A growing future for general practice in WA

A record 251 registrars in Western Australia are on the way to becoming GPs and Rural Generalists, in what promises to be a boon for the state’s general practice workforce.
 
Starting on the Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program last week, this year’s WA registrars cohort is 28.1% bigger than last year’s 194, which itself is a 31% increase from 2024.
 
Of the 251 new registrars, 130 will spend the entirety of their three years of training in regional, rural or remote WA – a 68.8% increase on 2025.
 
The 121 training in metropolitan Perth will spend at least 12 months in an outer metro, rural or regional area, or in an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training post.
 
RACGP Vice President and WA Chair Dr Ramya Raman said the ‘bright, eager group of future GPs’ is ‘keen to tackle the challenges that come with providing care in WA’.
 
‘The vibe was really promising and it’s just so lovely to see the next generation of general practice registrars coming through,’ she told newsGP.
 
‘They are the future of our profession and the future of our college as well.’
 
Among the registrars at the orientation were 10 of Dr Raman’s former students from her alma mater, Fremantle’s University of Notre Dame.
 
‘It was such a surprise,’ she said. ‘Full circle, GP registrars.’
 
Also attending the orientation was registrar Dr Robbie Dumbrava, who said she has ‘always been drawn to general practice’ since growing up in the regional WA city of Bunbury.
 
‘I love seeing varied presentations and being able to form really close trusting relationships with my patients long-term and help improve their quality of life,’ she said.
 
Fellow registrar Dr Prasanna Henegama said he chose Rural Generalist training because working in a rural setting ‘makes you feel more a part of the community, working so closely with people and their families’.
 
‘I believe my new career in Australia will be entirely based somewhere rural, helping rural communities,’ he said.
 
‘The RACGP is taking really good care of us registrars. They check in, make sure we’re comfortable and keeping up with everything. It’s been very helpful in training.’
 
Dr Raman said she is especially ‘glad and pleased’ to see the increase in registrars choosing to complete all their training beyond the greater Perth area.
 
‘We talk about concerns regarding access, and now it’s about the solutions and the way forward,’ she said.
 
‘When the appropriate investment comes into primary care and general practice, it is well received.
 
‘This is a really positive step.’
 
The second day of West Australian orientation fell on the same day as a historic $751 million, five-year AGPT Grant agreement between the RACGP and the Federal Government was announced, the largest and longest training agreement ever awarded to a specialist medical college.
 
‘So, we just need to keep up the momentum, and I think sometimes it’s just recognising what we do really well,’ Dr Raman said.
 
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AGPT program GPs in training registrars rural generalism rural generalist specialist GP