One of the most important aspects of the project is the formation and function of National Working Groups. These are intended to be national, multidisciplinary panels of experts charged with the responsibility of reviewing, revising and mandating the core competencies in specific areas of musculoskeletal clinical and basic science. Membership of these Working Groups has been drawn from experts around Australia, and the Project Director sits on all of the Working Groups. The Project Team provides the links between the Working Groups, the Steering Committee and the funders.

Of key importance in the development of core MSK competencies is the concept that they should clearly delineate between core competencies that should be achieved when completing undergraduate training and competencies that should be deferred to postgraduate/specialist training. Such a delineation allows the development of a ‘musculoskeletal competencies road map’, which vertically integrates education from the undergraduate setting through to postgraduate medical specialty training in various fields. Another major consideration is the horizontal integration of multidisciplinary education to ensure that all Australian healthcare professionals are suitably equipped to address the increasing impact of musculoskeletal conditions in Australia.

It was agreed that there were seven key areas in which competencies should be developed, and that there were two overarching areas: assessment and evaluation.

The agreed MSK Core Competency areas are:

Physical Examination
To develop core competencies in the physical examination of patients presenting with MSK related signs and symptoms.
Red Flag Emergencies
To develop core competencies in the recognition and examination of conditions that require urgent intervention and specialist management.
Basic Science
To develop core competencies in the basic science areas relating to musculoskeletal conditions (ie anatomy, physiology, pathology and biology)
Patient Education and Self Management
To develop core competencies in the principles and practice of patient education and self management
Procedural Skills
To develop core competencies in practical MSK skills such as plastering and joint injections and aspiration
Rehabilitation
To develop core competencies in the principles and practice of rehabilitation medicine
Clinical Science
To develop core competencies in MSK conditions specifically related to anatomical areas (ie conditions of the hand and wrist, knee and hip, shoulder etc) and medical conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, infection etc.
Assessment
To review and revise assessment tools and processes suggested by the seven other MSK Competencies Working Groups.

Development of the Core Competencies

The following link demonstrates the agreed organisation for the development of the competencies:

AMSEC Organisational Chart (PDF document)

Core Competencies will be developed using the following steps:

Step 1: The Project Team links broad-brush BJD/ Canadian competencies to the MSK Framework and produces Draft 1 of the specific Competencies document.
Step 2: Key experts from the appropriate Working Group and the Project Team liaise (via phone, email and face to face) to develop Draft 2 of the Competencies Document.
Step 3: Draft 2 of the Competencies document is distributed to the full Working Group for comment – comments received back via email and teleconference.
Step 4: Draft 3 of the Competencies document is completed and distributed to the Working Group.
Step 5: Working Group meets via teleconference with the Project Team for a “Consensus Meeting” to develop the final agreed draft of the Competencies document.
Step 6: Final draft goes to the National Steering Committee for review and comment and to the Assessment Working Group for review of assessment suggestions.
Step 7: Any Steering Committee changes are incorporated into the document which is re-distributed to the Working Group and final agreement is reached.

The Assessment Working Group will have a different purpose from the other groups. The other seven Working Groups will develop draft assessment questions/tasks as part of their work, and once the final draft has been developed following the consensus meeting, it will be forwarded to the Assessment Working Group for them to review the suggested assessment questions and tasks, and finalise these. These will then all be approved by the Steering Committee.

Working Group Membership

The Core Competency Working Groups contain representation from a broad range of stakeholders involved in musculoskeletal treatment and care including academia, clinical and community representatives and consumer representatives and membership is flexible with additional expert members recruited as required.

ASSESSMENT
Dr Alison Jones, Royal Australian College of Physicians (RACP)
Dr Chad Donnelly, Australian Medical Students Association (AMSA)
Dr Xavier Yu, Australian Medical Association Council of  Doctors-in-Training AMACDT
Dr Michael Shanahan, Flinders University
Dr Morton Rawlin, RACGP
Dr Mellick Chehade, Orthopaedics (RAH -SA)

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
A/Prof Tony Pohl, Orthopaedics (RAH; UA) (Chair)
Dr Michael Ahern, Rheumatology (FMC- SA)
Dr John Beadle, General Practice (Tas)
A/Prof Shane Brun, MSK Medicine (Qld – JCU)
Dr Peter Cundy, Ortho/Paediatrics (WCH – SA)
A/Prof Leon Kleinman, Orthopaedics (Newcastle)
A/Prof Bruce McPhee, Orthopaedics (Qld)
Dr Susanna Proudman, Rheumatology (RAH – SA)
A/Prof Michael Yelland, Primary Health Care (Qld)
Mr James Schomburgk, Physiotherapy (APA)
Mr Ben Horgan, CHF / Arthritis WA / BJD Australia.
Dr David Wheatley, AMACDT
Dr Simon Koblar, Neurology (TQEH – SA)
Dr Lorenzo Ponte, Rural GP

RED FLAG EMERGENCIES
Dr Wayne Hazell, ACEM (Chair)
Dr Manya Angley, Sansom Institute
Dr Yun Hom Yau, Spinal specialist (RAH)
Prof Ian Harris, Orthopaedic/Trauma surgeon
A/Prof Tony Pohl, Orthopaedics (RAH, UA)
Prof John Turnidge, WCH (SA)
Dr David Wheatley, AMACDT
Dr Lorenzo Ponte, Rural GP

PROCEDURAL SKILLS
Dr Vidya Limaye, Rheumatology
Dr Andrew Briggs, NHMRC PostDoc Fellow (Curtin)
Dr Adrian von de Borch, Orthopaedics
Dr David Wheatley, AMACDT

BASIC SCIENCE
Prof David Findlay, University of Adelaide
Dr Manya Angley, Sansom Institute
A/Prof Martin Richardson, Orthopaedics (UniMelb)
Prof Rebecca Mason, Endocrine
Prof Howard Morris, Hansen Institute
A/Prof Eric Morand, Monash University Centre for Inflammatory Diseases
Prof Ranjeny Thomas, Rheumatology – UQ
Dr Norm Eizenberg, Anatomy (Monash Uni)
Dr Mounir Ghabriel, Anatomy (AU)
Dr Dror Maor, AMACDT

PATIENT EDUCATION AND SELF MANAGEMENT
A/Prof Malcolm Battersby, Flinders University (Chair)
Dr Sharon Lawn, Flinders University
Mr Ben Horgan, CHF / Arthritis WA / BJD Australia
Dr Morton Rawlin, Primary Health Care (RACGP)
Dr Katherine Baverstock, Pharmacy Guild
Dr Dror Maor, AMACDT

REHABILITATION
Prof Maria Fiatarone Singh, University of Sydney (Chair)
A/Prof Shane Brun, MSK Medicine (Qld – JCU)
Dr Adrian Winsor, Rehabilitation Physican
Prof Norm Broadhurst, MSK Medicine (Flinders University)
Dr Terry Haines, Conjoint Physiotherapy Research Fellow (UQ)
Prof Ian Cameron, Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine (USyd)
Dr Dror Maor, AMACDT
Ms Karen Dixon, Country Health SA

CLINICAL SCIENCE
A/Prof Mark Kotowicz, University of Melbourne (Chair)
A/Prof Martin Richardson, Orthopaedic – upper limb
Dr Morton Rawlin, Primary Health Care (RACGP)
A/Prof Richard Osborne, Epidemiology UniMelb
Dr Yun Hom Yau, (RAH) Spinal specialist
Mr James Schomburgk, Physiotherapy (APA)
A/Prof Keiran Fallon, Sports Medicine (AIS) and ANU
Prof David Little, Paediatric Orthopaedics (Westmead Children’s Hospital)
Prof Rachelle Buchbinder, Rheumatologist. (Cabrini Hospital and Monash University)
Dr Tania Winzenberg, RACGP
Dr Victor Wik, AFMM
Dr Meg Stuart, National Prescribing Service
Prof Norm Broadhurst, MSK Medicine (Flinders University)
Dr Dror Maor, AMACDT
Dr John Slavotinek, The Australasian MSK Imaging Group (AMSIG).
A/Prof Charles Inderjeeth, Geriatrics (UWA and NICS DVA Fellow)
Dr Simon Vanlint, Rural GP
Dr Christina Boros, Paediatrician (WCH – SA and UA)