Clinical Requirements

Clinical Terms

All clinical training terms are approximately three months in duration (Clinical Terms). The start and end dates for Clinical Terms will be determined by the Training Board. A Clinical Term is active if the trainee is undertaking clinical training as part of the SET Program. A Clinical Term is inactive if a trainee is on approved interruption as part of the SET Program.

The clinical terms for the 2023 training year are as follows:

Clinical Term 1 from 6 February 2023 - 14 May 2023
Clinical Term 2 from 15 May 2023 - 6 August 2023
Clinical Term 3 from 7 August 2023 - 12 November 2023
Clinical Term 4 from 13 November 2023 - 4 February 2024

The full-time training requirements relating to active Clinical Terms are as follows.

Clinical Term Requirement: Submit quarterly Professional Performance Assessments
Basic Clinical Term Requirement: Satisfactory completion of at least three active Clinical Terms during Basic Neurosurgical Training
Intermediate Clinical Term Requirement: Satisfactory completion of at least nine active Clinical Terms during Intermediate Neurosurgical Training
Advanced Clinical Term Requirement: Satisfactory completion of at least four active Clinical Terms during Advanced Neurosurgical Training

There are also rules relating to performance in clinical terms for progression between training levels as detailed in the Regulations.

Clinical Training Posts

Clinical training posts facilitate workplace hands-on service learning and exploration in a range of training environments providing the opportunity for the trainee to develop, with supervision, the requisite experience, knowledge, skills and attributes necessary to become a competent independent specialist neurosurgeon. Click here to view information on the training posts and the training post allocation process.

Professional Performance Assessment

Active Clinical Terms are assessed using the Professional Performance Assessment Report (PPA Report). The standards in the PPA Report are the minimum standards the Training Board expects trainees to have prior to entering the SET Program. These minimum standards must be maintained or exceeded at all times during the SET Program. Completion of the PPA Report, on the prescribed form, must be undertaken for each active Clinical Term during each year of training as part of the SET Program.

The current due dates for the Professional Performance Assessment Reports are as follows:

22 May 2023 (for Clinical Term 1 from 6 February 2023 - 14 May 2023)
11 August 2023 (for Clinical Term 2 from 15 May 2023 - 6 August 2023)
20 November 2023 (for Clinical Term 3 from 7 August 2023 - 12 November 2023)
9 February 2024 (for Clinical Term 4 from 13 November 2023 - 4 February 2024)

For full details on the Professional Performance Assessment Report and performance related issues, please review the Regulations.

Download the Professional Performance Assessment Report here

Download the Training Program Regulations here

Operative Experience Assessment

Appropriately supervised operative experience obtained during clinical training, including good case mixes and caseloads, are essential learning opportunities for trainees to acquire the necessary technical skills and expertise to practice as an independent neurosurgical consultant. Trainees must maintain an operative experience log of all procedures that they participate in as part of the SET Program during active Clinical Terms.

Trainees have the option to use the RACS MALT system or submit the NSA Logbook Summary Report. The NSA Logbook Summary Report can be downloaded below. To access MALT, you will need to sign into the RACS website. Full details can be found on the RACS website https://www.surgeons.org/en/research-audit/morbidity-audits/morbidity-audit-and-logbook-tool. If you require assistance gaining access or using MALT, please contact the MALT team by telephone on 08 8219 0939 or email at [email protected].

The full-time training requirements relating to operative experience are as follows.

Clinical Term Case Requirement: Participation in a minimum of 80 major neurosurgical procedures for each six months while in active Clinical Terms
Basic Case Requirement: Participation in a minimum of 200 major neurosurgical procedures from commencement of the SET Program while in active Clinical Terms
Intermediate Case Requirement: Participation in a minimum of 1,000 major neurosurgical procedures from commencement of the SET Program while in active Clinical Terms
Advanced Case Requirement: Participation in a minimum of 1,200 major neurosurgical procedures from commencement of the SET Program while in active Clinical Terms
Primary Case Requirement: Participation in a minimum 500 major neurosurgical procedures as primary surgeon from commencement of the SET Program while in active Clinical Terms (the cases are included in the overall minimum of 1,200)
Paediatric Case Requirement: Participation in a minimum of 50 major paediatric neurosurgical procedures from commencement of the SET Program while in active Clinical Terms (the cases are included in the overall minimum of 1,200)

The current due dates for the Logbook Reports are as follows:

10 February 2023 (third and fourth quarter 2022)
11 August 2023 (first and second quarter 2023)
9 February 2024 (third and fourth quarter 2023)

Download the Operative Logbook Summary Report here

Download the Training Program Regulations here

Direct Observation of Procedural Skills Assessments (DOPS)

The Neurosurgical Direct Observation of Procedural Skills Assessments (DOPS) are designed to assess both knowledge and technical proficiency in discrete procedural skills. The procedure must be performed by the trainee and observed by a Surgical Supervisor or Surgical Trainer approved by the Training Board (Assessor).

The Assessor must have supervised the trainee undertaking the procedure on multiple occasions. Where the Assessor is not the Surgical Supervisor, the Surgical Supervisor must also sign the DOPS form to confirm they are confident with the assessment completed by the Assessor.

The trainee should initiate a DOPS when they feel they have a reasonable chance of demonstrating safe and efficient independent practice.

The SET Program training requirements are as follows:

Basic DOPS Requirement: Be assessed by one Assessor as having satisfied each Type 1 DOPS procedure
Intermediate DOPS Requirement: Be assessed by two different Assessors as having satisfied each Type 1 and Type 2 DOPS procedure (including those submitted during Basic Neurosurgical Training)
Advanced DOPS Requirement: Be assessed by one Assessor as having satisfied any five of the Type 3 DOPS procedures (including those submitted during Basic and Intermediate Neurosurgical Training)

Any DOPS form can be submitted to the Training Board at any time during the SET Program. The DOPS will only be assessed as satisfied if:

The DOPS is related to the performance of the procedure during an active Clinical Term;
The DOPS form has been signed by the Assessor;
The date the procedure was last observed by the Assessor is recorded on the DOPS form;
The DOPS form is submitted to the Training Board by the trainee within 14 days of the date the procedure was last observed by the Assessor as recorded on the DOPS form; and
Where the Assessor is not the Surgical Supervisor, and the Surgical Supervisor has signed the DOPS form to confirm that they are confident with the assessment completed by the Assessor.