Formalised obstetric medicine training commenced in 2013 with the introduction of the SOMANZ Obstetric Medicine Certificate for advanced physician trainees who complete the SOMANZ recommended training. Initially, 5 sites in Australia and New Zealand were accredited. In the last 5 years the number of accredited sites has grown to 15.
The twelve month full-time program is run under the supervision of the Advanced Training Committee (ATC) in General and Acute Care Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. (RACP) The Obstetric Medicine Curriculum is available on the RACP website.
Sites undertaking obstetric medicine are accredited by the Training Subcommittee of the SOMANZ Council and these recommendations passed on to the ATC in General and Acute Care Medicine. Sites are accredited for either 6 months or 12 months of training, depending on the level of maternity services available at the site.
Training is available to advanced trainees of the RACP, whether they are training in general medicine, renal medicine or endocrinology. Trainees doing their twelve months obstetric medicine training need to be prospectively registered with the ATC in General and Acute Care Medicine, as well as their relevant sub-specialty. Post FRACP training is also available.
Trainees require 2 supervisors during the training year and one supervisor needs to be practicing general obstetric medicine. The aim is to train physicians that can manage the full range of medical complications that occur in pregnancy. From 2018 six months of obstetric medicine training will count as core “general medicine-related” training under the requirements of the ATC in General and Acute Care Medicine and 6 months as elective general medicine training.
Trainees in obstetric medicine are expected to be members of SOMANZ and attend at least one scientific meeting relevant to obstetric medicine during their advanced training. They are also required to do a written project of relevance to obstetric medicine.
Since 2013, 15 trainees have been awarded the Obstetric Medicine Certificate and recognised by SOMANZ as Obstetric Physicians.