GP AUSTRALIA

GP training is postgraduate vocational training which can commence after a junior doctor completes their intern year, and finishes with the achievement of fellowship after 3 or 4 years as a GP Registrar. GP training applicants and registrars interact with a number of organisations responsible for different aspects of their training.

Management

General Practice Education & Training (GPET) is an Australian Government organisation which oversees and funds the AGPT program; Australian General Practice Training. They manage the selection process to enter GP training; assessing candidate eligibility, the satisfactory meeting of the selection criteria, interviewing of applicants and placement of registrars. The selection process also involves the AGPT Regional Training Providers (RTPs), GPET appoints the RTPs and allocates training places from the AGPT quota to them. The training places quota is set by the Australian Government.

The Remote Vocational Training Scheme Ltd (RVTS) offers training for approximately 15 registrars in remote areas where it would be difficult to access other training programs. RVTS was established as a joint initiative of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM). They conduct their own application process and require applicants to have secured their own placement.

Curriculum, assessment & qualifications

Both the RACGP and ACRRM provide the standards for GP training. These standards form curriculum which guide the development of syllabus, and the assessment of skills and knowledge including examinations. On satisfying all educational requirements GP Registrars achieve fellowship and can practice unsupervised.

ACRRM offers a Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM).

The RACGP offers a Felllowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) and a Fellowship of Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP).

Teaching and learning

GPET allocates AGPT training places among 19 RTPs. They create and deliver training within a region. They conduct face-to-face teaching, offer online learning resources and other training related services and support. They also train and manage GP Supervisors, who supervise and teach GP registrars in an accredited practice, and document their progress through the training program.

RVTS manages its own quota of training places. The program delivers education Australia wide via a unique remote education and supervision model, using a mix of teletutorials, face-to-face workshops, on-site teaching visits and remote online learning resources to deliver training designed specifically for rural and remote practice. The end point is FACRRM and/or FRACGP/FARGP.