Overview of the speciality

If you are dedicated to the short-term and emergency treatment of children (neonates to adolescents) then Paediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) is the sub-speciality for you.
 
Undertaking this sub-speciality will focus on:

  • Being well-rounded in all areas of acute medicine and managing most situations independently. This involves coordination of complex patients and interacting with other healthcare service providers.
  • Educating and supporting other healthcare staff and professionals who work with children. 
  • Managing paediatric patients within an emergency department where medical and surgical emergencies may be required.

Eligibility to enrol PEM Training with ACEM

To be eligible to enrol into the ACEM PEM Training Program, you must be:

  • Registered as a Training Stage 2, Training Stage 3, or Training Stage 4 FACEM Training Program trainee; or
  • A Fellow of ACEM (FACEM)

How to apply

Complete the enrolment application form for PEM Training with ACEM for FACEM Trainees from 2022.

Fees

From 1 January 2024, in addition to your ACEM Annual Training Fee, a one-off enrolment fee is payable for all new enrolments in the ACEM Paediatric Emergency Medicine Training Program. Please refer to the ACEM Fee Schedule for further details.

Curriculum

FACEM Trainees undertaking the Paediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) Training Program with ACEM are guided and supported in their training by the PEM Advanced Training Curriculum, used in conjunction with ACEM’s Curriculum Framework.
 
The curriculum specifies the learning outcomes expected at the completion of each stage of training, building upon the pre-existing knowledge, skills and professional attributes of trainees. Assessment of ACEM PEM trainees occurs through In-Training Assessments (ITAs) conducted by the PEM Director of Emergency Medicine Training or Supervisor, Paediatric Emergency Medicine Workplace Based Assessments (PEM-WBAs) and a prescribed set of core procedures on paediatric patients.

Structure and requirements

ACEM stream
PEM requirements
FACEM Training requirements that can be satisfied concurrently

Stage 1
  • 12 months in an Adult/Mixed Emergency Medicine
  • Pass the Primary Exams

Can also be certified to Training Stage One core emergency medicine training time requirements.

Stage 2
  • 12 months Adult/Mixed Emergency Medicine

Can also be certified in Training Stage Two, Three or Four3 core emergency medicine training time requirements.
  • 18 months1 Paediatric Emergency Medicine

Can also be certified to Training Stage Two, Three or Four3 core emergency medicine training time requirements. 
  • 12 months General Paediatric medicine (placements accredited by RACP)

Can also be certified to the Non-ED requirement or Training Stage Four3; Elective for FACEM Training, where applicable.
  • 6 months Paediatric ICU2 (placements accredited by CICM)

Can also be certified to the Non-ED requirement or Training Stage Four3; Elective for FACEM Training, where applicable.
  • Fulfil Trainee Research Requirement
  • Pass Fellowship Exam
  • To receive a letter confirming completion of ACEM PEM Training, ACEM Fellowship must be achieved in addition to completion of above requirements and associated PEM assessments. 

1The 18 months of mandatory paediatric emergency medicine training time may only be undertaken in departments that have specific PEM accreditation.

2PICU sites classified by CICM as either ‘Foundation’ or ‘Limited General Training (G6)’ will not count towards the PICU requirement of the PEM Training Program. Sites must be classified as ‘General Training (Gen)’.​
 
3Any training completed in Training Stage Four must be undertaken in a Training Stage Four accredited placement.

RACP stream trainee requirements

If you are interested pursuing Paediatric Emergency Medicine Training only, you can undertake training with the RACP.
 
All prospective RACP trainees must have:

  • completed RACP Basic Training, including Written and Clinical Examinations
  • a current medical registration
  • been appointed to an appropriate Advanced Training position

For more information, see RACP Paediatric Emergency Medicine.

PEM Training assessments

The assessment requirements listed below are specific to ACEM PEM Training. FACEM Training Program trainees will also be required to complete all relevant assessments of the FACEM Training Program.
 
A number of the assessments completed for FACEM Training can also be certified towards PEM Training, provided the placement in which they are being undertaken and patient they are being completed on is also contributing to ACEM PEM Training time requirements.


New PEM Training Portal

The PEM Training Portal for the revised ACEM PEM training program is currently under development. FACEM Trainees who enrolled from 2022 and who then enrol in PEM Training, will have a pro-rata number of PEM assessments required to complete once the PEM Training Portal is live. Further information will be provided in the coming months and upon enrolment.

In-Training Assessments

Throughout FACEM and PEM Training, trainees are required to complete In-Training Assessments (ITA) with their DEMT/Supervisor every 3 months.
 
All trainees undertaking Paediatric ED placements, must complete a Paediatric ED ITA in addition to the FACEM Training ITA. This will only be required once the training portal for the new PEM program is built. For PICU and General Paediatric Medicine placements an additional ITA is not required.

Paediatric Emergency Medicine Workplace-based Assessments (PEM-WBAs)

During the 18 FTE months of Paediatric Emergency Medicine placements, trainees must complete the following Paediatric Emergency Medicine Workplace-based Assessments (PEM-WBAs). Some of the below PEM-WBA instruments (CbD, Mini-CEX and shift reports) can also be counted towards the required EM-WBA requirements for Training Stages Two, Three and Four of FACEM training.

Type of EM-WBA
Minimum number required
Minimum complexity requirement

Case-based Discussion (CbD)*

3
  • 2 x high complexity
  • 1 x medium complexity

Mini-CEX*

6
  • 3 x high complexity
  • 3 x medium complexity

Communication skills (patient/family)

3

N/A

Shift reports*

3

In Charge
 

*These PEM-WBA instruments can also be counted in FACEM Training.

Core paediatric DOPS

To achieve completion of PEM Training with ACEM, trainees must be assessed as independent in all procedures in the PEM Core DOPS Procedure List as listed in the PEM Advanced Training Curriculum. PEM Core DOPS will only be required to be completed once the PEM Training Portal is live. A pro-rata number of core DOPS will be stipulated to individual PEM trainees at the time the new PEM Training Portal becomes available.

Paediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) Trainee Progression Review (TPR) Panel

Trainees undertaking PEM Training with ACEM will have their progress through the program reviewed by the PEM Trainee Progression Review Panel at the completion of each of the following milestones/progression points:

  • 18 FTE months of Paediatric Emergency Training
  • 12 FTE months of Paediatric Medicine Training
  • 6 FTE months of Paediatric Intensive Care Medicine Training
  • 24 FTE months adult/mixed emergency medicine training (if the requirement has not been fulfilled during completion of the FACEM Training Program).

The Panel will review all ITAs and WBAs completed during the relevant review period to determine if the standard has been achieved. All data presented to the Panel is de-identified.
 
To be eligible for completion of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, ACEM PEM Training Program trainees must have:

  • satisfactorily completed all assessment requirements of ACEM PEM Training and;
  • achieved Fellowship of ACEM

Upon successful completion of ACEM PEM Training, you will be provided with a letter confirming completion of training via the ACEM pathway. This letter can be used to apply for recognition as a Paediatric Emergency Medicine Specialist with AHPRA.

Training due dates

ACEM PEM Training Program trainees who have satisfactorily completed the requirements of the FACEM Training Program must complete all remaining ACEM PEM training requirements within 7 years of the date of election to Fellowship of ACEM.
 
ACEM PEM Training Program trainees who enrol in Paediatric Emergency Medicine after award of FACEM must satisfactorily complete all training requirements outlined within 7 years of the date of enrolment into the ACEM PEM Training Program.

Neonatal ICU (NICU) towards General Paediatric Medicine

The CJCT-PEM have approved that up to 3 months NICU training time may be accredited towards the General Paediatric Medicine component of PEM Training, subject to their review and approval of the training site and learning outcomes of the role.

For the CJCT-PEM to review 3 months of your NICU placement for contribution towards the PEM training time requirement of General Paediatric Medicine, please provide the following:

  • Confirmation of the NICU site at which you intend to complete this placement.
  • A position description for the placement.
  • If possible, confirmation of your supervisor for this placement.
  • Cover letter on how you intend to address Learning Outcomes.

PEM Trainees are expected to meet the Learning Outcomes as outlined in the Guideline on Certification of Neonatal ICU (NICU) to The General Paediatric Medicine Requirement for PEM.
 
To request that an additional 3m of NICU training time be considered towards General Paediatric Medicine requirements (6m in total), you will need to submit a Special Consideration request. You should review the Exceptional Circumstances and Special Consideration Policy and if you wish to proceed, submit an application on this form, together with relevant supporting documentation.

Stage 3 PEM Training (Dual Fellowship):

To be eligible to enrol into Stage 3 of the ACEM PEM Training Program you must be eligible for, or hold, Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP), having completed Advanced Training in Paediatric Emergency Medicine.
 
Trainees undertaking Stage 3 of the ACEM PEM Training Program must satisfactorily complete:

Stage 3
FACEM Training requirements

Time requirements
  • 12 months in an Adult/Mixed Emergency Medicine in an ACEM-accredited emergency department(s) accredited for Training Stage 4
  • 6 FTE months Critical Care in an adult/mixed placement

Assessments requirements
  • All prescribed Emergency Medicine Workplace Based Assessments (EM-WBA) requirements for Training Stage Four of the FACEM Training Program.
  • A Formal Teaching Presentation
  • A Guideline/Protocol and Review or Audit
  • A Morbidity and Mortality Presentation
  • Trainee Research Requirement
  • Fellowship Written Examination
  • Fellowship Clinical Examination

How to apply

If you are a FRACP who wishes to enrol into Stage 3 of PEM Training, please complete the Stage 3 PEM Enrolment Form.

Trainee Progression Review Panel

Trainees undertaking Stage 3 Paediatric Emergency Medicine training requirements shall have their progress reviewed by the applicable regional Trainee Progression Review Panel (TPR) at the completion of:

  • 12 FTE months Adult/Mixed emergency medicine training in Training Stage 4
  • 6 FTE months of Critical Care Training

Stage 3 PEM Training –​ eligibility for ACEM election to Fellowship

 To be eligible for election to Fellowship of ACEM, trainees undertaking Stage 3 ACEM PEM Training must:

  • have satisfactorily completed all training and assessment requirements
  • be eligible for or have been elected to Fellowship of RACP
  • have a letter of support from the CJCT-PEM (Committee for Joint College Training in Paediatric Emergency Medicine) confirming that all paediatric and RACP requirements have been successfully completed
  • have paid all applicable fees as from time to time prescribed by ACEM

For further information or advice on PEM Training with ACEM, please contact: [email protected].

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