Medical Officers' Careers Guide: Anaesthetics

 Description

Specialist Anaesthetists work across the full scope of practice including anaesthesia for surgical and non-surgical procedures (including sedation and all forms of anaesthesia, for example; topical, local, regional and general), perioperative/periprocedural care and management; assessment and management of patients requiring analgesia, critical/intensive care, and patients in emergency and trauma situations (including resuscitation and life support).

Entry requirements to Training Program

• General Registration
• Minimum post graduate year PGY 3 – most people are ~ PGY 4 before securing a training position
• Need a minimum of eighteen [18] months in different specialties and no more than six (6) months in anaesthetics
• Having an anaesthetist as a referee and an anaesthetic term completed is a strong advantage
  

 Overview of Training Program

• Five (5) years
• Four (4) sections:  1.  Introductory training (IT) – minimum 6 months;
  2. Basic training (BT) – 18 months;  3. Advanced training (AT) – 24 months; 
  4. Provisional fellowship training (PFT) after 12 months
• Exams:  there are two sets of exams -
• Part I must be completed prior to starting Advanced Training
  
• Part II must be completd prior to starting Provisional Fellowship
  

What rotations are recommended prior to applying for training

• Emergency
• ICU
• Medical Registrar

 How to improve your chances of selection

1. Most important is to complete an anaesthetic term and obtain a reference from an anaesthetist
2. If above not possible, Intensive Care experience – reference from an anaesthetist/intensive will be accepted
3. Consider regional or rural rotations to obtain the above experience
4. Be involved in anaesthetic research or audits
   

Courses

1. Advanced Life Support training - this course is essential and training must be Australian Resuscitation Council certified.  These courses are available throughout the year at TPCH
   
2. Complete Part 1 of Long Course of the anaesthetic training program - contact the College for course dates
   

• Emergency rotations
• Intensive Care Unit

TPCH has current College accreditation for twelve (12) advanced training positions

These questions will vary from Program to Program as thought to be most relevant. If you have any suggestions as to how the information on this site can be improved, please comment.

• Very competitive
• 168 training positings in Qld in 2014
  
• Long term outlook good as number of procedures per head of population increasing, however, more minimally invasive procedures

Medical Education Unit
Email:   TPCH-Medical-Education@health.qld.gov.au
Phone: 3139 4221

Editor:  Dr Daniel Faulke, Director of Advanced Training

Reviewed: March 2018