Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where and how do I find the available ARST/extended skills post?
A. The MCCC website has a comprehensive list of the ARST & ES posts. It is updated regularly indicating vacancies. Registrars are to apply directly to the posts.

Q. When can I do an ARST/AST or extended skills post?
A. ARST/AST posts are usually undertaking before commencing GP or in the final year of training being FARGP.
ES posts in a hospital environment can be undertaken before commencement of training or after GPT2. ES posts undertaken in a community post should be undertaken after GPT2 is successful. This is so you have GP experience and that it won’t affect your out-of-practice education schedule.

Q. Do I REALLY have to do diversity if I am a RACGP registrar? I know of others who say they were exempt.
A. There are no exemptions, however some registrars may meet the criteria for a variation. If you feel you may be in this category you discuss with your RHE as soon as possible. The final decision still sits with the RACGP.

Q. When will I be ready to sit my RACGP exams?
A. You must have undertaken two years of core training time to be eligible to enrol in the exams.

Q. When will I be able to sit my GP Fellowship exams?
A.  To be eligible to undertake the AKT, KFP and OSCE examinations, AGPT Registrars must have been assessed as having completed 2 years full time equivalent active training time, including all of GPT1 and GPT2, by the date of the AKT.
Where the vocational end of term date falls up to 28 calendar days beyond the date of the AKT, an RTO exemption will be granted to allow registrars to sit the examination.

Q. Can my current supervisor see my registrar feedback reports?
A. Yes, they can. It is important that you are honest in your feedback. Making information confidential, means it can’t be actioned. Change cannot occur without issues being addressed.

Q. I don’t find learning plans very useful. I have my own method, does it have to be electronic?
A. MCCC acknowledges that registrars do have their own learning styles. Whilst using the learning plan in SWAN is favoured, as it enables viewing by your supervisor and Training Advisor. Registrars may use different formats as a learning plan, however they must be able to be submitted and stored electronically.

Q. There seems to be so much to learn- where do I start! What should I learn first?
A. This is a great conversation to have with your Supervisor and with your Training Advisor who will be allocated to you at the beginning of GPT/PRRT 1, who will assist you with the development of your plan.

Q. Can I change between the rural and general training pathway during my training?
A. MCCC expects that GP registrars who elect to train on the rural pathway are prepared to be placed and work rurally within MCCC for their entire training time. Transfers from the rural to general GP training pathway are unlikely to be approved.
MCCC has a policy to match all rural pathway registrars to rural practices first as this is a mandatory GP training curriculum requirement. MCCC places general pathway registrars in any remaining rural practices once all rural registrars have been placed. If a registrar is undertaking the ACRRM pathway or enrolled in FARGP and needs to meet a rural requirement, MCCC will make an exception to this process.

Q. How come some registrars get paid differently to me? Can you also include the difference for Aboriginal Health practices and their payments/teaching?
A. Each registrar signs their own contract with a practice. The terms of this contract may vary greatly from yours. On-call, after-hours, hospital rounds etc., can all have a bearing. Some practices don’t include external payments but adjust in their wages instead. You can never compare apples with apples in this space and should not try. Aboriginal Health posts are funded differently and therefore paid differently as well. However all contracts must be compliant with the NTCER (2017-18)

Q. Do I really have to do on call?
A. If On Call is a requirement of your practice, then yes you do. MCCC advocates that on-call is an important part of being a GP. Your on-call roster shouldn’t be more onerus than other GPs in your practice.

Q. I want Friday afternoons off so I can go back to Melbourne but the practice wants me to have Wednesday afternoons off.
A. The practice is your employer and any such arrangements need to be discussed. Ultimately, it is your employers right to ensure the needs of their practice are being met.

Q. I don’t understand how I am being paid – the practice is not paying me properly. For more senior registrars transferring to Fellowship – how do I understand payment according to percentages. How do I make the choice
A. Talk to your local RLO to understand the payment system.

Q. How many annual leave and sick leave am I entitled to?
A.  All registrar entitlements are within the national workplace relations system. Registrars are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave for each year of service with the employer at their base pay rate. The minimum entitlement to paid personal/carer’s leave for a registrar is 10 days per year. Please refer to the National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrars (NTCER) for further information.

Q. I am doing more on call/hospital/nursing home work than others, what I can I do to change this?
A. Speak to your supervisor first. You can also discuss this with your RLO or Training Adviser.

Q. How many weeks leave can be considered in an RPL application?

A. Registrars may include up to seven weeks of leave per year pro-rata, which may include any combination of personal leave, sick or carers leave and educational leave. Please refer to RACGP RPL Policy & Guidance Document

Q. What support is available for MCCC registrars?
A. MCCC provides administrative and medical educator support to registrars. A specific team of educators, the pastoral and learning support (PALS) team, offer individualised support from both a well-being and an education perspective and the team includes communication skills tutors, medical educators and registrar and supervisor representatives.

MCCC also employs a team of Registrar Liaison Officers (RLOs) who are important contact points for registrars in each area. In addition, General Practice Registrars Australia (GPRA) will be available to support registrars.

Q. Can I transfer in the MCCC region during my GP training?
A. MCCC GP Training (MCCC) has clear processes and criteria regarding potential transfers and changes to training pathways by GP registrars.
In summary, GP registrars are expected to complete their entire training within the MCCC footprint, with the majority of training completed within one of four designated training regions: Metro West, North East, North West or South West. Although it is possible for GP registrars to move between these four training regions, this movement is subject to availability of a position and is not automatically granted by MCCC.

Q. Can I transfer to another GP training organisation during my training?
A. MCCC will not approve a request from a GP registrar to transfer to another GP Training provider unless there are exceptional and unforeseen circumstances. These circumstances need to be specific, not known prior to taking on a position with MCCC and not due to changed circumstances that are a direct result of a voluntary decision.

Q. I can’t attend one of the workshops, is it okay to just do it next year? Do I have to attend all workshops?
A. Workshops are considered mandatory. If you have a genuine reason for not being able to attend a workshop, this should be discussed with your RHE in advance. How this workshop is to be made up will be decided by the RHE. Should you be sick on the day of a workshop, a sick certificate is required.