News

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Name change imposed on women’s health qualifications

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One of Australia’s leading medical training colleges has issued an apology, after it was made to rename its qualifications.
 
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) will no longer be allowed to use the title ‘diploma’ or ‘advanced diploma’ for its courses amid a crackdown from the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA).
 
Following a consultation process, its proposed new titles are:

• Certificate in Women’s Health – ARANZCOG (Cert)
• RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Procedural) – ARANZCOG (P)
• RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) – ARANZCOG (Adv.P)

The change was confirmed in a joint statement released Tuesday by RANZCOG, the RACGP, Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA).
 
‘We understand that the initial notification came as a surprise to some members, with concern about lack of clarity about why the change was necessary,’ the statement read.
 
‘We would like to acknowledge and apologise for any distress this has caused.’
 
According to the colleges, TEQSA raised concerns in 2022 that several non-GP specialist medical colleges were offering diploma courses without being registered as a provider.
 
They then spent two years in discussions with the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC) and TEQSA, but despite this, the use of the diploma title will no longer be allowed.
 
The statement also noted that the decision was made in an ‘extremely short timeframe’.
 
‘We strongly advocated for a change in legislation as the most meaningful way to mitigate this issue, but this was rejected by DoHAC and TEQSA,’ it said.
 
‘Other options involved significant ongoing costs and multiple accreditation and reaccreditation processes, the costs of which would have had to be passed on to our members.
 
‘We believed that this would be an unfair imposition, particularly to accredit programs that have an existing and a strong reputation.’
 
RANZCOG must now implement the changes by next month or face significant financial penalties.
 
RACGP President Dr Nicole Higgins told newsGP she backed her RANZCOG colleagues and acknowledged it had been a frustrating process for all involved.
 
‘Medical colleges simply can’t afford to use member’s money in that way and so they’re unable to offer it as a diploma,’ she said.
 
‘What’s been frustrating about this for all the colleges is the timeframe around it, and as key stakeholders it would have been good to be involved at a high level at an earlier stage.
 
‘The training will still be the same, the ability to do the job will still be recognised by the college and by the hospitals – all that’s changed is the name.’
 
More than 2500 doctors in Australia and New Zealand have RANZCOG-issued diplomas and advanced diplomas. These existing members will not be impacted by the change and can continue to use their postnominals, qualifications, and logos.
 
For current or prospective trainees, RANZCOG has confirmed the change will not impact their education or training.
 
‘The curriculum and assessment standards remain the same, and our objective continues to be the development of competent and skilled healthcare professionals who are able to provide effective and timely care,’ it said.
 
‘We recognise and acknowledge the importance of GP obstetricians in providing timely and effective care for women and their babies.
 
‘We also understand the critical role GP obstetricians, especially Rural Generalists, play in maintaining a regional, rural, and remote workforce, and in ensuring the quality and safety of care.’
 
Dr Higgins said GPs with advanced skills are more important than ever, as rural doctor shortages continue to plague smaller communities.
 
‘It’s hard when you’ve worked so hard to achieve a qualification and the outcome changes, but the ability to do the job will not change,’ she said.
 
‘I did my advanced training and it’s helped me to be able to perform my role as a GP, especially in rural and regional Australia where we have an expanded scope of practice.
 
‘GPs’ skills in women’s health and obstetrics are vital for our communities and this qualification really increases our scope of practice to be able to deliver the care.’
 
RANZCOG will present the proposed nomenclature change at an Extraordinary General Meeting on 12 February to meet the TEQSA-mandated deadline.
 
A webinar will then be held on 19 February to provide an update on progress and to answer questions, with a registration link to be made public in coming weeks.
 
‘Once again, we apologise for the concern the nomenclature change process has caused,’ the colleges’ statement concluded.
 
‘We hope the context and circumstances under which we have had to undertake this change has provided a better understanding of the issue.’
 
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GP training women’s health

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