RANZCR: Impressive Results in a Difficult Year

Chief Censor in Radiation Oncology

Dr Yaw Chin

The 2021 New Year has kicked off with hope and optimism; the hope that the COVID-19 vaccines developed will reduce the number of infections and ease the social restrictions that have impacted every facet of our lives. However, it is unclear when the timelines for this to occur will actually come to fruition this year. With this uncertainty in mind, we cautiously plan and organise for this year’s activities, recognising that there are still many potential roadblocks ahead as demonstrated by the recent snap lockdowns.

As previously communicated, the results of the 2020 Phase 1 examinations were released on 15 December 2020. At the Board of Examiners meeting, 28 out of 35 candidates who presented satisfied all requirements and passed the Phase 1 examinations. Three further candidates were offered supplementary viva examinations in Anatomy. These were conducted virtually on 27 January 2021 and all three candidates were successful in that sitting. This gave the final overall pass rate of 89 per cent. The results of the 2020 Phase 2 examinations were released one month later, on 15 January 2021.

The breakdown of pass rates according to the individual papers are as follows:

Writtens

Radiation Therapy 85.7 per cent

Clinical Oncology 92.9 per cent

Pathology 82.3 per cent

Vivas

Planning 95.8 per cent

Patients and Prompts 100 per cent

Pathology 92.3 per cent

This gives an overall pass rate for Radiation Therapy, Clinical Oncology and Pathology of 81 per cent.

“The passing rates for both phases are among the highest rates in recent years and is a testament to our trainees’ strength and resilience in navigating through what has been a most arduous and stressful year. ”

Correspondingly, immense gratitude and congratulations go out to both Phase 1 and Phase 2 examination teams, who have demonstrated an incredible amount of patience, flexibility and fortitude as they contend with a multitude of changes, often with very little notice provided. The achievement of delivering these examinations under extremely difficult and trying circumstances is applaudable and specific acknowledgment goes out to Dr Sean Brennan as Chief of Examinations and Drs Claire Hardie and Carminia Lapuz as Phase 1 examination leads. My heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all three individuals as they step down from their respective roles and move on to bigger and better endeavours.

The Phase 1 examination date for 2021 has now been set for Friday 10 September 2021 and will be aligned with the current paper-based examination format. All going well, the examinations will continue to take place at one central training site/location per training network, with contingency plans in place, taking into account potential lockdowns.

Following the recent Board of Examiners meeting, the Phase 2 examination timelines have also been confirmed to occur in line with previous years’ Series 2 examinations with the written component to be delivered in July and the viva voce component in August. This allows maximum time to plan for the 2021 examination series and minimum disruption to the 2022 examinations, which will revert to being delivered twice per annum. In order to mitigate the risks caused by potential border and travel restrictions, the Education and Training Committee (ETC) has decided that the viva voce component of the 2021 Phase 2 examinations will continue to be delivered in a virtual format, with no live patients required for the patient/prompt-based questions. Again, the plan is for these to occur at one central training site/ location per training network, with contingency plans in place, taking into account potential lockdowns.

As you are all aware, accreditation site visits have been postponed for most training sites in 2020. Extensions have been granted to sites whose accreditation were due to expire in 2020 by an additional 12 months. A schedule for 2021 has now been drafted for potential face-to-face visits and virtual visits depending on the priority to meet accreditation standards. With the backlog of visits from last year, the accreditation team will require substantial bolstering, and I am hopeful that Fellows will engage with the accreditation team as the need arises.

Dr Lisa Sullivan continues to spearhead work in the Training and Assessment Reform (TAR) sphere and major progress has been achieved with the near completion of the Radiation Oncology Training Handbook. Concrete plans for implementing the new training program will subsequently occur after the upcoming Implementation Working Group (IWG) meeting. This will require close collaboration with the training networks and the scheduled Directors of Training (DoT) webinars this year will be focusing on some of the most significant changes that are going to occur when the new training program comes into force in 2022.

I would like to highlight one particular change in the new training program which involves the formation of the Network Portfolio Review Committee (NPRC) within each training network. These committees are tasked with reviewing trainees’ portfolios and are responsible for approving their progression into Phase 2 of the training program, as well as eligibility for admission into Fellowship. This is in keeping with the philosophy of programmatic assessment, where the entire assemblage of prospectively gathered information of a trainee’s learning journey is reviewed and analysed, in order to make high-stakes decisions for trainee progression. The NPRC also allows these high-stakes decisions to occur at an arm’s length principle, removing the onus of having these determinations singly shouldered by the DoTs.

If you have any questions or comments about this article please contact Brendan Grabau | Senior Training Advisor | Training Programs on ronctaa@ranzcr.edu.au