Practice Experience Program Specialist – Supervision Policy

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An amendment that makes deliberate improvements to policy content, such as clarifying ambiguous language, updating outdated references, terminology or contact details, or restructuring content, without altering the policy’s scope, intent, or application.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

7.1 Censor-in-Chief

1. Approving minor, moderate or consequential amendments to this policy

7.2 RACGP

1. Making recommendations to the Medical Board of Australia regarding the participant’s supervision requirements
2. Reviewing the participant’s supervision requirements after results of the workplace-based assessments have been received

7.3 RACGP Board

1. Approving major amendments to policy

7.4 Supervisor

1. Ensuring they adhere to the MBA’s guidelines: Supervised practice for international medical graduates.
2. Identifying and managing actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest

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 a participant’s medical registration. Refer to ahpra.gov.au

8.2 Ahpra Medical Registration

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

8.3 Commencement Date

The day the participant starts work in Australia in an RACGP-approved practice using their RACGP-issued Medicare provider number.

8.4 Comparability Assessment

The process of determining the extent to which a specialist international medical graduate is comparable to an Australian-trained general practitioner at the point of admission to Fellowship per the PEP SP Comparability Assessment Guide.

8.5 Comprehensive Australian General Practice

A practice that addresses the health needs of all people living in Australia equitably and is grounded in holistic, ethical and patient-centred care. It spans the full breadth of patient demographics, clinical presentations and practice settings, including care for underserved populations. It is evidence-based and not limited to a specific subset of general practice. Refer to the Comprehensive Australian general practice guide.

8.6 Conflict of Interest

A situation in which it is reasonable to conclude that an individual’s or group of individuals’ personal interests directly conflict with the best interests of the participant or where individuals’ actions may be influenced by their personal interests rather than education and training outcomes. A conflict of interest includes, but is not limited to, when:

1. close personal friends or family members are involved,
2. an individual or their close friends or family members may make financial gain or gain some other form of advantage, and
3. an individual is bound by prior agreements or allegiances to other individuals or agencies that require them to act in the interests of that person or agency or to take a particular position on an issue.

8.7 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

A 38-hour working week, over a minimum of four days per week. 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 less than four calendar weeks in any one practice, are not considered. Hours worked beyond this definition of full time are not considered.

8.8 Level 2 Supervision

Supervision that is primarily in person with the supervisor physically present a minimum of 80% of the time the registrar is practising. When the supervisor is not physically present, they are always accessible by telephone or video link. The registrar has to inform their supervisor on a daily basis about the management of individual patients per the Medical Board of Australia’s guidelines: Supervised practice for international medical graduates.

8.9 Level 3 Supervision

As defined in the Medical Board of Australia’s guidelines: Supervised practice for international medical graduates.

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 specialist international medical graduate who has been accepted into PEP SP.

8.12 Practice Experience Program Specialist (PEP SP)

The route to Fellowship available to specialist international medical graduates who have been assessed as substantially comparable or partially comparable to an Australian-trained specialist general practitioner at the point of admission to Fellowship.

8.13 Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG)

An overseas-trained medical practitioner who:

1. holds a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS),
2. has satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practise as a specialist general practitioner and has been awarded a specialist general practice qualification in their country of origin, and
3. had their specialist general practice qualification’s curriculum assessed by the RACGP as comparable or partially comparable to the RACGP curriculum and syllabus for Australian general practice.

8.14 Supervision / Supervised Practice

Supervision in line with the principles of supervision and supervised practice per the Medical Board of Australia’s guidelines: Supervised practice for international medical graduates.

8.15 Supervisor

A general practitioner who is both a clinician and a role model, who takes responsibility for the educational and training needs of the PEP SP participant while in the practice, in adherence with the Medical Board of Australia’s Supervised practice for international medical graduates guidelines.

8.16 Workplace-Based Assessment (WBA)

A framework for evaluating a doctor’s performance and progress in those areas of practice best assessed in the context of the workplace. The aim is to provide evidence that the participant is competent for unsupervised practice in Australia.