About NZ REC
NZ Rural Exit Course was set up as a vehicle to deliver structured training for the StAMPS exam.
The StAMPS exam is the final exam required to attain fellowship in the speciality of Rural Hospital Medicine in New Zealand. StAMPS stands for Structured Assessment of Multiple Patient Scenarios. The exam itself is delivered twice per year, all virtually. It consists of 8 patient scenarios that cover the spectrum of rural practice, from GP to acute care to inpatient medicine.
The course aims to teach the candidates the structure and skills necessary to pass the exam and enable them to function at fellowship level.
Ultimately it is about enabling NZ rural candidates to have a shared mental model and make them safer clinicians.
Background
In 2020 Dr Alan Furniss, an experienced ACRRM examiner, began delivering an informal course to New Zealand Candidates. It was found that this significantly improved the preparedness of the candidates and improved the pass rate.
After a number of years of pro-bono work on the course by Dr Furniss it was felt that those who had benefited from his support could also help candidates by passing on their recent experience of the style and standard of the examination. Subsequently, Dr Marcus Walker established NZREC with the support of the College. He recruited a broad cohort of recent fellows and began delivering tutorials and a MOCK examination.
The course has been set up with the objective of being self-sustaining and self-perpetuating. It is anticipated that recent successful candidates will make up the team of tutors by invitation or interest. The 1st official course started January 2023.
Principles
It is acknowledged there is some dichotomy between objectives here yet principle one overrules principle 2.
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It is to be a not-for-profit organisation and no candidate is to finance this course personally. We want candidates to be employed by Te Whatu Ora or the GP College and thus able to access HWNZ funding. In rare circumstances we may permit a candidate to undertake the course without payment if they would otherwise have to self fund. This needs early discussion with the director. If a candidate is not successful, they may apply to participate in the course again. Their acceptance onto the course will be decided by the lead tutors and co-ordinators and payment will be reviewed if needed. Factors affecting this are; place of employment, access to MEL budget or access to Te Whata Ora funding etc. and engagement with the group in the last semester).
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NZREC will attempt to renumerate the tutors time as close to market rate as possible, but this is constrained by funds received from the candidates. The division of funds will be open and transparent with the primary goal of sustainability and ensuring the support of rural trainees.