About the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program

About the program

The AGPT Program trains doctors to become GPs. It provides full-time, on-the-job training for Australian and overseas-trained doctors who want to specialise in general practice.

The program offers 1,500 training places in cities, regional, rural and remote areas of Australia each year.

Doctors in the AGPT Program train towards achieving either a:

• Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM)
• Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) 
• Rural Generalist Fellowship (FRACGP-RG).

Once you have gained one of these fellowships, you can register with the Medical Board of Australia and work as a GP anywhere in Australia.

Who can access the program

You can apply for the program if you are:

• an Australian or New Zealand medical graduate, with Australian or New Zealand citizenship or Australian permanent residency
• an overseas-trained doctor who meets certain conditions — see more about becoming a doctor in Australia from DoctorConnect
• an overseas graduate of an Australian-accredited medical school
• an Australian Defence Force doctor — see our Australian Defence Force policy.

There are some restrictions on who can access the AGPT. Find out whether you are eligible.

What AGPT training offers

GPs are central to health care in the Australia community. As a GP you will often be someone’s first and ongoing point of contact with our health care system.

General practice addresses the health of the whole person. You’ll help manage all kinds of health conditions and be involved in physical, psychological and social care.

When you complete your GP training with the ACRRM or RACGP, you’ll achieve your GP fellowship. As a fellow, you can work unsupervised as a GP anywhere in Australia.

Training to be a GP with the AGPT Program offers you many benefits. You can:

• get a Medicare provider number
• claim the highest value Medicare Benefits Schedule items during training
• do practical training in a work environment — you will work hands on with other professionals in hospitals and medical practices
• access various training opportunities, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training, advanced skills training and academic posts
• have your training fees covered by the Australian Government — you pay your application and assessment fees
• access financial incentives for working in a regional, rural or remote area
• choose where you want to train
• train for fellowships with both colleges at the same time — in the same region, on the rural pathway.

Find out more about how the AGPT Program works.

Other GP training options

There are other pathways to become a GP in Australia, including the:

• Remote Vocational Training Scheme
• ACRRM Independent Pathway
• RACGP Practice Experience Program
• RACGP Fellowship Support Program.

Whatever training option you choose, you will need to:

• work in general practice
• work or have recent experience in hospitals
• attend workshops and teaching sessions
• study.

Read about the AGPT Program and other GP training options at:

• ACRRM
• RACGP.

Contacts