General practice

^{Disclaimer: Training pathway information is current as at June 2021 and is subject to change. Please check and confirm specific details with relevant Colleges and health authorities directly.}

The Australian General Practice Training Program (AGPT) is the leading training program for medical graduates wishing to specialise in General Practice. AGPT is one of three entry points into the RACGP’s Vocational Training Pathway that leads to Fellowship, the other entry points being being the Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) and Fellowship Support Program (an Independent Pathway). This Reference Guide relates to the AGPT entry point only.

While general practice is a recognised medical specialty, not all medical practitioners working as General Practitioners in Australia hold a specialist general practice qualification. Trainees will need to apply for a training place to gain fellowship with their preferred College/s, Australian College of Rural & Remote Medicine and/or The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. The two end points of the AGPT Program are the Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM) and the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP).

Fellowship is a 3-year full time (or part-time equivalent) training pathway with RACGP; and a 4-year full time (or part-time equivalent) training pathway with ACRRM as outlined below:

RACGP Pathway to Fellowship

Vocational training towards RACGP Fellowship is comprised of the following:

Hospital Training 12 months full time equivalent	The minimum requirement for entry to general practice training is one year of training in an Australian or New Zealand hospital. Mandatory hospital rotations are required prior to entry into general practice placements but do not need to be completed prior to application and entry into the RACGP training program. The mandatory hospital rotations include: General Medicine Surgery Emergency Medicine Paediatrics
General Practice Placements 18 months full time equivalent (3 x 6 month terms)	Training must be undertaken in an accredited general practice training post under an accredited supervisor. Training must be undertaken in at least two different general practices.
Extended Skills Training 6 months full time equivalent	Maximum 6 months (full time) approved Extended Skills Training in either a hospital, community GP or community non-GP setting.
Optional 4th year (Rural Generalist)	Enrolling in the Rural Generalist Fellowship (FRACGP-RG) will enable you to complete an additional 12 months of Advanced Rural Skills Training (ARST) via an optional 4th year.

ACRRM Pathway to Fellowship

Core Generalist Training (CGT)

36 months (full time)

CGT may be started at PGY2 or above and is completed in accredited training posts which include the hospital and regional, rural and remote settings.

Minimum requirements include:
Hospital rotations:
- 10 weeks Obstetrics & Gynecology (PGY1+)*
- 10 weeks Paediatrics (PGY1+)*
- 10 weeks Anaesthetics (PGY1+)*

*As these terms are sometimes hard to obtain in regional settings, there are alternatives to meeting these requirements. Please consult the Fellowship Training Program Handbook and discuss with your local Regional Training Organisation.

Community/Rural and Remote Practice:
- 6 months Primary Care (PGY2+)
- 3 months Secondary Care (PGY2+)
- 3 months Emergency Care (PGY2+)
- 12 months in Rural and Remote Practice (living and working in a rural or remote community)

Advanced Specialised Training (AST)

12 months (full time equivalent)

Advanced Specialised Training requires a minimum of 12 months training (from PGY3+) in one of the following disciplines specified by the College:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
- Academic Practice
- Adult Internal Medicine
- Anaesthetics
- Emergency Medicine
- Mental Health
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Palliative Care
- Population Health
- Remote Medicine; or
- Surgery

Entry requirements/pre-requisites

Be an Australian citizen or permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen; or
Become an Australian citizen or permanent resident by the time you finish training if you got your qualification in Australia or New Zealand and are on an approved temporary residency visa.
Hold an Australian Medical Council (AMC) recognised medical qualification.
General Medical Registration with the Medical Board of Australia.

For further information on eligibility guidelines, refer to the Australian General Practice Training Website.

Application and selection process

Trainees have the choice of two College training pathways. Trainees may choose to train with ACRRM or with RACGP; OR trainees may choose to train with both Colleges. Trainees can apply to undertake Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) through these Colleges anytime from PGY1.

Applications for entry to the AGPT Program has two intakes for entry in the following year. Applicants will need to submit an online application through their preferred College/s including supporting documents, referee details and training region preferences.

Program requirements

Regional training opportunities

The following table provides an outline of the RACGP training pathway and which rotations the Southern Queensland, Central Queensland and Wide Bay areas are accredited to deliver:

Hospital Time

GPT1

GPT2

GPT3

Extended Skills

Advanced Rural Skills Training (Optional for FARGP)

12 months

6 months

12 months

18 months community primary care

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Anaesthetics

Emergency Medicine

Internal Medicine

Mental Health

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Paediatrics

Surgery

Population Health

Palliative Care

Central Queensland

Bundaberg

Hervey Bay

South West Queensland

Darling Downs

conditions

The following table provides an outline of the ACRRM training pathway and which rotations the Southern Queensland, Central Queensland and Wide Bay areas are accredited to deliver:

Core Generalist Training

Advanced Specialised Training

36 months

12 months

Hospital rotations (O&G, Anaestetics, Paediatrics)

Primary Care

Secondary Care

Emergency Care

Rural and Remote Practice

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

Anaesthetics

Emergency Medicine

Internal Medicine

Mental Health

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Paediatrics

Surgery

Central Queensland

Wide Bay Region

(Bundaberg and Hervey Bay Hospitals)

Bundaberg

Hervey Bay

South West Queensland

Darling Downs

(Toowoomba Hospital)

Career Champions and Useful Links

Medical Colleges and Training

Peak Bodies and Clinical Networks

Fact Sheets and Guides

Research and Journals

Australian Journal of General Practice (AJGP)
The Medical Journal of Australia
Australian Medical Student Journal
British Journal of General Practice (Access via UQ Library Online)
The European Journal of General Practice (Access via UQ Library Online)

Social

AOGP - Facebook, Twitter
RACGP Specific Interests Facebook Group (Group by RACGP) - Facebook
RACGP National Faculty for GPs in Training Facebook Group - Facebook
RACGP Rural Faculty Facebook Group - Facebook
RACGP Queensland Faculty Facebook Group - Facebook

Career Opportunities and Promotion

Faces of Regional Medicine Video: General Practice - YouTube
Queensland Health RMO and Registrar Recruitment Campaign

Career Champion

To speak with a Career Champion, please contact your local Regional Training Hub Team.