NATIONAL TRAINEE SELECTION PROCESS

Preamble
The Australasian College of Dermatologists uses a standardised process to ensure that trainee selection is transparent and equitable and that the best applicants are selected to undertake dermatology training. The National Trainee Selection Procedure is based on the principles arising from the Medical Training Review Panel document on Trainee Selection in Australian Medical Colleges (The Brennan Report, January 1998).

Dermatology Competencies

In broad terms, by the end of the training program, a trainee will demonstrate their ability to undertake safe, skilled and competent practice as a clinical dermatologist by attaining the following outcomes:

• A high standard of scholarly knowledge plus competency in specific clinical and surgical skills fundamental to the practice of dermatology with the ability to integrate these competencies and apply them for safe and effective patient-centred care.
  
  
• The ability to communicate effectively and empathically with patients, patients' families, staff and colleagues. An awareness of the socio-cultural and economic factors that impact on patients and their attitudes to health care.
  
  
• An ability to accommodate and work with, the uncertainty inherent in medical practice, to demonstrate flexibility in their approach to their own work practices and to their patients. Be able to learn from mistakes.
  
  
• An active involvement in the education of patients, trainees, junior medical officers and other health care workers. A desire to foster clinical practice, research, and improvements in the health system.
  
  
• The ability to work with colleagues in a multidisciplinary team in the provision of medical care, to be capable of taking a leadership role when required. Respect for the contributions of all others in the workplace including office staff and employees.
  
  
• Have attained the competencies outlined in the curriculum and the training requirements as detailed in the Training Program Handbook.
  
  
• Recognition that their period in training is just the first step along a lifelong path of personal learning and professional development. Have developed the skills to process new knowledge/skills in an ongoing manner and incorporate these in their clinical practice where appropriate.

The College's curriculum outlines in more specific detail the components of these broadly described competencies.

Statement of Selection Principles Dermatology is a highly sought after specialty. As a consequence, selection for the limited positions is very competitive. This means that many candidates who are fully capable of completing the training will not be selected to fill a position.

The Australasian College of Dermatologists selects into its training program applicants who best demonstrate that they have the skills, abilities, competencies and personal qualities that will allow them to achieve the learning outcomes of the training program.

The selection process is standardised and involves shortlisting based on information provided both in application forms and from verbal referees' reports. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed to further assess their suitability. No applicant will be selected into a training program without an interview.

The principle of equal opportunity applies to all selection processes. The selection process has been designed to be open, transparent and accountable.

The chances of being selected are not influenced by whether you have applied previously. Each application is scrutinised afresh in competition with others for the year. It must be pointed out, however, that your experience and performance remain with you for each application: if you were assessed as not being competitive within the applicant pool in one year, given a similar group applying and similar numbers of positions, your relative position in the merit order should not changed markedly.

In order to let you assess the likelihood of being selected over subsequent applications, the table below provides information on the percentage of applicants picked up from each group of applicantts from a first application through to the fourth and subsequent ones.

As there is variation between states regarding the application process for hospital-based programs, applicants for dermatology training programs should contact the Department of Health of the state in which they are applying for a program to inform themselves of any special local requirements.

All contact between applicants and the College must be conducted through the College's national office. No applicant is to contact any member of the assessment, interview or selection committees directly.

Selection Process

The selection process is made up of five sequential stages: seeking and receiving applications, checking for eligibility, shortlisting, interviewing, and final allocation to training positions. Each of these will now be covered in more detail.

1. Seeking and Receiving Applications

Advertising
A general advertisement will be placed in the national press advising potential applicants that applications for training positions are open, the process for submitting applications and the closing date by which applications must be submitted. Information will also appear on the College website: www.dermcoll.asn.au.

Application Process
Applications can only be made online via the College website on the standardised application form. An application fee is charged. An application will not be considered if the fee has not been paid.

Sufficient time is allowed in the selection process to enable applicants to complete all of the requirements of the application form and to submit the form by the closing date. An applicant cannot change their application form once it has been submitted.

Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. Applications that are incomplete will not be considered. All documentation requested in the application process must reach the College by the closing date.

Applicants for dermatology training will only be able to choose two locations where they would prefer to undertake their training. It is up to the applicants to make these choices based on their individual domestic circumstances and work preferences. In the normal course of events, candidates will not be considered for training in other locations.

2. Checking for Eligibility

Applications will be checked for candidate eligibility and completeness. Candidates who are not eligible to apply will not be processed further. Applications that are incomplete will also not be considered.

Supporting documentation should be available on request for scrutiny by College or its delegates when requested.

To be eligible for consideration for selection, applicants must:

1. Be unconditionally registered for medical practice in one or more states of Australia;
2. Have resident status in Australia; and
3. Have completed or be likely to satisfactorily complete a minimum of 2 years of acceptable postgraduate training (PGY 1 + PGY 2) in a teaching hospital or equivalent recognised by College by the time of commencing the training program.

Acceptable training is defined as terms in general medicine (adult and paediatric) and general surgery as well as terms in the medical and surgical sub-specialties and psychiatry. The aim should be to have a broad exposure to a variety of disciplines. No more than 3 months in the 2 years of training should be spent in the same subspecialty area. Potential applicants who are uncertain whether their training or proposed training conforms to these guidelines should write to the Honorary Secretary of the College with a detailed outline of their training and/or proposed training for a ruling as to its eligibility.

In exceptional circumstances some of the above requirements may be deleted or amended at the discretion of the College.

Applicants selected into the training program must provide certified evidence that the two years have been completed when they commence training. If an applicant fails to produce this evidence the College will withdraw that applicant's offer of a place in the training program.

3. Shortlisting

All eligible applicants will be considered for shortlisting.

Applicants will be given the opportunity to express a preference for training in two separate locations (chosen from WA, SA, VIC, NSW, NSW Country, and QLD). Applicants will only be considered for shortlisting in the two locations for which they have expressed a preference.

Shortlisting will be undertaken using the application form and information derived from standardised verbal referee reports. The College's Human Resources consultants will conduct reference checks on each applicant by telephone using a standard questionnaire. The referees' responses are recorded and used to prepare a reference report for each applicant. The College does not accept written testimonials.

Applicants will be ranked according to National guidelines in order of merit by the selection committee in each of the two locations for which they have applied. To ensure standardisation and fairness the candidates will also be ranked by a College Fellow from a separate location. For example, a shortlisting order of merit list will be created by Victoria for all applicants who gave Victoria as a first or second preference. This same group will also be rank ordered by a Fellow from, for example, Queensland. Any order discrepancies between the two lists will be refereed by an independent arbitrator in accordance with the National guidelines.

The number of candidates progressing to the next stage of selection for each location will be dependent on the projected number of vacancies for that location. The number interviewed will be higher than the number of vacancies. Consequently not all shortlisted candidates will be successful in their applications.

4. Interviewing

All interviews will be conducted by a national interview committee at the College premises in Sydney on a single weekend in August.

The national interview committee will contain equal numbers of representatives from each State Faculty selection committee; HR personnel from the College's HR consultants, as well as health jurisdictional and consumer representatives.

Interviews are structured and behaviourally based. Moreover, any matter covered in the candidates' curriculum vitae, referees' reports or reports from other persons (if applicable) is potentially subject to review during the interview. The interview will be structured to establish the candidates' degree of match with the selection criteria.

A workshop was conducted at the 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting in May with a wide range of highly experienced dermatology trainers from around Australia. This group looked at situations where dermatology trainees showed outstanding performance as well as separate situations where performance was not up to the desired standards. By analysing the behaviours shown by candidates in these critical incidents, the College was able to determine behavioural competencies that differentiate outstanding performers from others. The competencies demonstrated by outstanding performers included:

• being proactive;
• showing altruistic patient focus;
• demonstrating interpersonal understanding and empathy to all work colleagues, supervisors and patients;
• using intuitive/holistic thinking; and
• following things through to completion.

Behaviours demonstrated in situations where performance was unsatisfactory were categorised as follows:

• not being open to constructive criticism;
• lacking self insight;
• generating interpersonal conflict;
• demonstrating a poor work ethic;
• lacking integrity; and
• being unable to develop pattern recognition within reasonable timeframe.

Because of the competitiveness of entry into dermatology training, we will be looking to select trainees who are not only capable of passing the course and meeting our competency standards but also who demonstrate behavioural competencies leading to outstanding performance. Equally, we will work to select out people who have shown evidence of the negative behaviours outlined above. This will be done through both interviewing and additional reference checks.

Integrity is vital to being a dermatologist so be prepared for your role in any of the work situations you discuss to be subject to external verification. Falsifying incidents or overstating your own role will lead to instant exclusion from further consideration.

At the end of the interview, each candidate will be given the opportunity to ask questions and to express an opinion as to whether he/she is satisfied with the selection and interview process. These responses will be recorded.

If a conflict of interest exists between a committee member and a candidate, then the committee member will declare this and absent himself/herself from the committee. In situations where there is some doubt as to whether a real conflict of interest exists, then the interview committee chairperson will make a decision as to whether that committee member should absent himself/herself from the committee.

The national interview committee interviews, ranks and prepares a report on all short listed candidates. The committee then returns this information to College.

Any areas of concern or interest in candidates may be followed up with referees at this point.

The College recommends that candidates seek professional advice beforehand on how best to handle interview situations. However, this is not mandatory.

5. Final Allocation to Training Positions

Faculty Selection of Candidates: Candidates shortlisted for each Faculty location will be allocated to the order of merit list according to their performance on the National Selection Process.

Preference Matching: State Faculty chairs or their delegates will meet in teleconference to match the State Faculty rankings with the applicants' State Faculty preferences. The preference matching teleconference agrees on the final offers of positions on Faculty training programs.

Applicants are notified of the status of their applications by the College.

The ultimate allocation of training positions within each Faculty is made by that Faculty's committee; however, the final selection may be made by a hospital committee/administrator or health authority.

6. Documentation

A record of proceedings of both the Selection and Interview Committees will be kept for a minimum period of six years in a secure manner at the College premises, with access only by the President, Censor in Chief or the Honorary Secretary of College.

7. Employment

The College participates in the trainee selection process, in cooperation with the relevant hospitals and/or health authorities. However, trainees are employed by hospitals or health authorities, not by the College. In some circumstances, including cuts in funding, a trainee position may cease to be available or be terminated.

Unfortunately, the College is not in a position to ensure that a trainee affected by a loss of his or her trainee position, for whatever reason, can be placed in another trainee position.