Clinical Terms  

All clinical training terms are approximately three months in duration (Clinical Terms). The start and end dates for Clinical Terms will be determined by the Training Board.  A Clinical Term is active if the trainee is undertaking clinical training as part of the SET Program. A Clinical Term is inactive if a trainee is on approved interruption as part of the SET Program. 

The Clinical Terms are as follows: 

The full-time training requirements relating to active Clinical Terms are as follows. 

• Clinical Term Requirement: Submit quarterly Professional Performance Assessments
• Basic Clinical Term Requirement: Satisfactory completion of at least three active Clinical Terms during Basic Neurosurgical Training 
• Intermediate Clinical Term Requirement: Satisfactory completion of at least nine active Clinical Terms during Intermediate Neurosurgical Training 
• Advanced Clinical Term Requirement: Satisfactory completion of at least four active Clinical Terms during Advanced Neurosurgical Training 

There are also rules relating to performance in clinical terms for progression between training levels as detailed in the Regulations. 

Clinical Training Posts 

Clinical training posts facilitate workplace hands-on service learning and exploration in a range of training environments providing the opportunity for the trainee to develop, with supervision, the requisite experience, knowledge, skills and attributes necessary to become a competent independent specialist neurosurgeon. Click here to view information on the training posts and the training post allocation process.

Professional Performance Assessment

Active Clinical Terms are assessed using the Professional Performance Assessment Report (PPA Report). The standards in the PPA Report are the minimum standards the Training Board expects trainees to have prior to entering the SET Program.  These minimum standards must be maintained or exceeded at all times during the SET Program.  Completion of the PPA Report, on the prescribed form, must be undertaken for each active Clinical Term during each year of training as part of the SET Program. 

The current due dates for the Professional Performance Assessment Reports are as follows: