Expedited Specialist Pathway Fellowship Admission Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to describe the principles and requirements for Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) of the Medical Board of Australia’s (MBA) Expedited Specialist pathway to be admitted to Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP).

2. Scope

2.1 This policy applies to:

1. 1. SIMGs who were awarded unconditional specialist registration as a general practitioner through the MBA’s Expedited Specialist pathway and seek to apply for FRACGP.

2.2 This policy is to be read in conjunction with the Fellowship Policy.

2.3 This policy will come into effect as of 8 September 2025.

3. General principles

3.1 The principles by which the RACGP admits SIMGs to Fellowship are:

1. 1. ensuring Fellows are competent for unsupervised Comprehensive Australian General Practice,

   2. upholding public health and safety, and

   3. maintaining the good reputation of the general practice profession and the RACGP.

3.2 The RACGP Board may at its full discretion admit SIMGs to Fellowship as per the Fellowship Policy.

3.3 SIMGs who meet any of the following criteria are not eligible for admission to Fellowship as per this policy: 

1. 1. reclassified from substantially comparable to partially comparable as per the PEP SP Participant Handbook - Substantially Comparable

   2. initially assessed as partially comparable as per the PEP SP Comparability Assessment Policy

4. Requirements for Fellowship

4.1 Experience requirements. SIMGs must:

1. 1. under Supervision, have completed a minimum of six calendar months Full-Time Equivalence (FTE) of Comprehensive Australian General Practice within the past four years. This requirement can be fulfilled while on the Medical Board of Australia’s Expedited Specialist pathway.

   2. complete basic life support (BLS) training and advanced life support (ALS) training in the 12 months prior to applying for admission to Fellowship as per the Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Guide.

4.2 Education requirements. SIMGs must:

1. 1. have been awarded the following accepted qualifications through training and assessment

      1. Membership of the Irish College of General Practitioners (MICGP) from 2009 onwards together with a Certificate of Satisfactory Completion of Specialist Training (CSCST) where the approved training scheme was undertaken in Ireland, or

      2. Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (FRNZCGP) from 2012 onwards following satisfactory completion of General Practice Education Program (GPEP), or

      3. Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners MRCGP (United Kingdom) from August 2007 onwards together with a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) issued by the General Medical Council (GMC) or Postgraduate Medical Education and Training Board

   2. and have completed all of the following:

      1. an orientation to the Australian healthcare system as per the MBA’s Orientation requirements for specialist registration,

      2. the minimum cultural safety education requirement as per the MBA’s Cultural safety education requirements for specialist registration, and

      3. continuing professional development (CPD) to meet the MBA’s CPD registration standard for CPD, and which includes the identification of individual learning needs that support the transition to general practice in Australia.

4.3 Assessment requirements. There are no assessment requirements as the RACGP recognises the qualifications listed in clause 4.2 above.

4.4 Professional and ethical requirements. The RACGP reserves the right to withhold admission to Fellowship if the RACGP reasonably considers the SIMG:

1. 1. engaged in conduct that would attract sanctions as per clause 27 of the RACGP Constitution,

   2. is unsuitable to be admitted to Fellowship of the RACGP in accordance with the Fellowship Policy, or

   3. has Addenda on their current Ahpra Medical Registration that prevent them from undertaking unsupervised Comprehensive Australian General Practice.

4.5 Administrative requirements 

1. 1. SIMGs must attend an online interview prior to being considered for Fellowship.

   2. SIMGs must hold current, unconditional Australian medical registration as a specialist general practitioner. SIMGs must promptly disclose to the RACGP any:

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

      2. regulatory authority activity, whether in Australia or overseas, that:

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

         2. has led to an adverse finding for the SIMG or forms part of an ongoing investigation; and/or

      3. other Notifiable Conduct.

   3. All SIMGs must be a Financial RACGP Member at the time of application for Fellowship.

4.6 SIMGs who believe the RACGP has made an incorrect decision in relation to the conduct or outcome of their application for Fellowship can apply for reconsideration as per the Dispute, Reconsideration and Appeals Policy.

5. 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.

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. Responsibilities

7. Glossary

8. Related documents, legislation and policies

• Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support Guide
• Dispute, Reconsideration and Appeals Policy
• Fellowship Policy
• MBA’s Expedited Specialist pathway
• PEP SP Comparability Assessment Policy
• PEP Specialist Participant Handbook – Partially Comparable Stream
• PEP Specialist Participant Handbook – Substantially Comparable Stream
• RACGP Constitution

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.