Our Program

The Central North West Basic Physician Training Consortium offers a breadth of training experiences across five Victorian health services:Austin Health, Northern Health, Bendigo Health, Grampians Health Horsham and Echuca Regional Health.

Recruitment is conducted by Austin, Northern, and Bendigo Health respectively, with trainees rotating to rural and regional settings (Bendigo, Horsham and Echuca). Our Regional Pathway Program is recruited via Bendigo Health, with equal rotations at Austin Health and Bendigo Health across the three-year program.

Consortium Directors, the Consortium Manager, BPT Education Officers and site-specific Directors of Physician Education manage a comprehensive education program and report to a Management Committee that includes executive staff, physicians and advanced trainees from each health service. Trainee representation and input, continuous systemic evaluation and improvement, and promotion of a learning culture are core features of consortium governance.

The training program consists of:

Formal Lecture Series

• RACP Lectures available via the BT Portal
• Consortium based lecture series streamed across all sites and recorded for equitable access across rotations
• Site-Specific teaching both on-site and streamed

Clinical Teaching and Professional Development

• Written examination tutorial program
• Comprehensive clinical (short and long case) examination lecture program
• BPT1 Stepping Up to Registrar Education Program
• How to write CVs and Cover Letters
• Management and Leadership skills
• Teaching Ward rounds

Examination Preparation

• Bedside clinical tutorials on short and long case examination presentations
• Timed written mock examinations - 2 per year
• Ideal long case and introduction to long case presentation
• Introduction to short case presentation
• Public long case examination presentations
• Clinical examination mentors
• Short case specialty day practice examinations held at Austin Health and Northern Health
• Mock half-day clinical examinations held at Austin Health, Northern Health and Bendigo Health
• 2 weeks of conference leave to attend written examination courses in BPT2

All educational content is based on the RACP curriculum and key learning outcomes, with continuous quality improvement activities embedded within the program

Please refer to the College website for further information on learning outcomes of the physician training program.

The annual rosters are designed after preferences are received from all trainees. Preferences are obtained on rotations, annual leave, conference leave and special requests. All trainees sitting the RACP exams are rostered set periods of examination leave to attend the RACP written and clinical examinations in line with the Victorian EBA.

The Consortium recognises the importance of examination preparation and success to its' trainees and aims to ensure optimal training opportunities. BPT2s are rostered conference leave around the time of the 2-week revision courses in Melbourne, Sydney and Dunedin, providing an opportunity to attend one of the courses prior to sitting the Written exam.