PRE-EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURED CLINICAL INTERVIEWS (PESCI) RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR INTERVIEWS TO BE HELD VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING

Transcription

1 PRE-EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURED CLINICAL INTERVIEWS (PESCI) RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR INTERVIEWS TO BE HELD VIA VIDEO CONFERENCING Introduction For candidates applying for registration in Queensland, the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) prefers to conduct face to face interviews in a location in Queensland. Candidates wishing to undertake the PESCI by video conferencing from a location outside Australia, ACRRM requires that the following four conditions are met: 1. The candidate must supply ACRRM with a certified photo passport as proof of identity before the interview date; 2. An invigilator approved by ACRRM will be present at the commencement and conclusion of the interview to verify that the applicant is the subject of the interview; 3. The candidate must arrange both the interview venue and invigilator, and have these approved by ACRRM prior to the scheduled interview date; 4. Candidates meet ALL costs of the video conference, including paying the invigilator. This document sets out the conditions and requirements regarding aspects such as the selection of the invigilator and the quality of video conferencing technology that must be met before the interview can be conducted. Role and Responsibilities of the Candidate Each candidate undertaking the PESCI via video conference is personally responsible for each of the following: Reading this document carefully and abiding by the rules as stated therein; Sourcing and booking a suitable video conferencing venue for the assessment; Ensuring the video conferencing unit to be used for the assessment at the proposed venue meets the minimum IT requirements; Sourcing a suitable invigilator for the assessment; Obtaining contact information from invigilators to facilitate completing the PESCI Nominated Venue and Invigilators form in full; and Page 1 of 6

2 Completing and returning the PESCI Nominated Venue and Invigilators form to the ACRRM IMG Assessment Manager 14 days prior to the scheduled interview. Paperwork required: PESCI Nomination of Venue and Invigilators form Candidates are reminded that there are strict timelines in place for submission of paperwork to the ACRRM IMG Assessment Manager. The final date for submission of all paperwork is by 5pm AEST 14 days before the assessment date. Failure to submit all required paperwork will result in the candidate being denied assessment and no refund of assessment fees. Extensions will only be considered in cases of extenuating circumstances and when an application has been submitted to the ACRRM IMG Assessment Manager in writing in a timely fashion. Arrangements for the Examination Venue It is the responsibility of each candidate to identify and book a suitable venue to undertake the examination. Venues deemed suitable to ACRRM include: University; Hospital education or administration departments (offices); School facility; Police Station; Commercial Video Conferencing facility (ie, this is their type of business); Court House; or Australian Embassy, Consulate or International Trade Office Please note that Skype, private residences, medical practices (private or government owned), hospital clinical areas (private or government owned), and retail businesses are not deemed suitable. Other venues may be suitable upon approval by ACRRM. When identifying a venue, candidates will need to consider and ascertain the following: After hours arrangements (access to the building/assessment room, requirements for institutional log on to the videoconference machine). Please note that the invigilator may not have authority to access these and the presence of a representative of the organisation providing the venue may also need to be present during the assessment period; Specifications of the assessment room (good lighting, quiet location, good ventilation, etc); Adequate video conferencing facilities; and Any associated costs for the use of the venue. This cost is at the candidate s expense. Information Technology Requirements Page 2 of 6

3 It is the candidate s responsibility to ensure that the assessment venue is equipped with a video conferencing machine that meets the minimum IT specifications required for completing the assessment. The minimum specification is: H320 ITU standards video conferencing system with 128kpbs ISDN capacity and for IP, H323 ITU standard video conferencing code min 128kpbs with public internet base connection. Nomination of Invigilator A person who holds an appropriate position of authority or responsibility is suitable to act as an invigilator for the PESCI assessment. Those persons deemed suitable include: School teacher/principal; Librarian; Member of the clergy; Law enforcement officer; Justice of the peace; Employee of commercial video conferencing facilities; Clerk of the court; or Australian Embassy, Consulate or International Trade Office official staff member Relatives of candidates, work colleagues or educators involved in preparing the candidate for the assessment are not eligible to act as an invigilator. The above list is not exhaustive and others may be considered, subject to consent by ACRRM, who has the sole discretionary authority to approve or disapprove each nominated invigilator. If ACRRM deems that a chosen invigilator is not suitable for any reason, the candidate will be notified and required to nominate another invigilator. Under no circumstances can invigilators be on call or be available for any concurrent duties or activities during the pre-commencement/commencement or conclusion stages of the assessment. Role and Responsibilities of Invigilators The major responsibilities of each assessment invigilator are to provide candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate their medical competence under fair and uniform testing conditions, and to ensure the integrity of the assessment process. This includes ensuring that the assessment is administered according to the rules and regulations specified in this document, whereby each candidate is appropriately supervised and remains undisturbed during the assessment. Each invigilator supervising a candidate in the PESCI assessment is personally responsible for: Reading this document carefully and abiding by the rules as stated therein Page 3 of 6

4 Providing the candidate with their details to forward to ACRRM including: - Job Title - Place of Work - Mobile number (which the invigilator can be contacted on if necessary during the assessment for direct communication with the assessment centre during the assessment) - address (which is accessed regularly by the invigilator, as ACRRM will use this address to important information) Ensuring that they will be available to attend at the time and date of the assessment Ensuring that there are no conflicts of interest in invigilating the candidate, including being a relative of the candidate, close work colleague or educator who prepared the candidate for the assessment Invigilator Payment for Services Rendered The invigilator s time will be funded by the candidate according to the agreement between the invigilator and candidate. Payment should be paid to the invigilator by the candidate in a timely fashion. Rules for the Conduct of the Examination Mandatory arrival times before the scheduled assessment start time are: Invigilators: at least 15 minutes Candidates: at least 15 minutes Items Not Permitted in the Assessment Room The candidate is not permitted to access any material or communication devices in the assessment room. In particular, the following items are NOT permitted during the assessment. Printed or handwritten documents or notes; Medical notes or textbooks including medical dictionaries, PDAs, pagers, recording devices, radios, calculators, walkmans, ipods, MP3 players; or Mobile phones or other electronic communication devices. Invigilator is not permitted to bring any personal material into the examination room such as MP3 players, radios, cameras, or computers. Invigilator s Arrival Procedure Invigilators should adhere to the following procedure when arriving at the examination venue: Turn on the videoconference machine and ensure that it is in working order; Ensure that the table, seat, air-conditioning/heating, and lighting for both the candidate and the invigilators are in reasonable working order; Ensure that access to the bathroom is operational in case this will be required, and that there are no hidden materials in the bathroom that may assist the candidate; Page 4 of 6

5 Ensure that no unauthorised person enters the examination room at any time during the assessment; and Ensure that the candidate s photographic identification is viewed for verification before the examination commences. Candidate s Arrival Procedure Candidates should adhere to the following procedure when arriving at the assessment venue: Submit valid photographic identification i.e. passport to the invigilators for verification, to ensure the invigilators are sure of the candidate s identity; Switch off and surrender to the invigilators mobile phones and any other electronic devices for the duration of the examination; and Hand to the invigilator any item in their possession as specified above in Items Not Permitted in the Assessment Room Procedure for Logging on to the Assessment The assessment centre will dial in to the candidate s videoconference machine. Once the call arrives, the invigilator will accept the call. Please wait for instructions from the assessment centre. If you are not advised of any technical problems, the invigilators will confirm that candidates ID with the panel. The panel will advise the invigilator when it is ready to commence the interview. The invigilator will hand to the candidate and leave the room for a period of 90 minutes. Please note the invigilator must be close by in case there is a technical disruption to the video conference or the candidate requires to leave the room urgently. Unforseen Technical Problems: Videoconference Disconnect During the Assessment The ACRRM technical staff will be monitoring all videoconference connections throughout the assessment and will be immediately aware if the line drops out. If that occurs, please wait for the assessment centre to dial in to the videoconference again. Misconduct and Irregularities Invigilators or candidates concerned about the management of the conduct of the assessment are requested to complete the Assessment Incident Report which is available from ACRRM. Examples of misconduct or other incidents may include: Uncooperative invigilator or candidate (e.g. not following assessment procedure); Candidate with unauthorised materials in their possession after being advised on arrival to surrender any material; Disturbances (e.g. noisy invigilator, candidate, or environment); and Disruptions (e.g. loss of power or computer malfunction) Page 5 of 6

6 Invigilators are not expected to deal with candidates who wish to enter into an argument and should endeavour to avoid a general disturbance. Invigilators should: Allow the candidate to continue the assessment unless there is a clear case of significant incident or misconduct. If the invigilator is uncertain of the course of action, they should ask the assessor on screen; Confiscate any unauthorised material - under no circumstances is it to be returned to the candidate; and Report all forms of misconduct or disturbances, etc using the Examination Incident Report. Emergencies In the event of an incident that interferes with the administration of the examination (e.g. power failure, or external noise that affects the concentration and performance of the candidate), the invigilator will: Instruct the candidate to stop working; Fix the situation, if possible; Seek advice from the ACRRM panel on screen, or contact assessment centre for the appropriate course of action if necessary; and Complete an Assessment Incident Report Checklist for Candidates Read the PESCI Rules and Regulations document; Source a suitable examination venue; Source a suitable invigilator; and Complete and return the PESCI Nominated Venue and Invigilators form 14 days prior to assessment. Please note that it is the candidate s responsibility to provide ACRRM with the contact information for both the venue and the invigilators. Checklist for Invigilators Read the PESCI Rules and Regulations document; and Provide the candidate with an address that is accessed regularly, and a mobile phone number on which the invigilator can be contacted on the day of the assessment. Please note that the candidate will provide ACRRM with this information. Page 6 of 6

7 PRE-EMPLOYMENT STRUCTURED CLINICAL INTERVIEW (PESCI) NOMINATED VENUE AND INVIGILATORS Name of Candidate:... Please complete this form electronically and return to: To: ACRRM IMG Team Fax: [email protected] Nominated Venue (to be verified for suitability by ACRRM) To be suitable, the venue must be equipped with adequate videoconferencing facilities (see PESCI Rules and Regulations document for specifications required) Venue Name: Telephone: Address: Contact Person: Position: ISDN Number: IP Address: Please note that an IP connection is preferred, as this reduces the costs at both ends. ISDN connections will incur extra fees. All fees associated with video conferences are payable by the candidate. Page 1 of 2

8 Nominated Invigilator (to be verified for suitability by ACRRM) Name: Organisation: Daytime Tel: Position: Mobile: Please ensure that this is the mobile number on which the invigilator can be contacted on the day of the assessment (for direct communication with the assessment centre if necessary during the assessment). Please ensure that this address is accessed regularly, as we will use this address to the invigilator important information. Candidate s Signature: Date: Page 2 of 2

9 Additional Charges for PESCI by Video Conference & ACRRM Video Conference Fee Payment Form Applicants selecting to conduct their PESCI by video conference must pay for all charges related to the video conference in addition to the standard PESCI fee. These costs include all video conference charges and invigilator fees charged by the suppliers of these services to the applicant as well as the $495 AUD (GST-free) fee that ACRRM is charged by their video conference service provider. ACRRM recommends that applicants conduct their video conference over IP as video conferences conducted over ISDN will incur a per minute rate which may be charged to the applicant following the interview. Credit Card Visa MasterCard Card No: Expiry Date Card Holder Name: Signature: Total Amount Due (GST Free): $495 AUD Direct Deposit please note that there are additional fees associated with this option, please contact ACCRM BEFORE making a direct deposit payment. Account Name ACRRM BSB: Account Number: Reference: Full name to be entered Cheque or Money Order Please make payable to Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine Please forward your Cheque or Money Order to: PESCI Interview Application Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine GPO Box 2507 Brisbane Qld 4001 Australia