Prepare for GP training: mandatory hospital rotations

What you need to know before starting GP training

Both Colleges have requirements around mandatory hospital rotations prior to commencing GP training on the AGPT Program. However, these mandatory hospital rotations do not have to be completed before application and entry into the AGPT Program.

If you have completed additional hospital experience following general registration, you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning once you commence on the AGPT Program. Please contact the relevant college for further information.

Hospital rotations

Under the new Natonal Framework for Prevocational Training (PGY1 and PGY2), prevocational doctors no longer have to undertake mandatory terms such as medicine, surgery and emergency. Instead, they are now required to complete a variety of terms that expose them to a set list of clinical experiences (eg. undifferentiated patient care, per-operative/procedural care). In practice, most prevocational doctors will still have completed a medical, surgical and emergency rotation by the end of PGY2.

Nonetheless, both Colleges still have some requirements around hospital rotations.

  • RACGP
    • before commencing GP rotations, do a hospital rotation in paediatrics* in addition to having completed PGY2 as per the new National Framework.
  • ACRRM
    • before commencing GP rotations: have general medical registration, and
    • before the completion of their GP training: do a hospital rotation in paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, and anaesthetics*.

*Both Colleges may consider other ways of demonstrating completion of these rotations and so should be contacted for any questions around this.

What to consider before starting training

Here are a few things you can do to prepare while in the hospital system:

  • Ensure you are a part of the Future General Practitioner (FGP) network
  • Familiarise yourself with the training pathways into general practice, think about which GP Fellowship and GP medical college is right for you.
  • Think about where you would like to work as a GP registrar or GP and your clinical interests, as your clinic’s location may determine the types of patients you treat.
  • Research each college; they offer different options as to how and where you can train throughout Australia.
  • Think about extended skills you would like to develop in your GP training and if these skills would suit your goals and clinical interests.

Your hospital years

Thriving during your hospital years and preparing for general practice
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