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GP Trainee Grant program kicks off
Eligible Victorian GPs in training will soon be able to apply for $40,000 in government support, sparking calls for other states to follow suit.
The Victorian Government program will deliver incentive grants to new GPs in training in an effort to promote general practice as a specialty.
The RACGP has launched its new Victorian GP Trainee Grant program, aimed at supporting GPs in training in the state and strengthening the workforce.
Supported by a $32 million Victorian Government funding package announced in 2022, the program offers grants to participants in both the 2024 and 2025 training intakes, with the RACGP responsible for paying the vast majority of these grants to successful applicants.
Applications open on 5 February and Dr Rebecca Loveridge, Chair of RACGP GPs in Training, is hopeful that other state and territory governments will establish similar incentives.
‘GPs in training should have the same pay and leave entitlements as their hospital-based equivalents,’ she told newsGP.
‘Victoria is leading the way in making progress in this space. Other state, territory and federal governments need to follow suit to ensure the GP training pipeline is maintained nationwide.’
According to Dr Loveridge, the potential drop in income when transitioning from hospital doctor to community-based GP is ‘a major concern’ for those considering general practice training.
Therefore, incentives like the Victorian GP Trainee Grant program are important supports for GPs in training.
‘With current and predicted GP workforce pressures, initiatives that improve the attractiveness of general practice training are crucial,’ she said.
‘This Victorian program is a great first step in addressing some of the disparities in entitlements of trainees in GP and non-GP specialist pathways.’
Supporting medical graduates to choose general practice as their specialty training, the RACGP program is funded by the Victorian Government to deliver a total of 356 grants in 2024 and 355 grants in 2025 and aims to:
- increase the number of GPs in training enrolments in 2024 and 2025
- provide a top-up payment for first-year trainees of $30,000
- provide $10,000 to support the costs of exams to be undertaken during training.
The grants comprise a maximum of $40,000 and will be delivered in three instalments over 24 months.
RACGP Victoria Chair Dr Anita Muñoz has also welcomed the potential boost to the state’s workforce.
‘A healthy GP workforce is essential for a healthy Victoria – GPs keep people out of hospital,’ she said.
‘I’m pleased the Government has provided these grants for GPs in training, and I hope it encourages more future doctors into general practice.
‘Being a GP is one of the most rewarding careers in medicine. The connection to patients and the community and variety of work in a GP’s day is unique compared with other specialties. We get to see our patients go through all the life stages and milestones, and we’re there not just when they’re sick, we’re helping keep them well.
‘I hope our Premier, Jacinta Allen, will be doing all she can to make sure Victoria’s general practice workforce remains strong, and general practice care is affordable and accessible for everyone in our state.’
The RACGP will be administering the majority of the grants on behalf of the Victorian Government.
More information about eligibility and how to apply is available on the
RACGP website.
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