The Albanese Government is providing $8.3 million to improve training opportunities for specialist doctors in regional Australia through round two of the Flexible Approach to Training in Expanded Settings (FATES) program.
The grants will trial innovative approaches to non-GP specialist medical training. This round includes remote supervision, resources, and training pathways for rural and remote areas. The funding will increase flexibility to support and promote growth in specialist medical training in diverse settings.
Eight medical colleges will receive grants for 13 projects which will give future specialists workforce experience in areas of need. The recipients are:
- The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA)
- The College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM)
- The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
- The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
- The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP)
- The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR)
- The Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD)
- The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP).
Several projects form consortium arrangements with other non-GP specialist medical colleges, First Nations peak bodies, medical peak bodies, local hospitals, and tertiary education providers.
Specific projects are located in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania, with others focused more broadly in regional, rural and remote areas across Australia.
Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister, Emma McBride:
“People who live outside of major cities know that Australia’s health workforce challenges extend beyond primary care and general practice.
“The fact is that the further you live outside of our capital cities, the worse your health outcomes are likely to be.
“Our regions have been neglected for a decade under the Coalition, we’re turning that around.
“Specialist doctors are vital to delivering quality, safe and affordable health care that is responsive to community needs across the country.”
Specialist Medical College | Project Title | Project Summary |
The Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD) | Shaping Sustainable Specialist Dermatology Training and Services in Tasmania | • Project aims to build a sustainable dermatology service/training hub in Hobart, a rural transition pathway, and foster a homegrown workforce. • Project will provide rural training exposure, a retention success indicator, a supported transition and mentoring pathway for new ACD Fellows of Tasmanian origin to return home, and increased service capacity. |
Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) | Tasmanian Anaesthetic Simulation, Education and Training Network (TASETN) | • Consortium with the Tasmanian Health Service, the Royal Hobart Hospital, the Launceston General Hospital, the North West Regional Hospital and the University of Tasmania Rural Clinical School. • Aims to extend and develop resources for the delivery of anaesthetic education and training in Tasmania with a focus on simulation-based learning. |
The College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand (CICM) | Mentoring Without Borders | • Project will create a pilot mentoring program to help support the professional development of the CICM Fellows and Trainees in rural ICU settings where Fellows and Trainees will form a mentor – mentee professional relationship. |
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) | Rural Physician Training Pathway | • Project will develop the Rural Physician Training Pathway which will promote rural training for adult basic physician and advanced physician trainees in WA through a feasibility study. |
Rural and Remote Institute of Palliative Medicine (RRIPM) | • Project will establish the RRIPM to to develop a training network for rural and remote palliative medicine training to provide a shared network and pathway to support their training and work in these settings. | |
Resources to Support the Culturally Safe Supervision of Specialist Medical Colleges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Trainees | • This project will develop a suite of resources targeted at Specialist Medical College supervisors of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander trainees to support culturally safe supervision. • Project resources will utilise a range of media and information delivery to support culturally safe supervision. | |
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) | Rural Training Models | • Consortium with ANZCA, RACMA, RACP, and RANZCO. • Project will research and design rural training models that shall support quality specialist medical training in regional, rural, and remote Australia, reduce barriers to practice rurally, improve maldistribution and provide culturally safe training experiences. |
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) | Rural O&G Specialist Advanced Training Pathway | • Project will develop a Rural O&G Specialist Advanced Training Pathway that will focus on supporting and encouraging RANZCOG trainees to return to regional, rural, and remote locations to complete their training. |
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Health Support Project | • This project will provide a range of initiatives to develop an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women’s Health Support Project that will support RANZCOG’s Indigenous Trainees and Fellows through financial support, workshops, and the development of peer networks outside of their usual work settings. | |
Leadership Development in Rural and Remote O&G Specialists | • Consortium with RACMA. • Project will deliver a customised Leadership for Clinicians program targeted at early and mid-career O&G specialists in rural and remote areas. • With RACMA the project will establish a working party to develop and customise the program to suit early and mid-career O&G specialists in rural and remote areas with exposure to fundamental leadership themes and practical leadership skills. | |
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer Scoping and Establishment Pilot | • This project will pilot the establishment of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer to lead further development of culturally appropriate support for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander psychiatry workforce in this area and be a key contact for trainees and Fellows who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. |
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) | Rural Education and Support Program (RESP) | • This project will develop the Rural Education and Support Program, an initiative to better connect trainees based in regional and rural sites, who have been selected to pilot RANZCR’s Clinical Radiology Regional and Rural Training Pathway, with existing regional hubs, schools, local councils, training networks and jurisdictions. |
Reducing Application Barriers for Specialist Training for Regional, Rural and Indigenous Doctors – A Centralised Application Solution | • This project will develop and implement an application process into the training program through an online IT application solution. • Project is in response to the Australian Medical Council’s request that the College establish a more centralised recruitment process to improve selection and minimise bias and discrimination. |
