General Practice Experience Pathway – Entry

Page last updated 30 June 2026

1. Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this policy is to define the principles and requirements for entry into the General Practice Experience Pathway.

2. Scope

2.1 This policy applies to medical practitioners applying for entry into the General Practice Experience Pathway.

2.2 This policy is to be read in conjunction with the:

    1. Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy, and

    2. General Practice Experience Pathway – Exam Eligibility Policy.

3. General principles

3.1 The RACGP is committed to ensuring that entry into the General Practice Experience Pathway is transparent, rigorous, and fair for all Applicants.

3.2 The decision to grant entry into the General Practice Experience Pathway is at the RACGP’s discretion.

3.3 The decision to approve entry for Applicants who have been subject to disciplinary action, restrictions on their medical registration or other regulatory activity, adverse finding or charged with an indictable offence is at the RACGP’s discretion.

4. Eligibility

4.1 To enter the General Practice Experience Pathway, Applicants must:

    1. Have one of the following:

      1. Evidence of GP Recognition from Services Australia

        1. with a Current General Practice Experience Outcome showing at least one month in general practice, as assessed under the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy, or

      2. completed the Educational Phase of the Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream (PEP Standard).

        1. Participants who have commenced an alternative RACGP-Approved Program following successful completion of the PEP Standard Educational Phase cannot re-enter the General Practice Experience Pathway or PEP Standard.

    2. Hold current Australian Medical Registration. Applicants must promptly disclose to the RACGP in writing any:

      1. Addenda on their medical registration, whether in Australia or overseas, and/or

        1. regulatory authority activity including any court or tribunal actions, whether in Australia or otherwise, that:

          1. has led or may lead to a change in registration status, or

          2. has led to an adverse finding for the Applicant, or

          3. forms part of an ongoing investigation, and/or

        2. other Notifiable Conduct.

      2. Failure to disclose this information will be handled per the Academic Misconduct Policy.

    3. Be RACGP Financial Members from the time of joining the General Practice Experience Pathway until they have either been admitted to Fellowship or have exhausted their Fellowship Exam Candidacy,

    4. Comply with the Membership Code of Conduct, and

    5. Resign their position on any other RACGP-Approved Program.

5. Disputes, reconsiderations and appeals

5.1 Applicants who believe the RACGP has made an incorrect decision in relation to their entry into the General Practice Experience Pathway can apply for reconsideration per the Dispute, Reconsideration and Appeals Policy.

6. Amendment of this policy

The Censor-in-Chief (CiC) may, without the consent of the RACGP Board, make minor, moderate and consequential amendments to this policy at any time. The Education & Training Policy Lead can make editorial amendments (no approval required by the Censor-in-Chief).

If the CiC makes amendments, they must advise the RACGP Board of those amendments as soon as practicable.

The RACGP Board may make amendments to this policy at any time.

6.1 Major amendment

An amendment that materially changes the policy’s scope, intent, or application, including overhauling key sections, redefining the policy’s purpose, or fundamentally reallocating responsibilities.

6.2 Moderate amendment

An amendment that makes a targeted change to one or more policy clauses, modifying applicable requirements or assigned responsibilities, with a limited and contained effect on the policy’s overall scope, intent, or application.

6.3 Minor amendment

An amendment that makes deliberate improvements to policy content, such as clarifying ambiguous language, updating outdated references, terminology or contact details, or restructuring content, without altering the policy’s scope, intent, or application.

6.4 Consequential amendment

An amendment made to ensure alignment with a change introduced in another policy. It is not initiated independently but is a direct consequence of an approved change in another policy.

6.5 Editorial amendment

An amendment made solely to correct typographical, grammatical, or formatting errors, without altering the policy’s scope, intent, or application.


7. Responsibilities

7.1 Censor-in-Chief
  1. Approving minor amendments
  2. Approving moderate amendments
  3. Approving consequential amendments

7.2 RACGP Board
  1. Approving major amendments

7.3 RACGP
  1. Identifying applicant eligibility and suitability for entry into the General Practice Experience Pathway

7.4 Applicants
  1. Providing the RACGP with a complete application
  2. Becoming RACGP financial members upon acceptance on the General Practice Experience Pathway
  3. Paying program fees (when applicable)


8. Glossary

8.1 Addenda

Includes, but is not limited to, restrictions, conditions, limitations, reprimands, supervision requirements, tribunal outcomes, suspensions, undertakings and/or any other remarks or changes on an applicant’s medical registration.

Refer to ahpra.gov.au for more information.

8.2 Applicant

A medical practitioner applying for entry into the General Practice Experience Pathway.

8.3 Australian Medical Registration

Registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), which allows the registrant to practise medicine. Refer to Ahpra.gov.au.

8.4 Candidacy

The three-year period, separate to training program time, during which a participant or GP can attempt Fellowship exams.

8.5 Current General Practice Experience Outcome

An outcome of a general practice experience assessment which:

  1. has an expiry date in the future,
  2. has not been superseded by a more recent general practice experience assessment outcome, and
  3. has not been rendered void for other reasons such as academic misconduct.

8.6 Educational Phase

The program time during which participants complete learning units and workplace-based assessment requirements per the Satisfactory Completion Framework.

8.7 Fellowship Exams

The exams run by the RACGP to assess the candidate’s competency for unsupervised general practice anywhere in Australia, including:

  1. Applied Knowledge Test (AKT),
  2. Key Feature Problem (KFP), and
  3. Clinical Competency Exam (CCE).

8.8 GP Recognition from Services Australia

The recognition Services Australia grants to doctors who either:

  1. hold specialist registration in General Practice with the Medical Board of Australia, or
  2. were registered for Medicare purposes on the Vocational Register on 16 June 2021 and continue to hold general registration with the Medical Board of Australia.

You must receive notification from Services Australia you have GP recognition. To find out more whether you are eligible and how to apply, please visit Services Australia.

8.9 General Practice Experience Pathway

A pathway to Fellowship for medical practitioners who have:

  1. completed the educational phase of PEP Standard, or
  2. GP recognition with Services Australia.

8.10 Notifiable Conduct

Per the Medical Board of Australia’s Guidelines for mandatory notifications about registered health practitioners, practising while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, engaging in sexual misconduct in connection with the practice, or placing the public at risk of substantial harm in the practice because of an impairment or by practising in a way that constitutes a significant departure from accepted professional standards.

8.11 Participant

A medical practitioner who:

  1. has completed the educational phase of PEP Standard by 30 June 2023,
  2. is currently progressing towards Fellowship on the General Practice Experience Pathway,
  3. has not withdrawn from PEP Standard, and
  4. has not started an alternative RACGP-approved program.

8.12 RACGP-Approved Program

An education or Training Program approved by the RACGP as a suitable pathway to Fellowship, including:

  1. Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program,
  2. Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS),
  3. Fellowship Support Program (FSP),
  4. Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream,
  5. Practice Experience Program Specialist – Partially Comparable Stream, and
  6. Practice Experience Program Specialist – Substantially Comparable Stream.

These Training Programs are approved specified programs listed in Division 6 of the Health Insurance Regulations 2018 (Cwlth).

8.13 RACGP Financial Member

An RACGP Member who has:

  1. met the membership category requirements,
  2. had their complete membership application form accepted, and
  3. paid their current membership fee in full.


9. Related documents, legislation and policies


10. Policy review and currency

This policy will be reviewed every three calendar years from the last approval date, or when there is a significant change in the intent of the policy. This policy remains valid and applicable notwithstanding if it is overdue for review.

 
Version Date of effect Amended by

3

30/06/2026

Education Policy Coordinator

Amendment details

  • Content reorganised and updated for accuracy, removing redundant text, replacing/rephrasing headers and to align with other policies.

  • ‘General Principles’ section added to inform users that approval and entry is at the RACGP’s discretion.

  • Eligibility section updated to clarify requirements for participants who have withdrawn from PEP during the post-education phase and seek to re-enter the GPE pathway.

  • Eligibility section regarding medical registration requirements updated to align with other policies.

Policy owner:

RACGP Board

Approved by:

Censor-in-Chief

Approved on:

07/2020

Next Review Due:

05/2029

    

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