1. Practice Based Assessment Pathway – Requirements for Fellowship Policy
   1. Policy number: CO-E-0018.0 1.2
   2. Category: Education
   3. Approval date: July 2016
   4. Revision due date: July 2019
   5. Unit responsible: Education Services
2. Policy declaration

   Candidates in the Practice Based Assessment Pathway must meet all requirements detailed in this policy to be awarded Fellowship of the RACGP.

   This policy is authorised by the CEO.

3. Background
   1. Objective

      This policy aims to describe the requirements for Fellowship for Candidates in the Practice Based Assessment Pathway.

   2. Scope

      This policy applies to all Practice Based Assessment Pathway Candidates.

4. Definitions

   For the purposes of this policy:

   1. Candidate means a medical practitioner enrolled in the Practice Based Assessment Pathway.
   2. Full time general practice experience is calculated at a minimum of 27 hours face to face, rostered, patient consultation time in general practice activities and undertaken over a minimum of four days per week within a minimum 38 hour working week. Work periods of less than three consecutive hours, or of less than one month in any one practice, will not be considered. Hours worked beyond this definition of full time will not be considered.
   3. Part time general practice experience is calculated pro-rata with a minimum of 10.5 hours face to face, rostered, patient consultation time in general practice activities and undertaken over a minimum of two days per week within a minimum 14.5 hour working week. Work periods of less than three consecutive hours, or of less than one month in any one practice, will not be considered.
   4. Comprehensive Australian general practice means:
   1. continuity of care that is person centred, comprehensive and coordinated; focusing on the whole person, and all presenting symptoms;
   2. health promotion and illness prevention services that are based on patient need and the best available evidence;
   3. the diagnosis, treatment and management of the full range of undifferentiated conditions in a diverse range of individuals, families and communities not limited by practice intention or business focus; and
   4. community-based general practice undertaken in Australia.

   This is an abridged definition distilled from the Competency profile of the Australian general practitioner at the point of Fellowship available at www.racgp.org.au/education/competency/.

5. Requirements for Fellowship
   1. Education requirements

      Candidates must complete:

      1. An Examiner Practice Visit (EPV) within six months of the date of enrolment in the Practice Based Assessment Pathway and as directed thereafter throughout their candidature. For details see RACGP’s Completing the Examiner Practice Visit Guidance Document; and
      2. A Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course within the 12 months prior to applying for Fellowship which satisfies the requirements in RACGP’s Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced Life Support Courses Guidance Document; and
      3. An Advanced Life Support (ALS) course within the four years prior to applying for Fellowship; which satisfies the requirements in RACGP’s Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced Life Support Courses Guidance Document.
   2. Experience requirements

      Candidates must:

      1. Have a minimum of four years and six months full time equivalent general practice experience over the last 10 years, which must include one year full time equivalent in comprehensive Australian General Practice as assessed under the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy; and
      2. Have employment in comprehensive Australian General Practice, meeting at least the minimum part time requirements for the duration of their candidature on the Practice Based Assessment Pathway. Candidates must disclose any changes to their employment arrangements, practice location or scope of practice to the RACGP. The RACGP will assess the employment changes and determine whether the Candidate will be permitted to continue on the Practice Based Assessment Pathway.
   3. Assessment requirements

      Candidates must:

      1. enrol in and attempt the RACGP’s Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and Key Feature Problems (KFP) within six months of the date of enrolment in the Practice Based Assessment Pathway. Enrolling in and attempting the AKT and KFP cannot be deferred to a subsequent exam cycle; and
      2. enrol in and attempt the Recorded Consultations (RCs) within six months of passing the AKT and KFP. Enrolling in and attempting the RCs cannot be deferred to a subsequent exam cycle; and
      3. pass the AKT, KFP and RCs within three years of the date of enrolment in the Practice Based Assessment Pathway.

      Candidates who do not meet these requirements will be subject to clause 7.

   4. Professional and ethical requirements

      The RACGP reserves the right to withhold awarding an applicant Fellowship of the RACGP, if the RACGP reasonably considers the applicant:

      1. would be at risk of breaching clause 27 of RACGP’s Constitution available at www.racgp.org.au/yourracgp/organisation/management/constitution/.
      2. is generally unsuitable to hold Fellowship of the RACGP as detailed in RACGP’s Fit and Proper Fellow Policy available at www.racgp.org.au/support/policies/organisational/.
   5. Administrative requirements
      1. Candidates must:
      1. Hold current Australian medical registration at all times while on the Practice Based Assessment Pathway. Candidates must disclose any restrictions on, or changes to, their medical registration to the RACGP. Failure to do this will be handled as per the Educational Misconduct Policy. Applicants with medical registration restricting them from seeing patients across all genders and all ages cannot fulfil the requirements for Fellowship via the Practice Based Assessment Pathway.
      2. Be a financial RACGP Associate member from the time of joining the Practice Based Assessment Pathway and throughout their candidature.
      3. Apply for Fellowship within three years of successful completion of the three examinations in clause 5.3, or within one year of completion of all pathway requirements, whichever is the lesser. Application processes are detailed in RACGP’s Applying for Fellowship via the Practice Based Assessment Pathway Guidance Document.
6. Changing Fellowship pathway

   Candidates can only be enrolled in one RACGP Fellowship pathway at a time. If a Candidate seeks to participate in a different Fellowship pathway, they must resign their candidature in the Practice Based Assessment Pathway and apply for entry into an alternative pathway. If a change in pathway is accepted, the Candidate must then meet all of the requirements of the new pathway to be awarded Fellowship of the RACGP.

7. Termination from the Practice Based Assessment Pathway
   1. Candidates who fail to meet the requirements of the Practice Based Assessment Pathway or whom fail to maintain adequate progression may be terminated from the Practice Based Assessment Pathway.
   2. Candidates who are terminated from the Practice Based Assessment Pathway may apply for re-entry into the Practice Based Assessment Pathway or an alternative RACGP Fellowship pathway.
8. Awarding of Fellowship of the RACGP

   The determination to award Fellowship of the RACGP is made by Council and is dependent on the recommendation of the Board of Censors.

9. Related policies, documents and legislation

   All policies and procedures related to the Practice Based Assessment Pathway are available at www.racgp.org.au/education/fellowship-of-the-racgp/policies/.

10. Administrative procedures
    1. Access to published policy
       This policy will be available via the RACGP website as detailed in clause 9.
    2. Promulgation of published policy
       Relevant staff members will be provided communications explaining the function and role of this policy.
    3. Review of this policy
       This policy will have a review cycle of three years.

Related documents

Guidance documents

• Completing the Examiner Practice Visit Guidance Document
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced Life Support Courses Guidance Document
• Applying for Fellowship via the Practice Based Assessment Pathway Guidance Document