General Practice Experience Pilot Pathway – Requirements for Fellowship


Policy

Last updated 1 August 2023

1. General Practice Experience Pilot Pathway – Requirements for Fellowship Policy

1.1 Policy number: CO-E-0010.0

1.2 Category: Education

1.3 Approval date: March 2016

1.4 Revision due date: March 2019

1.5 Unit responsible: Education Services

2. Policy declaration

Candidates in the General Practice Experience Pathway must meet all requirements detailed in this policy to be awarded Fellowship of the RACGP.

This policy is authorised by the CEO.

3. Background

3.1 Objectives

This policy aims to describe the requirements for Fellowship for Candidates in the General Practice Experience Pathway.

3.2 Scope

This policy applies to candidates on the trial GPE Pathway which accepted applications between 18/04/2016 and 13/05/2016, with successful candidates commencing on 30/05/2016.

4. Definitions

For the purposes of this policy:

  1. Candidate means a medical practitioner enrolled in the General Practice Experience Pathway.
  2. Full time general practice experience is calculated at a minimum of 27 hours face-to-face, rostered, patient consultation time in general practice activities and undertaken over a minimum of four days per week within a minimum 38 hour working week. Work periods of less than three consecutive hours, or of less than one month in any one practice, will not be considered. Hours worked beyond this definition of full time will not be considered.
  3. Part time general practice experience is calculated pro-rata with a minimum of 10.5 hours face-to-face, rostered, patient consultation time in general practice activities and undertaken over a minimum of two days per week within a minimum 14.5 hour working week. Work periods of less than three consecutive hours, or of less than one month in any one practice, will not be considered.
  4. Comprehensive Australian general practice means:
    1. continuity of care that is person-centred, comprehensive and coordinated; focusing on the whole person, and all presenting symptoms;
    2. health promotion and illness prevention services that are based on patient need and the best available evidence;
    3. the diagnosis, treatment and management of the full range of undifferentiated conditions in a diverse range of individuals, families and communities not limited by practice intention or business focus; and
    4. general practice undertaken in Australia.

This is an abriged definition distilled from the Competency profile of the Australian general practitioner at the point of Fellowship.

5. Requirements for Fellowship

5.1 Education requirements

Candidates must complete:

  1. A Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) course within the 12 months prior to applying for Fellowship which satisfies the requirements in RACGP’s Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced Life Support Courses Guidance Document; and
  2. An Advanced Life Support (ALS) course within the four years prior to applying for Fellowship; which satisfies the requirements in RACGP’s Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced Life Support Courses Guidance Document; and
  3. The 12 month full time equivalent General Practice Experience Pathway Education Program as amended from time to time.  In some circumstances Candidates may apply for leave from, or an extension to, the General Practice Experience Pathway Education Program. Further details are available in the Leave and Extensions Policy.

5.2 Experience requirements

Candidates must complete:

  1. Have a minimum of four years and six months full time equivalent general practice experience over the last ten years, which must include one year full time equivalent in comprehensive Australian general practice as assessed under the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy; and
  2. Have employment in Australian general practice that meets the minimum part time requirements for the duration of the General Practice Experience Pathway Education Program as assessed under the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy; and
  3. Have employment in comprehensive Australian general practice for at least six months full time equivalent while undertaking the General Practice Experience Pathway Education Program, which meets the minimum part time requirements as assessed under the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy.
  4. Notify the RACGP of any changes to their employment during their participation in the General Practice Experience Pathway Education Program, within 10 business day of the event’s occurrence.

5.3 Assessment requirements

Candidates must pass RACGP’s Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), Key Feature Problems (KFP) and Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) within three years of completion of the General Practice Experience Pathway Education Program. Candidates who do not meet this requirement will be subject to clause 7.

5.4 Professional and ethical requirements

The RACGP reserves the right to withhold awarding an applicant Fellowship of the RACGP, if the RACGP reasonably considers the applicant:

  1. would be at risk of breaching clause 27 of RACGP's Constitution
  2. is generally unsuitable to hold Fellowship of the RACGP as detailed in RACGP’s Fit and Proper Fellow Policy.

5.5 Administrative requirements

5.5.1 Candidates must:

  1. Hold current Australian medical registration at all times while in the General Practice Experience Pathway. Candidates must disclose any restrictions conditions, suspensions and/or notations on, or changes to, their medical registration to the RACGP. Candidates must disclose changes to their medical registration to the RACGP via email to education@racgp.org.au. Failure to do this will be handled as per the Academic Misconduct Policy.
  2. Be a financial RACGP member from the time of joining the General Practice Experience Pathway and throughout their candidature.
  3. Apply for Fellowship within three years of successful completion of the three examinations in clause 5.3, or within one year of completion of all pathway requirements, whichever is the lesser. Application processes are detailed in RACGP’s Applying for Fellowship via the General Practice Experience Pathway guidance document.


6. Changing Fellowship pathway

Candidates can only be enrolled in one Fellowship pathway at a time. If a Candidate seeks to participate in a different Fellowship pathway, they must resign their candidature in the General Practice Experience Pathway and apply for entry into an alternative pathway. If a change in pathway is accepted, the Candidate must then meet all of the requirements of the new pathway to be awarded Fellowship of the RACGP.


7. Termination from the General Practice Experience Pathway

7.1 Candidates who fail to meet the requirements of the General Practice Experience Pathway or whom fail to maintain adequate progression may be terminated from the General Practice Experience Pathway.

7.2 Candidates who are terminated from the General Practice Experience Pathway may apply for re-entry into the General Practice Experience Pathway or an alternative RACGP Fellowship pathway.


8. Awarding of Fellowship of the RACGP

The determination to award Fellowship of the RACGP is made by Council and is dependent on the recommendation of the Board of Censors.


9. Related policies, documents and legislation

All policies and procedures related to the General Practice Experience Pathway are available at Fellowship Pathways Policy Framework.


10. Administrative procedures

10.1 Access to published policy

This policy will be available via the RACGP website as detailed in clause 9.

10.2 Promulgation of published policy

Relevant staff members will be provided communications explaining the function and role of this policy.

10.3 Review of this policy

This policy will have a review cycle of three years.

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