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John Flynn Placement Program

2011 Guidelines

Published November 2010


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John Flynn Placement Program 2011 Guidelines 1

1. General Information

The John Flynn Placement Program (JFPP)was established in 1997. The JFPP, funded bythe Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA), is

an important part of the AustralianGovernment's strategy to attract more doctors torural and remote areas where there is a currentworkforce shortage. The Australian College ofRural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)administers and coordinates all aspects of theprogram on behalf of the Government.

In 2011 there will be 300 new placementsavailable for enrolled medical students.

The placement program provides financialsupport to enable medical students to:

form a long-term relationship with a ruralcommunity; and

gain a better understanding of ruralmedical practice and health careservices.

The cost of travel and accommodation to and

from placement is covered by the program. Anamount of $500.00 per week is also paid tostudents to cover food, living and leisureexpenses while on placement.

By undertaking a placement in the samecommunity for a minimum of two full weeks peryear, normally over a four-year period, studentsgain first hand experience of living in ruralAustralia. Students may undertake theirplacement in a variety of health facilities.

Each student is matched with a medical practicein a rural or remote area. A qualified medicalpractitioner acts as their mentor while onplacement. The mentor acts as a role model forthe student, introduces them to rural/remotemedical practice and offers guidance andsupport while on placement.

The local community is a vital part of JFPP.

Community contacts assist students withsocial and cultural introductions in the local areawhich encourages involvement with the

community. Interacting socially with the localcommunity helps students establish friendshipsand a strong bond with their placementcommunity. Your stay will also include acommunity host if you choose home stay

accommodation.

2. Allocation of Placements

Placements are distributed across 20 universitymedical schools. Each year, the number of newplacements allocated to universities isdetermined by DoHA, which sets a quota basedon the number of Commonwealth supportedmedical places allocated at each university.

3. Eligibility for the JFPP

Students applying for the JFPP will be assessedagainst the following eligibility criteria.

Applicants must be:

an Australian citizen or a permanentresident; (Please note that New Zealandcitizens residing permanently in Australia arealso eligible to apply under the reciprocalimmigration agreement between Australiaand New Zealand for the JFPP);

enrolled in an accredited medical program atone of the 20 participating universities;

able to complete eight weeks of placementsin the same community within four years;and

able to complete placements in universitybreaks.

You will be ineligible for the JFPP if you are:

unable to complete eight weeks ofplacements in the same community withinthree or four years.

in receipt of a grant/scholarship whichincludes funding for community bonding orother community placement experiences;

unable to provide supporting documentation;or

unable to undertake the necessary culturalawareness training.


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4. Other Scholarship Schemes

Medical students who currently hold a vacationscholarship to encourage community bondingmay apply for the JFPP but will be required to

forfeit their existing scholarship to receive aJohn Flynn Placement.

Students who hold scholarships that providefinancial support for living and other expensesduring their medical studies for example: RuralAustralia Medical Undergraduate Scholarship(RAMUS), Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship(MRB), Bonded Medical Places (BMP) or PuggyHunter Scholarship may also be eligible for aJFPP.

5. Selection of Students

Selection Criteria

Applicants must demonstrate:

willingness to participate in and learn aboutrural and remote communities and medicalpractices;

willingness to undertake cultural awarenesstraining;

ability to be open minded, adaptable andpro-active;

willingness to expand personal boundariesand move out of personal comfort zones;and

how they will work through personalchallenges.

Students need to demonstrate how they meet

the selection criteria. Some ways in which theymay do this are to:

have general membership and acommitment to their university's Rural HealthClub (where there is one);

demonstrate previous experience or have aninterest in rural practice;

provide reasons why they want toexperience rural and remote medicine andits communities;

provide examples of how they havedemonstrated their ability to be openminded, adaptable and pro-active;

describe ways they believe they willcontribute to a rural and remote communityand its medical practice.

All applicants will be required to submit an

online application via the ACRRM website andprovide the names of two character referees.

Selection of successful applicants will involve atwo step process:

1. All applications are assessed againsteligibility criteria by qualified external markersemployed by JFPP. The top 80% of writtenapplications for quota places at each universitywill automatically be selected into the program.

2. The remaining 20% of JFPP places at eachuniversity will be decided by interview with atleast two students being interviewed for eachavailable place.

Typically the panel consists of a ruralrepresentative from:

the Rural Clinical School, UniversityDepartment of Rural Health or Rural

Undergraduate Support and Co-ordinationProgram from medical or health programs;

a rural medical practitioner; and

the university's Rural Health Club or aprevious JFPP student.

Interviewed applicants from each medicalschool will be ranked against the selectioncriteria to determine those who are successful.The top interviewees at each university will beoffered a place according to the remaining

quota for that university.

All applicants will be advised of the outcome oftheir application.

If a student declines the offer of a place theapplicant ranked next highest at that universitywill be offered the placement.

6. Appeals Process

Applicants may appeal on the grounds that theybelieve their application was incorrectly orunfairly assessed. Applicants must write to


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ACRRM within 14 days of the date ofnotification that they were unsuccessful andoutline the reasons they consider the decision tobe unfair. ACRRM will organise for the appealsto be processed.

Students who have been unsuccessful inobtaining a place in the program are alsoentitled to receive feedback on their application.To obtain feedback a request must be sent tothe JFPP team within one month of beingnotified of their application outcome.

7. Placements

JFPP students will normally undertake four

annual placements of two weeks each in thesame community. However, subject to approvalby ACRRM and the mentor, students mayundertake their eight weeks of placements overa three year period, if this will assist them tocomplete the program. Placementarrangements must be agreed to by the mentorand ACRRM.

Placements must occur in a communityclassified as ASGC-RA 2 to 5 under theAustralian Standard Geographical Classificationsystem (see Section 22 for more information onASGC-RA classifications).

Students may be placed in a variety of medicalsettings including general practice, AboriginalMedical Service, community health care centre,hospital or a combination of these in all statesand the Northern Territory. If students desire anIndigenous experience they are advised to

complete the additional questions for NorthernTerritory and Broken Hill on the JFPPapplication form.

Students may only initiate arrangements to goon their placement after first contacting theirmentor and agreeing on a time that is mutuallyconvenient.

Please note that some placements undertakenin the Northern Territory and Broken Hill may

have a high turnover of mentors because of theisolated location of these placements. As aresult, whilst every endeavour is made, it cannot

be guaranteed that students placed in theselocations for an Indigenous experience willreturn to the same community and/or mentor foreach of their subsequent placements over thefour year period. Students may also have more

than one mentor over the placement years.

Nevertheless, a Northern Territory or BrokenHill placement can be a rewarding and achallenging experience, both personally andlogistically.

As a result, students should be mindful thatplacements undertaken in the NorthernTerritory and Broken Hill require participants tobe flexible, open minded, creative and

adaptable to ensure a positive placementexperience. Please note that placements inthese locations require six months notice toACRRM in order for the necessaryarrangements to be processed. Forplacements in the Northern Territory, you willbe required to commit to a minimum of fourweeks for your first placement.

Approval will not be given for split placementsinto two one-week blocks, as this does notprovide sufficient time for students to establishrelationshipswith their community.

Students who are studying at a university thatprovides opportunities for rural clinical orelective attachments as part of their medicalprogram and are undertaking the attachment intheir JFPP community, may apply to ACRRM to:

credit a maximum of two weeks per year of

their university placement as a JFPPplacement, providing approval has beengranted by their university; or

arrange for the JFPP placement to occurimmediately before or after the universityplacement. If approved, ACRRM will requireconfirmation that transport andaccommodation costs are not being met bythe university.

As entitlements and arrangements vary

between universities, applications must bemade on a case by case basis by each student.


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Students may undertake extended placementsfor up to four weeks a year in an Aboriginal orTorres Strait Islander health service orcommunity, provided this is supported by thehealth service, the community and approved in

advance by ACRRM. However, students shouldaim to complete their eight weeks over at leastthree years.

The minimum eight weeks of placement for allstudents must be completed by Februaryfollowing the final academic year of theirmedical program.

8. Student Travel and Accommodation

The cost of travel and accommodation from thestudents university home state to and from theplacement, via the most direct and economicalmeans available, is covered by the program.Travel plans must be made by first consultingwith the mentor and agreeing on a convenientplacement date and then notifying ACRRMusing the online travel booking form. Allnecessary travel and accommodation will thenbe arranged by ACRRM and their travelmanagement agent.

Students are encouraged to stay in localhospital/nursing quarters, in accommodationprovided by Rural Clinical Schools or with localhost families as it has been found that theseaccommodation options reduce isolation andallow for a more integrated rural experience.Students are guaranteed a private roomhowever some facilities eg kitchen andbathroom may be shared. Students should be

aware that if this style of accommodation is notpreferred, alternative accommodation optionsmay be limited or even unavailable, particularlyin tourist areas during peak season.

Students are required to provide a minimum ofsix weeks notice to ACRRM in order for thenecessary arrangements and payments to beprocessed. Students who are placed in theNorthern Territory or Broken Hill need to providea minimum of six months notice prior to

submitting a placement request. A TravelRequest Form, available on the JFPP webpage, must be submitted. It is not possible for

arrangements to be put in place if this timeframeis not followed or if the Travel Request Form isnot completed. Once travel arrangements areconfirmed students are responsible for all costsassociated with changes in booked travel

arrangements.

No student will be permitted to undertake theirplacement unless they have arranged indemnityinsurance for the period of their placement. Acopy of the policy must be provided to the JFPPteam before going on placement and a copyshould also be taken with you.

On occasions placements may need to berescheduled owing to adverse conditions such

as flood, bushfire, cyclone or transportdisruptions. Such situations are determined byACRRM and, if cancellations are made in theinterest of student safety, the rescheduledplacement may need to be taken at anothertime during the year.

9. Evaluation Survey and Placement Report

Students are required to complete an electronicplacement evaluation survey within six weeks ofcompletion of each placement. This is availableonline via the JFPP web page.

Mentors and community contacts are alsoprovided with an evaluation form which they areencouraged to complete. This enables ACRRMto monitor the placements and identifyopportunities for improvement.

Students are also required to submit an

electronic journal or short report about theirplacement experience. It is a mandatoryrequirement of the program that studentscomplete an evaluation survey and placementreport foreach placement.

10. Placement Community Selection

An evaluation of each community is undertakento determine its suitability to host students.

Successful applicants are involved in aplacement process that allows for a choice inthe size of town, health service/GP placement


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type and specific healthcare settings the studentwould like to experience. While every effort ismade to ensure that the placement is of mutualbenefit to the student, mentor and community,due to the large numbers of students being

placed, it is not possible to specify a particulartown. Placement priority is given to studentswho wish to undertake their placement in theiruniversity home state.

If a student does not wish to accept theallocated placement community, the student willbe required to forfeit the Program and theirplace will go to the next ranked student fromtheir university.

Once a student is matched to a particularcommunity they cannot change, unless thereare extenuating circumstances and approval isgranted by ACRRM.

11. Ongoing Eligibility

In order to remain eligible for the JFPP, eachstudent must continue to:

be an Australian citizen or permanentresident;

be enrolled in an accredited medicalprogram;

undertake the agreed placement (of at leasttwo weeks duration) every 12 months;

participate in activities arranged by thecommunity contact;

submit an evaluation form and placementreport after each placement; and

contribute to any evaluation surveys that are

conducted for the JFPP.

Accepting another rural experience grant orscholarship while a JFPP recipient, may affectyour eligibility to continue in the program.

Students who cease to meet the ongoingeligibility criteria will be withdrawn from theprogram. Students must inform ACRRM of anychanges to their circumstances that may affecteligibility to remain in the program.

Students who are unable to fulfil therequirements of the Program due to unforeseen

circumstances (eg due to personal illness) willbe allowed to withdraw from the programwithout penalty. Students will be able to retainany previous payments.

12. Inappropriate Conduct

Whilst on placement students are expected tocomply with the standards of behaviour (clinicaland non-clinical) that have been set by theirmedical schools.

If ACRRM receives a report or becomes awarethat a students conduct or behaviour isinappropriate it may, depending on the severity,take any or all of the following actions:

obtain feedback from relevant partiesincluding the mentor, student and communitycontact regarding the behaviour;

counsel the student regarding the behaviour; change the students placement location;

inform the students university.

In the first instance a written warning will besent to the student as a caution regarding their

conduct. This could result in a temporarysuspension from the program.

If there is a continuation of the unacceptablebehaviour already indicated, this could result inthe permanent suspension of the student fromthe program.

Should the initial behaviour be deemedsufficiently serious, the student's place on theJFPP will be terminated immediately, regardless

of whether any of the actions listed above aretaken.

13. Complaints Management

Formal complaints need to be sent to ACRRMin writing within 14 days of the incidentoccurring.

The John Flynn Program Coordinator willinvestigate the matter by contacting all relevant

parties, identify what action is to be taken andclarify the process if a formal complaint is toproceed. The Program Coordinator will then


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adjudicate the situation and makerecommendations. The Coordinator may seekthe support of the Manager, Operations or othercentral office staff.

14. Deferred Studies

Students may defer their placement for up toone year, if they are granted a deferral of theirstudies by their university. Students must notifyACRRM in writing, accompanied by a letter fromtheir university as confirmation. Requests fordeferrals for other reasons may be consideredby ACRRM. Students are not permitted toundertake any placements while deferred.

15. Withdrawing from the Program

If a student decides they are unable to completethe program (eg unable to complete their fulleight weeks of placement in the allocatedtimeframe) they will be required to withdrawfrom the program. ACRRM will require writtencorrespondence from the student stating thatthey are unable to complete the program andthe reason they wish to withdraw. There are nofinancial penalties incurred for withdrawing fromthe JFPP.

Students will be withdrawn from the program ifthey do not comply with the ongoing eligibilityrequirements.

Students who decide to defer or withdraw fromthe program will not be penalised for theirdecision. As a matter of courtesy however, theyare required to notify their mentor and

community contact of their decision once theyhave informed the JFPP.

16. Student Transfer

Students who transfer to another medical schoolmust notify ACRRM in writing as soon aspossible and will be required to provide theirnew enrolment details. The JFPP and allassociated arrangements will normally followthe student to their new university.

17. Additional Requirements

Students may be required to undertake a rangeof activities to encourage other students toconsider rural practice as a career, as well as

promoting the benefits of the JFPP tocommunities. These include:

completing a yearly placement report thatwill be distributed to other students, mentorsand community contacts;

attending university presentations or careersdays at secondary schools; and

contributing to the JFPP Newsletter byproviding extracts from the placement reportor photographs of the placement experience.

After completing the program, students may berequired to contribute information on a voluntarybasis for use in longitudinal studies. Thisinformation is used to assess the long termeffectiveness of the program. The informationwill also be used to report how many JFPPstudents subsequently take up practice in arural area.

18. Student Payments

Prior to undertaking their placement, studentswill be paid $500 per week to cover incidentalexpenses such as food and entertainmentincurred while undertaking their placement. Thisallowance is generally paid four weeks prior tothe placement date.

When a JFPP student wants to credit auniversity rural clinical (or elective) placement

as a JFPP placement, they will require a letterfrom the university stating that the student is notreceiving any funding for their placement (referto Section 7).Students will receive their stipendpayment if their placement is not funded by theuniversity.

If ACRRM approves a request by a student toundertake a placement either side of theiruniversity rural clinical or elective placement(refer to Section 7), payments and honoraria for

mentors and community contacts will be paid asnormal. However these payments will not bemade if the student is being funded through


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their university placement.

ACRRM will arrange travel to and from theplacement when the cost is not being met by theuniversity.

19. Student payments Tax, YouthAllowance, ABSTUDY, AUSTUDY and OtherBenefits

Although the payments awarded under theJFPP are exempt for the purposes of incometax assessment, they may be consideredincome for the purpose of assessing eligibilityfor Youth Allowance and other benefits.

Students should seek advice from Centrelink onhow the receipt of a John Flynn payment willimpact their benefits.

The JFPP team is able to provide students witha statement of earnings letter upon request.

20. Role of Community Contacts andCommunity Hosts

Community Contacts and Hosts are an integralpart of the program.

Community contacts are organisations orindividuals who provide orientation and ongoingsupport to students and assist them with thesocial and cultural aspects of the community.

Community Hosts provide students with localhome stay accommodation. An applicationform is completed to ensure suitability to host

students.

JFPP Community Hosts are paid $100.00 (GSTexc) per student per placement week foraccommodation only. An additional amount of$100.00 per week for food (breakfast & dinneronly) is payable by the student from his/herallowance, directly to the host.

When staying in host accommodation studentsare required to:

pay host $200.00 per fortnight, inadvance, as a contribution towards food;

request usage and pay host fortelephone and/or internet access;

advise host with reasonable notice whenbreakfast and dinner are required; and

enter and leave the host accommodation

quietly, and with consideration for hostsecurity.

Community contacts will:

be located in a region with an ASGC-RA 2 5. Categories can be found on websitessuch as the DoctorConnect site:www.doctorconnect.gov.au;

have a good knowledge of the local region;

recommend suitable rural doctors who maybe interested in acting as JFPP mentors;

organise students participation in social andcommunity events while on their placement;

provide support with cultural awareness,student safety and advise on suitable, safe,local accommodation;

be available to support the studentthroughout their placement; and

liaise with other community contacts ormentors within the local community.

21. Community Contact Honorarium

In recognition of the supporting role thatcommunity contacts undertake, an honorariumof $175.00 (GST exc) per placement week willbe paid. To claim the honorarium the communitycontact is required to submit an invoice at theend the students placement. This invoice mustbe submitted within one month of eachplacement.

22. Role of Mentors

Students are assigned to a mentor for eachplacement. The mentor acts as a role modeland introduces students to rural/remote practiceand the local health facilities in their region. Thementor is responsible for supervising andsupporting the student by:

providing work experience during the JFPPplacements that are appropriate to thestudents year of study; and


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creating opportunities for the student tointeract with other health providers in thecommunity.

Where the mentor is also acting as a communitysupport/contact they adopt the role as outlined

above (refer to section 20).

Mentors must be qualified medical practitionerswho are located in an ASGC-RA 2 to 5 regionand are required to complete an applicationprocess. ASGC-RA categories can be found onwebsites such as DoctorConnect*:www.doctorconnect.gov.au

23. Change of Mentor

If, due to unforeseen reasons, a nominatedmentor is unable to continue supervising astudent, the placement practice or hospitalshould identify a replacement where possibleand notify relevant parties, including the JFPP,as soon as possible. In the instance where areplacement mentor isnt available at the samepractice or hospital, the student will beallocated, by ACRRM, to an available mentor atanother location.

24. Mentor Honorarium

In recognition of the mentor's supervisory andsupporting role, an honorarium of $300.00 (GSTexc) per placement week will be paid. To claimthe honorarium the mentor is required to submitan invoice at the end the students placement.This invoice must be submitted within onemonth of each placement.

The payment will not be applicable in theinstance where a student has approval to credittheir university clinical (or elective) placementas a JFPP placement and the cost is beingcovered by the university.

Further information about the John FlynnPlacement Program may be obtained via theJohn Flynn page on the ACRRM website atwww.acrrm.org.au or contacting the JFPP teamon freecall 1800 231 231.

* No guarantee is given over the accuracy ofwebsites with details of the ASGC-RA

Classification System. Where doubt exists overa location's classification, ACRRM will consultDoHA.


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