Extended Skills and Advanced Specialised Training

Both ACRRM and RACGP require registrars to choose a specific area as an extended skill and/or pursue advanced specialised training in their GP training.

Extended skills posts to meet your clinical interests are negotiated between you and your GP specialty training college. Each college offers different options.

Once you have been accepted into GP training, talk to them about your interests in advance. This will help your college plan out your GP training.

For both colleges, these skills can be undertaken any time after completing core clinical or hospital training. The needs of the community in which a GP registrar intend to practise should be taken into consideration when making the choice.

ACRRM

ACRRM requires GP registrars to undertake 12 months of Advanced Specialised Training (AST) in one of the following disciplines:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
  • Academic practice
  • Adult internal medicine
  • Anaesthetics (JCCA)*
  • Emergency medicine
  • Mental health
  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology (DRANZCOG Advanced)**
  • Paediatrics
  • Population health
  • Remote medicine
  • Surgery (24 months).

View more information about ACRRM’s AST.

RACGP

Extended skills training lasts six months. The six months of extended skills training provides an opportunity to develop your general practice skills and can be completed in a variety of RACGP-accredited settings. There is a range of options for extended skills.

Hospital-based skills include:
  • Paediatrics
  • Emergency
  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • Palliative Care
  • Surgical Assisting.

Community-based skills include:
  • Aboriginal Health
  • Academic Post
  • Adolescent & Youth Health
  • After Hours Medicine
  • Aged Care
  • Allergy Medicine
  • Chronic Disease Management
  • Cosmetic Laser and Dermatology Medical
  • Education
  • Mental Health
  • Occupational Medicine
  • Palliative Care
  • Refugee Health
  • Respiratory Disease
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Skin Cancer
  • Sports Medicine / Musculoskeletal
  • Travel Medicine.

Skills to obtain the Rural General (RG) Fellowship

The Rural Generalist (RG) Fellowship is a qualification awarded by the RACGP in addition to the vocational Fellowship (FRACGP). Completion of a minimum 12 months of Additional Rural Skills Training (ARST) in an accredited training post is an essential component of training towards the RG Fellowship.

Curriculums include:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
  • Adult Internal Medicine
  • Anaesthesia
  • Child Health
  • Palliative Care
  • Mental Health
  • Obstetrics
  • Surgery
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Academic Post

Read more about the ARST, pre-2022, and from 2022, on the RACGP website.