‘Truly invaluable’ impact of GP trainee grants

Doctors have described the significant impact of a grants program in Victoria that has helped boost the number of medical graduates entering general practice training.
 
The State Government-funded GP Training Grant program included $32 million over two years to entice doctors to go into general practice, with 800 grants of up to $40,000.
 
The final allocation administered by the RACGP closed at the end of September, with the college funded by the Victorian Government to deliver a total of 356 grants in 2024 and 364 in 2025.
 
The scheme has helped significantly boost GP training numbers in the state, with a reported 22% annual increase in numbers this year, and was also a forerunner to a similar Federal initiative announced in March.
 
According to the results of a State Government survey of its 2024 applicants, 44% said they would have followed a different medical career without the grant, while almost two-thirds said the program influenced their decision to enrol.
 
That is the case for Dr Luke Martin, who said the program helped him take the decision to sign up for the Australia General Practice Training.
 
‘Initially I took a pay cut to begin GP training,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘I was earning more as a surgical resident at a busy Melbourne hospital. I have a young family to look out for as well, so you have to weigh your decisions prudently.’
 
He said the financial support has enabled him to make some significant changes.
 
‘It’s very helpful because I’ve had to relocate from Melbourne to a rural community,’ he said.
 
‘It helps with the cost of setting up a home and moving costs.
 
‘It also helps offset some of the exam costs – we pay a lot to sit exams.’

In its survey, the State Government also reported 59% of recipients were undertaking placements in regional Victoria, with another 13% saying they moved to Victoria from overseas or interstate because of the program.
 
Dr Buvanes Lim is another doctor to benefit, with the grant supporting her training through the Fellowship Support Program.
 
Describing general practice as her passion both in her home country and in Australia, she said she was sincerely thankful to the Victorian state government and was ‘deeply humbled and honoured’ to be a recipient, after being initially sceptical that she would be successful.

‘This experience has strengthened my trust and respect for the fair and transparent selection process that upholds the values of equity and ensures universal access to educational opportunities in Victoria, regardless of background or circumstance,’ she told newsGP.

Dr Buvanes Lim described her acceptance into GP training as ‘a profoundly rewarding opportunity’.
 
As well as the ‘significant financial support’, Dr Lim said the grant served as recognition of her service to primary health care, and a motivating factor for her to enhance her skills and knowledge.
 
‘Establishing a medical career in the country I now proudly call home presents numerous challenges and uncertainties, which can at times be quite overwhelming,’ she said.  
 
‘As an international medical graduate, navigating a new healthcare system, adapting to cultural and professional expectations, and working toward Fellowship require not only perseverance, but also strong institutional support.
 
‘In this context, the assistance and encouragement provided by the State Government have been truly invaluable, offering both practical relief and the confidence needed to continue pursuing my professional goals with purpose and dedication.
 
‘Being accepted into the GP training program is a profoundly rewarding opportunity, one that I have long aspired to.’
 
Dr Martin, meanwhile, also reports a similar level of satisfaction with his work.
 
‘I’ve loved rural GP training,’ he said.
 
‘Country people are warm and welcoming and I can make a real difference rurally.
 
‘There’s often long waiting times to see a doctor, so I am hoping to make medicine more accessible in the bush.’
 
The RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz has also praised the initiative.
 
‘Victoria has led the way in recognising too many GPs in training lose out on parental leave, long service leave, and other entitlements when they train outside the hospital system,’ she said earlier this year.
 
‘This was affecting young doctors’ ability to train as GPs.’
 
Queensland offered a similar incentive after the scheme was introduced in Victoria, with the Federal Government following suit this year.
 
In its 2025/6 Federal Budget, it announced $248.7 million over four years from 2025–26 for salary incentives to encourage junior doctors to specialise in general practice, as well as for paid parental and study leave for GPs in training.
 
Its program offers a $30,000 incentive for doctors to enter GP training.
 
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GPs in training registrar grants