Education And Training

The Specialist Advisory Committee in Medical Oncology is the supervising body of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians which oversights training in medical oncology in Australia.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING

Medical oncology advanced trainees should gain experience in a variety of malignancies as well as the standard methods of investigation, assessment and management through training with radiation oncologists, surgeons, and other health care professionals in multidisciplinary programs.  Training in medical oncology is completed in three years, on average.

Trainees are required to spend a minimum of 12 months of core training at a site accredited for core medical oncology training in Australia or New Zealand. Proposals to undertake training overseas will be assessed prospectively on an individual basis.

COMPONENTS OF TRAINING

Core Training
Core clinical training consists of 24 months in medical oncology and directly related areas.

Non Core Training
Communication Skills

Other Training Requirements

• Research
• Training Sites
  Suitable advanced training sites will have the following:

• at least 2 full time medical oncologists (or equivalent);
• there should be appropriate levels of responsibility and supervision;
• access to adequate numbers of patients with a range of common cancers both inpatients and outpatients;
• there should be a clinical research program;
• there should be regular intra and interdisciplinary meetings, particularly involving surgical and radiation oncologists. The department should take part in hospital grand rounds and trainees are expected to present to these meetings;
• access to appropriate library facilities and to computerised literature search facilities.

• Rural/Regional Training
  

*Adapted from the Royal Australasian College of Physicians training requirements in medical oncology. For the comprehensive view of training requirements, visit http://www.racp.edu.au/training/adult2003/advanced/vocational/oncology.htm