Navigating the labyrinth of Victorian medical training: developing the JMO Victoria Specialty Pathways Portal
Authors
Dr Jason Ha, Dr Carla Borg, Dr William Slifirski. Mr Korian Strakosch
Background:
Ever-increasing medical graduate numbers has created greater demand for limited accredited training positions. Compounded by increasingly competitive selection criteria, junior medical officers (JMOs) face growing selection pressure for vocational training and must identify career options early to maximise selection probability. However, the decentralisation of information on selection and training requirements greatly impacts the ability of time-poor JMOs to make informed career decisions.
Aim:
To develop a comprehensive, centralised, free, open-access resource on medical specialties within Victoria to facilitate the navigation of formative career stages of JMOs.
Summary of work:
The collaborative effort of Victorian JMOs with the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria (PMCV) has resulted in the establishment and launch of the JMO Victoria Specialty Pathways Portal (SPP), amalgamating the training pathways and selection requirements for nearly 50 medical specialties in an open-access, multi-platform website (https://pathways.pmcv.com.au).
Providing a holistic snapshot of training pathways, biannually-updated from specialty college websites and state medical training data, the SPP encompasses information about application and selection requirements, including specific application criteria; duration of training; training curricula and program structures; training-associated costs; and representative career pathways.
Increased access to workforce data unveils potential workforce and lifestyle factors to facilitate pathway selection and compare specialties, guide pre-vocational careers and contextualises the necessary preparation and training timelines for chosen specialties.
Results:
Around 1300 users have since accessed the Specialty Pathways Portal, mostly from Australia through direct searches, and has been favourably received by many Victorian JMOs.
Conclusion:
The Specialty Pathways Portal is an invaluable digital resource for aspiring junior doctors and medical students, and can guide informed decisions for their future career development. Incorporation of further demographic data to encourage JMOs to consider careers in areas of workforce shortage may be a valuable addition to the resource.
Citation:
Ha J, Borg Caruana C, Slifirski W, Strakosch K. Navigating the labyrinth of Victorian medical training: developing the JMO Victoria Specialty Pathways Portal [abstract]. In: ANZ Prevocational Medical Education Forum; 2022 November 20-23. Adelaide, Australia. ANZPMEF22-0055.
