Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians
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The post-nominal initials FRACP stand for "Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians."
Fellowship is recognition of completion of the College's prescribed post-graduate specialist training program in medicine. The College oversees training in Australia and New Zealand for specialty training in (Internal) Medicine for BOTH Adults and Paediatrics.
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[edit] Program Components
The program leading to the award of FRACP consists of three main stages:
Basic Training; RACP Examinations; & Advanced Training
FRACP is awarded for training programs in "Adult Internal Medicine" or "Paediatrics & Child Health". Both programs have a similar structure, although the content/examinations are obviously different for trainees in their respective streams.
[edit] Basic Training
Basic Training consists of a series of 36 months of accredited hospital posts, approved by local directors of physician training, which encompass a variety of medical specialties, emergency medicine, tertiary centre, & regional and rural hospital rotations. The program must contain prescribed proportions of the aforementioned areas/locations, and is assess by ongoing continuous assessment of the candidate's supervising physicians. Basic Training is roughly equivalent to Residency Program in the United States, or Core Medical Training in the United Kingdom
[edit] RACP Examinations
After 24 months of Basic Training, trainees become eligible to sit the external RACP examinations. These consist of a Written and a Clinical Examination. The Written Examination consists of multiple choice questions, and is held only once a year in March. The Clinical Examination (consisting of two Long Cases, and four short cases, examined by two assessors), are subsequently held in July each year. The Written must be passed before attempting the Clinical exam, and both must be successfully completed before the trainee can proceed to Advanced training.
The Written Examination, is roughly analogous to the Board Examination for Internal Medicine in the United States, and the MRCP Part 1 & 2 (written) exams in the United Kingdom.
NB: unlike the US & UK examinations, there is no award/qualification upon their completion - the whole program (ie subsequent Advanced training) must be completed.
The examinations, being the primary hurdle to becoming a specialist physician, are notoriously difficult with an average first attempt fail rate of 50%.
[edit] Advanced Training
This consists of a program of 3-4 years of further subspecialty training of the trainee's choice. This is devised to meet the requirements of the relevant subspecialty advisory group. It usually consists of clinical training in hospital posts, but may include research, or overseas posts for some part. Multiple subspecialisations are possible, (although with repective increases in training time.)
[edit] Recognition
Fellowship is a highly regarded qualification, given the extended and rigorous training program,the wide experience & knowledge base, and general commitment required for its attainment.
Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians is a requirement to be recognised as a Specialist or Consultant Physician, in General (Internal) Medicine or the relevant subspecialty, in Australia and New Zealand.
FRACP, in Australia, also allows Physicians to register as a specialist with Medicare, and therefore charges incurred by patients when consulting them, may be re-imbursed in whole or part by the Australian Government.
