COVID-19 - overarching educational principles

To help guide our our decision-making in relation to education and training during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have developed a number of overarching educational principles.


1. Patient care and maintaining a healthy workforce are our fundamental priorities at this time. Trainee wellbeing, including adequate supervision, is paramount.  

2. The college recognises that training requirements may be significantly disrupted. We will make allowances for direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19.

3. Australian Medical Council/Medical Council of New Zealand accreditation of the college requires that anaesthesia and pain medicine graduates meet minimum standards. The college seeks to minimise disadvantage to trainees, whilst ensuring that its graduates are adequately trained to serve the public as specialist anaesthetists and pain medicine physicians.

4. While the college will endeavour to be flexible in interpreting training requirements, extended training may be unavoidable in some circumstances.

5. Trainees must continue to receive appropriate supervision and orientation (as per the ANZCA Training Handbook and FPM Training Handbook), even if they are redeployed to a different clinical area.

6. The college will work hard to communicate with trainees and fellows as developments occur.

(Below for anaesthesia trainees only)

7. Converting from full-time to part-time training, rather than interrupting training, in the event of bereavement/caring duties/ongoing illness may be an appropriate option for some trainees. Interruption is also an option and ANZCA will allow this for those that need it. Trainees are required to keep detailed and accurate records of changes to their training program using the application form for exception to the regulation. Detailed record should be added to the training portfolio system (TPS) where practical.

8. The college recognises the exceptional circumstances in the 2020 training year and, at this stage, the following exceptions will not apply to subsequent training years. However, it is recognised that disruption this year may well have flow on effects to subsequent years for individual trainees. Trainees are required to keep detailed and accurate records of changes to their training program using the application form for exception to the regulation. Detailed record should be added to the TPS where practical.

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Last updated 15:03 28.03.2022