Hospital training
Generally, the first year (12 months FTE) of the AGPT program is spent working in a hospital gaining valuable experience in a range of clinical disciplines relevant to general practice. This will give you a foundation for general practice training and an understanding of the integration of primary and secondary levels of care.
Hospital training can be done at any Accredited Hospital in Australia or New Zealand (not necessarily in your allocated training region). Although you won’t yet be working in general practice, this is an important part of your journey to Fellowship. We will run educational workshops and recommend online modules to complete during your hospital training. These will help you stay in touch with general practice. Your program team will also be available to support you throughout this stage of your training.
Planning your hospital training
It is your responsibility to make placement arrangements for the hospital year and notify your program team of the hospital term(s) you plan to complete.
When planning your rotations, it’s important to ensure they provide you with exposure to a variety of clinical disciplines relevant to general practice.
You also need to consider the four mandatory hospital rotations – medicine, surgery, paediatrics and emergency – that you must complete before you start your first general practice term. You will most likely have already completed some of these prior to starting the AGPT program, or you may need to complete all four in your hospital training. Speak to your program team if you’re unsure whether your experience meets the requirements or if you’re unable to find a suitable clinical term. For more information, refer to Eligibility to start in general practice.
If you’re an ADF registrar, we strongly recommend you focus on paediatric and geriatric disciplines in your hospital training, as these clinical experiences are often limited during training due to your ADF commitments.
TIP
We understand that some registrars may find it difficult to obtain the necessary mandatory terms experience before starting general practice placements. If you need to make alternative arrangements to help you meet the hospital training requirements, speak with your program team and they’ll help you find alternative training options in your region.
If you already have more than one year of hospital training experience (after completing your intern year – PGY1) and have completed the mandatory hospital rotations, you may be eligible to reduce your program time and begin your community general practice training straight away. Refer to Am I eligible to apply? for more information on how to apply for RPLE.