General Practice Experience Pathway – Exam Eligibility

1. Purpose

1.1 The objective of this policy is to describe the Fellowship of the RACGP examination eligibility requirements candidates on the General Practice Experience Pathway, including the Practice Experience Program Standard Stream (PEP Standard), must meet.

2. Scope

2.1 Candidates on the General Practice Experience Pathway must meet the requirements detailed in this policy be eligible to enrol in and undertake the RACGP Fellowship examinations.

2.2 This policy is to be read in conjunction with the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy, Academic Misconduct Policy, General Practice Experience Pathway Entry Policy, Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream Post-Education Progression Policy and the Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream Satisfactory Completion Framework.

2.3 This policy replaces the previous General Practice Experience– Exam Eligibility Policy and will come into effect as of Tuesday 4^th January 2022.

3. Eligibility requirements

3.1 To be eligible to enrol in RACGP Fellowship examinations under the General Practice Experience Pathway, candidates must meet all three of the following criteria:

1. 1. Have a valid general practice experience assessment outcome, assessed as per the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy, which recognises:
      1. at least four years of full time equivalent (FTE) experience in general practice over the last ten years, which includes:
         1. One year’s FTE completed in the last four years;
         2. One year’s FTE in Australian general practice; and
         3. At least six months’ FTE in comprehensive Australian general practice undertaken in the last four years.
   2. Hold current Australian medical registration and have promptly disclosed all details of any past or present:
      1. Restrictions, conditions, suspensions and/or undertakings on their medical registration; and
      2. regulatory authority activity, whether in Australia or otherwise, that:
         1. has led or may lead to a restriction, condition, suspension and/or undertaking on medical registration; or
         2. has led to an adverse finding for the medical practitioner, or forms part of an ongoing investigation.

         Candidates must disclose changes to their medical registration via email to education@racgp.org.au.

         Candidates with restrictions, conditions, suspension and/or undertakings on their medical registration or any other regulatory activity may not be eligible for exams. The RACGP will handle failure to disclose 3.2.ii.a or b as per the Academic Misconduct Policy.

   3. Have GP recognition with Services Australia, or otherwise successfully complete the Practice-Experience Program – Standard Stream prior to sitting any RACGP Fellowship examinations held after 1 January 2022.

3.2 Participants must hold financial membership of the RACGP from commencement of their program until they have either attained Fellowship or they have exhausted their Fellowship exam candidacy as per the Fellowship Exam Attempts Policy. Please refer to the GP in Training Membership Guidance Document for further information.

3.3 Candidates on the PEP Standard are not eligible to sit RACGP Fellowship examinations until they have completed their program as per the Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream Satisfactory Completion Framework and their Individual Program Requirements (IPR).

1. 1. Candidates may enrol for RACGP Fellowship examinations whilst on the PEP Standard under the condition the examination is scheduled for after the end of their program as per their Individual Program Requirements.
   2. Candidates must commence their exam candidacy as soon as they are eligible after completing the PEP Standard as per the Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream Post-Education Progression Policy.
   3. If a candidate has prior RACGP Fellowship examination results when joining the PEP Standard, the RACGP will:
      1. Suspend a participant’s examination candidacy upon entry to the PEP Standard;
      2. Retain all prior valid Fellowship examination results (including those that were unsuccessful) upon entry to the PEP Standard, subject to current RACGP Fellowship examination policy as detailed in the RACGP Fellowship Exam Attempts Policy; and
      3. Suspend the timeframe for expiry of existing successful RACGP Fellowship examination attempts for the duration of participation in the educational component of the PEP Standard. Once the educational component of PEP Standard is completed, or when the candidate becomes eligible to recommence exam attempts (whichever is the sooner), the timeframe for expiry of RACGP Fellowship examination results will recommence as detailed in theFellowship Exam Attempts Policy.

   
   4. Change in eligibility status

   4.1 Candidates will not be permitted to enrol or remain enrolled in RACGP Fellowship examinations if they no longer meet the requirements of clause 3 of this policy, including but not limited to:

   1. 1. their general practice experience assessment outcome has expired;
      2. they have a previously valid general practice experience assessment outcome that has been superseded by a subsequent general practice experience assessment outcome showing the candidate does not meet the exam eligibility requirements as outlined in clause 3.1 above; or
      3. they no longer hold current medical registration.

   4.2 If after enrolment in an examination a participant becomes ineligible for that examination, they must promptly inform the RACGP and withdraw. Failure to do this will be handled as per the Academic Misconduct Policy.

   5. Amendment of this Policy

   The CiC may, without the consent of the Board, make Minor, Moderate and Extenuating Amendments to this policy at any time.

   If the CIC makes Amendments, they must advise the Board of those amendments as soon as practicable.

   The Board may make amendments to this policy at any time.

   6. Responsibilities

   6.1 RACGP Board	Responsible for approval of policy and Major Amendments.
   6.2 Censor-in-Chief	Responsible for approval of Amendments to the policy by delegation of the RACGP Board.
   6.3 Candidate	Provide all relevant documentation and supporting evidence regarding their eligibility for fellowship exams. Notify the RACGP of any changes to their eligibility status.
   6.4 RACGP	Determine the participants exam eligibility status.

   7. Glossary

   7.1 Candidate	A medical practitioner who has successfully met all entry requirements as outlined in the General Practice Experience Pathway Entry Policy, and has been accepted onto the General Practice Experience Pathway and/or Practice Experience Program Standard Stream
   7.2 Comprehensive Australian general practice	Please see the meaning given in the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy.
   7.3 Current general practice experience outcome	An outcome of a general practice experience assessment which has an expiry date in the future, has not been superseded by a more recent general practice experience assessment outcome, and has not been rendered void for other reasons such as academic misconduct.
   7.4 Full time general practice experience	Please see the meaning given in the Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy.
   7.5 GP recognition with Services Australia	The recognition Services Australia grants to doctors who either: hold specialist registration in General Practice with the Medical Board of Australia were registered for Medicare purposes on the Vocational Register on 16 June 2021 and continue to hold general registration with the Medicare Board of Australia. You must receive notification from Services Australia you have GP recognition. To find out more whether you are eligible and how to apply, please visit Services Australia.
   7.6 RACGP-approved program	One of the following: the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program; the Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS); or the Practice Experience Program (PEP).
   7.7 RACGP Fellowship examination	The exams which, as determined by the RACGP, assess a candidate’s competency for unsupervised general practice anywhere in Australia. They include the: Applied Knowledge Test (AKT); Key Feature Problem (KFP); and Clinical Competency Exam (CCE).
   7.8 Valid general practice experience outcome	An outcome of a general practice experience assessment which meets the definition of a current general practice experience outcome and meets the experience requirements for exam eligibility as per clause 3.1.i of this policy.

   8. Related Documents, Legislation and Policies

   Compliance

   8.1 Assessment of General Practice Experience Policy

   8.2 Academic Misconduct Policy

   8.3 General Practice Experience Pathway Entry Policy

   8.4 Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream Post-Education Progression Policy

   Guidance

   8.5 Practice Experience Program – Standard Stream Satisfactory Completion Framework

   9. Policy Review and Currency

   This policy will be reviewed every three 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.