Diploma of Pre-Hospital and Retrieval Medicine (DipPHRM)
The Diploma of Pre-Hospital and Retrieval Medicine (DipPHRM) will provide doctors with backgrounds in emergency, critical care and intensive care medicine the opportunity to obtain a formally recognised qualification in the practice of Pre-Hospital and Retrieval medicine (PHRM). This includes rural generalists who provide PHRM services in rural and regional parts of Australasia. For further information please see the DipPHRM web page.
Emergency Medicine Certificate and Diploma Programs
Enrolments for the Emergency Medicine Certificate (EMC), Emergency Medicine Diploma (EMD), and the Emergency Medicine Advanced Diploma (EMAD) are open and accepted throughout the year.
ACEM revised and developed the programs with a working group that also included representatives from RACGP, ACRRM and the DRHM of the RNZCGP with specific scope of practice in mind for each program, helping medical practitioners working in emergency medicine align their stage of professional development with an appropriate qualification.
Which Emergency Medicine Certificate or Diploma Program is for me?
|
EMC
|
EMD
|
EMAD
|
Beneficial for all doctors. This qualification is suited to and intended for doctors working:
- in an emergency department with access to off-site advice and rapid access to on-site critical care support; or
- as part of the team in an emergency department with senior assistance available on the floor when needed.
|
The EMD is a training program that builds upon the knowledge and skills gained during the EMC. This qualification is suited to and intended for doctors working:
- in an emergency department with access to offsite support, but without rapid access onsite critical care support; or
- as part of the team in an emergency department where they are a senior decision maker (SDM).
|
The EMAD is a training program that builds upon the knowledge and skills gained during the EMD. This qualification is suited to and intended for doctors:
- providing clinical support to EMC & EMD qualified doctors and as a Director of a smaller Emergency Department (not accredited by ACEM for fellowship training); or
- working in an emergency department as a senior decision maker with the ability to be a part of the education and management team.
|
Skills and Knowledge developed by the end of training
|
EMC
|
EMD
|
EMAD
|
- Manage and treat patients with common emergency presentations.
- EMC doctors will also have basic knowledge and skills relating to:
- Prioritisation;
- Risk management;
- Detecting red flags of serious illness;
- Carrying out an initial focused assessment of an undifferentiated patient; and
- Delivering safe patient care in a modern emergency care system.
|
- Independently manage and treat a range of higher complexity emergency presentations.
- In Addition to those of the EMC, they will also have the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to:
- stabilise critically ill and injured patients;
- provide safe sedation for emergency procedures.
EMD doctors will also have the knowledge, skills, and attributes to communicate and collaborate effectively with patients and families from different cultures, members of their local healthcare team, and clinicians from other services.
|
- Independently manage and treat a wider variety of and higher complexity emergency presentations, with telephone support from emergency specialists within the ED network, when required. EMAD doctors will also have the knowledge and skills to:
- use ultrasound as appropriate;
- use a wider variety of resuscitative and other emergency techniques;
- improve their practice, the practice of junior team members, and the practice of emergency medicine in their environment.
The EMAD qualification provides the skills for a medical officer to work as the senior decision maker, provide critical care support and be a director of a smaller Emergency Department. In larger Emergency Departments (accredited by ACEM for fellowship training) the holder of the EMAD qualification will be equipped to work as a senior decision maker at middle grade (registrar) level.
|
-
How Does it Work?

The structure of the training programs follows a three tiered format. The knowledge and skills of the three programs progressively build upon each other from one training program to the next.
The Curriculum is divided into nine units;
EMC
Unit 1 – Fundamental Principles of emergency medicine
Unit 2 – Managing Emergency Presentations 1
Unit 3 – Understanding the emergency care environment
EMD
Unit 1 – Critical Care in emergency medicine
Unit 2 – Managing emergency presentations 2
Unit 3 – Professional Practice in the emergency care environment
EMAD
Unit 1 - Advanced techniques in emergency medicine
Unit 2 – Managing emergency presentations 3
Unit 3 – Professional Leadership in the emergency care environment
The curriculum you follow and the training and assessment requirements you are required to complete will depend on two things:
- Which qualification you would like to attain?
- What qualifications and experience you have at the time of application?
For Example
A doctor who wants to obtain the EMAD with no previous qualification or relevant clinical experience will be required to compete the EMC, EMD and EMAD training and assessment requirements.
A doctor who wants to obtain the EMAD but has achieved FRACGP and has significant relevant clinical experience and knowledge will only be required to complete the EMD and EMAD training and assessment requirements.
For more information about eligibility requirements seen the menu item Eligibility Requirements and Fees or the individual program pages.
-
Training and Assessment Requirements

Requirement
|
EMC
|
EMD
|
EMAD
|
Minimum ED Training Time
|
6 FTE months
|
6 FTE months
|
6 FTE months
|
Meetings with Supervisor
|
Start of placement meeting
|
Start of placement meeting
|
Start of placement meeting
|
Reflection meeting every three months
|
Reflection meeting every three months
|
Reflection meeting every three months
|
Workplace Based Assessments (WBAs)
|
Five Mini-CEX
Six DOPS
Two CbD
|
Five Mini-CEX
Five DOPS
Two CbD
|
Three Mini-CEX
Three DOPS
Quality Assurance Activity
Direct Observation of Communication Skills
Two Clinical lead Shift Reports
|
Procedural Checklist
|
EMC Procedural Checklist
|
EMD Procedural Checklist
|
EMAD Procedural Checklist
|
Workshops
|
ALS2/NZ equivalent
|
APLS
EMST or ETM
|
Ultrasound
Clinical Supervisor
|
Online Examination
|
EMC Multiple Choice Questions Exam Exam
|
EMD Multiple Choice Questions Exam Exam
|
EMAD Multiple Choice Questions Exam Exam
|
See individual EMC, EMD or EMAD pages for full training and assessment requirements.
-
Eligibility Requirements and Fees

Full details of the applicable fees can be found on our Fees and Payments page.