DUAL ACCREDITATION IN GENERAL MEDICINE & MEDICAL SUBSPECIALTIES

The Dual Accreditation allows doctors to be accredited and registered as a specialist in Internal Medicine as well as one other Internal Medicine subspecialties, as listed below. At present, Dual Accreditation specifically allows training in Internal Medicine and one medical subspecialty.

• Cardiology
  
• Dermatology
  
• Endocrinology
  
• Gastroenterology
  
• Haematology
  
• Infectious Disease
  
• Medical Oncology
  
• Renal Medicine
  
• Rheumatology
  
• Geriatric Medicine
  
• Neurology
  
• Rehabilitation Medicine
  
• Respiratory Medicine

To be a specialist in Internal Medicine or any medical subspecialty, all trainees must begin with a 3-year Basic Specialist Training (BST) programme in Internal Medicine. Upon completion of the BST programme and obtaining a recognised postgraduate medical degree, trainees will be eligible for admission into the Advanced Specialty Training (AST) programme in Internal Medicine or any of the medical subspecialties.

Trainees embarking on the Dual Accreditation programme require only 5 years, instead of 6, to complete their AST in two specialties. The structure of the training programme is as follows:

1. 2 years in postings recognised as Internal Medicine training
   
2. 2 years in postings recognised as medical subspecialty training
   
3. 1 year in ‘concurrent’ postings recognised by both Internal Medicine and medical subspecialty training

Trainees may choose to begin their AST in either Internal Medicine or the chosen medical subspecialty. The 1-year of ‘concurrent’ postings should be completed during the first 3 years of training.

Trainees will be exit-certified in the first specialty after completing the 3-year AST postings in that specialty and fulfilling other criteria as required. They will later exit from the AST programme in the second specialty after completing another 2 years of relevant postings and fulfilling the necessary criteria.

A recommended sequence of the programme is as follows:

The content of the training programmes for Internal Medicine and medical subspecialties remains unchanged.

The Dual Accreditation will be implemented with effect from January 2002.

JCST – Nov 2001

IMPLEMENTATION OF DUAL ACCREDITATION PROGRAMMES

1. New trainees joining the AST programme from May 2002 onwards may choose to undergo this 5-year Dual Accreditation programme.
   
   
2. Existing trainees with the relevant postings may convert the single specialty training into a dual specialty programme. 3rd year trainees who wish to complete the dual accreditation programme in 5 years must have already completed one year of ‘concurrent’ postings that are recognised by both the Internal Medicine and medical subspecialty training. 2nd year trainees who have not completed the ‘concurrent’ postings must do so in their 3rd year of training. It is stressed that the ‘concurrent’ postings must be completed within the first 3 years of traineeship.
   
   
3. Those who have completed their AST after 31 December 2000 and had undergone the exit examination must fulfil the following criteria if they wish to obtain the dual accreditation by undergoing another 2 years of training in the second specialty:
   • They must have undergone one year of ‘concurrent’ postings that are recognised by both the Internal Medicine and medical subspecialty training during their 3 years training in the first specialty.
     
     
4. For those who wish to obtain a dual accreditation but have not done any ‘concurrent’ postings during their 3 years of traineeship in the first specialty will have to undergo another 3 years of training in the second specialty as required of any other new trainee.
   
   
5. Applications for Dual Accreditation must be submitted to Joint Committee of Specialist Training and admission into the AST programme of each specialty will be decided separately by both Specialist Training Committees concerned.
   
   
6. Interviews for admission into AST (Internal Medicine) will be held before the interviews for AST (Medical Subspecialties). Applicants who are unsuccessful for admission into the AST (Internal Medicine) programme may be accepted for AST (Medical Subspecialty) as a ‘single-specialty’ programme, not a Dual Accreditation programme.

Note: ‘Concurrent’ postings = postings recognised by both Internal Medicine and medical subspecialty traineeship.