Educational renewal of physician training in Australia and New Zealand: Multiple educational innovations in a complex environment

Abstract

Aim: The Royal Australasian College of Physicians is renewing its specialty training programs and shifting towards competency-based medical education. Our aim is to improve the quality and rigor of training and graduate outcomes, and promote high standards of physician practice to serve the health of patients, families, and communities in a changing healthcare environment.

Methods: We are progressing holistic change and multiple educational innovations in a complex environment. Numerous stakeholders, a disparate training landscape and a largely volunteer supervisor workforce pose challenges in supporting effective implementation. This paper describes our progress and experience with three key components of our education renewal program: curricular renewal, a new selection process and faculty development. It offers reflections on the practical challenges, lessons learned and factors critical for success.

Conclusions: Our experience highlights opportunities for training organizations to maximize their influence over workplace training experiences and outcomes by taking a systems approach to the design, delivery and evaluation of the components of education renewal. We found that design, development and delivery of our multiple educational innovations have benefited from co-design approaches, progressive and concurrent development, continual exploration of new strategies, and implementation as soon as viable with a commitment to iterative improvements over time.

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the many RACP staff and members who have contributed to the RACP’s educational renewal journey to date, in particular, Julie Gustavs, Susi McCarthy, Erin Murphy, and Genevieve Foster.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Additional information

Funding

Resources and secretariat support for this project was provided by the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australia.

Notes on contributors

Rebecca Udemans

Rebecca Udemans, BSc (Hons), is Senior Executive Officer, Research and Evaluation, at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australia.

Marie-Louise Stokes

Marie-Louise Stokes, MBBS, MPH, FAFPHM, was Director of Education at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australia. 2011–2017.

Louise Rigby

Louise Rigby, PhD candidate, is Educational Renewal Program Manager, at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australia.

Priya Khanna

Priya Khanna, PhD, is an Associate Lecturer, Sydney Medical Program, University of Sydney, Australia.

Jonathan Christiansen

Jonathan Christiansen, MD, FRACP, is Chair, College Education Committee at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Australia, and Associate Chief Medical Officer, Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand.