Interns and junior doctors

Internships in the postgraduate year (PGY) can include 13-week rural primary care rotations. These rotations are available at the North West Regional Hospital (NWRH), Launceston General Hospital (LGH) and the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH).

Doctors interested in the Tasmanian Rural Generalist Pathway are encouraged to complete one of these rotations.

Intern (PGY1)

• Intern year can include a 13-week rural GP rotation in a location that provides broad scope Rural Generalist services to the community (primary care, emergency, inpatient care). Interns may be able to return to their student rural community.

Resident Medical Officers (RMOs) (PGY2-3)

The PGY2 RMO year is the first year of Rural Generalist training. A number of rural RMO rotations and positions are available for junior doctors on a pathway to Rural Generalist training.

• There are dedicated RMO positions available at the NWRH, to ensure RMOs gain their mandatory experience for GP training.
• The PGY2 year includes required core hospital rotations in obstetrics, paediatrics, anaesthetics and a further rural general practice rotation. Doctors may be able to return to a community where they have previously practiced.
• The PGY3 year may be undertaken in hospital or community to gain further Rural Generalist skills. These rotations may include six months of "extended skills" in areas such as emergency medicine, palliative care, adult internal medicine and mental health.

General Practice pathway

• To become a rural generalist or rural GP, junior doctors must apply for entry as a registrar on a recognised General Practice pathway.
• There are several general practice pathways:
  • Australian Government funded training schemes include the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT)
  • Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS)
  • ACCRM Rural Generalist Training Scheme (RGTS)
  • Australian College of Rural & Remote Medicine (ACCRM) Independent Pathway (IP) (self funded)
  • Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Practice Experience Program (PEP)
• Junior doctors entering one of these recognised GP pathways must also apply for membership of either RACGP or ACCRM.

Lateral entry to the Rural Generalist pathway

• PGY3 doctors (or above) who have not committed to a rural pathway in earlier years can enter the Rural Generalist pathway at this point by Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for hospital rotations.
• Doctors from other specialties can also enter the Rural Generalist pathway.
• GPs who would like to work more rurally can also gain extra skills to work in more remote communities through the Rural Generalist pathway.