Structure of the course
The course is a flexible and competency-based course delivered in a hybrid model of online learning, workshops and clinical experience. Participants who commence in Trimester 1 can complete the course within 12 months, with a maximum timeframe of four years.
The ANZCA Course in Perioperative Medicine curriculum and learning resources are based on a graduate outcome statement, our perioperative medicine literature review, and the Perioperative Care Framework.
Our course is composed of six units of study:
- Preoperative assessment.
- Preoperative planning.
- Optimisation.
- Intraoperative impacts on patient outcomes.
- Postoperative assessment and management.
- Discharge planning and rehabilitation.
The course structure is also aligned with the ANZCA roles of practice - medical expert, communicator, collaborator, leader and manager, health advocate, scholar and professional. Additionally, it incorporates three value themes:
- Cultural safety, diversity and inclusion in healthcare
- Patient, carer and practitioner wellbeing
- Communication in healthcare
The course comprises three trimesters of 10 weeks each, with a maximum of 2 units undertaken per trimester and 3 workshop days in total.
Mode of delivery
Each unit of study consists of online learning and clinical immersion. The workshop is a course-wide requirement and not tied to individual units.
Online learning for each unit of study is delivered in a series of modules via the learning management system (LMS). Each module is comprised of specific content, required and recommended reading, case scenario activities, reflections and knowledge checks.
Participants will be able to see their progress through the unit of study and completion of clinical based assessments. Although the learning modules are listed in sequence, the LMS enables the participant to work flexibility at their own pace to complete the modules in any order within the 10-week duration of the unit of study.
Clinical immersion aims to provide the participant with the opportunity to explore the perioperative care principles described in the ANZCA Perioperative Care Framework.
Supervised by perioperative practitioners, participants will experience multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary team collaboration and gain insight into the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deliver effective perioperative medicine services.
To support participants’ learning experience, the cross-specialty nature of the course requires our supervisor cohort to be representative of the various craft groups in the perioperative clinical setting.
All participants must complete a total of three workshop days as part of the course completion requirements.
The workshop consists of:
- Two face-to-face days, usually scheduled in November in conjunction with the annual POM SIG meeting (held in rotating locations across Australia and New Zealand), and
- One online day, which is completed separately at designated times during the year.
These three workshop days must be completed within the four-year course enrolment period. If a participant is unable to attend in a given year, they may complete the components in a subsequent year, subject to availability.
Participants must complete a minimum of two units of study (from any of the six available) before attending any course workshop.
The workshop program is designed to consolidate learning across the entire perioperative journey and focuses on applied, case-based learning in an interdisciplinary context.
Considerations for course participants enrolled prior to 2026
Workshops eligibility and exemption criteria (Applies to participants commenced prior to 2026 only)
To ensure the POM course workshop is appropriately aligned with participants’ stage of progression, the following eligibility and exemption criteria apply to all participants who commenced the course prior to 2026.
The workshops are designed to provide participants with the opportunity to consolidate and apply their learning in the context of perioperative medicine. It is intended for those who have completed any two units of study, at which point participants are considered to have acquired sufficient foundational knowledge to benefit from the applied, immersive nature of the sessions.
Participants who have completed three or more units of study are exempt from attending any of the course workshops (both online and in-person). Prior to 2026, successful completion of each unit required attendance at a dedicated workshop. As such, these participants have already fulfilled the minimum workshop attendance requirement and are not required to attend additional workshops under the revised format introduced in 2026.
The above is summarised in the table below:
| Units of study completed | Workshop requirements | Action required |
| 1 unit | Not yet eligible to attend. | Must complete 1 additional unit of study to be eligible to attend course workshops including the online workshop. |
| 2 units | Eligible to attend course workshops, including the online one-day workshop. | Register for course workshops. |
| 3 or more units | Exempt and not eligible to attend workshops. | No further action required. |
Capacity limitation: Workshop enrolment is capped at 40 participants. To address capacity limitations, location and dates of the workshops will be communicated early. If demand exceeds the 40-participant limit, a waitlist will be implemented to manage overflow, with affected individuals offered a place in the following year.
Assessment requirement
Full details of the assessments can be found in the ANZCA Course in Perioperative Medicine handbook.
Course enrolment process, dates and fees
We encourage all interested applicants to view the ANZCA Course in Perioperative Medicine participant toolkit for enrolment related information. An enrolment period occurs prior to commencement of each trimester, and ANZCA will consider applications at this time.
Explore this section
Fees, dates, and resources related to the ANZCA Course in Perioperative Medicine.
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