News Announcements and media releases
AMC receives WFME recognition
The Australian Medical Council has recently been awarded recognition of its accreditation of medical school programs, by the World Federation for Medical Education. Please see the below press release for more information.
AMC Welcomes New Director and Members
Following elections at the 24 November 2017 Annual General Meeting, the AMC welcomes new Director and Members. A full list of the AMC Principal Office Bearers and Directors is available here.
AMC clinical examinations at Townsville and Perth locations
20 December 2017 10:00 am
Commencing in 2018, the AMC will no longer conduct AMC clinical examinations at Townsville and Perth locations. All AMC clinical examinations will be conducted at the AMC National Test Centre (NTC) located in Melbourne. While the AMC recognizes this may require some candidates to travel a further distance for the examination, recent experience and feedback from AMC candidates has proven the conducting of AMC clinical examinations at the purpose built NTC examination facility provides a higher level of fairness to candidates and confidence in examination delivery and outcomes. For further information please contact Phone (02) 6270-7878 or Email clinical@amc.org.au
AMC appoints new Chief Executive Officer
The Australian Medical Council (AMC), an independent national standards body for medical education and training, has appointed Mr Philip Pigou as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr Pigou will join the AMC in January 2018 from his role as CEO of the Medical Council of New Zealand, succeeding Mr Ian Frank AM who will end his three-decade term at the helm of the AMC at the end of 2017.
The Directors of the Australian Medical Council have accredited Macquarie University's new medical program until 31 March 2023.
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is the national accreditation body for the medical profession. It has recently completed an accreditation assessment of the Macquarie University, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ medical program.
Review of the Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Primary Medical Programs by the Australian Medical Council
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is beginning a review of the approved accreditation standards for primary medical programs. The AMC reviews the accreditation standards in full approximately every five years. It considers relevant national and international reports and policies relating to education and training in medicine, and takes account of the developments in countries with comparable medical education and practice standards. It also reviews AMC accreditation and committee reports.
The AMC has established a working party comprising of nominees of key stakeholders in the AMC assessment process, such as medical education providers, health consumers, Medical Council of New Zealand and Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand to undertake the review of the standards.
We are seeking feedback on the scope of the review of the standards by Monday 8 September 2017. The consultation document is available here.
The AMC will the consult on draft changes to the standards for primary medical programs in late September/early October 2017.
The AMC expects the review of the standards will finish by early 2018, with revised accreditation standards implemented in 2018. The AMC gives notice of the introduction of revisions to standards in the year before the changes take effect so that medical education providers have adequate time to consider the new standards in their accreditation submissions and progress reports.
AMC and Medical Board join forces on intern survey - 26 July 2017
A survey designed to find out how work-ready interns feel after medical school and improve how medical schools prepare graduates for internship will be sent to all interns in Australia in August 2017.
The survey will be online, voluntary and anonymous. De-identified and aggregated results data will be published and shared with training and standards organisations, to shape future medical training improvements. Privacy and confidentiality are guaranteed.
The survey is a joint effort between the Australian Medical Council and the Medical Board of Australia, which set standards for medical school programs and the intern year.
A core aim of medical student training is to make sure that medical graduates are prepared to start work safely as junior doctors working under supervision.
‘We want to hear directly from interns about their experiences and find out how well they think their medical training prepared them for the workplace,’ said MBA Chair, Dr Joanna Flynn AM.
‘There is a big jump in expectations from student placement to working as an intern and being responsible for patient care. By understanding the issues interns face, we can help the agencies who influence medical training to better prepare graduates for the workplace,’ she said.
AMC President, Associate Professor Jillian Sewell AM, said while medical graduates enter internship well qualified by their education and training, there are challenges in the transition from student to intern.
‘When they start their internship, interns take on clinical responsibility, need to adapt to the culture and expectations of the workplace, learn to work in teams, manage the pace of work and handle sometimes stressful, demanding situations,” she said.
The survey results will help the Board and the AMC address difficulties in the transition from medical school to the workplace, close potential gaps in training and avoid duplication between intern and medical school training.
About the survey
The survey:
- is online, voluntary and anonymous – de-identified and aggregated data will be shared with training and standards organisations, to shape future training improvements
- is a joint effort from the Australian Medical Council and the Medical Board of Australia, supported by AHPRA with safeguards to protect privacy and confidentiality
- will be emailed to all interns in Australia in August 2017 and open for two weeks. AHPRA will send the emails and the AMC will analyse the data
- is quick to complete
- is designed to help the agencies that influence medical training better prepare graduates for the workplace.
Confidentiality safeguards:
- AHPRA is sending the emails because it has the electronic contact details for interns and to satisfy privacy and confidentiality regulations, it cannot provide these to the AMC.
- The first email will tell interns about the survey and why it is being done, followed by an email with a link to the survey.
- The link is one-use only, will stop working when interns have completed the survey and is untraceable by the Medical Board, AHPRA or the AMC.
- The unique survey link is randomly generated and unconnected to identifying information held by AHPRA or the MBA.
- The AMC is analysing the data.
Survey results:
- De-identified, aggregated data will be published on the AMC and the MBA websites.
- The AMC will share de-identified survey data with medical schools for benchmarking purposes.
- The AMC will share de-identified results data with post-graduate medical councils to allow them to benchmark local results against collated state and territory data.
- Survey outcomes will inform the review of the standards for medical school programs and for the internship.
For further details please email the AMC.
AMC submission to national accreditation systems review
- In September 2016, the Council of Australian Governments Health Council announced the terms of reference for an independent review of accreditation under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and in October 2016, the Council appointed the Independent Reviewer.
As the accreditation authority for the medical profession under the National Law, the AMC has participated in a number of discussion forums and made a submission to the review. The AMC thanks all its stakeholders - organisations and individuals - who contributed to the AMC's thinking during this review.
- The AMC submission is available here. More information about the review is available here.
AMC welcomes constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori membership on its Council
The Australian Medical Council has amended its Constitution to create a designated position for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and a Māori member of the Council.
The AMC is an independent national standards body for medical education and training. It aims to ensure that standards of education, training and assessment of the medical profession promote and protect the health of the Australian community.
The Directors of the Australian Medical Council confirm the accreditation of the University of Notre Dame Australia School of Medicine, Fremantle medical program until 31 March 2023
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is the national accreditation body for the medical profession. It has recentlycompleted an accreditation assessment of the University of Notre Dame Australia School of Medicine Fremantle’s medical program.
AMC Welcomes New Members and Directors
Following elections at the 30 November 2016 Annual General Meeting, the AMC welcomes new members and Directors. A full list of the AMC Principal Office Bearers and Directors is available here.
AMC launches new edition of the publication Good Medical Practice - Professionalism, Ethics and Law
The Australian Medical Council, on Monday 19th December 2016, launched a new publication entitled Good Medical Practice – Professionalism, Ethics and Law.
The primary purpose of this book is to provide, in a single source, information that is central to the professional, ethical and legal requirements of being a doctor. It covers a core curriculum for medical students, doctors in training and international medical graduates coming to work in Australia.
Written by two experienced medical practitioners and an experienced lawyer, the publication addresses in detail the key elements of professionalism and what is required to be a good doctor.
Serious challenges to good medical care and to professionalism persist, and new ones have emerged. This 4th edition of the previously published book, now badged by the AMC, has a chapter devoted to the topic of “Doctors, industry and conflicts of interest”. Other chapters address the new challenges posed by the use of electronic communication, the internet and social media, patient safety, adverse events and open disclosure of adverse events, and end-of-life care.
The publication expands on the Australian Medical Council (AMC) publication Anthology of Medical Conditions section entitled "legal, ethical and organisational aspects of clinical medicine" as related to the blueprint for the AMC examination for international medical graduates. The AMC panel of examiners are preparing items for the AMC question bank which relate to the publication under the Population Health and Ethics content of the examination. It is expected items in this category will be integrated into the AMC examination content, as scored items, in mid- 2017.
Good Medical Practice - Professionalism, Ethics and Law is an ideal core textbook for medical students, doctors in training and is recommended reading for candidates undertaking the AMC examination process. It will also serve as a reference book for doctors in independent clinical practice and as a guide to medical regulators and lawyers, doctors, and community members who serve on performance and conduct panels and tribunals.
Orders for this publication are undertaken via the AMC online store: https://store.amc.org.au
For further information, contact: amc@amc.org.au
Download the content listing (PDF 40KB).
Download the full media release (PDF 337KB).
The Directors of the Australian Medical Council confirm the accreditation of the University of Tasmania, School of Medicine’s medical program until 31 March 2023
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is the national accreditation body for the medical profession. It has recently completed an accreditation assessment of the University of Tasmania, School of Medicine’s medical program.
The Directors of the Australian Medical Council confirm the accreditation of the University of Newcastle / University of New England, Joint Medical Program (JMP) until 31 March 2023
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is the national accreditation body for the medical profession. It has recently completed an accreditation assessment of the University of Newcastle / University of New England, Joint Medical Program's medical programs.
Online Scheduling for AMC Clinical Examinations
Scheduling for the Clinical examinations February to April 2017 opened last Wednesday (2 November). In order to schedule for these examinations, candidates were required to log into their AMC candidate portal and register for a clinical examination and complete the online payment to confirm the placement in the examination.
During this process, the AMC ICT team identified an issue with an extremely high volume of candidates (1,800 hits) accessing the candidate portal. This high volume led to the crash of the server and resulted in many candidates receiving an error message. A number of candidates who secured an examination placement were timed out during the server crash and, as a consequence, were unable to complete the payment and subsequently lost their placement.
The ICT team have identified those candidates who had secured a placement but encountered issues completing the process and securing their clinical examination placement. To ensure that these candidates have not been disadvantaged, the AMC has opened additional clinical examination places and has individually contacted the candidates involved in order to offer placements in these additional examinations.
The AMC has also undertaken a major investigation of the server and ICT issues and is developing strategies to ensure that these difficulties do not occur in the future.
The AMC appreciates the distress that this incident has caused many candidates and sincerely apologises for any inconvenience that resulted from the systems failure.
Ian Frank AM
Chief Executive Officer
The Australian Medical Council welcomes new Chair of the Medical School Accreditation Committee
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) has appointed Professor Geoff McColl as the new Chair of the AMC's Medical School Accreditation Committee. Professor McColl is the Head of the Melbourne Medical School and Professor of Medical Education and Training. Professor McColl is a well-known and respected member of the medical community and has worked with the AMC for a number of years as a member and Chair of AMC assessment teams, as a member of MCQ writing workshops, the National Test Centre research committee, the Assessment Benchmarking Working Group and the Expert Advisory Panel on Assessment.
Download the full media release (PDF 262KB)
Visas for International Medical Graduates
An article appeared in The Australian on Tuesday 9 August 2016 under the heading "Visa plan to stop foreign doctor flow". The article was based on a submission from the Department of Health to the 2016 review of the immigration Skilled Occupations List (SOL) by the Department of Education and Training. The implication of the article is that removal of medical occupations from the SOL would result in overseas trained doctors no longer being granted visas to work in Australia. This is not correct.
The SOL applies to points-based independent skilled migration and family reunion points-tested migration. The proposal to flag certain medical occupations (Anaesthetists, Obstetrician and Gynaecologists and Medical Practitioners, including occupational medical specialists, public health physicians and sports physicians) does not mean that these categories are not able to enter Australia - it flags them for monitoring and possible review. Even if these professions were to be removed from the SOL, it would not prevent individuals with these qualifications from entering Australia, it would merely remove the points incentive for the relevant category of points-tested migration.
The article does not mention the fact that the bulk of overseas trained doctors and specialists who are recruited to work in Australia are granted entry under the 457 (Temporary Work - Skilled) visa category. The listing of occupations for this category, including all medical specialties, is on the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL). Currently there is no proposal to restrict or alter this list.
For more information on Australian visas please contact the Department of Immigration and Border Protection: https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work.
The Directors of the Australian Medical Council confirm the accreditation of the University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School’s medical programs until 31 March 2022
The Australian Medical Council is the national accreditation body for the medical profession. It has completed a reaccreditation assessment of the University of Sydney, Sydney Medical School’s medical programs.
Download the full media release (PDF 275KB)
WDOMS replacing IMED on 1 June 2016 / AMC Pathways & Eligible Schools
The AMC has been recently advised that FAIMER are targeting 1 June 2016 as an official launch date for the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS).
The WDOMS service will replace FAIMER’s IMED (International Medical Education Directory) service. In conjunction with this launch, FAIMER is aiming to retire the IMED service. IMED web pages will be automatically redirected either to the WDOMS website or to a page on the FAIMER website that describes WDOMS and explains the transition.
Previously, International Medical Graduates applying for AMC assessment pathways could check the IMED service to identify eligible schools and qualifications that are recognized as acceptable to apply to the AMC.
As WDOMS is a more comprehensive service than IMED and now includes qualifications that are not recognized by the AMC as being eligible for AMC assessment pathways, the AMC has developed a new AMC website service to assist international medical graduates to easily identify eligible schools and qualifications.
International Medical Graduates who have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery and who wish to apply for an AMC assessment pathway can now use a new search tool service on the AMC website that allows applicants to search for eligible schools and qualifications by country of training. The service includes links to the WDOMS website page for each individually recognised school.
It is important to note the basis for recognising eligible qualifications has not changed. Simply, the service available to check eligibility is changing (and improving).
Consultation on the national standards for intern programs and domains for assessing intern accreditation authorities – May 2016
The Australian Medical Council is currently conducting a minor review of the national standards for intern programs and domains for assessing intern accreditation authorities, and is seeking stakeholder feedback on the proposed revisions.
Please refer to the following documents:
Consultation paper: Outlining the changes proposed to the standards and domains, the review purpose and process, questions for feedback and next steps.
Attachment 1: Summary of the proposed revisions to the documents
Attachment 2: Draft revised Intern training – Domains for assessing accreditation authorities
Attachment 3: Draft revised Intern training – National standards for programs
Attachment 4: Draft revised Guide to intern training in Australia
The AMC asks for feedback on the revised intern framework documents by email to prevac@amc.org.au by 27 May 2016. Please provide any feedback in an accessible PDF or Word format.
The Directors of the Australian Medical Council confirm accreditation of the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program of the University of Western Australia, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences’ until 31 March 2019.
The Australian Medical Council is the national accreditation body for the medical profession. It has recently completed a follow-up assessment of the University of Western Australia, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences’ medical program.
Download the full media release (PDF 262KB)
Changes to Remuneration for AMC Simulated Patients
AMC Directors have approved new rates of payment for simulated patients and role players in line with the independent report by the Consultancy Bureau Pty Ltd. The new rates of payment, which are expected to commence from 1 July 2016, will bring the Australian Medical Council into line with Australian medical schools. The full report and findings of the review are available to download here.
Download the full report (PDF 976KB)
Verification of Medical Credentials in relation to applicants and institutions in Sudan
The AMC’s source verification provider of credentials, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), will resume the processing of requests for verification of medical credentials issued by educational, health care, and medical registration/licensing institutions in Sudan.
As previously announced, ECFMG was not processing such requests pending clarification of restrictions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
On 1 March 2016 the ECFMG was advised by OFAC officials that it is permitted to engage in verification activities for medical credentials issued in Sudan. Further information can be found at the ECFMG website. With the recent announcement by ECFMG, the AMC is now able to process any effected applications as quickly as possible. If AMC candidates require any further information, please contact the AMC directly on +61 2 6270 7878 (AEST Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm).
Verification of Medical Credentials in relation to applicants and institutions in Crimea
The AMC’s source verification provider of credentials, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), will resume the processing of requests for verification of medical credentials issued by educational, health care, and medical registration/licensing institutions in Crimea.
As previously announced, ECFMG was not processing such requests pending clarification of restrictions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
On 27 January 2016 the ECFMG was advised by OFAC officials that it is permitted to engage in verification activities for medical credentials issued in Crimea. Further information can be found at the ECFMG website.
With the recent announcement by ECFMG, the AMC is now able to process any effected applications as quickly as possible. If AMC candidates require any further information, please contact the AMC directly on +61 2 6270 7878 (AEST Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm).
Workshop Report: Collaborating for Patient Care – Interprofessional Learning for Interprofessional Practice
On 9 June 2015, the Australian Medical Council, in collaboration with the Australian Pharmacy Council, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council, and the Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia, convened a workshop with the aim of improving delivery of coordinated interprofessional education between health professions in Australia.
This workshop was held with support and input from the Health Professions Accreditation Councils Forum (the Forum). It brought together representatives of the regulated health professions’ national boards and accreditation authorities, self-regulating health professions, education providers, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), representatives of government health departments and academics working in this field.
The workshop explored a common understanding of what is meant by interprofessional education, saw presentations and discussion of international examples of good interprofessional education and assessment, and examined implications for accreditation functions.
Following the workshop, the regulated health professions’ accreditation councils, national boards and AHPRA meet on 10 June to discuss what the workshop outcomes could mean for accreditation processes, and there was a short meeting of the Forum to discuss next steps.
A report of the workshop, its outcomes and subsequent meetings and actions has been prepared and is available to download here.
Download the full report (PDF 7700KB)
The Australian Medical Council welcomes new Office Bearers and Directors
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) Annual General Meeting in Sydney on 20 November has marked the appointment of a new President and Deputy President of the AMC. Associate Professor Jillian Sewell AM was welcomed as the new AMC President and Professor David Ellwood as the new Deputy President.
Associate Professor Sewell is a principal paediatric specialist and Deputy Director of the Centre for Community Child Health at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Associate Professor in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne, and a leader in paediatric education. Professor Sewell has been a Director and member of Council since 2009. She is the former Chair of the committee responsible for accreditation of specialist medical programs, the AMC Specialist Education Accreditation Committee, and now chairs the AMC Recognition of Medical Specialties Advisory Committee.
Professor Ellwood is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Griffith University School of Medicine and Director of Maternal–Foetal Medicine at Gold Coast University Hospital. Professor Ellwood also chairs the AMC Medical School Accreditation Committee.
Download the full media release (PDF 259KB)
Medical Board of Australia approved AMC-revised accreditation standards for specialist medical programs and professional development programs - September 2015
Following a period of consultation, the Australian Medical Council has completed its review of the accreditation standards for specialist medical programs and continuing professional development programs. The AMC thanks the individuals and organisations who have submitted comments on draft sets of standards, and contributed to the AMC review.
As the accreditation authority for medicine, the AMC develops accreditation standards for medical programs and their education providers. The Medical Board of Australia is responsible for approval of accreditation standards developed for the medical profession by the AMC. The Medical Board of Australia has now approved the Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Specialist Medical Programs and Professional Development Programs by the Australian Medical Council 2015. The revised standards will come into effect from 1 January 2016.
The AMC uses accreditation standards to assess medical programs for the purposes of accreditation. Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, the AMC may grant accreditation if it is reasonably satisfied that a program of study and the education provider meet an approved accreditation standard. It may also grant accreditation if it is reasonably satisfied that the provider and the program of study substantially meet an approved accreditation standard, and the imposition of conditions will ensure the program meets the standard within a reasonable time. Having made a decision, the AMC reports its accreditation decision to the Medical Board of Australia to enable the Board to make a decision on the approval of the program of study for registration purposes. The AMC also uses the accreditation standards for monitoring accredited programs and providers to ensure that they continue to meet the standards.
There is no change to the overall purpose of accreditation, which is to recognise specialist medical programs and education providers that produce medical specialists who can practice unsupervised in the relevant medical specialty, providing comprehensive, safe and high quality medical care that meets the needs of the Australian and New Zealand health care systems, and who are prepared to assess and maintain their competence and performance through continuing professional education, the maintenance of skills and the development of new skills.
Significant changes to the standards include:
- Enhanced focus on trainee wellbeing
- Enhanced focus on patient safety
- New standards concerning Indigenous health. The AMC introduced Indigenous health standards for medical school curriculum in 2006 and in the Intern training – National standards for programs in 2013. These new Indigenous health standards build on the standards in the earlier phases of medical education.
- Standards concerning continuing professional development have been revised in line with Medical Board of Australia and Medical Council of New Zealand guidelines.
- The standard relating to assessment of specialist international medical graduates, has been moved from standard 5, assessment, and becomes a new standard 10. The standard has been revised to bring it into line with revised Medical Board of Australia and Medical Council of New Zealand guidelines.
There is a staged implementation of the revised standards. An implementation plan is available below. AMC resources for accredited education providers and those undergoing accreditation in 2016 will include information on addressing the standards.
Download the approved accreditation standards, Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Specialist Medical Programs and Professional Development Programs by the Australian Medical Council 2015.
A comparison table showing the 2015 standards against the 2010 standards is here.
Information regarding implementation of the standards from 2016 is available here.
New feature release for AMC portfolio
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is collaborating with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) to enhance the primary source verification of medical credentials process for international medical graduates (IMGs) applying for registration to practice medicine in Australia.
On 1 October 2015, the AMC released its AMC portfolio to support the use of ECFMG’s Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service to verify International Medical Graduate’s (IMGs) medical credentials for registration purposes with the Medical Board of Australia, and for specialist assessment by an Australian Medical College.
The AMC is pleased to announce a new feature release to enhance the IMG application process. This new feature enables IMGs, who have previously established an AMC portfolio, to add additional qualifications to their AMC portfolio for a small fee of $40 per qualification.
All verification status updates, including images of the qualification documentation, will be uploaded on the AMC’s qualification portal for access by AHPRA for registration purposes, and Australian specialist medical colleges for assessment purposes. This design simplifies the AMC application experience and reduces the costs for AMC candidates with multiple qualifications.
This is a transitional system that will include future updates as AMC works towards streamlined and improved digital application and support processes.
AMC and ECFMG Partner to Enhance the Process for Evaluating the Medical Credentials of Australia’s International Medical Graduates
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is pleased to announce its collaboration with ECFMG® to incorporate ECFMG’s Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPICSM) into the process for evaluating the medical credentials of Australia’s international medical graduates (IMGs). EPIC provides AMC with ECFMG’s rigorous, primary-source verification while offering additional benefits such as a secure, web-based platform for authenticating physician credentials and paperless processing and recordkeeping. For IMGs, EPIC offers a service that they can use throughout their careers to build a digital portfolio of verified credentials related to their medical education, training, and registration/licensure.
Read the full press release.
Consultation on the standards and procedures for Workplace Based Assessment (WBA) – September 2015
The AMC is reviewing its document, Accreditation of Workplace Based Assessment Providers: Standards and Procedures, and is seeking stakeholder feedback on the proposed revisions. This consultation will run until Friday 9 October 2015. There will be a second round of consultation later in 2015.
Please refer to the following documents:
Consultation paper: Outlining the changes proposed to the standards, the review purpose and process, questions for feedback and next steps.
DRAFT Accreditation of Workplace Based Assessment Providers: Standards and Procedures: revised version
Proposed template assessment forms
Attachment 1: Mini-CEX template assessment form
Attachment 2: Case-based discussion template assessment form
Attachment 3: Direct observation of procedural skills template assessment form
Attachment 4: Multi-source feedback template assessment forms – Medical Colleague – 4a, Co-worker – 4b, Self - 4c and Patient - 4d)
AMC Workplace-based Assessment Accreditation Guidelines and Procedures: Updated October 2014 is the previous version for reference.
The AMC asks for feedback on the standards and templates by email to accreditation@amc.org.au by 9 October 2015. Please provide any feedback in an accessible PDF or Word format.
The Directors of the Australian Medical Council grant accreditation to the University of Auckland, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences’ medical programme to 31 March 2022
The Australian Medical Council is the national accreditation body for the medical profession. It has recently completed an assessment of the University of Auckland, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences’ medical programme.
Download the full media release (PDF 264KB)
ECFMG's Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is collaborating with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) to enhance the primary source verification of medical credentials process for international medical graduates (IMGs) applying for registration to practice medicine in Australia.
On 1 October 2015, AMC will use ECFMG’s Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service to verify International Medical Graduate’s (IMGs) medical credentials for registration purposes with the Medical Board of Australia, and for specialist assessment by an Australian Medical College. Currently, AMC uses ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS) for this purpose. EPIC will provide AMC with the same rigorous primary source verification that ECFMG provides through EICS while offering IMGs additional benefits not available through EICS.
The AMC is pleased to make the transition to EPIC for the primary source verification of medical credentials. EPIC is an innovative on-line service that physicians can use throughout their careers. IMGs can use this system to build a digital career portfolio of primary source verified credentials related to their medical education, training, and registration/licensure. The EPIC system can be used to request reports, verifying the authenticity of IMGs medical credentials, be sent to any organisation in the world including medical regulatory authorities and potential employers, such as hospitals and academic institutions. The EPIC system allows IMGs to apply and deal directly with the ECFMG.
To support EPIC verifications, the AMC is pleased to announce a new AMC candidate application system to launch on 1 October 2015 until 31 December 2015, called Establish an AMC portfolio application. This system enables IMGs to create an AMC portfolio by applying, uploading supporting documentation and finalising payments online. This system also allows IMGs to add multiple qualifications to their AMC portfolio. All EICS and EPIC verification status updates, including images of the qualification documentation, will be uploaded on the AMC’s qualification portal for access by AHPRA for registration purposes, and Australian specialist medical colleges for assessment purposes. The main purpose of this design is to simplify the IMGs application experience to the AMC and eliminate time intensive paper based processes.
This is a transitional system that will include future updates as AMC works towards a streamlined digital process to improve the IMG application processes.
Second consultation on the standards for specialist medical education programs and professional development programs – July 2015
The Australian Medical Council is conducting a review of the Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Specialist Medical Education Programs and Professional Development Programs. The AMC undertakes a full review of the approved accreditation standards every five years. It completes these reviews through a consultative process.
The AMC consulted on the first draft of the revised standards from March to May 2015. It is now seeking feedback on the second draft of the revised standards. The consultation document outlines changes proposed to the standards as a result of the initial consultation process in March 2015. It also provides background information on the accreditation standards, the role of the AMC and the reason for the review of the standards, for reference.
The AMC is aiming to have the standards finalised by September 2015, with implementation of the revised standards from 2016.
The AMC is now seeking feedback on the second draft of the Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Specialist Medical Education Programs and Professional Development Programs by the Australian Medical Council.
Please refer to the following documents:
Consultation paper: Outlining the changes proposed to the standards as a result of the initial consultation, the review purpose and process, questions for feedback and next steps.
Attachment 1: Summary of the revisions to the standards including a comparison of the draft revised and current standards.
Attachment 2: Draft revised Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Specialist Medical Education Programs and Professional Development Programs by the Australian Medical Council – July 2015.
The AMC asks for feedback on the standards by email to standardsreview@amc.org.au by 24 August 2015. Please provide any feedback in an accessible PDF or Word format.
Revised fees and charges for 2016
While endeavouring to keep AMC candidate fees to a minimum, the AMC Directors recently approved a slight fee increase to address increased costs associated with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and, where applicable, the weakening Australian Dollar.
To provide candidates with adequate notice, the changes will not take effect until 1 January 2016. Fees were last reviewed in 2014.
How will the changes affect candidates?
AMC candidates who have already paid and scheduled for examinations to be conducted after 1 January 2016 will not be affected by the revised fees.
The following information is provided as a guideline for AMC candidates:
- MCQ candidates who pay for a 12-month authorisation before 1 January 2016 will not pay the revised fee, even if their exam is scheduled after 1 January 2016.
- Clinical candidates who apply before 1 January 2016 will not pay the revised fee, even if their exam is scheduled for after 1 January 2016.
- All candidates’ payments, including application and credential verification payments, which occur on or after 1 January 2016 will be charged at the revised fees.
Verification of Medical Credentials in relation to applicants and institutions from Cuba
The AMC’s source verification provider of credentials, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), will resume the processing of requests for verification of medical credentials issued by educational, health care, and medical registration/licensing institutions in Cuba.
As previously announced, ECFMG was not processing such requests pending clarification of restrictions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
On July 16 2015, the ECFMG was advised by OFAC officials that it is permitted to engage in verification activities for medical credentials issued in Cuba. Further information can be found at the ECFMG website.
With the recent announcement by ECFMG, the AMC is now able to process any effected applications as quickly as possible. If AMC candidates require any further information, please contact the AMC directly on +61 (0) 2 6270-7878 between 10am and 4pm AEST.
Verification of Medical Credentials in Relation to Applicants and Institutions from Crimea, Cuba, and Sudan
As our source verification provider, ECFMG verifies the authenticity of credentials related to physicians’ medical education, training, and registration/licensure directly with the institutions that issued the credentials. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury currently restricts interactions between U.S. organizations and entities in certain countries/regions, including Crimea, Cuba, and Sudan. ECFMG has applied to OFAC for licenses for Crimea, Cuba, and Sudan that, if approved, would permit ECFMG’s activities related to verification of medical credentials. Pending approval of these licenses, ECFMG cannot process certain requests related to applicants and institutions from Crimea, Cuba, and Sudan.
The services that may be affected include:
- Sending requests for verification of medical credentials issued by institutions in Crimea, Cuba, and Sudan
- Acceptance of such verifications by ECFMG
- Credential verification activities on behalf of individuals residing in Crimea, Cuba, and Sudan and on behalf of certain Cuban nationals
Thank you for your patience and cooperation. For updates, please monitor this website and the ECFMG website at www.ecfmg.org/news.
ECFMG’s Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) to Replace EICS for Primary-Source Verification of IMG Credentials
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is collaborating with the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) to enhance the process through which AMC obtains primary source verification of the medical credentials of international medical graduates (IMGs) applying for registration to practice medicine in Australia.
On 1 October 2015, AMC will be using ECFMG’s Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC) service for the verification of medical credentials for registration purposes with the Medical Board of Australia, or for specialist assessment by an Australian Medical College. Currently, AMC uses ECFMG’s International Credentials Services (EICS) for this purpose. EPIC will provide AMC with the same rigorous primary source verification that ECFMG provides through EICS while offering IMGs additional benefits not available through EICS.
IMGs should note that the transition from EICS to EPIC will result in changes to the AMC’s applications process, including online applications. Starting on 1 October 2015, new applicants will be required to establish an EPIC account first if they do not already have one, and upload their medical credentials to EPIC. Until that time, IMGs are required to continue to submit their applications and upload their credentials for verification through EICS using the current AMC pathway applications process. IMGs who have submitted their medical credentials for primary source verification prior to 1 October 2015 will continue through the EICS process until either their medical credentials are verified or the attempts to have their medical credentials verified have been exhausted. More details, including a flowchart, will be provided on the AMC websites as they become available.
The AMC is pleased to make this transition to using EPIC for the primary source verification of IMG medical credentials. EPIC is an innovative, on-line service that physicians can use throughout their careers. Through EPIC, physicians can build a digital career portfolio of the primary source verified credentials related to their medical education, training, and registration/licensure. They can then use EPIC to request that reports verifying the authenticity of their medical credentials be sent to any organization in the world, including medical regulatory authorities and potential employers, such as hospitals and academic institutions. For more information on EPIC, visit www.ecfmgepic.org.
Verification of Iranian Medical Credentials
The AMC’s source verification provider of credentials, the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), will resume the processing of requests for verification of medical credentials issued by educational, health care, and medical registration/licensing institutions in Iran.
As previously announced, ECFMG was not processing such requests pending clarification of restrictions by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
On June 5 2015, the ECFMG was advised by OFAC officials that it is permitted to engage in verification activities for medical credentials issued in Iran. Further information can be found at the ECFMG website.
The AMC was previously working with the Medical Board of Australia to determine how to appropriately assist AMC candidates that the sanctions may have effected. With the recent announcement by ECFMG, the AMC is now able to process any effected applications as quickly as possible. If AMC candidates require any further information, please contact the AMC directly on +61 (0) 2 6270-7878 between 10am and 4pm AEST.
AMC consultation on the standards for specialist medical education programs and professional development programs – March 2015
The Australian Medical Council is currently conducting a review of the accreditation standards for specialist medical programs and continuing professional development programs. The AMC undertakes a full review of the approved accreditation standards every five years. It completes these reviews through a consultative process. An initial consultation on the scope of the review was conducted in August 2013. The timeline for this review has been revised and the expected completion date is mid-2015, with implementation of the revised standards from 2016.
The AMC is now seeking feedback on the draft revised Standards for Assessment Medical Education Programs and Professional Development Programs by the Australian Medical Council.
Please refer to the following documents:
Consultation paper: Outlining the review purpose and process, questions for feedback and next steps.
Attachment 1: Summary of the proposed revisions to the standards including a comparison of the draft revised and current standards.
Attachment 2: Draft revised Standards for Assessment Medical Education Programs and Professional Development Programs by the Australian Medical Council – March 2015.
The AMC welcomes feedback on the standards either by email to standardsreview@amc.org.au or by mail to AMC Accreditation Section (Standards Review) at the Australian Medical Council Ltd PO Box 4810 KINGSTON ACT 2604 by 4 May 2015.
The Directors of the Australian Medical Council confirm the accreditation of the University of Queensland, School of Medicine’s medical programs to 31 March 2017
The Australian Medical Council is the national accreditation body for the medical profession. It has recently completed an assessment of the University of Queensland, School of Medicine’s medical programs.
AMC review of the accreditation standards for specialist medical programs
The Australian Medical Council is currently conducting a review of the accreditation standards for specialist medical programs and continuing professional development programs. The AMC undertakes a full review of the approved accreditation standards every five years. It completes these reviews through a consultative process.
An initial consultation on the scope of the review was conducted in August 2013. The timeline for this review has been revised and the expected completion date is mid-2015, with implementation of the revised standards from 2016.
The AMC will provide a number of opportunities for contributions to the review, including invitations to provide written comments on its proposals, and meetings with key stakeholder groups. The AMC is intending to provide the first draft of the revised standards for consultation in January 2015.
If you have any questions about the review process, please contact the AMC at standardsreview@amc.org.au.
Revised Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview (PESCI) Guidelines and Criteria for AMC approval of PESCI providers – update November 2014
The Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview (PESCI) is an objective assessment of the clinical experience, knowledge, skills and attributes of an international medical graduate to determine whether the person is suitable to practise in a specific position. The AMC developed the PESCI in 2007 as part of a 2006 Council of Australian Governments’ directive to ensure nationally consistent assessment of international medical graduates.
Since June 2013, the AMC and the Medical Board of Australia have been completing a review of the Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview Guidelines and Criteria for AMC approval of PESCI providers. The AMC thanks stakeholders for their contribution to this review.
This review is now complete and has resulted in the following revised documents:
The document is divided into:
- guidelines that provide information on the PESCI process. Revisions reflect the introduction of national registration standards and the Medical Board of Australia’s responsibilities
- approval criteria for new providers to conduct PESCIs and for established providers to continue to be approved through an annual monitoring process. Changes to the approval criteria include: replacing the position risk matrix with guidance on the factors to consider in determining the degree of risk of a position; requiring a minimum of four clinical scenarios in the PESCI; emphasising that interviews should explore performance and capacity not knowledge; and linking supervision guidelines to Medical Board of Australia guidelines.
The approval criteria now also require approved PESCI providers to report annually to the AMC, and the guidelines outline requirements for reporting between the AMC and the Medical Board of Australia. In annual reports, providers are asked to provide data on the numbers of interviews conducted and their outcomes, the scenarios bank for PESCI interview and on the pool of interviewers. The provider is also asked to evaluate the quality of its PESCI process and report on any changes to its capacity to conduct PESCIs. The AMC is contacting individual PESCI providers concerning the reporting requirements.
PESCI report to the Medical Board of Australia
This is a template for the PESCI provider’s report to the Medical Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency on the content and outcome of the PESCI. It must be submitted within one week of the PESCI interview.
PESCI outcome report to the applicant
This is a template for the PESCI provider’s report to the applicant for the position. It must be provided within 14 days of the PESCI interview.
Implementation and further information
The new guidelines and approval criteria will apply from 1 March 2015.
For further information, please email accreditation@amc.org.au.
AMC evaluation of the national intern assessment process
In January 2014 a new national framework for medical internship took effect. This framework includes a national registration standard on granting general registration to Australian and New Zealand medical graduates on completion of internship as well as national standards, statements guidelines. The registration standard describes the national requirements for assessment of interns’ performance and the information the Medical Board of Australia needs from health services to determine if interns have met the registration standard.
The assessment resources to support the registration standard include:
- Outcome statements for internship - Intern training – Intern outcome statements;
- Assessment guidelines - Intern training – Assessing and certifying completion; and
- A nationally available assessment form - Intern training - Term assessment form.
In approving the framework documents the AMC agreed to evaluate the resources to support the national intern assessment requirements in 2014, recognising that this national process was a significant development for health services, supervisors and interns. The evaluation process identified immediate changes required to improve the clarity and understanding of the national intern assessment process and forms, confirmed a broad level of support and understanding for the national process and highlighting areas for future consideration. The AMC has finalised the changes to the national assessment documents resulting from the evaluation process. The changes include reducing the length and complexity of the assessment form and reiterating the Medical Board of Australia’s requirements for certification of internship.
The revised documents were approved by the AMC Directors in September and by the Medical Board of Australia at its 24 September 2014 meeting. The approved documents are available here. Further information on the outcomes of the evaluation process and revised documents are provided in the communique below.
Stakeholder consultation on the review of the Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview (PESCI) Guidelines – update August 2014
The Australian Medical Council consulted on the review of the guidelines and approval criteria for the Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interviews (PESCI) earlier this year and is grateful for the stakeholder contribution to this review.
The AMC received comments on the revisions from 18 organisations and individuals. The feedback indicated overall support for the proposed revisions and the division of the document into Part A: PESCI Guidelines and Part B: Criteria for approval of PESCI providers with further reordering and expansion of the approval criteria.
In addition to clarifying wording where feedback suggested this was required, the AMC has made further changes as a result of the feedback including:
- In the PESCI Guidelines:
- Replacing the risk matrix included in the previous guidelines with notes on the factors to consider in determining the degree of risk of a position
- Expanding section 4 of the guidelines which indicate when a PESCI is required and removing section 5 on when a PESCI is not required
- In section 6, adding additional information on the Medical Board of Australia’s responsibilities.
- In the Criteria for AMC approval of PESCI providers:
- Specifying that a minimum of four clinical scenarios are included in the PESCI
- Emphasising that the interviews should explore performance and capacity not only knowledge
- Addressing questions about supervision guidelines by referring to Medical Board of Australia guidelines.
- Increasing the timeframe for PESCI providers to return feedback reports to applicants from 7 to 14 days.
- Streamlining the requirements for annual reports from approved PESCI providers to the AMC.
As this review has been the joint work of the AMC and the Medical Board of Australia, the AMC has submitted a revised version of the Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview Guidelines and Criteria for AMC approval of PESCI providers to the Medical Board of Australia for its approval. The revised guidelines and procedures together with the PESCI report to the Medical Board of Australia and the PESCI Outcome report to the interviewee will be placed on the AMC website when these processes are complete. The new guidelines and approval criteria will apply from 1 January 2015.
The AMC is developing a schedule for progress reporting for providers which will provide information on the date for the first annual progress report and the annual reporting requirements. The matters to be addressed in the report are outlined in the Approval Criteria (Part B of the document).
Once the Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview Guidelines and Criteria for AMC approval of PESCI providers and templates are finalised they will be circulated to stakeholders and placed on this website. The AMC will correspond separately with providers to set progress reporting schedules and to provide a template for progress reporting.
AMC launches website for delivering workplace-based assessment resources
In Australia and internationally there is a growing interest in the use of workplace-based assessment to assess clinical skills and competence. With the support of the Australian Government Department of Health, the AMC has developed a website to deliver WBA resources for a variety of users: assessors, candidates, WBA program providers, health education institutions and training and development teams. The WBAonline website will help AMC-accredited providers of WBA programs to improve and standardise their programs and give AMC candidates a very clear picture of what to expect when undertaking those programs.
See the website at wbaonline.amc.org.au
AMC seeking feedback on national intern assessment processes
In January 2014, a new national framework for medical internship took effect. This framework includes a national registration standard on granting general registration to Australian and New Zealand medical graduates on completion of internship (http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx) as well as national standards, guidelines and forms on intern training.
A new national assessment process for interns is part of this framework. The process includes national guidelines, Intern training – Assessing and certifying completion and a nationally available term assessment form Intern training – Term assessment form.
These documents have been available to use in intern assessment and remediation processes since the beginning of 2014. The AMC is evaluating the national assessment process to help improve the guidelines and term assessment form for 2015. The evaluation process will include an online survey which will be distributed to health services in June 2014.
The AMC particularly encourages early adopters of the new term assessment form to participate in this evaluation. More information is provided here.
Stakeholder consultation on the review of the Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview (PESCI) Guidelines
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) stakeholder consultation on the review of the guidelines for pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI) is now closed. Thank you to stakeholders who have provided comments.
The AMC is reviewing the feedback received, and will be making some additional changes to the revised guidelines as a result. The AMC expects to communicate further with stakeholders as it reviews the feedback, and now anticipates that the revised guidelines will be in place from January 2015. We expect the revised guidelines to be considered by the Prevocational Standards Accreditation Committee at its August 2014 meeting.
Review of the Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview (PESCI) Guidelines
Stakeholder consultation
The Australian Medical Council is reviewing the guidelines for Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interviews (PESCI) and is seeking stakeholder feedback on the proposed revisions.
The PESCI Guidelines were last revised in 2008. In 2014, the AMC is proposing minor changes to the Guidelines regarding wording and to enhance the requirements for annual reporting.
Information for stakeholders on the consultation is here (PDF, 554kb).
The draft revised Pre-employment Structured Clinical Interview Guidelines and Criteria for approval of PESCI providers are here (Microsoft Word, 130kb).
If required for reference, the current AMC PESCI Guidelines (2008) are available here (PDF, 45kb). This version is marked-up to reflect the changes proposed with the 2014 review.
Feedback is also requested on two draft PESCI reporting templates. Information on these templates is available here (PDF 474kb). The templates are PESCI report to the Medical Board of Australia (PDF 301kb) and Outcome report to the interviewee (PDF 251kb).
This consultation will run until 28 April 2014.
Please provide your comments on the PESCI Guidelines either by email to accreditation@amc.org.au or by mail to:
AMC Accreditation Section (PESCI Guidelines)
PO Box 4810
Kingston ACT 2604