July 2011
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

By the end of this session participants will
• Be aware of selection criteria
• Know the purpose of the interview
• Know what can and can’t be asked at interview
• Have reviewed common interview errors
• Be familiar with the Behaviourally Anchored
Rating Scales (BARS) to assess interview responses
• Know the interview process
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Phase 1
– Checking eligibility of location (RA 2 – 5; solo doctor / multidoctor town)
– Ranking of Citizenship / Qualifications / Registration as category 1 to 4
• Phase 2
– CEO determines applicants to be interviewed, based on phase 1
• Phase 3
– Applicant interviews
• Two interviewers on each panel (one experienced)
• Structured interview process
• Consensus scoring
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Phase 4
– Referee checks by RVTS medical educator
– Educator judges applicant suitability based on referee check and interview
• Phase 5
– CEO determines which applicants will be sent a letter of offer based on all of the above information
• Phase 6
– Further rounds of applications if necessary
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Location
• Practice status
• Medical registration & residency
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• RA 2 Inner Regional
• RA 3 Outer Regional
• RA 4 Remote Australia
• RA 5 Very Remote Australia
• >80km or 1 hour by road from a centre with no less than a continuous specialist service
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Solo practice OR
• Location where medical services would be compromised by departure of doctor to undertake training AND
• Position provides continuing, comprehensive whole-patient medical care to individuals, families, community
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

Must have either
• Limited registration for area of need OR
• General registration
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

Citizenship/Qualifications/Registration ranking
1. Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident, with General Registration with the
Medical Board of Australia.
2. A temporary resident who has applied for permanent residence and has General Registration with the Medical
Board of Australia.
3. An Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident who has Limited Registration for
Area of Need with the Medical Board of Australia.
4. A temporary resident who has Limited Registration for
Area of Need with the Medical Board of Australia.
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

To assess applicants :
• their demonstrated commitment to rural/remote practice;
• their experience in and/or suitability for rural/remote practice; and
• their capacity for self-directed learning and suitability for the RVTS program.
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Interviews are by phone
• Two interviewers
• Interviewers and applicants will be phoned by the teleconference provider
• The interview should take around
45mins – 5 mins at the start and finish and 5 mins per question, 7 questions
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Interviewers are sent interview documents
• Interviewers will be joined into the teleconference prior to the applicant
• One interviewer will ‘chair’ the interview
• The other interviewer will be ‘timekeeper’
• Ask the operator to connect the applicant into the call
• Applicants are faxed the two scenarios 15 minutes prior to interview (by admin)
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Introduce yourselves
• Check that the applicant has faxed through their identity form
• Interviewers individually rate applicants for each question and complete the individual rating form electronically or in writing
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Background questions – not scored
• Interview questions – scored
1. Interest in rural and remote practice
2. Professional development
3. Communication Skills
4. Time Management
5. Clinical Competence (scenario)
6. Willingness to receive feedback and learn from it
7. Ethical Practice(scenario)
• Wrap up
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Ask the questions in the same order
• Use only the prompts provided
• Allow the applicant to do most of the talking
• Keep to time
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Ask non-standard questions
• Provide non-standard prompting
• Raise issues of eligibility
• Pursue certain issues (equal opportunity)
– Religious beliefs
– Occupation of family members
– Sexual practice or preference
– Marital or family status
– Political beliefs
– Physical impairments
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• The overall perception affects the rating of specific attributes
• Assigning ratings that are unduly lenient or harsh
• Tendency to restrict ratings to the middle of the scale
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Comparing between applicants rather than rating based on the response given
• Rating based on what is first heard
• Rating based on what was last heard
• Allowing personal views to influence the rating eg an applicant’s accent
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Behaviourally Anchored Rating Scales
– To be used as a guide only
– They should not be used as literal prescriptions of what to look for
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• Interviewers link up via phone and agree on a consensus rating for each question.
• The chair completes the panel rating form and emails it to interviewer 2 for checking
• Interviewers email or fax individual and panel rating forms to RVTS –
02 60415149 (fax)
• The nominated interviewer follows up on referees – usually MEs
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

• RVTS selection criteria
• The purpose of the interview
• The interview process
• What can and can’t be asked at interview
• Common interview errors
• BARS
Remote Vocational Training Scheme

Remote Vocational Training Scheme