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. 2020 May 18:9:100.
doi: 10.15694/mep.2020.000100.1. eCollection 2020.

Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural & Remote Medicine (FACRRM) Assessment: a review of the first 12 years

Tarun Sen Gupta  1 , David Campbell  2 , Alan Bruce Chater  2 , David Rosenthal  2 , Lynn Saul  2 , Karen Connaughton  2 , Marita Cowie  2
Affiliations

Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural & Remote Medicine (FACRRM) Assessment: a review of the first 12 years

Tarun Sen Gupta et al. MedEdPublish (2016). .

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. This paper provides an overview of the first 12 years of the formal assessment program of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM). The ACRRM Fellowship represents the world's first and only Fellowship exam in Rural Medicine. The ACRRM assessment program is mapped to its Rural Generalist curriculum, based on the principles of programmatic assessment. ACRRM offers candidates the opportunity to participate in assessment in or close to their home location. The ACRRM Rural Generalist Curriculum defines the scope and standards for independent general practice anywhere in Australia, with a focus on rural and remote settings. The program was initially developed in 2006 and has evolved during delivery from 2008 onwards, utilising the following modalities: •Multi Source Feedback (MSF)•Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)•Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX)•Case Based Discussion (CBD)•Procedural Skills Logbook•Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS) StAMPS is a unique examination, blending the formats of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination and a traditional viva vocè. The program has an emphasis on formative assessment. Over the past 12 years there has been considerable work in developing resources for candidates, governance structures and quality assurance processes. ACRRM's Fellowship requirements represent a customised bespoke assessment tailored to ACRRM's curriculum and the Australian rural and remote context. ACRRM's assessment program has grown substantially with 649 Fellowships being awarded from 2008 - 2019, with considerable experience gained in rural and remote assessment. It now represents a mature firmly-established process as a vocational endpoint in Rural and Remote Medicine. ACRRM has continued to offer its 'tele-assessment' program throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with candidates and examiners participating in assessment by use of distance technology while remaining in or near their home community. This model may provide some insights for other medical Colleges and educational institutions facing challenges in the current environment.

Keywords: assessment; certification; licensing exam; rural medicine; tele-assessment.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. MCQ pass rate and participation 2008 - 2019
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Mini-CEX pass rate and participation 2008 - 2017
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. CBD pass rate and participation 2016- 2019
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. StAMPS pass rate and participation 2008 - 2019
Figure 5.
Figure 5.. Fellowships awarded by year and cohort
Figure 6.
Figure 6.. Cumulative total ACRRM Fellowship awards
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine . (2019) Fellowship Training Handbook. Available at https://www.acrrm.org.au/docs/default-source/all-files/handbook-fellowsh...( Accessed: 23 April 2020).
    1. Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine . (2020a) About the College. The History of ACRRM. Available at http://www.acrrm.org.au/about-the-college/history-of-acrrm( Accessed: 23 April 2020).
    1. Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine . (2020b) Fellowship with ACRRM. Available at https://www.acrrm.org.au/fellowship/discover-fellowship/assessment( Accessed: 23 April 2020).
    1. Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine . (2020c) Rural Generalist Curriculum. Available at https://www.acrrm.org.au/docs/default-source/all-files/rural-generalist-...( Accessed: 23 April 2020).
    1. Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine . (2020d) Core Generalist Training. Available at https://www.acrrm.org.au/training-towards-fellowship/curriculum-and-requ...( Accessed: 23 April 2020).