Application Frequently Asked Questions

All Member/Fellow applicants initially join the College as an Associate member. However, you have two options for how to apply:

Option One:

• Apply for Associate membership ($220 application fee)
• Complete all final requirements to reach Member or Fellowship, including ACLM courses and examination.
• Once Member/Fellow requirements appear to be complete, apply to upgrade to Member/Fellow ($110 application fee). This includes submitting the Fellowship application form. College Council will then assess whether you have fulfilled all requirements and advise of your application outcome.

Option Two:

• Apply for Membership/ Fellowship ($330 application fee). Your application will be assessed by College Council with a view to Member/Fellowship
• You will most likely be offered to join as an Associate Member and informed which requirements are still needing to be completed to achieve Member/Fellowship, e.g. sit the Exam
• Once all final requirements are completed, Council will review your completion of Fellowship requirements and advise whether you are ready to be awarded Member/Fellowship

The benefit of the second option, is that you can receive specific feedback from Council as to your future eligibility for Member/Fellowship. This is a good option if you are unsure whether your university qualifications or experience are enough to fill the criteria, or if you want to apply for an exemption.

For both options, please note that we expect you to have attended the relevant ACLM courses within 2 years of the date of your application for Fellowship. Make sure not to attend our courses and then leave many years between finally applying for Fellowship.
 

Important Note:

The below examples are all acceptable as meeting ACLM’s requirements of either Fellowship or Membership. When choosing a course, applicants should also consider:

•  Their overall career goals and learning objectives
•  Which stream and course will be most relevant to their current or intended line of work
•  Location of the course
•  Possible jurisdictional differences in overseas qualifications and how this could affect registration for working in Australia (e.g. as a lawyer)
   

Fellowship:

Fellows must hold "a qualification in legal or forensic medicine which the Council considers appropriate, being at least a bachelor's degree or the equivalent in law, or a master's degree in medical law relevant to the practice of legal medicine, or a master's degree or equivalent relevant to the practice of forensic medicine." Some suggestions are:

Legal Stream:

•  Any reputable Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor
•  Legal Profession Admission Board - Diploma-in-Law
•  The University of Melbourne - Master of Health & Medical Law
•  The University of Sydney - Master of Health Law
•  The University of Manchester – Master of Laws in Healthcare Ethics and Law (Online option)
•  The University of Edinburgh – Master of Laws in Medical Law and Ethics (Online option)
•  Liverpool John Moores University (via Informa Connect Academy) - Master of Law (LLM) - Medical Law (Online option)

Forensic Stream:

•  Monash University - Master of Forensic Medicine
•  UNSW - Master of Forensic Mental Health (Psychiatrists)

Membership:

Members must hold "a graduate qualification in the field of law which the Council considers appropriate, being at least a graduate diploma or equivalent relevant to legal medicine, or being at least a graduate diploma or equivalent relevant to forensic medicine (for example a diploma in medical jurisprudence)." Some suggestions are:

Legal Stream:

•  The University of Sydney - Graduate Diploma in Health Law
•  The University of Melbourne - Graduate Diploma in Health and Medical Law
•  Flinders University – Graduate Diploma in Laws (Online option)
•  The University of Canberra – Graduate Diploma in Law (Online option)
•  The University of Manchester – Post-graduate Diploma Healthcare Ethics and Law (Online option)
•  Liverpool John Moores University (via Informa Connect Academy) - Post Graduate Diploma in Medical Law (Online option)

Forensic Stream:

•  UNSW – Graduate Diploma in Forensic Mental Health (Psychiatrists)

Please feel free to contact us if you are intending to study a particular course and would like to check whether it fulfills ACLM's requirements.

As outlined in ACLM's membership requirements, Medical/Dental Affiliate members must have "demonstrated their interest in furthering their understanding of legal medicine by having attended at least one of ACLM's short courses prior to application". 

ACLM short courses are listed here and include:

•  Expert Report Writing
•  Expet Witness Training
•  Law Intensive 1 and 2
•  Cause of Death Certificate Workshop (Qld)

In addition to these short courses, these events are also acceptable alternatives:

•  Attendance at an ACLM Annual Scientific Meeting (including virtual attendance)
•  Completion (or currently undertaking) the Bond University / ACLM Medical Negligence Microcredential

Attendance at a free ACLM webinar, or ACLM officially supported external event or webinar does not satisfy the criteria.
 

The College aims to acknowledge receipt of the application within 3 working days. Assessment of applications cannot commence until all the required documentation has been received, including certified copies of qualifications and academic results and medical registration. Applications will be reviewed by the Censor in Chief. Membership and Fellowship applications are then put to the Council at the next quarterly Council meeting for approval. Outcomes are advised as soon as possible after a decision is made. If you find the outcome of your application unsatisfactory, you may appeal the decision as per the procedure outlined in Article 10A Appeals.