If you are a doctor with an AMC recognised medical qualification and wish to gain fellowship of Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and obtain training support, the Rural Generalist Training Scheme (RGTS) is one of your options.

What is the Rural Generalist Training Scheme?

RGTS is a government funded enrolment option under the Independent Pathway (IP) for doctors wishing to undertake fellowship training with the ACRRM.

The program aims to train doctors to acquire skills and expertise of rural generalists and address the diverse healthcare needs of the rural, regional, and remote Australian Communities.

Doctors following the program are offered an agile training environment with quality training support from experienced FACRRM educators, accredited supervisors, and stakeholders.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for RGTS, a doctor must either:

·        be an Australian citizen or permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen

·        become an Australian citizen or permanent resident by the time you finish training if you got your qualification in Australia or New Zealand and are on an approved temporary residency visa

You must also:

·        have a recognised primary medical qualification

·        have general medical registration without conditions by the time of your training commencement, and

·        not be currently enrolled in any other vocational training programs towards a Fellowship with ACRRM or the RACGP.

Training

RGTS involves four years of training that comprises of minimum three years Core Generalist Training (CGT) and minimum one-year of Advanced Specialised Training (AST).

Core Generalist Training

Through the Core Generalist Training, the Doctor is able to train in regional, rural, and remote general practices, rural hospitals, Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS), retrieval services or other health facilities accredited by ACRRM and gain essential Rural generalist skills across many domains.

CGT requires training in the following areas:

·       primary care - six months

·       secondary care - three months

·       emergency care - three months

·       rural or remote practice -12 months

·       paediatrics

·       obstetrics

·       anaesthetics

Advanced Specialised Training

Advanced Specialised Training can take up to 24 months. AST focuses on building on the core generalist competencies. Doctors are able to gain knowledge and skills in a procedural or non-procedural discipline in a specialised area relevant to the needs of rural communities.

AST requires complete training in one of the following AST disciplines.

Education Requirements

The RGTS program is designed in connection with the Rural Generalist Curriculum and is delivered by ACRRM. The education program includes Online Programs, Workshops, Emergency Medicine Courses, and Online Courses.

The registrar is required to spend at least four hours per week engaging educational activities relating to the AST and keep a record of education.

Registrars must complete at least four approved ACRRM online courses which may provide an interactive learning experience with case studies, in-depth content, and discussion boards under various topics like dermatology, palliative care, skin surgery and radiology.

Registrars are also required to successfully complete:

·        a Rural Emergency Skills Training (REST), and

·        one tier 1 course, or

·        two tier 2 courses (inclusive of an accredited Advanced Life Support course within three years of Completion of Training).

View the approved courses for education via ACRRM Courses Page.

Assessment

RGTS Assessment Program includes various workplace-based activities, projects and assignments designed to be completed as you progress through the training.

Assessment Modalities:

·                 Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (miniCEX)

MiniCEX is a formative assessment undertaken progressively during core generalist training and during clinically bast AST programs. It aims to improve clinical performance through structured feedback.

·                 Multi-Source Feedback (MSF)

MSF is a method of assessing interpersonal and professional behaviour through feedback from patients and colleagues.

·                 Multiple Choice Questionnaire (MCQ)

MCQ is a summative assessment registrars must go through during the core generalist training to evaluate your core generalist applied knowledge, recall and                reasoning across the sectors of rural and remote practice.

·                 Case Based Discussion (CBD)

CBD is a summative assessment where registrars should use case to help assess their clinical reasoning and knowledge application.

·                 Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS)

StAMPS is a structured assessment designed to assess rural and remote practice often set in a simulated rural community.

·                 Logbook (Core Logbook & AST Logbook)

According to ACRRRM, certification of competency in the logbook procedures is a prerequisite for those applying for Fellowship. For more details view the Fellowship Assessment Handbook.

·                 Projects

Registrars are required to develop an original research project relating to either a practical resource, local disease prevention, health promotion, or current knowledge.

Find more details on Assessment dates, enrolments, and fees here.

To undertake an ACRRM Assessment, you must be eligible to enrol as per the Assessment Eligibility Policy.

2022 Applications 

Application and suitability assessment for RGTS 2022 will close on the 10^th of January 2022. Training is to commence on the 11^th of July 2022.

To apply for the RGTS visit https://apply.acrrm.org.au/.

Other Pathways to Fellowship with ACRRM

To become a FACRRM, there are multiple pathways including the following:

-        Independent Pathway (IP)

-        Rural Generalist Training Scheme (RGTS)

-        Australian General Practice Training (AGPT)

-        Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS)

All the above pathways lead to vocational Registration as a Specialist in General Practice through the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and vocational recognition with Medicare Australia.

To find out more, read our blog on General Practice Fellowships in Australia.

Useful Resources

RGTS Eligibility Guide

Fellowship Training Program Handbook

ACRRM Fellowship Guide

Fellowship Assessment Handbook