Prevocational Medical Accreditation Framework (PMAF)

All Postgraduate Medical Councils agreed to work towards a national Prevocational Medical Accreditation Framework (PMAF). Project funding provided by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing allowed CPMEC to build on the work done previously to exchange information on accreditation practices in each state through the CPMEC National Accreditation Network.

The PMAF project aims to increase consistency across the jurisdictions of accreditation practices, align prevocational accreditation practices with other appropriate local and international benchmarks, reduce duplication of work required in each PMC (or its equivalent), and provide increased transparency of accreditation practices. The project has been recognised by the Medical Training and Review Panel (MTRP) as a national priority in prevocational medical education. It also fits in with COAG initiatives towards achieving national registration and accreditation in the health professions.

CPMEC established a National Technical Group (NTG) to develop the Prevocational Medical Accreditation Framework which included representation from the Accreditation Committee of each Postgraduate Medical Council since the commencement of the process. The NTG also had junior doctors and a medical education officer with accreditation experience.

The NTG met on a number of occasions to consider the documentation for the PMAF. In the development of the PMAF, CPMEC has utilised the recent work done by the Postgraduate Medical Council of Queensland in developing their accreditation systems. The PMAF document encompasses recommended principles and policies that should underpin the accreditation of prevocational medical training in Australia.

The draft PMAF will now be subject to extensive consultations with key stakeholders, as was the case with the development of the Australian Curriculum Framework for Junior Doctors. The document was formally launched at the 13th Prevocational Forum in Hobart. The document is accessible from this section of the CPMEC website. The draft PMAF document was distributed to a number of delegates at the Hobart Forum.

For enquiries about PMAF, please contact Dr Doug McKitrick, the PMAF Project Officer at doug.mckitrick@uwa.edu.au or Ms Ranj Jagadish, the Project Administrative Officer at Ranj.Jagadish@health.wa.gov.au.

Click here for the Draft Prevocational Medical Accreditation Framework