APPLICATION FOR ACCREDITATION OF LABORATORY TRAINING FOR CANDIDATES
IN GENETIC PATHOLOGY (MEDICAL GENOMICS or BIOCHEMICAL GENETICS)
Please refer to policies when preparing your application. All information will be treated with strictest
confidence by the Board of Education and Assessment (BEA)
Note: No application will be considered without the following:
(1) Attachment of a Training Program with detail of progression through the 5 years of training.
(2) Detail of how competency will be maintained in areas not adequately covered in the training
lab.
Please complete all sections of this form, sign and return to College.
Laboratory Name:
Address:
Area Health Service/ District Health Board (if
applicable):
Director/ Head of Pathology Laboratory:
Director/ Head of Genetic Laboratory Service (if
applicable):
Contact person for application?
Telephone (direct):
Email:
Telephone (switch):
Fax:
RCPA ID No. (if
applicable – refer to
RCPA laboratory
accreditation letter)
Date:
RCPA Medical Genomics, Biochemical Genetics, or both?
Please indicate if the intended training program is for Fellowship through Medical Genomics, Biochemical
Genetics, or both.
Medical Genomics 
Biochemical Genetics 
Both 
RCPA single discipline, or RCPA/RACP joint training?
Please indicate if the intended training program is for Fellowship through the single-discipline examination
pathway, for the Joint Specialist Advisory Committee (JSAC) program, which is run jointly with the Royal
Australasian College of Physicians, or both.
RCPA Genetic Pathology 
JSAC Medical Genetics

Both 
Accreditation (e.g. NATA, IANZ, HOKLAS, CLIA, IS015189)
Is the Genetic Diagnostic
Laboratory accredited?
Discipline category (if
relevant):
Accredn. agency/ agencies?
Current accreditation period:
From:
Document Number:
1
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
To:
External proficiency program(s)
List program(s) that the laboratory
currently participates in (RCPA/ QAP;
UKNEQAS; EMQN; CAP; ERNDIM, etc)
Supervision
Genetic pathology training supervisors
(* indicate primary supervisor):
Pathologists contributing to the training program - qualifications; RCPA-recognised scope(s) of practice;
percentage of week in service laboratory (add extra lines if required)
Name
Qualifications
Scope(s) of practice
% of week in
service
laboratory
Total no. of funded pathologist EFTs per week within the Genetic Laboratory Service:
Total no. of pathologist sessions per week directed towards trainee supervision:
Other medically qualified staff providing essential training (add extra lines if required)
Name
Qualifications
Areas of expertise
% of week in
service
laboratory
Senior Scientific and Technical staff contributing to Trainee supervision (add extra lines if required)
Name
Qualifications
Areas of technical expertise
NOTE: The RCPA should be informed of any periods of extended absence (e.g. 4 weeks), long service leave
or sick leave of the supervisor/s. To ensure ongoing continuity of training the RCPA must be informed of the
relief arrangement.
Document Number:
2
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
Genetic Pathology Trainees
RCPA ONLY
RCPA ONLY
Please indicate the number of
trainees you wish to accommodate
at any one time
Duration of Training considered
appropriate (in years)?
Please note It is College policy to limit
training in one institution* to a maximum
of four years.
Number of current trainees
Total no. trainees over past 5 years
JSAC ONLY
JSAC ONLY
Please indicate the number of
trainees you wish to accommodate
at any one time
Duration of Training considered
appropriate (in years)?
Please note It is College policy to limit
training in one institution* to a maximum
of 3 years.
Number of current trainees
Total no. trainees over past 5 years
Summary details of current and past trainees exposed to Genetic Pathology training
Name
Discipline
Year
training
started
Duration of
training
Document Number:
3
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
Exam progress
GENETIC PATHOLOGY LABORATORY PRACTICE AND WORKLOAD
Please complete the following table to provide information about the range and type of genetic
tests completed each year.
The information collected in this document is used for the conduct of the assessment, reporting on
the assessment and the process of granting / continuing accreditation. It will not be disclosed to
any third party and remains confidential to the assessor and the RCPA.
Please note that not all of the questions may be relevant to your laboratory.
You are invited to use free text to provide and additional information which may not have been
adequately covered in the options offered below.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the RCPA office.
Biochemical Genetic Testing (if applicable)
Testing category
Performed
in lab?
~ No./
year
Routine automated or
stat/urgent biochemistry (eg.
E/LFTs, blood gases,
ammonium, homocysteine)
Amino acids analysis
Organic acid analysis
Acylcarnitine profile analysis
Enzyme testing
Newborn population screening
Lysosomal enzyme disorder
investigations
Fatty acid oxidation
investigations
Tandem mass spectrometry
Metabolomics
Other (list)
Document Number:
4
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
Comments
Genomic Testing (if applicable)
Clinical category
Performed
in lab?
~ no./
year
List disorders/ clinical scenarios
Predictive/ presymptomatic
genetic testing
Genotyping to predict drug
responsiveness/toxicity/sideeffects
Genotyping to avoid transfusion
reaction/ transplant rejection/
graft v host reaction
Genotyping (somatic) to
determine clinical subcategories
Therapeutic monitoring
(quantitative genomic, etc.)
Mutation carrier testing
Population screening
Prenatal testing (invasive – CVS,
amniocentesis, fetal blood)
Prenatal testing (non-invasive)
Pre-implantation genetic testing
Diagnostic testing
Refer to next page
Document Number:
5
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
Current molecular genetic diagnostic tests (if applicable)
Clinical presentation
Gene(s)
(insert extra rows, as required)
Current list of cytogentic/ microarray investigations
~ No./
year
Clinical presentation
Prenatal screening
Rapid aneuploidy testing
CVS
Amniocentesis
Fetal blood
Postnatal diagnostic testing
Urgent blood (rapid
aneuploidy testing)
Urgent blood
Blood
Tissue
Haemato-oncology
Urgent (rapid FISH/PCR
Urgent
Routine
(insert extra rows, as required)
Document Number:
6
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
List disorders/ clinical scenarios
~ No./
year
Genomic lesion detection strategies
Activity
Currently
performed
in lab?
Method(s) e.g. karyotype analysis,
FISH analysis, microarray, PCR-based
assays (end point, quantitative, realtime, etc), gel-based hybridization,
fragment analysis, DNA sequencing –
classical, massively parallel, etc.
Screening for chromosomal
gains & losses
Screening for unspecified
balanced chromosomal
rearrangements
Screening genome for
unspecified copy number
anomalies/ loss of
heterozygosity/ uniparental
disomy
Screening genome for
unspecified nucleotide-level
mutations
Targeted screening for specific
chromosomal translocations/
inversions/ copy number gains
and losses
Testing for specific copy
number anomalies/ loss of
heterozygosity
Testing for specific nucleotidelevel mutations
Testing involving use of
specific non-disease
associated polymorphisms
Targeted testing for uniparental
disomy, methylation
anomalies/ other epimutations
Other (list)
Document Number:
7
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
~ No./ year/
method used
Education and training checklist
Resource/ Activity
Comments
Professional Journals/ Library
Computer/ Internet facilities
Training courses (if applicable)
What opportunities are available for
participation in quality and audit
activities?
Multidisciplinary team meetings
(list, as applicable)
Clinical program. If applicable,
please list all in- and out-of-hours
clinical responsibilities.
Obstetric/neonatal/paediatric
/clinical genetic exposures (briefly
summarise)
Other clinical exposures (if
applicable)
What teaching activities is the
trainee involved in?
What opportunities for participation
in research programs are
available?
Does each trainee have a training
plan outlining goals?
What management training and
experiences are available to
trainees?
Other applicable training courses?
Document Number:
8
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
* To ensure that candidates for RCPA qualifications are exposed to more than one style and philosophy of
pathology practice, they are ordinarily limited to spending a maximum of 4 years training in one
laboratory. Training in geographically separate laboratories under unified management is ordinarily viewed
as having been completed in a single laboratory. Rotations of this nature do not fulfil the College
requirements for employment in a different institution unless significant differences in practice and
supervision can be demonstrated.
JSAC trainees are also required to complete training in more than one centre. At least 1 year of training must
occur at a separate training centre. This can occur in either the laboratory or clinical component of JSAC
training.
To assist the College in monitoring the above policy, please list all regular rotation arrangements below,
specifying whether they are internal or external (ie to an operationally distinct service or geographically
separate site with different management, practice and supervision).
Note:
if Trainees participate in an external rotation, the external site must also be accredited for training.
Discipline
Site
Type of Rotation
Purpose of Rotation
Internal
External
Internal
External
Internal
External
Internal
External
Internal
External
Internal
External
Please indicate any additional areas listed under the discipline check-lists in the Trainee Handbook for which
your laboratory is unable to provide training on site. Where applicable, please list the accessible alternative
options for trainees.
Signature: _______________________________________
Position: _______________________________________
Date: _____________________
Completed application forms, together with all relevant training programs and other supporting
documentation, should be forwarded to the Registrar at the Royal College of Pathologists of
Australasia. You will be advised of your accreditation status following the next meeting of the
Board of Education and assessment (BEA)/ and or determination by the Chief Examiner.
Email to lab@rcpa.edu.au fax to +61 2 8356 5828 or mail to RCPA, 207 Albion Street, Surry Hills NSW
2010 Australia.
Thank you for your support of pathology training.
Document Number:
9
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED WITHOUT A TRAINING PROGRAM
Document Number:
10
Document Name: Genetic Path Lab Accreditation Application form
Document Path: BOC - Lab accreditation - Forms - Current Accreditation application forms