Introduction
ANZCA Approved Training Sequence
Registration
Basic Training
Advanced Training
Fellowship

Introduction

The ANZCA approved training sequence encompasses an initial two-year Prevocational Medical Education and Training (PMET) period and the five-year period of ANZCA Approved Training (two years Basic Training and three years Advanced Training).

In the course of Approved Training, you are required to successfully complete:

• Five years of supervised clinical training at Approved Training Sites
• Both the Primary and Final Examinations
• A program of 12 modules
• An EMAC (Effective Management of Anaesthetic Crises) or EMST (Early Management of Severe Trauma) course or equivalent
   

On completion of all Training Program requirements the Trainee will be awarded the Diploma of Fellowship and be entitled to use the qualification of FANZCA – Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

The relative timing of these exams, modules and courses are more fully described in the following paragraphs and in the diagram below.

ANZCA Approved Training Sequence

To qualify for Fellowship, you must complete five years of supervised Approved Training (two years Basic Training (BT) and three years Advanced Training (AT)). In addition you must successfully complete the Primary and Final Exams, 12 training modules and either the EMAC or EMST ¹ course or equivalent course.

Prevocational Medical Education and Training (PMET)

In Australia and New Zealand the initial 12 months of post-graduate training is spent as a hospital intern undertaking a specified range of hospital duties. This is referred to as Prevocational Medical Education and Training (PMET). You can enrol as a Trainee at the end of this period (Regulation 15.2.1), but you must complete a further 12 months of PMET before you can begin Approved Training in anaesthesia.

The 24 months of PMET provide a basic grounding in medical practice upon which the specialist components of an anaesthetist’s training are built. So, you should have at least 12 months of general medical training and no more than 12 months experience in any combination of anaesthesia, intensive care and/or pain medicine. (Regulation 15.2.3).

You can apply to sit the Primary Examination after completing 12 months of PMET, but you must first register with the College and provide proof of eligibility.

The ANZCA Training Program

The training of a specialist anaesthetist to the standards required for conferment of the Diploma of Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and the training requirements are detailed in College Regulations 14 and 15.  The training requirements include completion of:

• Basic and Advanced Training;
• Curriculum Modules; and
• Primary and Final Examinations.
   

The ANZCA Training Program begins once your application for Registration has been accepted and you begin Approved Training.  The process for selection is provided in the Guidelines for the Selection of Trainees. The Guidelines are presented in four parts:

• Statement of Principles which underpins the selection process;
• Eligibility Criteria that apply to candidates;
• Selection Criteria that address academic achievement, professional capacity and desirable personal attributes that relate to the practice of anaesthesia; and
• Processes for Selection which outlines the steps to be taken in selecting Trainees.

Registration

If you are a medical practitioner wanting to practice anaesthesia in Australia or New Zealand, you must register with the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists. To register, please download the Trainee Registration Form. After you've checked your eligibility, complete a Registration Form and provide all the required documentation. You must pay the appropriate fees by 31 January or if you begin training after 1 March, you must pay within three months of starting your Training.

Should you require further information relating to Registration, please contact the Administrative Officer, Training on (03) 9510-6299 or by email Trainee-info@anzca.edu.au

Training Agreement

Becoming a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists is a major undertaking and one that should not be taken on lightly. The Training Agreement outlines the key responsibilities that the Trainee will need to be aware of during the course of his/her training, as well as those of the College. It describes in some detail the expectations and administrative requirements of both parties to the agreement. 

The Training Agreement defines the terms and conditions of the training arrangement between you and the College. You must sign this document at registration acknowledging your commitment to the Training Program.

Further information on Registration

Approved Training

This begins when you start supervised training at an Approved Hospital Department or Approved Training Site as defined in Regulation 15.12. You will be assigned a Supervisor of Training and begin your training as an anaesthetist under supervision by a Fellow of the College.

Your hospital will be part of a rotation that will provide you with the broad clinical experience required of a specialist anaesthetist. This means that you will be required to work in one or more ANZCA-accredited training hospitals in the rotation prior to obtaining your Fellowship.

Approved Training consists of five years supervised training (two years of Basic Training and three years of Advanced Training).

Year 1:   Basic Training Year 1 (BTY1)
Year 2:   Basic Training Year 2 (BTY2)
Year 3:   Advanced Training Year 1 (ATY1)
Year 4:   Advanced Training Year 2 (ATY2)
Year 5:   Advanced Training Year 3 (ATY3) 

Supervisors of Training and other ANZCA representatives

A number of ANZCA representatives provide support, guidance and oversight in the course of your training for Fellowship. These include Supervisors of Training, Module Supervisors, Rotational Supervisors, Regional Education Officers, and the Assessor.

Supervisors of Training (SOTs) provide guidance and oversight to you throughout your training for Fellowship. SOTs act as a reservoir of knowledge, coordinate learning experiences, provide guidance and help improve your clinical skills and professional attributes.

SOTs act as your advocate in matters related to organisation of clinical duties and as a general link with the College to ensure that its professional standards and administrative requirements are met. SOTs' duties are set out in College Professional Document TE5 : Policy for Supervisors of Training in Anaesthesia.

Module Supervisors oversee the work done on specific modules and assist in interpreting the curriculum or providing guidance on the content. A Module Supervisor may be responsible for one or more modules.  In general, you will work with several Module Supervisors in any one rotation.

Rotational Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that you are exposed to the required specialist areas throughout your Main Rotations.

Regional Education Officers provide oversight for the Trainees in their region and keep track of their progress.

The Assessor is a Councillor (or former Councillor) who, on behalf of Council, interprets the application of ANZCA’s rules and regulations. This acknowledges the need for flexibility in training requirements to accommodate Trainees’ differing backgrounds, time demands, and interest in pursuing areas of special interest to them. There are a number of matters requiring Assessor approval. Using the relevant regulations, the Assessor will assess applications by individual trainees for:

• Recognition of prior anaesthesia training
• Prospective approval of training time overseas
• Part-time training
• Interrupted training
• Applications to sit College examinations
• Prospective approval of the provisional fellowship programs
• Admission for Fellowship.
   

All Trainees are required to complete a Formal Project. The topic must be registered with your Regional/National Committee’s Formal Project Officer who will provide guidance on its suitability. All projects are assessed by at least one other person nominated by the Formal Project Officer. Details of the Formal Project are contained in TE11 : Formal Project Guidelines.

Basic Training

Basic Training comprises the first two years of supervised training in an Approved Training Site. At least one year of Basic Training must be spent within the ANZCA regions. During this time you must:

• Complete 24 months of Approved Training;
• Complete Modules 1 to 3 (which includes the Professional Attributes web-based self-assessment test – Module 2);
• Complete at least one of the clinical modules (4 through 10); and
• Pass the Primary Examination.

Once all these segments have been completed, you can you enter Advanced Training. Otherwise, you must remain in BTY2 until you satisfy these requirements.

In-Training Assessments (ITA)

You and your SOT carry out formal meetings at the beginning and end of each six-month period (or sooner if the attachment is less than six months). This is a critical part of the training program. At these meetings, you will be asked to complete an In-Training Assessment Form, providing you with an opportunity to assess your clinical skills and professional attributes as well as obtain feedback and counsel from your SOT.

The objectives of the ITA process are to:

• Assess your progress towards appropriate goals and to assist you in achieving these goals;
• Provide you with regular feedback; and
• Develop and implement any remedial activities that may be required to ensure you achieve the desired learning objectives.
   

The ITA is a joint process of evaluation and goal setting by the SOT and the Trainee, and requires your active participation.

Further information on In-Training Assessment

Curriculum Modules

Modules are components of the curriculum that match specific learning objectives with clinical experience.  Modules are not necessarily fixed dedicated rotations, but merely concepts to record your gained experience . You can take more than one module concurrently.

Requirements for module completion can vary. For example, Module 2 requires completion of assigned reading and a self-assessment test.  Other modules may require completion of clinical activities. Specific requirements are stated in the Curriculum Documents associated with each module.

You will be assigned a Module Supervisor to review your progress in completing a Module. The 12 modules are:

Further information on the Curriculum Modules

The Primary Examination

The Primary Examination consists of two subject areas:

1. Physiology including clinical measurement
   
2. Pharmacology including statistics.
    

You must pass both subjects in order to complete the ANZCA Primary Examination.

Each subject area of the Primary Examination consists of a 75-min Multiple Choice Question paper (worth 40%), an 80-min Short Answer Question paper (worth 40%) and a 20-min Viva session (worth 20%).

Further information on the Primary Examination

Advanced Training

Advanced Training spans the final three years of training in an Approved Training Site. At least two years of Advanced Training must be spent within the ANZCA regions.

During this time a Trainee must:

• Complete the remaining clinical modules (4 through 10) not completed during Basic Training;
• Complete Module 11 (Education and Scientific Enquiry), including the Formal Project;
• Undertake the online self-assessment test, Module 12 (Professional Practice);
• Pass the Final Examination; and
• Complete the EMAC or EMST course, or equivalent, if not already done.

The Final Examination

You must successfully complete the Final Examination in order to satisfy the requirements for Advanced Training. Trainees applying for admission to the Final Examination must have completed:

• Basic Training (and therefore must have passed the Primary Examination or been exempted); and
• 36 months of accredited training of which at least 24 months must have been in Clinical Anaesthesia.

 
The Final Examination consists of a 150-min Multiple Choice Question paper (worth 25%), a 150-min Short Answer Question paper (worth 15%) and 10 Vivas (2 medical and 8 anaesthetic), worth 12 and 48 per cent respectively.

Further information on the Final Examination

EMAC, EMST and ATLS Courses

The College requires you to undertake a Management of Anaesthetic Crises/Severe Trauma course at a simulation centre, during your training period. These courses are offered by outside parties, so you must register early in order to obtain a place in a course.

Although there is no specific mandated time to take this course, many students believe that they get the most out of the course after having completed about 18 months of training. This provides them with sufficient experience and familiarity with the anaesthesia environment to benefit the most from the simulation courses.

• EMAC – Effective Management of Anaesthetic Crises
• EMST – Early Management of Severe Trauma
• ATLS – Advanced Trauma Life Support
   

Further information on the EMAC/EMST/ATLS courses

Fellowship

Upon completing all requirements of the ANZCA Training Program, you may apply for Fellowship of the College. While there are three ways to become a Fellow (by Examination, by Election, and by granting of Honorary Fellowship), the vast majority of Fellows obtain their Fellowship by examination.

Fellowship by Examination: Trainees who have completed the training and examination requirements of the College can apply to the Council for Admission to Fellowship. Candidates admitted to Fellowship of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists shall be entitled to place FANZCA after their names.

Fellowship by Election: In a small number of cases, medical practitioners who are permanent residents of Australia or New Zealand, may apply for election to Fellowship without examination, if they fit one of four categories listed in Regulation 6.3. Election to Fellowship requires at least three quarters of the Members of the Council present to vote in favour.

Honorary Fellowship: In exceptional circumstances, individuals who have contributed significantly to Anaesthesia in Australia or New Zealand, or to the work of the College can be considered for honorary fellowship. Prospective fellows must be nominated in writing, formally proposed and seconded by two members before being submitted to Council for consideration. Three-quarters of the Council members must vote in favour.

Further information on Fellowship