1. The Victorian GP – Rural Generalist Program (GP-RG) Training Program
A new opportunity for rural and regional health

2. Department of Health: Medical Training Pathway

3. The Rural Generalist Training Program What is it ?
A five year integrated training pathway leading to Fellowship of ACRRM or RACGP.
Commenced intake in 2013
Pathway commences at intern level
Lateral entry into the program in other years if positions along the pathway are available
Initially the majority of procedural skills training in obstetrics and anaesthetics in recognition of issues of viability or rural maternity services.
Other disciplines by negotiation and based on identified area workforce need.

4. Key program components
1. Trainee selection from medical school
Rural background
Rural practice intentions
Interest in a GP – Rural Generalist career
2. Vocational training, incorporating advanced procedural skills
Integrating GP advanced procedural skills training in one or more of : obstetrics, anaesthetics, emergency and surgery
Linked to rural practice models of care and skills sets needed
3. Lateral entry into the program
GPs, GP registrars may enter the training pathway – if vacancies available due to attrition from the GP-RG pathway
4 Education support throughout the program
Supervision, mentoring and support of trainees
Clear line of sight to a rural career

5. Key program components
5. Management
Rural and regional partnerships covering Victoria:
- Bogong RTP : Central and Eastern Hume
- Beyond Medical Education: Grampians and Loddon Mallee
- SGPT: Gippsland (and partnership with Barwon in Sth West)
- Barwon Health
- Murray to Mountains (in partnership with Bogong RTP)
6. Integrated Care
Training occurs in the community context and emphasises the link between rural practice, the GP role in health promotion and acute health care.
The educational elements provide exposure to rural general practice, primary care and increasing procedural skills training in particular specialties in a range of environments, such as small rural health services, regional hospitals and general practices, to ensure exposure to a wide range of elements of rural medicine and rural procedural practice.

6. Selection responsibility of each local partnership
Process
Selection responsibility of each local partnership
Intern – Computer Match PMCV
Other year entry through application to GP-RG Partnership in each area and based on vacancies in pathway
Funding
Funding based on predetermined number of places and determination based on training capacity/capability.
Funding provided to Partnerships to administer program
Funding throughout the GP-RG pathway from various funding sources (T&D Grant, PGPPP, GPET, Medicare) with GP-RG funding targeted at procedural training costs.

7. Allocation of Posts
Budget: an additional 24 procedural posts over 4 years (6 per annum)
Allocated to GP-RG posts and Advanced Skills program (ARSP)
- currently 12 GP-RG posts
- currently 62 procedural posts
Location determined by training and supervisory capacity and capability
Workforce /area need also considered

8. PROCEDURAL SKILLS POSTS
Anaesthetics 17 18 23
Obstetrics 15 24
Emergency 2 4 10
Paediatrics 3 1
Palliative Care
TOTAL 37 48 62

9. Medical & Aboriginal Health Workforce
Contact Details
Joan O’Neill
Senior Policy Advisor
Medical & Aboriginal Health Workforce