Pre-Hospital and Retrieval Medicine

DipPHRM will launch on 1 February 2021.  Enrolment into the DipPHRM Training Program will open in December 2020. For trainees wishing to enrol to commence the program on 1 February 2021, all enrolment forms and necessary documentation must be received by ACEM no later than Monday 18 January 2021.

To be eligible to enrol as a trainee in the DipPHRM Training Program, medical practitioners must at the time of application hold appropriate medical registration with no suspension, condition, restriction or undertaking imposed that limits their ability to complete the requirements of the DipPHRM Training Program.

It is recognised that, due to the nature of pre-hospital and retrieval medicine, the trainee will need to have a level of functional independence and so will need to be suitably experienced and advanced in their specialist training or be a suitably experienced Fellow.

Medical practitioners must also:

1. provide evidence of a confirmed training position at a site accredited by the CCPHRM for DipPHRM training; and
2. meet at least one of the following:
   1. be a Fellow of ACEM (FACEM) or enrolled in the FACEM Training Program and have not more than 18 months of required training to complete in order to be eligible to attain FACEM;
   2. be a Fellow of ACRRM (FACRRM) or enrolled in the ACRRM specialist training program and have not more than 18 months of required training to complete in order to be eligible to attain FACRRM;
   3. be a Fellow of ANZCA (FANZCA) or enrolled in the ANZCA specialist training program and have not more than 18 months of required training to complete in order to be eligible to attain FANZCA; or
   4. be a Fellow of CICM (FCICM) or enrolled in the CICM specialist training program and have not more than 18 months of required training to complete in order to be eligible to attain FCICM; or
   5. be a Fellow of RACGP (FRACGP) or enrolled in the Australian General Practice training program and have not more than 18 months of required training to complete in order to be eligible to attain FRACGP.

Individuals who otherwise meet all eligibility requirements other than those specified in (b) may apply to the Conjoint Committee of PHRM under the College’s Exceptional Circumstances/Special Consideration Policy for consideration on a case-by-case basis for permission to enrol in the DipPHRM Training Program. 
 
To enrol in the DipPHRM Training Program, prospective trainees must complete the online DipPHRM enrolment form. As part of the online application, prospective trainees must provide evidence of their confirmed placement at a CCPHRM-accredited site, the FTE fraction at which the training will be undertaken, and the name of the Training Supervisor that will supervise the trainee. Prospective trainees must also declare that they will abide by the obligations of the training program, as specified within the DipPHRM Training Agreement.

Please Note: Prospective trainees must be aware that in 2021 the DipPHRM Examinations will be scheduled in the second half of the year. It is envisaged that the DipPHRM Written Examination will be held in October and the DipPHRM Practical Examination will be held in December. The dates of these examinations will be confirmed in early 2021.

View the DipPHRM Trainee Agreement.

View a pro-forma letter for your site to complete that you must use to provide evidence of a confirmed position at a CCPHRM-accredited site

Enrol into the DipPHRM Training Program.

View the DipPHRM Curriculum.

Regulation F: Diploma of Pre-Hospital and Retrieval Medicine Training Program

DipPHRM Training Handbook

Trainees may take a maximum of three years to complete all components of the DipPHRM, regardless of FTE. This timeframe commences from the date that a trainee begins their DipPHRM placement.

Candidates who do not satisfactorily complete the requirements of the program within this three-year period will be removed from the program.

Training must be undertaken at sites that have been accredited and approved by the CCPHRM to provide the full DipPHRM or components of training. All sites must go through a formal accreditation process prior to their inclusion in the DipPHRM Training Program. Some sites may only be able to provide components of the Training Program, such as pre-hospital or retrieval, or a site may be exclusively road-based. In these cases, trainees are required to complete an additional placement at another CCPHRM-accredited site to ensure all components of the DipPHRM Training Program are completed.

A list of CCPHRM-accredited sites is below. Please note, this list will be updated frequently in the coming months as additional sites successfully undergo the DipPHRM Training Site accreditation process.
 

Candidates may undertake the training full or part-time. Candidates seeking to undertake the DipPHRM on a part-time basis must advise the FTE (full-time equivalent) fraction when applying to undertake training.

Trainees may undertake the DipPHRM at a minimum of 0.25FTE. Current FACEM trainees must complete the DipPHRM Training Program at minimum of 0.5FTE to ensure they are compliant with FACEM Training Program Regulation B. Trainees of other training programs (ANZCA, CICM, ACRRM, RACGP) should check their enrolment complies with the relevant regulations of your college.

The DipPHRM Training Program fees are below. In recognition that trainees of ACEM, ACRRM, ANZCA, CICM and RACGP will also be paying Fellowship training fees, the DipPHRM fee for those individuals is discounted.

College trainee fees: AUD$2750

Fellow/Other fees: AUD$3750

Trainees will be invoiced for the DipPHRM Training Program following enrolment. The fee must be paid prior to commencement of a trainee’s PHRM placement.

The DipPHRM Written Examination fee is AUD$1400.

This fee must be paid when applying to sit the DipPHRM Written Examination.

There will be a fee associated with the DipPHRM Practical Assessment. This fee will be set when details of the Practical Assessment are finalised.

FACEM trainees will still be able to undertake a Special Skills Placement (SSP) if they would like to gain experience in PHRM without a formal qualification. Usually, sites accredited for the DipPHRM will also be accredited for the SSP, along with some additional smaller sites.

Trainees from other Colleges should consult their relevant College Training Team for alternative PHRM training options specific to their speciality.

Available positions in PHRM services are often listed on the ACEM jobs board. If you are seeking a placement for training in DipPHRM, you should directly contact a PHRM service accredited for this training program.

ACEM is unable to assist trainees in securing PHRM jobs.

We have a policy relating to Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for the DipPHRM. Applications through the RPL pathway will open in late 2021.
 
The Policy relating to Recognition of Prior Experience for the DipPHRM is under consideration by the CCPHRM and the ACEM Board and will be released in 2021.
 
To register your interest in pursuing either of these pathways, please fill out the form. There will be a fee associated with these applications, which will be advertised in 2021.