program commenced in 2011, with further funding for all projects confirmed for 2018. The Program is overseen by the National Program Steering Committee, chaired by Associate Professor Sally McCarthy.
Initiatives supported through the National Program include:
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Specialist Training Placements and Support (known as STP)
ACEM’s STP aims to improve the Emergency Medicine workforce quality and distribution, through enhancing specialist training opportunities. STP provides funding to support training posts that provide registrars with exposure to a broader range of healthcare settings. The STP posts are focused on Emergency Departments in regional, rural and remote areas, and private hospitals.
In 2018, ACEM is administering 77 STP posts, with 55 STP posts continuing into 2019-2020.
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Integrated Rural Training Pipeline (IRTP) Initiative
The initiative aims to deliver a sustainable, Australian-trained future medical workforce for regional, rural and remote communities.
It connects the rural training system, rural health services and graduates interested in rural careers, providing greater opportunities for the trainee to maintain connections to rural communities while they complete post-graduate training. As a result, the trainee can complete the different stages of their medical training, from student to specialist, within rural areas.
ACEM has four IRTP posts established in 2017, and a further eight posts to be established from 2018.
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Training More Specialist Doctors in Tasmania measure (The Tasmanian Project)
The Tasmanian Project aims to increase the number of doctors becoming specialists in Tasmania’s public hospitals, and to enhance the long term delivery of specialist medical services in Tasmania. The Project funds approved specialist fellowship training in Tasmania, including funding for trainee posts and supervisors.
In 2018, ACEM is administering six trainee posts through the Tasmania Project, and additional supervisory posts to support Tasmanian trainees.
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Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET) Program
EMET aims to increase the quality and access to emergency care in areas of need, particularly in rural Australia, through the provision of emergency medicine education, training and supervision delivered by Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEMs), for doctors and other health professionals working in regional, rural and remote emergency departments or services.
For 2018 – 2020, 50 larger hospitals (Hubs) will provide training for teams working in the emergency departments of over 400 rural health services.
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Emergency Department Private Sector Clinical Supervision (EDPSCS)
The EDPSCS Program provides support for training emergency medicine specialists in the private sector. The Program aims to expand and enhances the training capacity of the emergency centre at private hospitals by maintaining a full-time equivalent emergency medicine clinical supervision position.
In 2018, there are seven positions, each occupied by a senior FACEM located within the emergency department of the private hospital.
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Other Initiatives
In addition to these programs, ACEM has a number other initiatives supported through the National Program, including the development of a range of eLearning modules and online resources, delivery of professional development courses and a number of research projects.