FAQ?

No, your application can be accepted if you are a temporary resident and have obtained your medical degree in Australia – but you must be able to provide a certified copy of the letter from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) that acknowledges that you have applied for permanent residence or submit a statutory declaration stating that you have applied for permanent residency.

An application will be accepted from you if you expect to receive general/full unconditional medical registration by the commencement of the training year. However, an offer of a place in the training program made on this basis will be conditional on gaining registration by the commencement of training.

Should you be successful in being offered a training place, GPET will require formal written confirmation of your registration status prior to the commencement of training.

An AMC candidate is an overseas trained doctor who is currently undertaking the AMC, but has not completed all the AMC requirements.

An AMC Graduate is an overseas trained doctor who has completed all aspects of the AMC requirements and has been granted full unconditional medical registration with an Australian state or territory medical board.

If your medical degree was not obtained in Australia or New Zealand, you must have successfully completed and passed all the requirements of the Australian Medical Council examinations before the closing date for applications. Successful AMC applicants are required to submit certified copies of all AMC examination results (i.e. multiple choice questions and clinical examination results).

You will need to withdraw from your current in order to re-apply for the training program in 2008. Your application cannot be accepted if you are still enrolled by close of applications.

In the first instance you should view the transfer policy to determine whether you are eligible to transfer.

It is difficult to provide a simple answer to this query, and in this instance we would invite you to contact the Selection Manager on (02) 6263 6776 to discuss your individual situation.

An online application must be completed via www.agpt.com.au and this followed by submission of documents (to be posted to GPET). Both online application and physical documents must be received before the closing date; please note there are advantages to applying early.

GPET recommends that application forms be submitted online. Even if you do not own a computer, there are many opportunities within the community to access one. These include local libraries, universities and Internet cafes.

If you are familiar with using a computer and require some assistance in completing the application form call the AGPT infoline on (02) 6263 6776.

If you are definitely not able to submit an application form online, then please contact the Selection Manager on (02) 6263 6776 or selection [at] gpet [dot] com [dot] au to discuss options for submitting your application form.

As soon as applications have been submitted online referee reports are generated and sent out to referees.

If you submit your application early it gives your referees more time to complete the referee reports, and the best chance for them to complete it. Often your referee will also be the referee for other applicants – they are busy people and may have multiple referee reports to complete – if you get yours to them first, you will have more of a chance of it being looked at early and sent back to GPET on time.

Often we receive incomplete applications, i.e. documents have not been certified correctly; missing documents; we may need clarification on some parts of your application. If you submit your application early it means we have more time to contact you and for you to resubmit documents before the closing date.

Yes. Prior to applying all applicants require an active email account/address, as correspondence with applicants throughout the selection process will be conducted via email.

GPET can only accept original certified copies of documents. Although faxed documents will be acknowledged, certified copies will still have to be provided prior to an applicant being considered eligible.

Where possible request a new copy of the document from the relevant authority or institution. If the authority or institution is overseas, you should be mindful of the potential time delays due to post etc. If this is not possible, please contact GPET to discuss other options.

TMT will, following special consideration, grant video-conference interviews. The cost of the video-conference will be met by applicants.

Travel and/or accommodation expenses for interviews are not covered by TMT.

Formal interviews will be held at TMT House in Townsville. TMT prefers to conduct interviews face-to-face. Following the formal interview, applicants meet with key TMT Education Staff to discuss training opportunities, to answer any questions/concerns and to discuss key TMT training policies.

Travel and/or accommodation expenses for interviews are not covered by TMT.

No, you can only be offered one interview per interview round. You will initially be considered for your first preference. If you are not offered an interview for that preference, your second preference will then be considered.

Yes. However, declining an offer for an interview should be considered very carefully since:

You will have to wait until the next round for another opportunity to be interviewed;
The availability of places reduces significantly between rounds;
The more popular regional training providers may not have any training places remaining.

In Australia, general practitioners must have a Medicare provider in order to practise. The provider number allows the GP’s patients to access Medicare benefits.

Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act (The Act) states that Medicare benefits are not payable for professional services provided by overseas-trained doctors (including New Zealanders) and those who were medical students in Australia but not citizens or permanent residents at the time that they commenced the degree, for a period of 10 years from the time they first become registered with a state or territory board or from when they first became a permanent Australian resident/citizen. This restriction is sometimes referred to as the 10-year moratorium.

The moratorium does not apply to doctors who had registered with a state or territory medical board (excluding persons acting as a medical practitioner on a temporary visa) or had commenced the process of having their qualifications assessed by the Australian Medical Council, and were eligible to do so, before 1 January 1997.

New Zealand doctors entering Australia after 1 November 1996 will only be able to attract Medicare benefits for services provided in general practice training placements if they have been granted an individual determination under Section 19AB of the Act.

Under Section 19AB of the Act may be restricted to selecting rural pathway preferences only in their applications.

Please click here to access the pathway eligibility chart, which will assist you to determine whether you fall under the 10-year moratorium and which pathway/s you can apply for.

Exemptions may be granted by the Workforce Distribution Section of the Department of Health and Ageing in extenuating circumstances. For further information or to apply for an exemption please contact the department direct on (02) 6289 5903.

Yes, providing GPET receives certified evidence from the Department of Health and Ageing stating that an exemption has been granted to you. Please note that GPET cannot allocate you to a general pathway interview until such evidence has been received.

No, the ruling from the Department of Health and Ageing about the moratorium applies regardless of how many general pathway places may be available.

Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act (the Act) states that Medicare benefits are not payable for professional services provided by overseas-trained doctors (including New Zealanders) and those who were medical students in Australia but not citizens or permanent residents at the time they commenced the degree.

The Medicare provider number restrictions contained in section 19AB continue for a period of 10 years from either the time you first become registered with a state or territory medical board or –if you were first registered as a medical practitioner in Australia after 18 October 2001 and were a temporary resident at the time – from when you first became a permanent resident of Australia.

The moratorium does not apply to doctors who had registered with a state or territory medical board before 1 January 1997.

Yes, you can. We do accept referees outside Australia. However, overseas referees are required to provide evidence that they are fact a registered medical practitioner in their own country with an English translation if required. Referee reports must be completed in English and overseas referees must be contactable by telephone for audit purposes.

A referee should be a medical practitioner who has supervised you for at least a period of 10 weeks within the past 3 years. You will need to select referees who are able to confidently make judgements about your professional capabilities and suitability for general practice. (Please note: registrars are also suitable as referees as long as they meet the criteria listed above). Applicants who are unable to nominate referees who meet the above criteria should contact the GPET Selection Manager on (02) 6263 6776 to discuss their particular circumstance.

The referee reports are automatically mailed to referees by GPET once your online application form has been submitted.

No, referees are required to complete a structured report that ensures uniformity across the pool of applicants. These are mailed the next business day after you have submitted your online application.

It is your responsibility to make sure that GPET receives the completed referee reports by the due date. GPET will not contact referees on your behalf to urge them to send in their reports. GPET will however send an email to you if these than three referee reports have been received on your behalf at least one week before the due date. GPET takes no responsibility if such emails are not received by you due to technical reasons and it is in your interest to periodically contact GPET to ascertain the status of your referee reports.

You will need to discuss this with TMT. If you have the requisite post-intern years of hospital experience (and are unconditionally registered as a medical practitioner) you can apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL) and if successful reduce your training time up to a maximum of 52 weeks, based on your prior hospital and/or special skills experience and the provision of sufficient evidence that the program learning objectives for these have been met. Applications for RPL are not formally processed until such time as an applicant has been offered and accepted a position in the AGPT program.

No, there is a predetermined quota of training places available each year. As such, commencement cannot be deferred since the training opportunity could have been utilised by another person.

Regional training providers are responsible for discussing with you appropriate hospital positions. You should consult with the nominated regional training provider prior to applying for hospital posts.

The hospital training is normally undertaken within the training provider’s region. The regional training providers can provide information about the opportunities to work at hospitals within their areas.

All registrars are required to have undertaken hospital-based child and adolescent health experience in a RACGP accredited hospital post. The experience must be included a high proportion of paediatric emergency attendances with appropriate supervision from paediatricians and or/experienced general practitioners and/or emergency physicians. It must have included a significant focus on the recognition, diagnosis and management of the seriously ill child.

It is mandatory that registrars gain this experience before entering the first accredited basic GP term, unless given prior approval by the training provider’s senior medical advisor.

All registrars are required to undertake training in a rural or remote area – at least six months for general pathway registrars and at least 18 months for rural pathway registrars.

GP registrars in the general pathway commencing training with metropolitan training providers (that cover the designated outer metropolitan areas of each of the six state capital cities and Canberra) are required to undertake a six-month placement in a designated outer metropolitan area. GP registrars will be given the choice of undertaking their outer metropolitan placement at any time during their course of training. This placement will not affect the requirement for general pathway registrars to complete a rural placement.

The outer metropolitan placements for GP registrars will only be undertaken in accredited training practices that are able to provide the appropriate supervision required by the GP registrar. This will assure that the quality of education remains paramount.

The rural pathway is designed for doctors willing to commit to undertake the majority of their training in rural and remote areas of Australia. Some overseas trained or overseas born doctors affected by the Australian Government’s ’10-year moratorium’ legislation may be required to join the rural pathway are ineligible for the general pathway. Rural pathway areas are designated as Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas (RRMA) 4-7. Applicants participating in the rural pathway will be required to complete 18 months of their general practice training in RRMA 4-7 general practice placements. In some districts of workforce shortage, rural pathway registrars will be able to do up to six months training in a RRMA 3 general practice term.

Applicants entering the rural pathway are eligible for generous financial incentives. Doctors who fall under the 10-year moratorium are also eligible to apply for the Registrars’ Rural Incentive Payments Scheme.

The general pathway is for applicants who are interested in training for urban general practice. As detailed above some overseas trained or overseas born doctors affected by the Australian government’s ‘10-year moratorium’ legislation may be required to join the rural pathway and are ineligible for the general pathway. However, general pathway registrars are required to undertake a minimum of six months training in a rural location and, for those in six state capital cities and Canberra, a minimum of six months in an outer metropolitan area with demonstrated area of service need status. General pathway applicants are not eligible during their rural training term for any of the financial incentives paid to rural pathway applicants.

The Australian Government has introduced the General Practice Registrars’ Rural Incentive Payments Scheme (RRIPS) to provide incentive payments to general practice registrars who join the rural pathway and undertake the majority of their general practice training in RRMA 4-7 locations.

Up to $60,000 is available to each registrar over three years of general practice training. Eligible registrars will receive $10,000 in Year 1, $20,000 in Year 2 and $30,000 in Year 3 to encourage continuing participation in the rural pathway. Registrars will not receive incentive payments for undertaking the mandatory hospital training year. Payments are retrospective at six-monthly intervals on the receipt of a claim for payment from the registrars.

Further information about the Registrars’ Rural Incentive Payments Scheme can be obtained by contacting the Department of Health and Ageing, General Practice Helpline on 1800 667 677.

Doctors that fall under the 10-year moratorium are eligible to apply for the Registrars’ Rural Incentive Payments Scheme.

The Rural, Remote and Metropolitan Areas system (RRMA) is a classification system describing the areas of medical practice within Australia. The system divides the rural, remote and metropolitan areas according to city status, population, rurality and remoteness.

Rural pathway applicants must undertake the majority of their training in RRMA 4-7 locations, which are the smaller rural and remote areas of medical practice. The locations are described as:

Metropolitan Areas

RRMA 1: Capital cities and large metropolitan areas

RRMA 2: Other metropolitan centre with urban populations > 100,000

Rural Zone

RRMA 3:
Large rural centres
Urban centre population 25,000 – 99,000

RRMA 4:
Small rural centre
Urban centre population 10,000-24,999

RRMA 5:
Other rural centre
Urban population < 10,000

Remote Zone

RRMA 6:
Remote Centre
Urban centre population > 5,000

RRMA 7:
Other Remote Centre
Urban centre population < 5,000

Contact TMT to discuss pathway locations with our region.