Q. Who is responsible for ensuring I have the mandatory hospital terms?
A. You are responsible for ensuring you have completed the mandatory hospital terms and securing your own contract/s.
Q. What are the mandatory requirements for RACGP?
A. The mandatory requirements are summarised below, but we recommend you read the Fellowship Handbookfor detailed information.
- You require either 1 year FTE after full general registration or 2 years extensive experience in an Australian hospital post if you trained overseas.
- RACGP require 10 week rotations in Medicine, Surgery, Emergency (8 weeks) and Paediatrics.
- As well as a demonstrated breadth of experience ideally in disciplines relating to GP – MCCC specifies this as three different rotations of 10 week terms.
Q. What are the mandatory requirements for ACRRM?
- ACRRM require 10 week rotations in Medicine, Surgery, Emergency
- ACRRM also require you to obtain Paediatric, O&G and Anaesthetics rotations, however these can be undertaking during your training. ACRRM registrars are required to develop a training plan indicating how these rotations or equivalent will be obtained.
Q. How can I meet my mandatory requirements for AGPT?
A. Both colleges have a number of ways you can meet the requirements, please refer to the the documents below.
Q. Can I complete my RACGP Paediatric requirement after I have started in a general practice?
A. No. MCCC requires you to complete your Paediatric requirement prior to commencing the first general practice term (GPT1).
Q. Does the ‘Sydney Child Health Program’ meet the RACGP paediatric requirement in full?
A. No, it will be considered for part of the paediatric component but you will also require some clinical exposure to children i.e. an emergency department term or PGPPP term. Please see the RACGP Paediatric Policy or the ACRRM handbook for more information.
Q. If I have completed an emergency department rotation with paediatrics, will that cover me for the paediatric requirements?
A. You will need two full rotations in emergency departments, one undertaken in PGY1 and one in PGY2 or above. These rotations must have a minimum 20% RACGP and 25% ACRRM paediatric case presentations.
Refer to the ACEM website for recognised Paediatric locations. Smaller hospitals may not be listed, however if the applicant can provide a letter from the hospital confirming the paediatric case presentation during the time the registrars completed the rotation.
Keeping a log book can be beneficial where the percentage is only just being met. See the RACGP Paediatrics Policy for further information.
Q. I have heard the term ‘Hospital Experience Assessment’ or ‘Practice Ready’. Is this the same as Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)?
A. No, they are not the same.
Practice Readiness is an assessment of your training to date conducted by MCCC to ensure you meet the requirements of either College before commencing in your General Practice term.
RPL is only required if your hospital term was not completed whilst in the AGPT program – ie outside of the program. Please read the College RPL requirements here.
Tip: Ensure you keep all your HMO reports, first and current registration certificate and obtain Statements of Service from each hospital so you have the information you may require for RPL. For further information refer to MCCC RPL for RACGP Registrars Procedure, MCCC RPL for ACRRM Registrars Procedure on the MCCC website and the associated college policies.
Q. Can MCCC tell me if I am Practice Ready over the phone?
A. No.
MCCC can provide you with an indication of your practice readiness to help guide your decisions.
Practice readiness is assessed by MCCC through a process that involves a review of hospital statements that provide details of the rotations you have completed. This assessment occurs once have been accepted into the AGPT program and must be completed prior to taking part in a practice match within MCCC. The final decision sits with the Colleges.
Q. Does my ALS certificate cover me for the required CPR/BLS?
A. BLS/CPR is a component of the ALS certificate. The BLS/CPR component is required to be updated annually. Where as the ALS itself is valid for 4 years. If the ALS is undertaken within 12 months of commencement of training the CPR component will be current. If any longer, an updated CPR is required. Which must be an ARC approved course with course code HLTAID001.