General questions about the training program
Key details of the pain medicine training program can be found in:
Courses
We hold two annual courses for FPM trainees.
- Orientation to Pain Medicine course is held in Melbourne a few weeks into the training year
- Advanced Clinical Skills Course is held in Sydney, usually during the second quarter of the year.
The Centralised Trainee Tutorial Program is held weekly from February to October on a Wednesday afternoon from 4.00 – 5.00 AEDT via zoom. Content is matched to learning outcomes in the curriculum and sessions are recorded and uploaded into the learning management system for revision.
Self-directed learning
Within the Learn@ANZCA platform, the following resources have been developed to support your learning.
Resources include:
- Relevant library guides
- ePortfolio user guides
- Assessment rubrics for the workplace-based feedback tools
- Pain orientated physical examination videos
- Pain orientated sensory testing guidelines
- Clinical formulation in pain medicine guidelines
- Fellowship exam and long case resources
- Scholar role support resources
These study guides focus on integrating the Pain Medicine Roles in Practice with the clinical skills and knowledge of the nine essential topic areas and target a set of learning outcomes from the curriculum.
These resources contribute to the acquisition of some learning outcomes from the curriculum. They do not represent either the complete set of competencies for the topic area, or even all you need to know about the learning objectives targeted. The essential topic areas study guides act as a starting point for each topic area and are used in conjunction with private study and discussion forums to help you build proficiency in an area.
Other resources in Learn@ANZCA
Pain medicine trainees are encouraged to enrol for access to the following resources in Learn@ANZCA.
- FPM Trainee Tutorials
- Scholar role support activities
- Clinical audit samples – should you plan to complete an audit to achieve your scholar role requirement
- Examination of patients who present with pain issues
- Cultural safety modules 1, 2 3
Mentoring
All trainees are encouraged to have a mentor during their training and through their early fellowship. The faculty offers a mentoring program to assist with the professional development of trainees. Mentoring is a voluntary relationship, typically between an experienced physician and a more junior colleague. It enables the current and next generations of pain physicians to meet and share ideas, thoughts and experiences
Other resources
Explore this section
Pain medicine is a dynamic and rewarding career choice for specialists looking for a new challenge. Find out what it involves; where it can take you; and how to get started.
Our pioneering pain medicine training program is a two-year post-specialist qualification that leads to fellowship of the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists with the post nominals FFPMANZCA.
Find information about flexible training options and fees for the FPM training program.
We've developed a range of courses and resources to support your pain medicine training.
Our mentoring program aims to support pain medicine trainees and fellows during their training and/or early post-fellowship years.
We've collated a range of online resources to support our supervisors of training (SOTs) with the training, assessment, and pastoral care of FPM trainees.
Find dates and locations of long-case assessments and FPM fellowship exams, as well as information on the format, marking criteria, and application fees and forms.
Here's everything you need to know about applying to become an FFPMANZCA and registering as a specialist pain medicine physician.