Unaccredited registrar positions in Australian public hospitals: is it time for a rethink?
Rob Mitchell A F , William J. Milford B , Michael Bonning C , Alex Markwell D and Ross Roberts-Thomson EA Emergency Department, Townsville Hospital, 100 Angus Smith Drive, Douglas, Qld 4814, Australia.
B Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Redcliffe Hospital, Anzac Avenue, Redcliffe, Qld 4020, Australia. Email: will.milford@gmail.com
C Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service, 187 Riverside Drive, Airds, NSW 2560, Australia. Email: michaelbonning@gmail.com
D Emergency Department, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Butterfield St, Herston, Qld 4006, Australia. Email: almarkwell@gmail.com
E Department of Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 4000, Australia. Email: ross.rt@gmail.com
F Corresponding author. Email: mitchell.rob@me.com
Australian Health Review 37(4) 409-411 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH13009
Submitted: 11 January 2013 Accepted: 7 May 2013 Published: 5 July 2013
Abstract
Unaccredited registrar positions are a significant source of inefficiency in postgraduate medical training. Their educational value is debated due to a lack formal supervision, appraisal or assessment requirements. In the context of increasing numbers of trainees and escalating demand for public hospital services, the extent to which unaccredited registrar positions can be converted to accredited training posts warrants urgent examination. The major obstacle is meeting college standards, particularly with respect to caseload and supervision requirements. Notwithstanding the barriers to reform, this article describes how a coordinated process to accredit these posts would increase training capacity and enhance vertical integration in postgraduate medical education.
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