Recognition of medical specialties from 2002 to 2010

In 2002 in response to an invitation from the Commonwealth Minister for Health and Ageing, the Australian Medical Council (AMC) made recommendations to the Minister onthe disciplines of medical practice to be recognised as medical specialties in Australia. Based on this advice, the Minister made decisions on which medical specialties would be recognised. 

To facilitate its advice to the Minister, the AMC managed a two-stage process that assessed applications for recognition against specific criteria and standards. As a first step applicants were required to demonstrate a prima facie case for recognition before being invited to lodge a full application. 

• Stage 1 of the recognition process was overseen by the AMC’s Recognition of Medical Specialties Advisory Committee. Applications for recognition were assessed against recognition criteria as detailed in the Recognition of Medical Specialties Policy and Process documents, 2002 and revised in 2007. 

• Stage 2 of the recognition process was the accreditation assessment of the specialist medical education and training program. The Australian Medical Council undertakes accreditation of specialist medical education programs process on behalf of the Medical Board of Australia. 

Recognition as a specialty required successful completion of both stages of the process, and on the Minister having made a decision to recognise a specialty. 

Between 2002 and 2007, the AMC provided advice to the Minister for Health and Ageing on six separate applications for the recognition of a medical specialty. 

The Minister for Health and Ageing recognised that a case had been made for the recognition of the following fields as medical specialties: 

• addiction medicine (2007) 
• pain medicine (2005) 
• palliative medicine (2005) 
• sexual health medicine (2008) 
• sport and exercise medicine (2007) 

The Minister concluded that no case had been made for rural and remote medicine (2005). 

Recognition of Medical Specialties assessment reports are available from the AMC secretariat on request.