The ACRRM Fellowship Education Program (AFEP) is a formal program of educational activities that supplements the work-based training and education provided by supervisors in the training post. The program is mapped to the ACRRM Rural Generalist Curriculum. It supports the development of Rural Generalist capability by reinforcing key elements of the curriculum, without duplicating the full breadth of clinical learning that will occur in practice. 

AFEP has been tailored to a range of training environments and delivered flexibly to meet the diverse needs of both the registrar and the training site. It is delivered through a blended model of online, webinar, virtual and face-to face learning with facilitated and self-directed online activities. 

All program development is led by ACRRM Fellows, with consultant specialist input when required.

Visit Education Key Dates to help plan your enrolments.


Completion requirements (compulsory)

Semester A
  • 5 x online modules
  • online MCQs 
  • 1 x 3-day virtual workshop 
  • 1 x 2-day face-to-face workshop
Semester B
  • 5 x online modules 
  • online MCQs 
  • 1 x 3-day virtual workshop 
  • 1 x 2-day face-to-face workshop
Semester C
  • 5 x online modules 
  • online MCQs 
Semester D
  • 6 x online modules 
  • online MCQs
Emergency medicine courses

 

Additional learning opportunities

Semester A
  • 5 x interactive webinars 
  • Discussion cases 
Semester B
  • 5 x interactive webinars 
  • Discussion cases 
Throughout the year

 

Education topics overview

Semester A

Chronic disease 
  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus
  • Cardiovascular disease risk 
  • Chronic kidney disease 
Musculoskeletal conditions 
  • Lower back pain
  • Paediatric MSK 
  • Upper limb 
  • Lower limb 
Women’s health
  • Adolescence and young adulthood, including menstrual disorders 
  • Reproductive years (25-45), including PCOS, miscarriage and screening 
  • Perimenopause and menopause (45+) 
  • Additional topic: Vulval disorders
Aged care
  • Dementia 
  • Osteoporosis 
  • Continence 
  • Nursing homes and deprescribing
  • Ageing 
Children’s health
  • Newborn issues and early intervention 
  • Infancy and childhood 
  • Preschool and early school years 
  • Late childhood and early adolescence

Semester B 

Mental health
  • Mental health assessment 
  • Mood disorders - depression and bipolar 
  • Anxiety 
  • Psychosis 
  • Sleep-wake disorders 
  • Eating disorders 
Genitourinary health
  • Acute kidney injury (AKI) 
  • Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) 
  • Painless haematuria 
  • Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) 
  • Sexual health
Cardiovascular and respiratory health 
  • Chest pain 
  • Chronic cough 
  • Shortness of breath 
  • Heart failure 
  • Atrial fibrillation 
Gastroenterology 
  • Hepatology 
  • Acute and chronic pancreatitis 
  • Constipation and its complications 
  • Diarrhea 
  • GORD and Heliobacter pylori infection 
Palliative care
  • Foundations of palliative care 
  • Legal and ethical frameworks 
  • Managing common palliative symptoms 
  • Psychosocial and spiritual care 
  • End-of-life care and bereavement


Semester C

Men's health
  • Adolescence and young adult men (19-24) 
  • Younger adult men (25-44) 
  • Mid-life men (45-64) 
  • Older adult men (65+)
Dermatology
  • Skin cancer recognition and treatment 
  • Benign skin lesions 
  • Common skin conditions 
  • Systemic illnesses and skin conditions 
  • Life-threatening rashes 
Perioperative care and pain management 
  • An overview of health before surgery 
  • Pre-operative care and pain management 
  • Post-operative care 
  • Post-operative care and rehabilitation
Preventative and population health 
  • The fundamentals of preventative and population health 
  • Equity, social determinants and health outcomes 
  • Life-stage preventative health 
    • Newborns and infants
    • Children 
    • Adolescents
    • Young adults
    • Middle aged adults
    • Older adults 
  • Behavioural, psychosocial and environmental health risks 
Emergency
  • Triage for rural practice 
  • Structured approach to emergency presentations
  • Welcome to StAMPSville cases 

Semester D

Rheumatology and immunology 
  • Acute polyarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
  • Myositis 
  • Inflammatory connective tissue disease 
  • Vasculitides 
  • Scleroderma 
Neurology and rehabilitation
  • Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor
  • Rehabilitation, abnormal gait and cerebellar infarct 
  • Headache in adults 
  • Multiple sclerosis, Guillian-Barre syndrome and motor neurone disease 
  • Stroke and epilepsy 
Infectious diseases
  • Tropical medicine 
  • Antimicrobial stewardship 
  • Perinatal infections 
  • Tuberculosis and leprosy 
Eyes, ears, nose
  • Progressive bilateral vision loss 
  • Sudden loss of vision 
  • The red eye 
  • Sudden hearing loss 
  • Otitis media in children 
  • Rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis 
  • Vertigo and tinnitus  
Endocrinology 
  • Diabetes (focus on other types) 
  • Thyroid disease 
  • Hypercalcaemia and hypoparathyroidism 
  • Cushing’s syndrome 
  • Addison’s disease 

 

Semester A

  • Asthma management and case discussions 
  • Clinical reasoning 
  • Diabetes case studies 
  • Diagnostic dilemmas in general practice (GP) 
  • Emergencies in GP (case studies headaches, seizures, anaphylaxis) 
  • Medico legal case studies 
  • Musculoskeletal exam case studies 
  • Paediatrics: Common GP cases 
  • Rational test ordering 
  • Sexual health 
  • Wound and Pressure Care 

Semester B

  • Burns management 
  • Diabetes - Practical Aspects for rural and remote Australia 
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health 
  • Cancer screening in General Practice 
  • GP mental health and selfcare 
  • Childhood mental health & developmental disorders 
  • Dermatology – Practical Aspects 
  • Forensic medicine 
  • Mental health 
  • Palliative care case studies 
  • Rheumatic heart disease 

Semester A 

  • Hand and nail bed injuries 
  • Joint aspiration and injection 
  • Lumbar puncture 
  • Major incident management 
  • Nasogastric tube (NGT) skills 
  • Neonatal and paediatric resuscitation 
  • Newborn examination 
  • Oral health and dental emergencies 
  • Orthopaedic emergencies in rural general practice 
  • Procedural sedation in rural practice Slings and splints 
  • Teamwork and communication 

Semester B 

  • Acute urinary retention 
  • Breast screening, consultation and examination 
  • Cervical screening & case studies 
  • Dermatology 
  • Effective consultation and communication skills: Part 1 
  • Effective consultation and communication skills: Part 2 
  • Ear, nose, throat (ENT) emergencies: Practical session 
  • Non-invasive ventilation workshop 
  • Ophthalmology 
  • Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) 
  • Thoracocentesis/Paracentesis