Specialist Pathway Fees
Pricing Scheduled as of 1 July 2014
IMGs on ACRRM’s Specialist Pathway are assessed on their individual merits, experience, and
qualifications. They pass through key checkpoints in the initial assessment period to evaluate
their eligibility to be assessed as either partially, substantially, or not comparable. If they are
deemed to be partially or substantially comparable their pathway consists of milestones
throughout the assessment period. Fees applicable to the pathway are outlined below.
Item
Pathway Fees
Application Review Fee
Amount
Payment Due
$650*
Upon application
Paper Based Assessment Fee
$550
Upon request
Structured Interview Fee
and
Video conferencing Fee (ACRRM’s Fee only)
$1650
Upon request
$495
(candidate must source and pay for services at their location)
ACRRM Membership Fee (IMG Category)
$305
Upon acceptance
Learning Plan Fee
$1100
Upon request
IMG Support Fee
($2400 per annum)
$600
Quarterly from
commencement of
pathway
Assessment Fees
Formative Multi Source Feedback
$235
As required
Summative Multi Source Feedback
$575
As required
Mini Clinical Evaluation Examination (miniCEX)
$1895
As required
Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient
Scenarios (StAMPS)
$2295
As required
$550
Upon request
Additional Fees (if applicable)
Review Meeting
All fees are GST-Free unless otherwise indicated
* Inclusive of GST
Prices are subject to change. Fees listed are effective 1 July 2014
Below is an explanation of each fee:
Application Review Fee
ACRRM will review application and supporting documents for eligibility and completion.
Paper Based Assessment Fee
ACRRM’s censor or nominee reviews the application received, focusing on the
applicant’s experience, education and qualifications to validate the applicant’s
eligibility to be assessed as partially or substantially comparable to an Australian
trained doctor. Those who are identified as not comparable are advised by ACRRM in
writing.
Structured Interview Fee (paid once structured i nterview date is confirmed)
The structured interview is an interview via video conference with ACRRM fellows where the
applicant’s level of comparability with an Australian-trained fellow of the college is rated as
not comparable, partially comparable or substantially comparable for the purposes of the
Specialist Pathway. Following the interview the panel defines educational and assessment
activities that must be undertaken during the period of ‘Peer Review’.
Video Conferencing Fee
ACRRM engages an external provider to support video conference interviews. The provider
will conduct a test call with the applicant’s nominated venue prior to the interview to
ensure connectivity is secured before the interview proceeds. The provider also does
bridging of all those video conferencing into the interview. This fee is associated with costs
of engaging ACRRM’s facility provider.
Please note: The applicant is responsible for arrangements of their own video
conference facilities and the costs incurred at the applicant’s location.
ACRRM Membership Fee (IMG Category)
A special rate applies for IMG’s on the Specialist Pathway during their participation in the
assessment pathway to fellowship of ACRRM. Membership of ACRRM provides applicants
with benefits such as access to Rural and Remote Medical Education Online (RRMEO) an
education and networking platform developed by ACRRM specifically for rural doctors in
training and in practice and automatic enrolment in ACRRM’s Professional Development
Program (PDP). For more information on ACRRM membership benefits visit:
ACRRMMemberBenefits.
Learning Plan Fee
On completion of the structured interview ACRRM’s censor or their nominee will create a
personalised individual learning and assessment plan for the applicant based on the outcome
of their structured interview. The learning and assessment plan will take into account the
applicant’s level of comparability to an Australian-trained fellow of ACRRM and any gaps in
the applicant’s skills, knowledge or experience.
Once the IMG has arrived in Australia and commenced work, a teleconference will be held
with them, their supervisor and our IMG Manager and Medical Educator to confirm the
understanding of each activity allocated within the learning and assessment plan.
These teleconference discussions will occur every 6 months from the date the IMG
commences on the Specialist Pathway.
IMG Support Fee
ACRRM has a support team for candidate’s to coordinate the various aspects of the
candidate’s period of peer review. The team is a toll-free call or email away at any time
during business hours. This support involves processing the quarterly supervisor reports,
organising, processing, releasing the results of assessments, providing updates on up
and coming events and taking care of all administrative tasks involved in ensuring all
aspects of the applicant’s progress through the Specialist Pathway are efficiently carried out
to a high standard.
In addition an ACRRM Medical Educator will contact IMGs on a quarterly basis to
provide external support and advice as they become orientated to Australian rural and
remote practice.
Multi Source Feedback (MSF)
The MSF is a well-established instrument designed to provide practitioners with a wide
range of views on many aspects of their practice. The report is based on a questionnaire
being completed by the applicant, their peers, the supervisors and some of their patients.
This 360 degree review presents a clear picture of performance, identifies strengths and
areas which could be targeted for further development.
ACRRM Mini Clinical Examination (Mini-CEX)
The mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (miniCEX) examination in conducted within the
applicant’s place of employment. The examiner attends to observe and assess the
applicant’s overall clinical competence which includes communication skills, history taking,
physical examination, clinical judgment, clinical organisation and efficiency. In particular, the
summative miniCEX focuses on those areas not measured by other modalities which include
core skills in history taking and especially core skills in physical examination.
Multi Choice Questionnaire (MCQ)
The MCQ examination provides an assessment of the doctor’s recall, reasoning and applied
clinical knowledge. The examination is conducted through a secure website over the
internet, enabling the doctor to undertake the examination within or close to their own local
community. The examination is conducted over 3 hours and consists of 125 questions
of the ‘type A’ style. Questions mostly consist of a clinical case presentation, a brief targeted
lead-in question and 4-5 options to choose from. There are no negative marks for incorrect
answers.
ACRRM Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS)
StAMPS is an innovative assessment modality in which a combined OSCE/VIVA style of
examination is undertaken via a videoconference. The StAMPS examination was developed
specifically to provide applicants in rural and remote locations with a reliable, affordable,
flexible, acceptable, and contextually relevant method for assessment of clinical reasoning
and problem solving skills.
Review Meeting
A Review Meeting may be requested of applicant’s who have completed the structured interview
and they have not arrived in and/or commenced working within Australia within the 12 month
timeframe from the date of their structured interview. This will be conducted via teleconference
with our IMG Program Manager and nominated representative of ACRRM.