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JMO Charter 2009
2. Definitions
What is prevocational training?
Prevocational Training is the beginning of medical education in which doctors develop competencies after completion of their basic medical qualification.
The first two postgraduate years after medical graduation (PGY1 and PGY2) provide the grounding for future vocational training. These first few years are spent primarily in public hospitals and /or community settings. The PMCWA oversees training and educational opportunities for junior medical staff in these early postgraduate years.
DPGME, DCT and MEOs
Each hospital has a Department of Postgraduate Medical Education, which supports training and offers careers advice for doctors. Education opportunities cover pre-vocational, speciality and sub-speciality training and continuing medical education. For interns, these include regular protected teaching sessions, as well as the opportunity to attend courses or seminars. The Director of Postgraduate Medical Education (DPGME) is a consultant who has general responsibility for overseeing hospital wide post graduate medical education activities, including orientation of doctors. The Director has specific responsibility for overseeing the training of pre vocational doctors in accordance with the requirements of the Postgraduate Medical Council.
There is also a Director of Clinical Training (DCT). This person is usually a consultant at the hospital whose role includes assisting with the prevocational training program, providing feedback and advice to junior doctors, as well as liaising with term supervisors regarding JMO issues. The DCT is a person to approach in times of stress, or difficult situations as they will be able to provide you with advice.
Medical Education Officers (MEOs) are also employed within the department to specifically assist with the pre-vocational junior doctor's education and training experience. You will come to know your MEO very well in your intern year, as s/he will be present at all the intern teaching sessions, as well as keeping you up to date with other news relevant to interns.
Individual Hospital Activities
Fremantle Hospital and Health Service (FHHS)
Fremantle Hospital is a 450-bed major acute-care teaching hospital, which includes 66 psychiatric and psychogeriatric beds, as well as 30 paediatric beds. It is the State referral hospital for diving and hyperbaric medicine, and has a cardiothoracic surgery centre and a nuclear medicine department. FHHS’s other campuses include Kaleeya Hospital in East Fremantle and the Rottnest Island Nursing Post.
The Resident Medical Officers’ Society is very active and comprises of RMO and Intern representatives. It is a valuable advocate and support network for RMOs. The RMO Society’s other role is to organise a range of social activities for RMOs.
The “Blue Room” is a large well-equipped room for the exclusive use of doctors at FHHS, famous for its RMO social events. Equipped with a plasma TV, pool table, bar and coffee machine the Blue Room continues to grow in popularity and is a great attraction for all doctors who join FHHS.
Royal Perth Hospital (RPH)
RPH is situated inside the Perth CBD, on the train line. It has 530 medical and surgical day and multi-day beds, with another 49 intensive/high dependency beds (there are another 190 beds at the Shenton Park Campus). It employs approximately 7000 full time staff. It is represented by almost every speciality except obstetrics and paediatrics and is known for its emergency and trauma services. RPH is the largest teaching hospital in Western Australia. The emergency department at RPH is one of the busiest in Australia with over 54,000 presentations per year. There are 73,000 in-patients a year and RPH receives about 225,000 outpatient attendances a year.
Specialties that RPH is known for are interventional neuroradiology, cardiac and lung transplantation, burns management, bone marrow transplantation, rehabilitation medicine and trauma services with the recent opening of the State Trauma Unit. As a JMO, you have the opportunity of doing a rotation in any one of the specialities that RPH has to offer: haematology, rheumatology, vascular surgery, trauma, radiation oncology etc.
Socially, RPH has an enthusiastic RMO society with a very busy social calendar: from Milligan’s Bar on a Friday evening, to numerous cocktail parties, and the annual ball.
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH)
“Charlie’s” provides a 606 bed hospital on campus with many UWA teaching and research facilities. It is the principle site for elective neurosurgery and liver transplantation, the state cancer centre, Lions Eye Institute and the major centre for respiratory medicine.
The RMO society keeps a busy social schedule with Friday night drinks and sushi for morning tea in the common room and an annual ball.
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