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Note: To be used as a guide only - refer to the relevant health service and RACGP for current training post accreditation options 

There are multiple pathways that lead to a General Practitioner and Rural Generalist fellowship with RACGP:

Australian General Practice Training Program (AGPT)

The Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program trains medical registrars in general practice. Registrars who achieve their fellowship through the program can work as GPs anywhere in Australia. Registrars can complete their training in various contexts within urban, rural and remote practices.

Completion of AGPT training within RACGP can lead to registration with the Medical Board of Australia with one of the following fellowships:

• Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP)
• FRACGP and Rural Generalist Fellowship (FRACGP-RG)

Practice Experience Program (being replaced by the Fellowship Support Program in June 2023)

The RACGP’s Practice Experience Program (PEP) is a self-directed education program designed to support non-vocationally registered doctors on their journey to RACGP Fellowship. The Non-Vocationally Registered Fellowship Support Program (FSP) is funded under the Australian Government’s (Department of Health) Stronger Rural Health Strategy for Doctors based in Modified Monash Model (MMM) areas 2 to 7.

Note that PEP will be replaced by the Fellowship Support Program (FSP) in June 2023.

RACGP’s Rural Generalist Fellowship

RACGP’s Rural Generalist (RG) Fellowship is awarded in addition to the vocational Fellowship of the RACGP (FRACGP). It aims to develop additional rural skills and broaden options for safe, accessible and comprehensive care for Australia’s rural, remote and very remote communities.

You have up to six years to complete the requirements and achieve dual RACGP fellowship (FRACGP, FRACGP-RG). The RG Fellowship is a recognised end-point for rural generalist training on state and territory rural generalist programs and as part of the Australian General Practice Training program (AGPT).   rural and remote communities.

If you’re working towards the Rural Generalist Fellowship, you’ll do 52 weeks of additional rural skills training (ARST) in an accredited training post. This training is designed to give you an opportunity to develop additional skills and expertise in a particular area (and enhance your capability to provide secondary care to your community. You must be enrolled in rural generalist training to undertake ARST. You can enrol at any stage before completion of core vocational training.

The RACGP can only confirm eligibility by examining a submitted application and supporting documents. To be eligible, you must:

• Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian permanent resident or on an accepted temporary visa holder with an active Australian permanent residency application.
• Have recognised medical qualifications.
• Hold, or expect to hold, general medical registration prior to the commencement of training.
• Be willing to cease training on any other vocational training programs, if you are successful in gaining a training position on the AGPT program.
• Have fulfilled all requirements of the Australian Medical Council (AMC), or the Competent Authority pathway, if you obtained your medical qualification outside of Australia or New Zealand (For overseas trained doctors only).
• Have a minimum of one exam semester remaining to complete all Fellowship exams, as per the Fellowship Exam Attempts Policy, if you’ve previously sat Fellowship exams since January 2019.

The RACGP’s Fellowship programs recognises the work international medical graduates have completed overseas and in Australia. Applicants with a specialist qualification may be eligible for the Practice Experience Program Specialist Stream. Applicants without a recognised specialist qualification should apply through the Practice Experience Program Standard Stream.

The AGPT program is a three or four years full time program (or part time equivalent). There is some flexibility in how you complete the program, and you can see the core requirements in the graphic below, including the optional additional year of training for those undertaking rural generalist training.

Year 1: training is delivered within a hospital setting including clinical rotations relevant to general practice.

Years 2 - 3: 3 x 6-month general practice terms working in a clinic and seeing patients. 1 x 6-months extended skills term (for example palliative care, sports medicine, sexual health and skin cancer medicine).

Year 4 (optional): undertaking additional rural skills training towards the RACGP Rural Generalist Fellowship (FRACGP-RG). Disciplines include:

• Anaesthetics
• Emergency medicine
• Obstetrics
• Surgery
• Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health
• Academic post
• Adult internal medicine
• Child health
• Mental health
• Palliative care