How to become a GP
To practise as a GP in Australia you must achieve a GP fellowship.
There are three GP fellowships available in Australia, offered by two medical colleges—The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
GPTQ works in partnership with these colleges to deliver training for the fellowship options, which are outlined below.
| Qualification | College | Duration | Mandatory hospital rotations (in addition to meeting the paediatric requirement) | Candidates | Available via GPTQ |
| Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM) | ACRRM | Four years | Medicine, Emergency, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anaesthetics |
Rural Pathway registrars | Yes |
| Fellowship of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) | RACGP | Three years | Medicine, Emergency, Surgery, Three others in areas relevant to general practice | All registrars | Yes |
| Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FRACGP + FARGP) | RACGP | Four years | As above for FRACGP | All registrars. FARGP includes rural components and will have to be done in a rural setting | Yes |
Check out our Adventure in General Practice eBook to learn about how a career in general practice can open up a life of endless possibilities.
Choosing your college
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) provides general practice education and training specifically designed for the needs of rural communities.
While an urban general practitioner may refer cases to a specialist or tertiary hospital, a GP in a rural or remote community may not have a specialist hospital close by. This can mean extending their role from primary to secondary and ongoing care.
Rural or remote GPs, therefore, require a broader set of procedural and other skills to meet the diverse needs of their communities.
ACRRM is the only college in Australia dedicated to rural and remote medicine.
The endpoint qualification achieved with ACRRM is Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM).
Advanced Specialised Training (AST) is a requirement for FACRRM and can be undertaken at any time following completion of 12 months core generalist training in a hospital setting.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) provides general practice education and training for both urban and rural GPs and is Australia’s largest professional general practice organisation.
Endpoint qualifications achieved with RACGP are Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) and Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice (FRACGP + FARGP).
Choosing a training pathway
As you will discover in our section on the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program, there are two training pathways for prospective GP registrars to choose from—the general pathway and the rural pathway.
Difference between the general pathway and rural pathway
Find out more about the application and selection process
Learn about a career in general practice
Why choose general practice
Why train with GPTQ
