Introduction

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is pleased to announce the launch of JDocs, a competency framework supported by a suite of educational resources that have been designed to promote flexible and  self-directed  learning,  together with  assessment opportunities to record and log procedural experiences and capture evidence of personal achievements.  These resources will be available online later this year, and will continue to evolve and expand over time.   Some resources will be available for an annual subscription fee.

Why has College engaged in the prevocational space?

The College recognised the need and importance of re-engagement with prevocational junior doctors to provide guidance and education that would assist with their development towards a proceduralist career. Key to this was to ensure that the doctor entering any procedural speciality program would be well-prepared and clinically competent relevant to their postgraduate year. As a result, the College established JDocs, which is available to any doctor registered in Australia and New Zealand, from and including internship, with the level of engagement determined by the individual doctor.

Junior doctors will also be eligible to apply for the General Surgical Sciences Examination from 2015. This exam tests anatomy, physiology and pathology to a high level.

JDocs does not guarantee selection into any procedural specialty training program, however, engagement with the Framework and its supporting resources describes the many tasks, skills and behaviours a junior doctor should achieve at defined postgraduate levels, and will help the self-motivated junior doctor recognise the skills and performance standards expected prior to applying to a specialty training program.

What does the JDocs Framework cover?

The JDocs Framework is based on the College’s nine core competencies, with each competency considered to be of equal importance, and is described in stages appropriate for each of the first three postgraduate clinical years, as well as those beyond. In order to link the many tasks, skills and behaviours of the Framework to everyday clinical practice, key clinical tasks have been developed that are meaningful for the junior doctor. These tasks can be used to demonstrate achievement of the competencies and standards outlined in the Framework, and also make it possible for the junior doctor to show they are competent at the tasks and skills required in order to commence specialty training.

Accessing the JDocs

The first phase of the JDocs website, http://jdocs.surgeons.org/signup. htm, enables the junior doctor to register for updates and download a copy of the Framework. Additionally, the College’s website and social media feeds will also deliver updates as to JDocs progression and launch of resources, as they become available later this year.

A shareable app has been developed that provides an overview of JDocs, as well as a sample of learning resources, and can be accessed in the following ways:

• SMS JDocs to 0400813813
• Scan the following QR code

Social media

Twitter: @RACSurgeons, #RACSJDocs

Facebook: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Summary

In summary, the JDocs Framework is about the professional standards and learning outcomes to be achieved during the early postgraduate/ prevocational clinical years.   It describes and assists early career professional development for junior doctors aspiring to procedural medical careers, including surgery.