How does it work?
So….. When you decide General Practice Training is for you, what is the next step?
Visit the Australian General Practice Training website on
www.agpt.com.au.
There are step-by-step eligibility guides for entry into the program and for the general and rural pathways and also the 2007 Guide for Applicants (look in the Applicants section). You can register your interest and receive updates from GPET prior to selection opening. Selection commences in June each year (3 June in 2006) and closes around one month later.
In summary:
To enrol in the Australian General Practice Training program you must have Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, medical qualifications and medical registration.
Doctors who are International Medical Graduates (including from New Zealand) may be subject to the 10 Year Moratorium (please refer to the article on the 10 Year Moratorium in this guide for further details). Doctors who are affected by the 10 Year Moratorium can only apply for the Rural Pathway. All other eligible doctors may apply for the General or Rural pathways.
The Pathways
Australian General Practice Training is divided into two pathways, Rural and General. The pathways are based on the RRMA (Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Area)
classification system. This system is based on 1991 Census data and divides areas into RRMA 1-7:
RRMA 1 Capital cities/ large metropolitan areas
RRMA 2 Other metropolitan with population >100 000
RRMA 3 Large Rural centres (population 25 000 to 99 999)
RRMA 4 Small Rural centres (population 10 000 to 24 999)
RRMA 5 Other Rural areas (population <10 000)
RRMA 6 Remote centre (urban centre population >5000)
RRMA 7 Other remote centre (population <5000)
The RRMA system is currently under review by the Commonwealth Government which may result in some major changes to training in the future.
General Pathway Registrars may train in RRMA areas 1-7. They are not eligible for the financial incentives available to Rural pathway Registrars and must undertake
a minimum of six months in a rural area and a minimum of six months in an outer metropolitan area of need. A financial incentive is currently available for the outer
metropolitan placement. Exemptions from six months rural training are difficult to obtain.
Rural Pathway Registrars undertake the majority of training in rural and remote locations (a minimum of 18 months). Training must occur in RRMA 4-7 areas. Generous financial incentives are available (up to $60 000 over your training time)
The Selection process
Applicants must:
- Complete and submit an application form (including certified copies of the required supporting documentation and three passport size photos) by the due date.
- Nominate the training pathway
- Research which region they would like to train in (visit the areas and RTP headquarters, check the RTP website, register with GPRA’s Mentor program and get in contact with someone training in that region, read this GPRA guide, the GPET Guide for Applicants and the GPET Handbook).
- Nominate two Regional Training Providers (RTPs) with whom you would be willing to train.
What happens next?
- Applicants are ranked on the basis of three structured referee reports.
- Your ranking band determines which applicants are granted an interview with the RTP. An electronic matching process matches your ranking with the highest available nominated preference.
- Once all applications are received, GPET sends each eligible applicant a preference and training distribution matrix listing: the number of places available per RTP, the number of first and second preferences per RTP and your individual ranking band. Applicants then have the opportunity to revise their preference if their ranking band makes it unlikely they will be granted interviews with their initial preferences. (In recent years the capital city based RTPs, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, have been the most oversubscribed).
- The number of interviews granted in each RTP totals 110% of their available training places (unless there were fewer applicants than places). Please note: that means that at least 10% of interviewees will miss out on a training place with that RTP. This number will be higher if applicants don’t pass the interview. The interviews are standardized across Australia.
- If there are unfilled places after this process there will be another round of applications later in the year (recently there have been 3-4 Rounds per year).
The interviews are held by the Regional Training Providers. For hints on the interview process please refer to the GPET Guide for Applicants 2007. The RTP will notify successful applicants directly. Applicants must then notify the RTP in writing within five business days
to accept the offer. New Registrars then commence the following year!
