Advocacy to address the failure of the psychiatry examination

24 November 2021

Following the failure of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) on Saturday 20 November, many RANZCP trainees impacted by the disruption have contacted the AMA to discuss their distress and express their concerns.

On Monday, AMA Federal wrote a firm letter to the RANZCP President and CEO outlining the measures we expect RANZCP to have in place to support trainees and allow them to progress through training.

AMA Federal Council of Doctors-in-Training Chair, Dr Hash Abdeen, also spoke with the RANZCP President, A/Prof Vinay Lakra, and has met with multiple trainee groups including the RANZCP Trainee Chair to offer support and advice. He has also met with the Australian Medical Council and it will also be looking at the options to ensure the College's solutions are both pragmatic and expedient.

The RANZCP has written back to the AMA outlining the specific measures it will be taking to support trainees and these are in line with the AMA’s recommendations.

The AMA is very pleased with the RANZCP’s quick response and commitment to act to help those affected by the examination failure and its willingness to find an alternative pathway to support trainees to progress. It is a very distressing time for all concerned, particularly for registrars who have dedicated so much time to preparing for this exam. The disruption has also impacted medical supervisors and their practices that support registrars.

Next steps

Given the concerning circumstances regarding the RANZCP examination technical issues, and several difficulties over the past 12-18 months with other college exams, the AMA will be discussing options to strengthen the provision of examinations via digital exam platforms and contingency planning with the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges on 30 November.