Community-based Terms at the
Clarence Community and Health Centre
What is the Community Placement? | Who can apply? | Where is Clarence Community and Health Centre? | Who will supervise me? | What type of experience will I gain? | How will I be paid on the Community-based Term? | How many placements are available?
The development of pilot community and rural terms for prevocational medical officers is an initiative
of the Medical
Training Review Panel and funded by the Commonwealth
Department of Health and Ageing.
In Tasmania, a Reference Group, which includes the University
of Tasmania, the Post
Graduate Medical Institute Tasmania, the Tasmanian General
Practice Education and Training Consortium, the Tasmanian
Department of Health and Human Services through its Hospital and Ambulance Services and Community, Population and Rural
Health divisions, tendered successfully for funds to run a pilot program in 2004 at Clarence Community and Health Centre.
What is the Community Placement?
The Community-based Term at Clarence Community and Health Centre provides prevocational medical officers with a 13 week
term in a community setting. The placement provides junior doctors with opportunities to:
- gain clinical experience in the breadth of medical problems presenting in community-based practice, with emphasis
on general practice management of patients in the community context
- gain an understanding of continuing, comprehensive, patient-centred
primary and preventive community-based care
- develop knowledge and skills in the assessment and management of patient health status care needs and including chronic
illness and care in the home
- develop knowledge and skills in the extended generalist practice of community medicine; primary care; multidisciplinary
care; planning and administration; and public, environmental and community health care
- be better able to make informed career choices through examination of the nature of community-based medical practice.
Who can apply?
The Community-based Term is offered to prevocational junior
doctors with unconditional registration in their PGY2 or PGY3 (resident) year.
Where is Clarence Community and Health Centre?
- Clarence Community and Health Centre (CCHC) is located in the eastern suburbs of Hobart and serves a population
area of 47,500. The Centre's patient catchment area extends from Howrah in the south to Risdon Vale in the north. In
addition to a comprehensive range of community health services the Centre incorporates a medical practice and maintains
a branch general practice at Risdon Vale.
- CCHC is acknowledged by the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
as an interdisciplinary clinical teaching Centre of Excellence and as such provides an ideal environment for Community
Placements. The Centre routinely supports placements for medical, nursing, and a range of allied health undergraduates.
Who will supervise me?
Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) will be supervised by the Senior Medical Officer (currently Dr Marianne Catchpole) and
two Medical Officers (currently Drs Frank Meumann and Max Sharma).
What type of experience will I gain?
- JMOs will receive a comprehensive orientation to the Clarence Community and Health Centre, the Risdon Vale Community Health
Centre and allied health services in the first week. The orientation program will include an assessment of the JMO's
specific learning needs and the development of a work schedule.
- The primary involvement of the trainees will be through participation in clinical consultations (maximum of two
per hour) over a five day week. The participation will include a combination of observation, undertaking consultations
with both direct and indirect supervision and shared consultations with the appointed doctor. The JMOs will be given increasing
autonomy over the period of their placement.
- JMOs will have a formal teaching time which will include opportunity for feedback, clinical audits and preparation
for Enhanced Primary Care activities.
- JMOs will participate in home visits one morning per week utilising Enhanced Primary Care activities where appropriate.
- JMOs will receive a minimum of three hours per week of direct supervision, clinical audit and coordination of activities
(including orientation) on a one-to-one basis.
- JMOs will maintain a log book and a Learning Journal which will include learning objectives, activities undertaken
and reflection on practice.
How will I be paid on the Community-based Term?
Community-based doctors will be paid through the Royal Hobart
Hospital with terms and conditions of employment similar to hospital RMOs.
How many placements are available?
The Community-based Term is available in four 13 week terms in 2004.
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