Annual report 2009 - Australian and New Zealand College of ...

International Medical
Graduate Specialists (IMGS)
Training
accreditation
The past year has been a busy one at ANZCA in
assessing a number of international medical graduates.
A number of changes were also introduced to the
College’s regulations governing International Medical
Graduate (IMGS) assessment in 2009. The College was
also active in assessing Area of Need applications.
IMGS Committee
Chair, Dr Genevieve Goulding QLD
Councillor, Dr Frank Moloney NSW
DPA IMGS, Dr Richard Willis SA
DPA Assessor, Dr Steuart Henderson NZ
Chair, New Zealand Panel Dr Vaughan Laurenson NZ
Chair, Final Examinations Dr Mark Priestley NSW
Subcommittee
Fellow nominated by Council, A/Prof Greg Knoblanche NSW
Fellow nominated by Council, Dr Peter Roessler VIC
Representative of the Joint Faculty of Intensive Care
Medicine, Dr Ross Freebairn NZ
Representative of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, Dr Frank
New QLD
Community Representative, Ms Helen Maxwell-Wright VIC
Jurisdictional Representative, Ms Kerry Kellet ACT
Member, A/Prof Steven Katz NSW
Member, A/Prof Michael Steyn QLD
Highlights
• 140 international medical graduates assessed in
Australia, 51 more than in 2008.
• New Zealand National Committee assessed 20
international medical graduates.
• 47 Area of Need assessments conducted.
Changes
A key change is that an IMGS assessed as Advanced
Standing Towards Substantial Comparability (ASTSC) require
12 months of Clinical Practice Assessment (CPA) under
oversight and a Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) to be
recommended for specialist recognition, and for
eligibility to apply for Fellowship.
An IMGS assessed as Partially Comparable (PC) still
require up to 24 months of CPA plus an examination to be
recommended for specialist recognition, and for eligibility to
apply for Fellowship.
An IMGS categorised as Not Comparable (NC) would not be
accepted in to the IMGS Assessment pathway.
All IMGS who are categorised as either PC or ASTSC are also
required to provide evidence of having completed an EMAC
(or equivalent) course and to show participation in Continuing
Professional Development activities.
Australia IMGS Assessment
During 2009, the College assessed 140 International Medical
Graduate Specialists (IMGS) in Australia, 51 more than in
2008. Assessments were made by four member panels which
included community representation. Interviews were held, on
average, once a month. Criteria assessed included training in
comparison with ANZCA, specialist qualification and practice
as a specialist, experience as a specialist, and participation
in continuing education and quality assurance activities
by participation in a program comparable to the ANZCA
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program.
Countries of IMGS origin included Canada (2), Czech Republic
(1), Denmark (2), Egypt (3), Fiji (1), Germany (7), Hungary (2),
India (31), Iran (7), Iraq (1), Israel (2), Italy (2), Malaysia (2),
Nepal (2), Norway (1), Philippines (2), Serbia (1), South Africa
(27), Sri Lanka (17), Sweden (1), United Kingdom (22), United
States (1), Zimbabwe (3).
Of these applicants, 37 were determined to be ASTSC, 76 were
determined to be PC, of which 43 require a clinical practice
assessment period of 12 months, 30 were determined to
require 24 months, and three were determined to require 18
months. 12 applications were determined to be NC at interview
and 11 were determined to be NC prior to interview, on the
basis that the gap between their training and that required for
FANZCA was too great for the IMGS process.
New Zealand assessment
In New Zealand, the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ)
refers overseas trained specialist applications for entry into
the vocational scope of anaesthesia on the Medical Register
of the Medical Council of New Zealand to the College for
assessment. As part of that assessment for the MCNZ, the
College also assesses the applicant for requirements he or she
needs to meet for eligibility for eligibility to apply for Fellowship
of ANZCA.
In 2009, the NZ National Committee assessed 20 IMGS.
Countries of origin included: Sweden (2), United Kingdom (9),
United States of America (2), Germany (4), India (1) and South
Africa (2).
Of these applicants, 12 were determined to have ASTSC, seven
were determined to be PC, of which six were required to
complete 12 months CPA and one was required to complete
24 months CPA, and one was considered to be NC and was
therefore, not eligible to enter the ANZCA IMGS Pathway.
Area of Need Assessments
During 2009, 47 Area of Need (AON) assessments, including
applications for extension, were undertaken by the Director of
Professional Affairs, IMGS, according to the College document
‘Anaesthesia Services for Areas of Need in Australia’. Of the 30
primary applications, 21 commenced in positions, and 18 have
commenced in the IMGS process.
ANZCA accredits hospital Departments of Anaesthesia
and other facilities that comply with its requirements for
recognition. Accredited departments and facilities must
be incorporated into a rotational training scheme and there
must be the opportunity for experience in a rural centre. A
grouping of hospitals providing such a program of specialty
and sub-specialty training constitutes a training program.
ANZCA accredits both public and private facilities.
In 2009, 28 facilities were inspected in Australia and
New Zealand. Two of these were new accreditations.
The 2009 accreditation training was held in Adelaide,
and 13 new accreditors were trained.
The following projects are ongoing:
• Training in private
• Rural training
• Accrediting retrieval
• TAC processes
The following projects were established and will provide
reports/action plans to be implemented in 2010:
• Workload calculations
• Training site relationships
• Certificate of Approval.
Courses Working Group
The Courses Working Group oversees the running of courses
which are approved by Council for ANZCA trainees, and
where satisfactory completion is an integral requirement for
the awarding of the ANZCA Fellowship. The only such course
at present is the Effective Management of Anaesthetic Crises
(EMAC) course. This is owned by ANZCA, and simulation
centres across Australia, New Zealand and South-East Asia
are accredited and licensed to offer the course to ANZCA
trainees and other participants.
Three simulation centres were reviewed in 2009, and
continuing accreditation was granted to all. There were
no new applications.
The revision of the Effective Management of Anaesthetic
Crises (EMAC) course continued throughout 2009 and
is now complete. Updated manuals will be circulated
to accredited centres.
New Programs Committee
The New Programs Committee (NPC) oversees the
management of certificates offered by ANZCA. Its
responsibilities include consideration of applications
for new Certificate Programs, monitoring of Certificate
Programs, accreditation of the training programs and
facilities, and recommendations to the Council for
certification of practitioners. Currently the only such
Certificate is the Certificate in Diving and Hyperbaric
Medicine (DHM),
Two new DHM units were granted accreditation in 2009.
One unit was reviewed and granted ongoing accreditation.
22 ANZCA Annual Report 2009
ANZCA Annual Report 2009 23