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1.              INTRODUCTION

Persons who wish to be educated as a diploma holder in Pain Management must undertake a structured programme of training and assessment. This document sets out the examination requirements for assessment of trainees for the diploma in pain management.

2.             ELIGIBILITY

2.1        The Diploma in Pain Management of the Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists may be granted to a medical graduate whose credentials are acceptable to the Council and who complies with the following regulations.

2.2        Candidates for the Diploma will be required to pass the examination for the Diploma in Pain Management and complete the specified training. (Refer PM1.V2 HKCA 2006)

2.3        Application to present for the examination must be made on the approved form, together with the required documents and the prescribed fee, and shall be received by the Secretary at least one month before the commencement date of the examination.

2.3.1      Each application shall be considered by the Board of Examinations.

2.3.2      A candidate may appeal against a decision of the Board to the Appeal Committee.

2.3.3      A candidate approved by the Board, or by the Council on appeal, may present before the appointed examiners.

2.3.4      A candidate whose withdrawal is received by the Secretary, in writing, before the published date on which entries close will be refunded the examination fee, less an administrative charge.

2.3.5      A candidate whose entry has been accepted and who withdraws from the examination on or after the date on which entries close, or who fails to attend at the examination, shall forfeit the examination fee.

2.3.6      The Board may, on production by the candidate of satisfactory evidence of a medical or compassionate nature, refund a proportion of the fee paid, provided that the refund is applied for within seven days of withdrawal or failure to appear.

2.3.7      The Court of Examiners for the Examination may refuse to proceed with the examination of a candidate, infringes the regulations, or is considered by the examiners to be guilty of behaviour prejudicial to the conduct of the examinations.

3.             THE EXAMINATION

3.1 Candidates who apply for admission to the Examination must

3.1.1      have registered with HKCA as a trainee for the Diploma in Pain Management.

3.1.2      have completed six months of training in an accredited training position for the Diploma in Pain Management.

3.2 All candidates applying to sit the Examination must be in an approved training post for Pain Management or within three years of being in a training post in Pain Management.

3.3 Although a candidate may pass the Examination, the Diploma in Pain Management of the Hong Kong College of Anaesthesiologists will not be awarded until the full training requirements for the Diploma in Pain Management are fulfilled.

4.             FORMAT OF EXAMINATIONS

4.1    Examinations will be held at times to be determined by the Council. All examinations will be held in Hong Kong and examination fees shall be determined by the Council.

4.2    The examination questions will be set according to the curriculum. (Refer PM4 HKCA)

4.3    The format of the Examination will be two written papers and one 1 hour viva:

4.3.1      Paper I: consists of four compulsory questions and four optional short questions, six to be answered within one hour.

4.3.2      Paper II: consists of two compulsory clinical scenarios each of them has three questions to be answered within one hour.

4.3.3      A One hour viva examination consisting of 2 parts, with 2 examiners at each table will be held.

5.             ADMINISTRATION OF THE EXAMINATIONS

The administration of the examinations will be by the Board of Examination who will

5.1 Appoint a Court of Examiners for the examination.

5.2 Conduct the examinations.

5.3 Notify successful and unsuccessful candidates.

5.4      Provide such information to unsuccessful candidates as will enable them to attempt future examinations with an improved chance of success.

5.5      Recommend the names of examiners to the Council.

6.             EXAMINERS

6.1      Examiners shall be recruited from qualified persons who, in the opinion of the Council, are themselves sufficiently well informed to be capable of evaluating the knowledge of the candidates.

6.2      Appointment as an examiner shall be by the Council on the recommendation of the Board of Examination.

6.3      Appointment shall be for a term of two years, and appointees shall be eligible for reappointment up to a total of six years, subject to the Council's discretion.

6.4      There shall be at least one external examiner participating in each examination.

6.5      Appointment of external examiners shall be by the Council on the recommendation of the Board of Examination.

7.             REPRESENTATIONS AND APPEALS

7.1      A candidate, or any person on behalf of that candidate, wishing to make representations with regard to the conduct of an examination, or to appeal against any result, must address such representation or appeal to the Appeal Committee in writing within one week of the end of that particular examination.

7.2      The Appeal Committee will make recommendation to the Council, whose decision shall be final.