Education and training

Education and training

While on the AGPT Program, you must complete the same training and education requirements as non-ADF registrars, per the Training Program Requirements Policy. The key difference is how your ADF commitments, deployments, and employment arrangements interact with these requirements.

Table 1. Mandatory training terms and time requirements

* Rural generalist registrars may undertake core emergency medicine training as their extended skills training term.

Hospital training

You must complete 52 weeks (FTE) of hospital training before starting core vocational training, per the AGPT Registrar Training Handbook.

Hospital training gives you valuable experience in a range of clinical disciplines relevant to general practice. Because your later training may involve limited exposure to certain patient groups due to your ADF commitments, we strongly recommend that you focus on gaining experiences in:

• paediatrics and adolescent health
• antenatal and women’s health
• geriatrics
• chronic diseases and multimorbidity

Planning your hospital year

You are responsible for arranging your hospital placements and notifying your regional ADF team of your planned terms. All leave taken during hospital training (including annual leave, personal leave, and routine ADF leave) must be communicated to your ADF service.

General practice training (GPT1, GPT2 & GPT3)

As part of your core vocational training, you must complete three general practice training terms: GPT1, 2 and 3.

GPT1 and GPT2 (a total of 12 months FTE) must be completed in a civilian general practice that has been accredited by the RACGP under the RACGP Standards for general practice training and is not a classified as a Special Training Environment (STE). This ensures you gain the full breadth of general practice.

As with the hospital training, we recommend that you focus on gaining paediatric, adolescent, antenatal, geriatric, chronic disease and multimorbidity experiences where possible, as these clinical exposures will be limited in further stages of training due to your ADF commitments.

GPT3 (six months FTE) may be completed as a composite term with placement in:

• a civilian general practice, and/or
• accredited Garrison Health Centres (STE)

To maintain skills in civilian general practice, you may apply for an exemption to the part-time training requirements if completing GPT3 concurrently across a Garrison Health Centre and a civilian general practice. This requires approval from your ADF service and a valid secondment agreement.

Extended skills training (EST)

As part of your core vocational training, you must complete one term (six months FTE) of extended skills training. An EST term gives you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and skills in an area of interest or an area where you would benefit from additional experience. For ADF registrars, this may include a combination of approved courses, deployments or exercises (within Australia or overseas), and work in a Garrison Health Centre, civilian general practice or hospital. You may complete up to six months (FTE) of EST in a Garrison Health Centre provided it has received STE accreditation.

ADF activities recognised as GP and/or EST training time

Throughout your core vocational training, you may be required to deploy at short notice, attend courses, or be absent for long periods of time due to operational requirements. These activities may count toward your GP and/or EST term, provided they meet specific requirements.

Most ADF activities must be approved prospectively to count towards your GP and/or EST training time, so it’s important to notify your regional ADF team as early as possible.

Table 2. A summary of the activities that may be counted toward General Practice or EST terms

Each year your ADF service may also require you to undertake an administrative orientation and update at the beginning of the term. You will be required to advise your practice of this ADF obligation if it requires out of practice attendance.