ACRRM INDEPENDENT PATHWAY
WHAT IS THE ACRRM INDEPENDENT PATHWAY?
ACRRM IP is an accredited specialist general practitioner training and education program that helps GPs to achieve Fellowship with ACRRM. The program is specifically designed to help GPs to have the clinical knowledge and skills to practice rurally. It is a structured, but flexible 3GA program that allows access to 100% A1 Medicare rebates while preparing for Fellowship.
Successful completion of ACRRM IP will result in being awarded Fellowship with ACRRM.
AM I ELIGIBLE FOR ACRRM IP?
There are 3 criteria you will need to meet to be eligible for ACRRM IP.
For residency/citizenship you will need to be one of the following:
- Australian Citizen
- Permanent Resident
- Australian Temporary Resident (skilled migrant or business visa)
Regarding Medical Registration, you will need to hold one of the following categories:
- General Registration
- Specialist Registration
- Provisional Registration
- Limited Registration (Area of Need only)
You will also need to have the following medical experience:
- At least 1 year of postgraduate hospital experience in Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, New Zealand or Ireland.
HOW CAN I APPLY?
Applications for ACRRM IP are open at various points during the year. Additionally, when applications are closed you can register your interest for the program and be notified during the next application period.
The application has the following stages:
Online application – including a written submission
In addition to providing your personal details and supporting documents, you will be required to respond to 5 questions related to the following criteria:
- Demonstrated commitment to a career as a specialist general practitioner working in rural or remote Australia
- Demonstrated capacity and motivation to acquire abilities, skills and knowledge in the ACRRM domains of practice
- Demonstrated connection with rural communities
- Demonstrated commitment to meeting the needs of rural and remote communities through an extended scope of practice
- Possesses the personal characteristics associated with a successful career in rural or remote practice.
Referee reports
If you are successful in the online application, you will proceed to the referee reports. You will be required to provide the name and contact details of 2 medical practitioner referees who must have supervised you for 4 weeks or more in the past 3 years. Referees are not allowed to be family relations or close friends.
Once you have nominated your referees, they will be provided with a survey to fill out and return to ACRRM. No information provided by the referees will be available to the applicant.
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
Once the online application and referee reports are successfully completed, you will be invited to participate in Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs). MMIs are short interviews conducted by ACRRM representative practicing in Australia who will assess the GPs experience, knowledge and skills. Applicants will be expected to answer questions based on the criteria listed above in the online application.
The exact questions asked by the interviewer are not disclosed, but you are encouraged to study the selection criteria to help prepare. The questions are specifically designed to allow you the chance to demonstrate your ability to think logically about a topic and communicate your response and ideas effectively.
DO I HAVE TO WORK RURALLY?
ACRRM recommends you complete all of your training in a rural or remote area. However, you are only required to work as a General Practitioner in a rural/remote area for a minimum of 12 months. Areas are considered to be rural or remote if they fall within an MMM 4 – 7 classification.
WHAT ARE THE CLINICAL TRAINING REQUIREMENTS?
Your 4-year participation on ACRRM IP will need to include the following:
- 12 months Core Clinical Training in accredited hospitals
- 24 months Primary Rural and Remote Training consisting of:
- 6 months experience in community primary care
- 6 months experience in hospital and emergency care
- 12 months experience living and practicing in a rural/remote environment
- 12 months Advanced Specialised Training in a range of settings, dependant on the discipline OR 24 months if completing the AST in Rural Generalist Surgery
These requirements can be reduced through Recognition of Prior Learning.
WHAT ARE THE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS?
Participants on ACRRM IP will be required to complete the following:
- An education program provided by ACRRM or an accredited training organisation
- A minimum of 4 ACRRM Online Modules approved for training
- Required emergency courses
WHAT EXAMS WILL I SIT TO ACHIEVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ACRRM?
ACRRM has 5 fellowship exams which are both clinic based and theoretical. Generally, assessments are offered twice each year although there are exceptions to this. The exams that you will undertake are:
Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (miniCEX)
- The miniCEX is a workplace based assessment used to evaluate your direct contact with patients
Multiple-Source Feedback (MSF)
- The Multi-Source Feedback (MSF) is a well-recognised, valid, and reliable method of assessing interpersonal and professional behaviour, development, and clinical skills.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
- Multiple choice question exam (MCQ) is a reliable method to test your applied knowledge, recall and reasoning across the curriculum content.
Case Based Discussion (CBD)
- Case Based Discussion (CBD) assessment is an assessment of your clinical reasoning and application of knowledge using your clinical cases in your own clinical context.
Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS)
- The Structured Assessment Using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS) is a unique assessment which blends the formats of a Clinical Competency Exam (CCE) previously the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and a traditional viva vocè examination.
FEES OF ACRRM IP
There are a few separate fees that will need to be paid whilst a GP is a participant on ACRRM. We have listed these fees below:
Independent Pathway Application
- Application Fee – $1,380.00 (GST Included)
Independent Pathway Education Program and Training Support
- Enrolment Fee – $475.00 (GST Free) – one-off fee
- Education Program Fee – $24,950.00 (GST Free) – Covers the first 12 months of the fellowship program and educational program. Can be paid in full or in monthly increments
- Training Support – $1,995.00 (GST Free) – payable on an annual basis after the first 12 months.
Please note, these fees are subject to change at ACRRMs discretion.
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU:
If you are looking for further guidance on applying for ACRRM Independent Pathway or would like to ask further questions about the information mentioned, this is something our team can help you with. Contact us directly on help@peoplemedical.com.au.
Information for this blog has been taken directly from:
People Medical Consulting are a team of professionals with a passion for guiding those specialising in the Medical industry to find their career pathway and settle into Australia. Working with both Australian trained and Overseas trained professionals, we have extensive experience in Recruitment of General Practitioners and Document Assistance for those requiring support with RACGP, AHPRA, 19AA and 19AB Medicare Exemptions.
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