GPs working towards attaining Fellowship: Practice Experience Program (PEP) and unsupported


Last updated 17 July 2023

Performance management and support

GPs who are not eligible to be in an Australian General Practice Training program will generally be international medical graduates (IMGs). This will also be the case for those who are training for general practice under the Remote Vocational Training Scheme. 

IMGs, like any other migrant, have to adjust to a different way of life and to a social system and behavioural norms, all of which can present significant challenges. It may be that their medical experience overseas was different to what is expected in Australia. The aspects of general practice that IMGs have particular difficulty with are:

  • different patterns of disease and clinical presentations
  • the patient-centred clinical method
  • ethical and medico-legal aspects of practice. 

The RACGP’s A guide to understanding and managing performance concerns in international medical graduates contains information about the issues that IMGs contend with and the kinds of performance problems that they present with.

There are a number of situations where the GP working towards Fellowship may require support. They include GPs:

  • who are preparing for the Fellowship exam, be it first time or following a failure
  • identified as having performance concerns who are:
    • enrolled in PEP. Participants in the PEP may be offered a higher level of assistance when significant clinical skills deficiencies have been identified. This level of assistance in the PEP is managed by the RACGP. Further information can be found in the RACGP PEP Remediation Policy. Training organisations, medical educators and supervisors seeking guidance on managing performance concerns may refer to the RACGP’s Practice experience program (PEP): Remediator guide.
    •  ​being investigated by AHPRA because a complaint has been made against them or where conditions have been placed on their practice by AHPRA as the result of an investigation. Refer to Underperforming GPs (Fellowed and non–vocationally registered).

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