Clinical supervision
Supervision during general practice training
General practice training in Australia follows an apprenticeship model: you will work as a GP, seeing your own patients under the supervision of an experienced GP.
Clinical experience is a powerful teacher, and your learning will be supplemented and consolidated with in-practice teaching (both formal and informal), teaching visits and small-group education from medical educators (MEs), assessments, attendance at educational workshops with your peers, and private study.
Your primary supervisor provides clinical guidance and support during your placement. They are also responsible for in-practice teaching and contributing to the assessment of your clinical competence.
Supervisors provide one hour of educational supervision per fortnight during GPT1 and 2, and one hour per month in GPT3 and 4.
The level of supervision changes as you progress through your training, dependent on the term you’re in and your individual needs. The minimum supervision requirements are determined by your AHPRA registration. If you have no supervision requirements on your AHPRA registration, you will receive the following onsite supervision:
- GPT1 and 2: Your supervisor is available to attend your consultation as required. They review all your consultations and clinical notes, usually each day.
- GPT3 and 4: Your supervisor is available to attend in-person as required and monitors your practice. When you are working in the practice but your primary supervisor is not physically present, there must be an agreed system in place where your primary supervisor or an appropriate delegate (eg secondary supervisor) can be contacted for prompt clinical consultation.
FSP applicants with an AHPRA-approved supervisor and/or an AHPRA-approved site(s) must match these for FSP purposes.
Supervision during post-education component
The level of supervision you receive during your FSP post-education component will depend on your existing skills and competency, and the structures at the practice. The supervisor should be available to attend in-person as required and will monitor your practice until you are awarded Fellowship.
In some situations, an offsite supervisor might be approved. If you are unable to receive onsite supervision, you will need to find an offsite supervisor who will be required to submit a supervision plan at the time of your application. The approval of the offsite supervision is at the RACGP’s discretion.