Development of Aotearoa New Zealand’s prevocational medical training programme
From November 2014, Council reviewed and implemented significant changes to prevocational medical training requirements for doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand. The changes aim to improve patient safety and the performance of doctors through provision of high-quality learning.
Council started its review of prevocational medical training in late 2010, focusing on the issues relating to the education and training of doctors during the first 2 years following graduation from medical school. The review was undertaken by Council with support from Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ).
Two consultations took place:
- May 2011: A review of prevocational training requirements for doctors in New Zealand proposing options for enhancing the prevocational training framework
- February 2013: A review of prevocational training requirements for doctors in New Zealand: Stage 2 proposing a number of changes to prevocational medical training.
In July 2013, Council considered the consultation feedback and made a number of decisions. These key decisions led to a number of key changes to prevocational medical training as outlined below.
Baseline data was captured in November 2014 which informed an evaluation of the changes completed in 2018. In 2016, Council published the Prevocational medical training programme implementation review. This was an independent review of the implementation of the prevocational medical training programme for interns.
The changes that have been implemented include:
November 2014:
- Developing and implementing the New Zealand Curriculum Framework for Prevocational Medical Training for PGY1s and PGY2s.
- Introduction of ePort as an electronic portfolio for recording and tracking each intern’s progress.
- A strengthened process of assessment that links to each intern’s professional development plan.
- Training for clinical supervisors and prevocational educational supervisors.
- Establishing Advisory Panels to review the overall performance of each intern at the end of PGY1.
November 2015:
- Extension of the prevocational programme and supervision into PGY2.
- New accreditation standards and processes for training providers and for clinical attachments.
November 2019:
- Multisource feedback
- NZCF learning activities
November 2021:
- Community-based attachments for all interns
Documents
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Evaluation of changes to prevocational medical training by Malatest International - end of year report for 2018
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Council report following an independent review of the implementation of the prevocational medical training programme for interns. The independent review was commissioned by Council and carried out by an Implementation Review Group chaired by Dr Kenneth Clark, Chair of the National District Health Board Chief Medical Officer Group.
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Medical Council of New Zealand: Establishing a Prevocational Training Baseline. A report commissioned by Council and prepared by Malatest International
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A Review of Prevocational Training Requirements for Doctors in New Zealand: Stage 2 - A second consultation paper on the proposed changes to prevocational training
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Prevocational Training Requirements for Doctors in
New Zealand: a discussion paper on options for an enhanced training framework -
Glossary of terms used in relation to prevocational medical training. Examples include clinical attachment, intern, multisource feedback (MSF), and prevocational educational supervisor