Specialist Pathway Category Three - Entry


Policy
Page last updated 29 January 2024

The Specialist Pathway Program (SPP) is now closed. Any person whose application to the SPP was completed before 14 September 2018 may continue on the SPP under this policy. If you wish to have your international specialist qualification recognised by the RACGP after 14 September 2018, please refer to the Specialist Recognition Program Comparability Assessment Policy.

1. Specialist Pathway Category Three - Entry Policy

1.1 Policy number: CO-E-0024.0

1.2 Category:Education

1.3 Approval date: November 2016

1.4 Revision due date:November 2016

2. Policy declaration

Applicants must meet the requirements detailed in this policy to be granted entry into category three of the Specialist Pathway.

This policy is authorised by the CEO.

3. Background

3.1 Objective & Scope

This policy aims to describe the entry requirements for category three of the Specialist Pathway.

4. Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

  1. Applicant means a medical practitioner who is applying for entry into category three of the Specialist Pathway.
  2. Candidate means a medical practitioner enrolled in category three of the Specialist Pathway.
  3. Full time general practice experience comprises a 38-hour minimum working week, over a minimum of four days per week, of which a minimum of 27 hours must be in face-to-face, rostered, patient consultation time undertaking general practice activities. 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.
  4. Part time general practice experience is calculated pro-rata against the definition of full time general practice experience. Part time general practice must comprise a 14.5-hour minimum working week, over a minimum of two days per week, of which a minimum of 10.5 hours must be in face-to-face, rostered, patient consultation time undertaking general practice activities. Work periods of less than three consecutive hours, or of less than one month in any one practice, will not be considered.

5. Entry requirements

Applicants must:

  1. Have had their complete application for entry into the Specialist Pathway accepted. For further details see RACGP’s Applying for Entry into the Specialist Pathway Guidance Document.
  2. Hold an RACGP recognised category three general practice qualification; qualifications gained through ‘grandfathering’ or reciprocal arrangements will not be accepted.If you hold qualifications in general practice from the countries listed in Table 1, you are considered to be at a level equivalent to an Australian basic trainee in general practice and as such require further training/supervised practice and assessment to be regarded as fully comparable.

Table 1. Category 3 IMGs

Country 

Category 

Austria

 3

Croatia

3

Estonia

3

Finland

3

France (post 2007 VT)

3

Germany

3

Lativa

3

Malta (post 2007 VT)

3

Portugal

3

Spain

3

Turkey

3

MRCGP (INT)

3

  1. Complete a General Practice Experience Assessment and have a minimum of four years full time equivalent overseas general practice experience over the last 10 years, including recent general practice experience in at least substantially comparable general practice as assessed under the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy, which meets the requirements of the Medical Board of Australia’s Recency of Practice Standard.
  2. Have passed the RACGP’s Applied Knowledge Test (AKT).
  3. Hold current medical registration in their current jurisdiction of practice and must promptly disclose all details of any:
    1. restrictions on or changes to their medical registration
    2. regulatory authority activity, whether in Australia or otherwise, that:
  • has led or may lead to a restriction on practice;
  • has led to an adverse finding for the medical practitioner, or forms part of an ongoing investigation.

Due to restrictions on their medical registration or any other regulatory authority activity, Candidates may not be granted entry into the Specialist Pathway. Failure to disclose 5ei or 5eii will be handled as per the Educational Misconduct Policy.

  1. Have completed a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course within the 12 months prior to applying for entry into the Specialist Pathway. The requirements are detailed in RACGP’s Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced Life Support Courses Guidance Document.
  2. Undertake a Fitness for Intended Clinical Practice Interview (FICPI) within three months of receiving their categorisation outcome, and be assessed as fit to practice in an identified general practice position. For further details see RACGP’s Fitness for Intended Clinical Practice Interview (FICPI) Guidance Document.
  3. Satisfy the Fit and Proper Fellow Policy.

6. Granting entry

The decision to grant entry into the Specialist Pathway is at RACGP’s absolute discretion.

7. Related policies, documents and legislation

All policies and procedures related to the Specialist Pathway.

8. Administrative procedures

8.1 Access to published policy

This policy will be available via the RACGP website as detailed in clause 7.

8.2 Promulgation of published policy

Relevant staff members will be provided communications explaining the function and role of this policy.

8.3 Review of this policy

This policy will have a review cycle of three years.

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