The Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program is an Australian government initiative which provides training for doctors to achieve general practice Fellowship and gain specialist registration. The AGPT Program is three to four years of full-time training offered in metropolitan, rural, remote and very remote locations nationally. It comprises hospital training, general practice placements and extended skills training.

You can apply for the AGPT Program as early as during your intern year.

Applications open 10.00 am (AEDT) Monday 25 March 2019
Applications close 10.00 am (AEDT) Monday 29 April 2019

To apply follow the links from the RACGP website from 10.00 am (AEST) Monday 25 March.

There are three main stages; Application and eligibility, national assessment and interviews and offers. Further information will be available early 2019.

Your eligibility for the program will be assessed by the Department of Health (DoH). Further information regarding eligibility requirements is available:

• in the AGPT Eligibility guide
• via emailing AGPTeligibility@health.gov.au
• via phone at 1800 372 478.

Details on the documentation required as part of your application for the AGPT Program are available in the DoH AGPT Eligibility guide. Any questions regarding the application can be referred to the AGPT Eligibility team:

• via email AGPTeligibility@health.gov.au
• via phone at 1800 372 478.

In order to decide which regional training organisation (RTO) you would like to train with, it is recommended that you contact the RTO(s) you are interested in and ask them questions to help inform you decision.

Candidates can nominate up to four training region preferences in their application. Nominating more than one preference gives candidates a better chance of securing an interview. Selecting the same training region in all preferences will not increase the likelihood of being allocated to interview. Candidates should not nominate a training region they are not willing to train in for the entire AGPT Program.

There are three main stages in the RACGP selection process. The first is application and eligibility; the second is undertaking the National Assessment which consists of the Candidate Assessment and applied Knowledge Test (CAAKT) and the third is attending an interview at a preferred RTO.

Eligible candidates are required to pay a selection fee of $725 to participate in the RACGP selection process. An alternative payment option will be available for candidates experiencing financial hardship.

The Candidate Assessment and Applied Knowledge Test (CAAKT) is a test which comprises 20 Knowledge Test (KT) questions and 50 Situational Judgement Test (SJT) questions. Candidates must obtain a minimum standard to proceed to the next stage of the selection process. The questions in the CAAKT are partly derived using competency indicators from the RACGP Competency Profile of the general practitioner at the point of Fellowship. 

KT questions are multiple choice questions which aim to test your clinical knowledge. These questions do not focus on a broad range of medical knowledge, but specifically on acute emergency situations and potentially serious conditions. These are pitched at pre-vocational candidates seeking to enter general practice training.

SJT questions aim to assess candidate’s judgement in a range of professional scenarios, often with a focus on ethical, moral, legal issues and professionalism. These questions seek to assess your reasoning in these scenarios.  The questions will come in a range of formats so please read the questions and the instructions carefully.

For this type of question, the answer is not simply marked as ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’. There is a range of scores possible in each of the SJT items. You will be awarded some marks for partially correct answers and full marks for completely correct answers.

Sample CAAKT questions are available for download.

The CAAKT will be held from Thursday 27 June to Saturday 29 June. Candidates will be able to select their preferred location and date, subject to availability.

Adelaide
Alice Springs
Brisbane
Canberra
Darwin
Gold Coast
Hobart
Melbourne
Newcastle
Perth
Sydney
Townsville

Please ensure you choose your region preferences carefully, there will be an opportunity to update your preferences after attending the CAAKT, and prior to interviews.

Each candidate is able to list four preferred training regions in their online application. Candidates who are successful in the CAAKT may be allocated to one of their preferred training regions for interview. Candidates who perform better in the CAAKT are more likely to be allocated to interview for their first preferred training region. However, training places are limited in all regions so allocation to interview is not guaranteed.

Interviews are conducted by the RTO in the training region you preferenced. Interviews will consist of five common questions in either a multiple mini interview or singular interview format. Each RTO has the opportunity to ask an additional three questions specific to their region.

The Fellowship of the RACGP (FRACGP) is the same program for both the general and rural pathways, however, the context that the registrar is in significantly influences how those skills are utilised. Additionally, in the rural pathway the opportunity is available to develop further relevant rural skills by undertaking the Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FARGP). The AGPT Program has requirements as to where registrars may work according to pathway choice, general pathway registrars may work in any general practice location whereas rural pathway registrars are required to work in rural and remote general practice placements.

If you are subject to the 10-year moratorium, there may be restrictions regarding which pathway you can apply for. You can find further information on this in the DoH AGPT Handbook or on the AGPT website.

FARGP is a specialist twelve-month program for registrars wishing to specialise in rural general practice. It is recommended that the FARGP is undertaken during general practice training to enable you to get the most out of your experience and fulfil the majority of FARGP requirements before heading into the FRACGP exams. FARGP can also be undertaken post-Fellowship. More information available at RACGP FARGP

If you are accepted into the AGPT Program you can work with your RTO to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). RPL is assessed in accord with the RACGP’s Recognition of Prior Learning Policy. If granted, RPL may reduce your training time.

Registrars on the AGPT Program remain in their training region for the duration of training. Candidates should only nominate a training region they are willing to train in for the entire AGPT Program and if necessary, relocate to. While it is possible to transfer once training has begun, this needs to be approved by both RTOs involved. Transfers from rural to general pathways must be supported by evidence of exceptional circumstances that justify a pathway change, and be approved by the DoH.

Transfers between training regions and pathways are restricted and never guaranteed. For more information, please refer to AGPT Policies.

As a FRACGP general practitioner (GP), general practice earnings can be determined based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to hours worked, complexity, Medicare item numbers, number of patient presentations and billing practices.

When working in a general practice setting, Fellowed GPs earnings are supported through access to A1 Medicare rebates.

To find out more about what you can expect to earn in different practice settings visit  GPRA NTCER to access the General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) earnings calculator. The calculator is based on the earnings of a Fellowed GP. Importantly, there is no difference in MBS patient rebates based on what general practice fellowship has been obtained

For RACGP selection enquiries please email racgpeducation@racgp.org.au or call 1800 4RACGP | 1800 472 247.

The CAAKT will be held on Thursday 27 June, Friday 28 June and Saturday 29 June 2019 at multiple venues around the country. The dates are being advertised well in advance as there are only three days applicants may attend the CAAKT in 2019. If applicants are unable to attend the CAAKT on these dates, they will need to apply for a future intake.