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Introduction
The prevocational phase of medical training and development encompasses the period between graduation and vocational training.
The Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors(ACF) is an educational template outlining the learning outcomes required of prevocational doctors, to be achieved through their clinical rotations, education programs and individual learning, in order to promote safe, quality health care.
The ACF is a continuing collaborative project between Postgraduate Medical Councils (PMCs) and a broadrange of stakeholders under the leadership of the Confederation of Postgraduate Medical Education Councils(CPMEC) and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
The history of the development of the ACF, references and useful downloads and links are available on the CPMEC website: www.cpmec.org.au
Using the ACF
The ACF can be used in a variety of ways to support prevocational training and development. Guidelines for implementation have been developed by the ACF project working groups and are available at http://www.cpmec.org.au/index.cfm?Do=View.Page&PageID=102. The following are examples of ways in which the ACF can be implemented:
For Prevocational Doctors:
- The ACF can be used to guide your journey through the prevocational years. It outlines the desired learning outcomes, however it is recognised that proficiency in achievement of the capabilities will occur at different stages in your training but should ideally be achieved prior to vocational training.
- The ACF is designed to be used as a self-assessment tool to identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for learning and professional development. It can then be used as a basis for monitoring your progress during the prevocational years.
- When commencing new rotations, the ACF provides a useful guide for discussing the learning opportunities that may be available from a given term. It may help to identify particular skills and procedures that may be learnt during the term and to plan in advance to receive such training.
For Supervisors, educators, employers and managers:
- The ACF can be used to review the learning opportunities offered by existing rotations or to plan the development of innovative positions in new and expanded settings. For example, clinical staff can use the ACF as a starting point for discussions about what doctors in vocational training should learn and how best to teach it.
- The ACF can be mapped to undergraduate and vocational training curricula, prevocational education programs, position descriptions and rosters in order to identify gaps or duplication across the continuum of medical education.
- Clinical unit staff can use the ACF as a starting point for discussions about innovative approaches to clinical teaching and professional development.
- The ACF provides a structure for mid and end of term feedback and assessment.