Data Specification, MET 2nd (2017)

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Over the years, in order to improve data comparability and quality the specifications were refined and further expanded to cover the prevocational and vocational levels, and international medical graduates and overseas trained specialists. Every year updated specifications are reviewed by the members of the Data Subcommittee.

The data specifications used for the production of this report are listed below. These were sent to all states and territories, medical colleges, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, and the Australian Medical Council as relevant to the data each organization provides.

Prevocational training

Definition:

Postgraduate training undertaken by junior doctors who enter the medical workforce.

Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY1)

The year of supervised clinical training completed by graduates of an Australian Medical Council (AMC) accredited medical school. This is also known as the intern year.

Rural area

Rural area classification as RA2 to RA5 under the Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Areas
(ASGC-RA) system.

Rural area classification as MM2 to MM7 under the Modified Monash Model introduced in early 2015.

Rural internship

Rural internship is a type of internship when all or majority of it is undertaken in an RA2-RA5 hospital and MM2-MM7 hospital.

Rotational positions

Rotational positions are the rural based intern positions that are filled on rotation by doctors from a metropolitan hospital.

Postgraduate Year 2 (PGY2)

The year of structured supervised clinical training placements, commenced once medical practitioners have completed their internship and gained general medical registration.
Data source: State and territory health departments, the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (for Commonwealth Medical Internships initiative).
Scope:

All junior doctors undertaking postgraduate prevocational training in Australia. This includes all junior doctors who accepted their applications to commence their training either at the beginning of the academic year or during additional intakes during the given year of data collection.

It also includes International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who have completed the Australian Medical Council (AMC) multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) and clinical examinations and who must complete a supervised year of training to be eligible for general medical registration.
Statistical unit:

Number of trainees/doctors

Number of supervised training positions

Number of rural intern positions

Number of rotational positions (RA2-RA5)

Number of rotational positions (MM2 to MM7)
Collection period: Academic year 2016
Guide for use
State/Territory:

This is the state/territory where training is being provided.

It is not the place of residence of trainees undertaking the vocational training.

Prevocational medical training 2016

Data items Values
Commencing postgraduate year 1 trainees or supervised training positions
Type of graduate

Australian trained local (own state)

  • Commonwealth-supported

  • Full-fee paying

Australian trained local (interstate)

  • Commonwealth-supported

  • Full-fee paying
New Zealand medical graduates

International students who graduated from an Australian medical school and were placed by states/territories

  • Own state

  • Interstate
International students who graduated from an Australian medical school and were placed by the Commonwealth
Sex Female
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
Commencing postgraduate year 1 trainees or supervised training positions (RA2-RA5)
Type of graduate

Rural intern positions where postgraduate year 1 trainees can undertake majority of their internship in a rural location

Postgraduate year 1 trainees undertaking rural internship (RA2-RA5)

Rotational positions (RA2-RA5)
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
Commencing doctors in postgraduate year 2 training positions
Type of graduate Australian trained local (own state)
Australian trained local (interstate)
New Zealand medical graduates
International students who graduated from an Australian medical school
Other/Unspecified
Sex Female
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT

Vocational training

Vocational training
Definition:

Vocational trainee

Trainees who were successful in their application and are undertaking training in a position supervised by a member of the accredited specialist medical college or other vocational training provider.
Data source: Medical colleges and the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care
Scope:

The scope includes Australian medical school graduates who are:

  • undertaking basic or advanced > training;

  • undertaking their training > overseas; and

  • undertaking research > programs.

This includes those who are undertaking training on a part-time basis or who have interrupted their training through approved extended leave.

New Zealand and other international medical graduates who are working/training in an accredited training position/post within Australia are to be included.

Whereas non-Australian medical school graduates who are being trained overseas through an Australian medical college are to be excluded.

It excludes those who have withdrawn from their training either on a voluntary basis or have been discontinued by the college or other vocational training provider.
Statistical unit: Number of trainees
Collection period:

Calendar year 2016

Latest available data for trainees who are undertaking basic or advanced training in 2016.

Calendar year 2015.

Examination/assessment outcome data, new fellow and fellow data are to be reported for the previous year, 2015.
Definition:

Overseas trained specialist

A doctor whose specialist medical qualifications were acquired in a country other than Australia.
Data source: Medical colleges
Scope: All overseas trained specialists who have applied to the Australian Medical Council for recognition of their specialty qualifications and who have been referred to the relevant medical college for assessment of the comparability of their qualifications to Australian standards.
Statistical unit: Number of overseas trained specialists
Collection period: Calendar year 2015


Vocational training

Guide for use
Basic training A period of defined training required by some specialist medical colleges to be undertaken in order for trainees to meet eligibility criteria for entering an advanced training program.
Advanced training

A period of defined and structured education and training, that, when successfully completed, will result in eligibility to apply for fellowship of a specialist medical college and/or to practise as a specialist. This may be preceded by completion of basic training requirements.

Some colleges have an integrated training program and do not have separate basic and advance components. Data on these programs should be included under advanced training.
State/Territory

This is the state/territory in which the vocational training is provided by the accredited specialist medical college/faculty or other vocational training provider.

This is not the place of residence of trainees undertaking the vocational training.
State/Territory of fellow

This is the place of residence of fellows.

It includes fellows who have been trained overseas and are accepted by the college to practise in Australia. It excludes fellows who are residing overseas.
Accreditation approach

Approach that is adopted by a college or other vocational training provider whereby a college determines whether its specified requirements for the clinical experience, infrastructure and educational support required of a hospital/training position are met.

Accreditation varies depending upon whether positions or posts, sites, facilities, units or programs are accredited.
Training discontinuation

A trainee is considered discontinued either when he or she has officially withdrawn from the training program or the medical college has terminated or dismissed a trainee in accordance with the college regulations or employment conditions.

Trainees who have been given approved extended leave are excluded.
Part-time training Trainees who have been given approval to undertake training for a period at less than full-time during the year of data collection.
Examination outcome

The total number of trainees who have sat an examination and the number who have sat and passed the examination.

Data excludes examination results from overseas medical practitioners wishing to practise in Australia.

Examination results for international medical graduates who have been assessed as being partially comparable are not to be included.
Examination name This refers to the name of the college training programs for which vocational trainees are being examined as part of their medical college training requirements.
Rural pathway Rural Pathway registrars undertake their training in rural and remote areas. These areas were previously defined as Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Area (RRMA) classification areas 3-7.
Since 1 January 2010 rural areas have been defined using the Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Area (ASGC-RA) as Remoteness Areas 2-5.
New fellow A fellow who has been admitted to the medical college in the specified year. This includes trainees who have completed their training in Australia or overseas.
Fellow

A medical practitioner, who has been granted fellowship of the medical college through completion of a college training program or by other mechanisms.

This includes active fellows who have been trained overseas and who either successfully completed assessment or were exempted from assessments for admission into the college.

It excludes those who hold life membership by virtue of their age and those who are retired.
Substantially comparable

Medical colleges assess overseas trained specialists to determine whether they meet Australian standards to practise their specialty within Australia.

Overseas trained specialists who are assessed as substantially comparable are eligible to become fellows of the relevant medical college without further examination but may require a period of up to 12 months oversight and peer review prior to admission to Fellowship.
Partially comparable Partially comparable overseas trained specialists require up to two years additional training and/or supervision and formal assessments, prior to being considered to be eligible to become fellows.

Vocational medical training

Medical colleges

Accreditation approach

Accreditation approach
Data item Value
Accreditation approach
Specialty As defined by the medical college
Accreditation approach

Positions/Posts

Facilities/Programs


Vocational training

Vocational training
Data item Values
Basic and advanced training
Specialty As defined by the medical college
Sex Female
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
Part-time status
Training discontinuation
Country of primary medical qualification Australia, New Zealand, UK and Ireland, India, United States, Canada, South Africa, Malaysia, Iran, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Other
Examination type

Written

Clinical

Oral

Fellowship

Viva

Other
Examination outcome

Number sitting examination

Number passing examination
Examination name
Basic training – first year
Specialty As defined by the medical college
Sex Female
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
Advanced training – first year
Specialty As defined by the medical college
Sex Female
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
AGPT Program – first year trainees
Regional Training Provider
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
AGPT Program – first year trainees
Regional Training Provider
Sex Female
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
Rural pathway – all trainees
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT
Subspecialty – all vocational trainees
Subspecialty As defined by medical college
Sex Female

College fellows

College fellows
Data item Values
New fellows
Specialty As defined by medical college
Sex Female
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
Subspecialty – new fellows
Subspecialty As defined by medical college
Sex Female
Fellows
Specialty As defined by medical college
Sex Female
State/Territory NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT and ACT
Subspecialty – fellows
Subspecialty As defined by medical college
Sex Female

Overseas trained specialists

Data item Values
Recognition/Fellowship
Specialty As represented by colleges
Type of overseas trained specialist assessment

Substantially comparable

Partially comparable

Not comparable
Fellows
Specialty As represented by colleges
Sex Female

International medical graduates

Overseas trained specialists

Definition:

International medical graduate

A doctor whose basic medical qualifications were acquired in a country other than Australia.

Overseas trained specialist

A doctor whose specialist medical qualifications were acquired in a country other than Australia.
Data source:

  • The AMC for pathway data relating to international medical graduates

  • Medical colleges.
Scope:

The scope includes international medical graduates who have applied and whose qualification have been assessed as suitable for entering into the training program to allow them eligibility for fellowship by the college.

It also includes overseas trained specialists who have applied to the college and who were assessed as being exempted from any assessment or requiring further assessment to allow them eligibility for fellowship by the college.
Statistical unit:

  • Number of international medical graduates

  • Number of overseas trained specialists
Collection period:

Calendar year 2015.

Latest available data at a specified time of data collection for international medical graduates and overseas trained specialists.

International medical graduates

Overseas trained specialists

Data item Values
International medical graduates and overseas trained specialists
AMC pathways Competent authority
Standard pathway (AMC examination)
Standard pathway (workplace-based assessment)
Specialist assessment
Type of overseas trained specialist assessment Substantially comparable
Partially comparable
Not comparable
Overseas trained specialist assessment Initial processing
College processing
Substantially comparable
Partially comparable
Not comparable
Withdrawn