Changes to FACEM Training Program Regulations – May 2020

In response to feedback across several forums, and with support from the Trainee Committee, the term Remediation will be changed to Additional Training Time. Additional Training Time better reflects the purpose of this period, where a trainee requires more time to achieve the standard required for a particular stage or phase of training. It is important to note that the only change is to the terminology, all other requirements previously applied to a period of remediation remain for a period of Additional Training Time.

To align with this change, outcomes from the Trainee Progression Review Panels will change from ‘Progress’ or ‘Not Progress’ to ‘Achieved the Standard’ and ‘Not Yet Achieved the Standard’ respectively. Trainees who receive an outcome of ‘Not Yet Achieved the Standard’ will be required to complete a period of Additional Training Time, providing them further opportunity to work towards achieving the standard required for that phase or stage of training. Trainees who receive an outcome of ‘Achieved the Standard’ will progress to the next stage of training.

Changes to documentation, handbooks and other communication will be take place over the coming month. The Progression and Remediation policy has also been renamed and is now the Progression in Training policy and the updates to this policy are now also available on the ACEM website.

Starting from the 2021 medical training year, for training to be certified towards meeting Non-ED, Critical Care, Discretionary and Maintenance time requirements, placements must be completed in uninterrupted blocks of two – for provisional trainees – three or six FTE months at a single site in a single discipline and thus can no longer be accrued in a piecemeal manner. These changes have been made to ensure an uninterrupted period of training time on which a trainee can be assessed and in which EM-WBA requirements can be met if necessary for the placement.

The introduction of this change will only apply to any outstanding training time requirements at the start of the 2021 medical training year. Training time already certified towards meeting these training time requirements will not be impacted.

Starting from the 2021 medical training year, training undertaken in an ED will only be certified towards meeting Discretionary time training requirements once minimum Core ED training has been completed.

The regulation changes will enable Trainee Progression Review Panels (TPRPs) to better determine the standard against which they assess a trainee and will also bring together more closely the periods of time that are being assessed for a period of Discretionary ED training. (See Regulation B2.3.6).

The introduction of this change will only apply to any outstanding Discretionary training time requirements at the start of the 2021 medical training year.

This will not apply for Discretionary time approved and completed overseas in an ED.

Training undertaken in a Non-ED discipline will be certified towards meeting outstanding training time requirements at any time, that is before or after completion of Core ED training.

The definition of a paediatric patient and paediatric patient encounter have been amended to provide greater clarification to trainees about their requirements about including an encounter in their logbook. Definitions can be found at the start of the Regulations document.

In addition, to align with the change to the definition, trainees may be required to provide evidence that authenticates logged cases to ensure it meets the definition of paediatric patient encounter. (See Regulation B2.3.7.2)

Revisions have been made to Regulation B1.5 which clarify that trainees who are an interruption to training at the time of the survey release date are not required to complete the survey. The changes also reflect the revised process, whereby the survey must be completed before a trainee can pay their annual training fees or access their portal during the survey period.