Message from your RLO

Hi again, 

For those I haven't met, my name is Madeleine Wilkie, and I've been one of the QLD registrar liaison officers (RLOs) for the last year. 

Several RLO positions will be opening soon, so I wanted to share a bit about the role and my experience. 

Serving as an RLO has been incredibly rewarding. The role primarily involves engaging with registrars to answer questions and guide them through their training journey while also representing registrar voices within and outside the College. 

I've enjoyed helping registrars navigate what can be a confusing process, and I've learnt a lot about the college structure, processes and all those TLAs (three-letter acronyms). Most importantly, the role provides a privileged opportunity to connect with registrars and advocate for real change in the training program. 

If you're passionate about registrar wellbeing, advocacy, or simply want to help registrars through their training, I'd strongly encourage you to apply. Feel free to reach out directly if you have any questions. 

Finally, congratulations to everyone who recently sat the CCE – what a huge achievement! 

Dr Madeleine Wilkie 
QLD RLO & Deputy Chair, GPiT Faculty

2026.1 placement applications are still open

Placement applications for 2026.1 are currently open. You can continue applying to training sites in your group until you've secured a placement. 

Once your placement is confirmed, you'll receive Medicare provider number (MPN) paperwork. Please return this to the RACGP before Friday 28 November to ensure you have an active MPN in time to begin your 2026.1 placement. Late MPN applications may cause delays to your placement, as you cannot begin working at a training site until your MPN is allocated.    

As a reminder, registrars must still submit an MPN application form even if they are staying at the same practice in 2026.1.  

Once you have submitted your MPN paperwork, please withdraw any other pending applications. This will help other registrars and training sites finalise their placements. 

If you have any questions, please visit the MPN information page or speak with your training coordinator.

Apply for an incentivised placement in 2026.1

The RACGP offers financial incentives to registrars undertaking placements in identified areas of workforce need. This funding is available at 307 accredited training sites to assist with relocation costs and living expenses, so that you can contribute to the health of communities who need it most.   

To discover the updated list of incentivised locations and the levels of funding available, please visit our website. 

Changes to training location commitments from 2026.1

From 2026.1, training location commitments (TLCs) will be measured in calendar weeks rather than FTE. In NSW/ACT, we’ve also expanded the list of eligible composite pathway locations. You can find the updated list in the TLC schedule. 

These changes are designed to improve consistency across regions, support access to priority workforce areas, and provide greater flexibility for registrars. 

Please get in touch with your training coordinator to talk through your options and how these changes affect you. 

Have your say – 2025 RACGP Member Engagement Survey

The 2025 Member Engagement Survey is now open, and we want to hear from you. As registrars, your insights are especially valuable in helping shape the future of the RACGP and the support we provide you as a registrar member.   

This is your opportunity to share what’s working well, what could be improved, and any challenges you’re facing.   

You’ll have received a personalised email link to complete the survey. It takes 15–20 minutes to complete, and participants will go in the draw to win full registration to GP26 or free RACGP membership for a year.  

Your feedback directly informs the College’s projects and priorities, so please take a moment to have your say.  

New incentive payments available from 2026.1

The Australian Government has introduced three incentive payments for AGPT registrars available from 2026.1. These initiatives have successfully addressed some barriers to GP training resulting in an oversubscribed 2026 intake. This has not happened for some years and is a positive outcome. 

From 2026.1, you may be eligible for the following incentive payments: 

Study leave incentive: Access up to five days (FTE) per annum for exam preparation and professional development, based on NTCER base rates + 12% super + 10% loading. Study leave must be negotiated in advance with your employer. Please refer to the NTCER on the GPRA website. 

Parental leave incentive: Primary carers receive up to 20 weeks (FTE); secondary carers receive up to two weeks, with payment made directly to registrars by Services Australia. 

Salary incentive: Receive $5000 (FTE) monthly for your first six-month core training semester. 

All payments are pro-rata for part-time registrars. Registrars apply via the TMS and manage their own super transfers and tax obligations.

We’ll keep you informed as soon as more details are provided by the Department of Health and Aged Care.

Prepare for the 2026.1 AKT and KFP exams

New gplearning resources are here to help you prepare for the January Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and Key Feature Problem (KFP) exams. 

Watch our new information video with Dr Sharnti Caulley, Dr Emilie Pitter and Dr Elise Perger as they outline exam formats, share practical study tips and answer questions submitted by registrars in this cohort. 

Explore our new exam technique videos – available in the national exam videos course on gplearning – for strategies on approaching different question types and managing time and stress effectively. 

The November Self-Assessment Progress Test (SAPT) will be available from 10 November, featuring AKT/KFP-style questions and cases to help you identify learning needs and strengthen your clinical reasoning. 

Reminder: If you'd like to complete the March 2023 SAPT, make sure you do so before the new version replaces it. 

For more information, contact your training coordinator or the exam support team at examsupport@racgp.org.au.  

Over 16 years, more than 6600 registrars and 2000 practices have contributed to the Registrar Clinical Encounters in Training (ReCEnT) project, recording over one million consultations. 

This world-leading project highlights patterns in GP training consultations, shapes curriculum, workshop content and training policy, and reveals the educational value of rural, regional and outer-metro placements. 

It has provided personalised feedback for registrars, a rich resource for academic registrars, and positioned Australian GP training at the forefront of medical education research, with 100 peer-reviewed publications to date. 

RACGP CEO Georgina van de Water said: 

‘ReCEnT has given us a window into the day-to-day reality of GP training across Australia, and the scale of this milestone has enabled remarkably detailed insights. The data has helped answer questions that once felt out of reach, and it continues to shape how we teach, train and support registrars. By strengthening the experience of our members it’s helping us deliver on our shared strategy to build a flourishing GP workforce for the future.   

We're incredibly proud of what’s been achieved – and of what’s still possible with this remarkable resource’. 

Contact us

For any queries about the information enclosed, please contact your local training team.