PGY2s who commence their second postgraduate year in 2025 or later are required to meet the PGY2 program requirements as stipulated by the Australian Medical Council’s National Framework for Prevocational (PGY1 & PGY2) Medical Training (Prevocational Framework) to obtain the new AMC Certificate of Completion. These PGY2 requirements are independent of the PGY1 requirements to become eligible for general registration as per the Medical Board of Australia’s Registration Standard. The PGY2 requirements do not equate to a 2 year internship.
The requirements are detailed in the AMC's Framework Program and Term Requirements.
PMCWA assesses WA health sites that employ PGY1s and PGY2s to ensure the programs and terms provided meet these requirements. PGY2s must only be employed by health sites that are accredited by PMCWA. Below is a summary of these requirements which will result in a PGY2 being eligible to receive the AMC Certificate of Completion:
- Program length: PGY2s must complete a minimum of 47 weeks full-time equivalent service (including professional development leave) over a maximum of 4 years
- Program structure: A PGY2’s clinical year must be made up of a minimum of 3 terms of at least 10 weeks with a maximum of 25% in any one subspecialty. (NB: In PGY2, there is no maximum time restriction per specialty. This allows PGY2s to spend the whole clinical year in a variety of surgical terms, or the whole clinical year in a variety of paediatric terms, etc)
- Program content – clinical experience: Across the clinical year, a PGY2 must be exposed to clinical care of patients in each of the following:
- Undifferentiated illness care
- Chronic illness care
- Acute and critical illness care
(NB: in PGY2 a term in peri-operative/procedural care is not a requirement, however is allowed to be included)
- Clinical teams: PGY2s must be embedded in a clinical team for at least half of the clinical year
- Service terms – relief and nights: PGY2s are only allowed to undertake service terms for 25% or less of the year (refer to PMCWA Service Guidelines for further information about how these requirements work in WA)
- Satisfactory completion: PGY2s must achieve the prevocational outcomes at the end of their PGY2 year (refer to AMC’s Training and Assessment Requirements for further information).
Do they apply to you?
- The requirements above are relevant for prevocational trainees who:
- Have general registration with the Medical Board of Australia, and
- Commence their PGY2 in 2025 or later. This includes any PGY2 that doesn’t complete their PGY2 requirements in 2025 and continues their PGY2 requirements during their PGY3+ year of employment (i.e., in 2026).
- The requirements above are NOT relevant for prevocational trainees who:
- Are international medical graduates with limited or provisional registration with the Medical Board of Australia, or
- Are completing their PGY1 training requirements in their PGY2 employment year. Those who have been unable to complete their PGY1 requirements in their first year of employment will continue to work toward their PGY1 requirements.
Responsibilities
- Employers of PGY2 doctors are required to offer programs with the correct mix of terms accredited by PMCWA to allow PGY2 doctors to meet their requirements.
- PGY2 doctors: If you choose to undertake a split contract, transfer to a different health service, hospital or jurisdiction, take extended leave or step up to a Service Registrar position, your employers will attempt to provide the necessary terms to meet your PGY2 requirements, however, it is ultimately your responsibility to meet the PGY2 requirements.
Navigating your PGY2 training
- PGY2 training vs PGY2 employment: Your PGY2 training year may be different to your PGY2 employment year. If you do not complete your PGY2 training within the year you commence, you will still progress to PGY3 employment year and the associated pay rate.
- Your CPD Home: the Medical Board of WA have stipulated that “doctors in postgraduate year 2 positions who are participating in a structured program that leads to a certificate of completion” are exempt from the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Registration Standard and therefore do not need a CPD Home. As indicated by the standard, a PGY2 must be participating in the program, which includes meeting the PGY2 requirements, to be exempt.
- AMC Certificate of Completion: For PGY2s to receive the AMC Certificate of Completion, they must meet all PGY2 requirements, over a four-year period. Employers of PGY2s are required to ensure all PGY2s are offered terms and programs that meet these requirements. Noting that, in the scenario of a PGY2 choosing to undertake a split contract, transfer to a different health service, hospital or jurisdiction, take extended leave, step up to a Service Registrar position, employers will attempt to provide the necessary terms to meet PGY2 requirements, however, it is ultimately the doctor’s individual responsibility to meet the PGY2 requirements
- College training entry requirements: PMCWA is aware that some colleges have already adjusted their selection criteria for entry into their respective training programs to include the completion of 2 years of generalist training experience or more specifically the PGY2 certification of completion. PMCWA recommends that all future PGY2s ensure they are across the entry requirements for their college of interest and liaise with their PGY2 employer to ensure their term allocations meet the PGY2 requirements.
- Your term assessments: Given your performance in each of your terms is a requirement for PGY2 it is important to obtain completed term assessment forms from your term supervisors. We encourage you to initiate this with your term supervisor if it’s not being progressed.
- Take your leave: Across a 52-week clinical year, PGY2s are required to complete 47 clinical weeks. This provides time for PGY2s to take leave such as annual leave or personal leave without impacting on the 47-week requirement. The 47-week requirement is inclusive of professional development leave.
The information above is also contained in this PGY2 Fact Sheet.
