Medical Training Review Panel 19th Report

General Practice Training

The Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program is a postgraduate vocational training program for doctors wishing to pursue a career in general practice. The AGPT program provides training towards fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and/or fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and is delivered through 17 Regional Training Providers (RTPs) across Australia. Until the end of 2014 the AGPT program was managed by the General Practice Education and Training Ltd (GPET), which was owned and funded by the Australian Government to deliver training to the standards set by the RACGP and the ACRRM. The RACGP and the ACRRM are, in turn, accredited by the Australian Medical Council.

Registrars can choose between the rural pathway and the general pathway of the AGPT program. The general practice training programs usually take three years to complete if undertaken through the RACGP, and four years if undertaken through the ACRRM, but may take longer under some circumstances. An additional year is required for doctors taking the Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP) through the RACGP. Training is primarily completed through a combination of hospital terms and general practice clinics although differences exist between the RACGP and ACRRM endpoints.

Rural pathway registrars undertake their training in rural and remote areas, as defined by the Australian Standard Geographical Classification – Remoteness Area (ASGC-RA) as Remoteness Areas 2 to 5. Metropolitan-based general pathway trainees are also required to undertake at least one placement in a rural and/or outer metropolitan area.

The Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) provides an alternative route to vocational recognition for medical practitioners working in remote areas who find that leaving their practice to undertake the AGPT program is not viable. RVTS registrars are eligible to sit for fellowship of the RACGP and ACRRM.

More details about these programs are included in Chapter 6.

The ACRRM offers the Independent Pathway as a third AMC accredited training pathway to achieve fellowship of the college (FACRRM). The Independent Pathway is most suited to experienced doctors. It is a self-funded pathway.

The Overseas Trained Doctor National Education and Training (OTDNET) program was delivered from 2013 to 2015. Enrolments ceased as of 19 May 2015, with a view to streamline numerous support programs for Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs) being managed by the Australian Government Department of Health for implementation in early 2016. There are doctors still enrolled on the program who will continue to be supported to the completion of their learning plans.

OTDNET provided OTDs access to education and training which supported the learning needs of the individual towards gaining general medical registration and/or Specialist (General Practitioner) Registration. In essence, the OTDNET program was designed to help OTDs prepare for the relevant Australian Medical Council (AMC) or General Practice College exams.

The OTDNET program offered OTDs working in a general practice environment the opportunity to participate in general practice education and training by aligning the individual with a training provider in their region. When enrolled in the OTDNET program, the doctor undertook learning needs assessment as conducted by the training provider, who provided access to a tailored training program. The assessment and tailored training were designed to support the individual towards gaining their Specialist (General Practitioner) Registration.

As places on the OTDNET program were limited nationally, there were some eligibility requirements and preferences in terms of the doctor’s workplace location. Meeting the eligibility requirements did not guarantee that the application would be successful for enrolment into the OTDNET program. First preference was given to those eligible doctors practising in Australian Standard Geographical Classification Remoteness Area (ASGC-RA) 2-5 locations, followed by those in Districts of Workforce Shortage, in ASGC-RA 1 locations.

The time required to complete the OTDNET program varied between individuals. The OTDNET program was based on the establishment of a learning needs assessment package, which included an agreed learning plan between the participant and their training provider. The agreed learning plan reflected the individual general practice education and training needs of the doctor.