Career transitions often begin with reflection. Take time to consider: 

• what is prompting me to seek change? 
• which areas of practice energise and inspire me? 
• what aspects of my current role feel limiting or unsustainable? 
• what would a more fulfilling professional life look like? 
• what steps can I take to move towards my professional goals? 

Tip: Discuss your reflections with a trusted mentor or peer. 

General practice offers a wealth of career opportunities, from clinical specialisation to education, research, leadership and beyond.  

Choose a model that suits your lifestyle and values: 

• Community general practice: private, mixed or bulk billing. 
• Rural and remote general practice: provide essential care to communities with unique needs, often with greater autonomy and a broader scope. The Rural Generalist Fellowship (FRACGP-RG) offers advanced training while the Rural Doctors Network (RDN) and RACGP Rural Faculty provide support and advocacy.  
• Hospital-based roles: emergency, obstetrics, inpatient care, palliative care and surgical assisting. 
• Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs): deliver culturally safe and holistic healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 
• Aged care facilities: provide ongoing, coordinated care focusing on complex and chronic health needs. 
• Community health, schools or not-for-profit settings: work with diverse populations focusing on prevention and early intervention. 
• Urgent Care Clinics (UCC), deputising, outreach clinics after-hours services and outreach clinics: provide acute community-based care for non-life-threatening conditions, often in under resourced communities.  
• Telehealth: deliver flexible, remote consultations to improve access.  
• Correctional health services: provide primary care in prisons or youth justice facilities. 
• Defence and veteran health: care for serving members and veterans through the Australian Defence Force (ADF) or Department of Veterans’ Affairs. 
• Specific interest clinics: some examples include occupational health, travel medicine, women’s health, skin cancer, and sexual health. 

🔗 Find your next role via recruitGP 

The RACGP supports GPs to expand their impact beyond clinical care through education, supervision, and research. 

Medical education 

Share your experience by mentoring and training the next generation of GPs.  

Opportunities include: 

• teaching medical students, registrars and international specialists 
• curriculum design, assessment, e-learning 
• rural and remote education and much more. 

🔗 RACGP Medical Educator 

🔗 Become a RACGP examiner 

 
Conferences 

• GPME Conference 
• AMEE  

Supervision 

Support the profession by supervising and mentoring students, registrars or international specialists.  

Learn more through: 

🔗 RACGP Supervisors 

🔗 General Practice Supervisors Australia 

Academic and research 

Advance general practice by conducting research, clinical trials or writing for journals such as the Australian Journal of General Practice (AJGP). Explore grants and programs through The Australian Research Grants Foundation. 

General practice offers many opportunities to lead, influence and innovate – both within clinical settings and beyond.  

You can step into leadership and advocacy roles through:  

• RACGP Future Leaders Program  
• RACGP Advocacy Network. 

Clinical leadership and policy-roles are available with organisations such as RACGP, the Australian Medical Association (AMA), government departments, universities, hospitals, not-for-profits, and Primary Health Networks (PHNs), where you can help shape healthcare delivery, influence policy and advance general practice at a systems level. 

For those interested in business and innovation, opportunities include; Practice Ownership, health tech innovation and engaging with RACGP’s Business development resources. Consider networking at RACGP events such as Practice Owners Conference. 

Alternative career pathways include public health and policy, media, medical writing, consultancy, politics and advocacy and humanitarian medicine each offering diverse experiences, fresh perspectives and the opportunity to influence health at a broader societal level. 

General practice supports portfolio careers, allowing you to combine multiple roles for variety and balance. Examples include: 

• part-time clinical practice with education or research  
• locum work combined with travel  
• private practice with a special interest (eg allergy, addiction, neurodiversity and diabetes)  
• practice focused with specific populations (eg child and adolescent health, aged care, refugee health, sports medicine, lactational medicine and women’s and men’s health 
• procedural work (eg surgical assisting, skin cancer medicine, aesthetics, obstetrics, anaesthetics and emergency medicine) 
• rural generalist roles (eg anaesthetics, obstetrics, emergency medicine and small town GP). 

Career transitions can feel daunting, but you’re not alone. The RACGP offers programs, connections and tools to help you navigate your next steps with confidence. 

Reach out to mentors, colleagues and RACGP staff for guidance: 

🔗 RACGP Mentoring Program 

Stay curious explore different paths 

🔗 Creative Careers in Medicine (CCIM) 

🔗 AMA Pathways in Medicine (AMA) 

🔗 GPRA 'Where to After Fellowship' 

RACGP resources 

🔗 RACGP Events & Conferences  

🔗 RACGP CPD 

🔗 RACGP Career Planning: Become a GP 

🔗 Find your next role via recruitGP 

General practice offers unmatched career diversity. By engaging with RACGP, exploring special interests and staying connected with support networks, you can shape a career that reflects your skills, passions and values – and thrive, both personally and professionally.