Overview of GP Training

Training overview

The Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program is a world-class postgraduate vocational training program for medical graduates wishing to pursue a career in general practice and/or rural and remote medicine in Australia. AGPT aims to provide doctors with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to:
undertake competent, unsupervised general practice and/or rural and remote medicine; and
meet their community's health care needs.

The training involves a three year full-time (or part-time equivalent) commitment, or four years for rural and remote medicine registrars, which can be reduced by up to 12 months with recognition of prior learning. During training, registrars gain valuable practical experience in teaching hospitals, in rural and urban practices and in specialised medical centres that provide health care for Aborigines, Torres Strait Islanders and people from socially disadvantaged groups.

The training is conducted within accredited medical practices and is supervised and assessed by experienced medical educators. The training includes self-directed learning, regular face-to-face educational activities and in-practice education.

Towards the end of training, registrars become eligible to sit for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Examination and/or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Examination. Successfully completing a college examination, satisfactorily completing all training requirements and meeting such other requirements as detailed by the RACGP and/or ACCRRM, leads to eligibility for the award of Fellowship of the RACGP (FRACGP) and/or of ACRRM (FACRRM) and vocational recognition under Medicare.

Training Delivery

General Practice Education and Training Ltd (GPET) was established as an independent company by the Australian Govenment in March 2001 to manage a regionalised approach to training. In 2010 the Australian General Practice Training program is being delivered by 17 regional training providers (RTPs) covering the whole of Australia.

General Practice Training - Valley to Coast is the RTP covering the Newcastle, Hunter Valley, Manning and Central Coast regions of New South Wales.