The Fellowship Program is now established and we are able to admit doctors to the program who fall into one of the following groups:

1.doctors who have completed the Primary ACNEM course in the past 2 years

2.doctors who have completed the Primary ACNEM Course earlier and did not take up the offer of entering through the 'grandparenting' examinations

3.doctors who have not yet completed the Primary ACNEM Course and who plan to do so.

Please note that, in the third case, completion of the ACNEM Course is a prerequisite to entering the Fellowship Program, as is full membership of the College.

The published details of the Fellowship Program are subject to change and modification without notice.



Structure of the Fellowship Program

The Fellowship Program consists of:

• the ACNEM Primary Course in Nutritional and Environmental Medicine
• activities for which NEMCE* points are given; (*Nutritional & Environmental Medicine Continuing Education)
• minimum accredited hours of practice in nutritional and environmental medicine
• Part I examinations
• Part II written work & examination.
  
  
  

Fellowship Examinations

The Part I Fellowship Examinations are open to Fellowship candidates who:

• have been full members of the College for at least twelve months
• are up-to-date with their membership fees
• have accumulated the required number of accredited hours of training
• have completed sufficient hours of activities for which NEMCE points are given
• have completed the primary ACNEM Course at least twelve months before sitting the Part I examination
  
  

The Part II (final) Fellowship Examination is open to Fellowship candidates who:

• have maintained their full membership of the College and whose membership fees are up-to-date
• have accumulated the required number of accredited hours of training
• have successfully completed the Part I examination
• have completed the required written work for Part II
• have completed sufficient hours of activities for which NEMCE points are given
• have been in suitable practice for at least twelve months after sitting the Part I examination before sitting the Part II examination.
  
  

Part I:

a. A written paper - a test of Basic Knowledge in Nutritional and Environmental Influences on Health. Mostly multi-choice questions with some short-answer questions.

b. A viva voce examination.

A candidate who is a paid-up full member of the College with a minimum of one hundred (100) accredited hours, fifty (50) NEMCE points and who has completed the ACNEM Primary Course at least twelve months previously, will be eligible to sit for the Part I examination.

Part I Examination covers:

1. General

• Clinical importance of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment.
• The molecular basis of nutritional and environmental medicine.
• The basic concepts of nutritional medicine.
• Optimal, traditional and therapeutic diets.
• History of nutritional Medicine.
• The adequacy and inadequacy of modern diets.
• The facts concerning Australian diets.
• The basis of understanding of the generation of nutritional myths.

2. Nutrients

• Accessory nutrients.
• Antioxidant nutrients.
• Carbohydrates - complex and refined.
• EFA nomenclature.
• EFA requirements of different species.
• Essential fatty acids - omega 3, 6 and 9 series.
• Fats and oils - lipid biochemistry.
• Fibres - soluble and insoluble.
• Flavonoids and carotenoids.
• Minerals - sodium, potassium, lithium, rubidium and vanadium
• calcium and magnesium
• zinc, manganese, copper and selenium
• iron and molybdenum.
• Proteins and amino acids.
• Vitamins - water soluble
• Vitamins - fat soluble.
• Water and oxygen as nutrients.

3. Signs of deficiency of the macro- and micro- nutrients

• Nutrient interactions.
• Drug-nutrient interactions.
• The safe application of nutrient therapies.

4. Biological basis of environmental medicine

• Heavy metal chemistry and health.
• EMR.
• Xenobiotic chemicals.
• Social influences.
• Workplace hazards.
  
  
  

Part II:

a. Three (3) case studies, one of which must be of at least 1,500 words and two of which must be of at least 500 words each.

Case histories may be published in the ACNEM Journal, so please keep any direct relevance to the patient generic.

b. A viva voce examination.

A candidate who is a paid-up full member of the College with two hundred and fifty (250) accredited hours, one hundred and fifty (150) NEMCE points and who has passed the Part I examination at least twelve months previously (but not more than three years), and who has submitted the required three case studies (see 'a' above) will be eligible to sit for the Part II final viva voce examination of thirty (30) minutes duration.

The Part II examination must be taken within three (3) years after attaining a pass at the Part I examination. A candidate must be in suitable practice in nutritional and environmental medicine for at least twelve (12) months after attaining a pass at the Part I examination before being eligible to sit for the Part II examination.

Viva Voce Examination

In this part of the examination a candidate will be examined in the following five (5) areas:

1. The examination of the knowledge of the candidate of 5 different nutrients.

2. A brief description of the management of patients with 3 common clinical problems, including clinical signs and interpretation.

3. An examination of candidates' methods of management of a serious medical or surgical condition.

4. Evaluation of the candidates' knowledge of current topics in nutritional and environmental medicine.

5. An evaluation of the candidates' ability to integrate various therapeutic modalities into medical practice and the underlying reasons for choice of modality.

Recommended Books

1. Good Health in the 21st Century - Hungerford

2. Clinical Guide to Nutrition & Dietary Supplements in Disease Management - Jamison

3. Encyclopaedia of Nutritional Supplements - Murray

4. Herbs & Natural Supplements - Braun & Cohen

5. Encyclopaedia of Healing Foods - Murray & Pizzorno

6. Modern Nutrition in Health & Disease - Shils et al.

Accredited Hours and NEMCE Points

The number of accredited hours and NEMCE points may be accumulated by:

1. participating in the ACNEM training programs;

2. practising under the guidance of a preceptor;

3. attending other programs in Australia and overseas which may include courses, conferences and seminars that have been approved by ACNEM;

4. lecturing to healthcare professionals or lay groups on nutritional & environmental medicine;

5. case presentations at clinical meetings;

6. case commentary and case documentation;

7. peer review in practice;

8. writing articles published in the ACNEM Journal or in other peer reviewed journals;

9. writing books in the area of nutritional and environmental medicine;

10. research in the area of nutritional and environmental medicine.

Enrolment

If you wish to enrol in the ACNEM Fellowship Program, please print and complete the enrolment form and return it to the ACNEM office.

Explanations

NEMCEP: Nutritional & Environmental Medicine Continuing Education Points - points given to ACNEM Fellows and fellowship candidates for activities judged by the College Board to further and/or support the training of doctors in the area of N&EM. Qualifying activities are published by the College from time to time. Fellows and candidates may also apply to be granted points for activities not listed by the College.

ACCREDITED HOURS: Candidates will be required to keep a log of consultations involving Nutritional & Environmental Medicine. Details of this will be given to candidates at the time of enrolment in the Fellowship Program.