Top End Health Service specialities and rotations

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Intensive care positions in TEHS

Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) has the only Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Top End of the Northern Territory. It services a population of 180,000 in an area of more than 500,000 square kilometres with 6,200 kilometres of coastline, from East Arnhem to the Kimberley. RDH is the forward receiving hospital for Northern Australia and plays a major role in disaster management in the region through the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre.

RDH ICU is a mixed Adult/Paediatric Level 3 ICU with 18 beds. In addition to Paediatrics, the case mix includes sepsis, trauma, and neurosurgery. There are 1,200 admissions annually. The ICU Department employs eight ICU specialists, one ICU Fellow, seven ICU registrars and five ICU RMOs.

Indigenous Australians are one third of the population of the Top End but represent more than 50 per cent of the intensive care patients. Many Indigenous patients come from remote communities. There is a strong emphasis placed on cultural sensitivity in the ICU.

RDH ICU is accredited for general, paediatric (AP12), neurosurgery and trauma training in the new College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) curriculum. In addition CICM has recently accredited RDH ICU for a Transition Fellow position.

RDH ICU has cardiac echo qualified ICU specialists on staff, including CICM qualified assessors. The ICU runs an echo training program for registrars and the ability to provide support for higher ultrasound qualifications.

The unit is accredited for 12 months advanced training in the pre-2014 curriculum (C12).

We are an active member of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) Clinical Trials Group with a full time research coordinator and an active research program.

For further information on resident or registrar positions you can contact Director of ICU Training by emailing SurgicalRecruitment.THS@nt.gov.au

Opportunities in TEHS

Accredited training positions:

  • Registrar

Prevocational doctor placements:

  • RMO – five positions (avg 13 week rotation)

We have trainees rotating from ICU, ED, and RMOs from the Critical Care and Rural Generalist streams.

College

College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM)

Entry requirements

  • Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
  • General medical registration with AHPRA
  • 6 months experience in a CICM accredited ICU within three years

Duration

  • 6 years

Exams/Assessments

Exam:

  • Primary/Part one and Fellowship/Part two

Other Assessments:

  • Observed Clinical encounters
  • Formal project
  • Workplace Based Assessments
  • Online modules x 10
  • Advanced airway, communication, Echo and Ultrasound, Introduction to ICU Medicine, Donor awareness, Advanced Life Support, Advanced Paediatric Life Support, Management Skills Course

TEHS Accredited Training

RDPH/TEHS is accredited to provide:

  • Foundation time, Core training
  • Transition year
  • Elective
  • Anaesthetics (limited to one position per year for CICM trainees)
  • Medicine (can include six months of ED)
  • TEHS: rural
  • ICU specific rotation: paediatrics (12 months), neurosurgery, trauma

Unaccredited positions

  • Positions preferably provided to CICM, ANZCA, ACEM trainees.
  • Others (eg ACCRM or people not in a college training position) will be decided upon merits.

For further information on resident or registrar positions you can contact Director of ICU Training by emailing SurgicalRecruitment.THS@nt.gov.au

The Royal Darwin Hospital offers an RMO pathway to critical care training. This will generally be available to those who have demonstrated an extended service commitment greater than 12 months. Interested applicants will need to apply through RDH Medical Recruitment by emailing SurgicalRecruitment.THS@nt.gov.au

The registrar role is suitable for PGY 3-4 College of Intensive Care Medicine, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists or Australasian College of Emergency Medicine trainees. It provides the opportunity to complete up to 12 months as ICU registrar and up to 12 months acute general medicine. One hundred percent of candidates who have sat the CICM Primary while at RDH have passed.

Successful candidates will have the opportunity to apply for 12 months anesthesia training. Trainees may also consider Careflight Registrar options.

Selection Criteria

RDH ICU registrar applicants will need to fulfill the following criteria:

  • PGY 3 to 4 or above
  • ICU experience of three to six months
  • Airway experience
  • College membership
  • Exam Progress:
  • For ICU trainees evidence of progress towards the CICM primary.
  • For ACEM registrars success at college primary. ACEM trainees not enrolled in CICM should apply through RDH Emergency Department in the first instance.
  • A mixture of other experiences in acute medicine/ED/paediatrics or remote medicine are also useful for potential ICU registrar applicants.

Courses such as ALS, APLS, EMST, and BASIC are good preparation for an ICU registrar post.

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