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Updates to RACGP training program eligibility
The college is bringing in changes in 2025.2 to improve the GP training experience and steer the workforce in ‘the right direction’.
Updated eligibility criteria for the RACGP’s training programs will better position trainees for success, the college’s President says.
The RACGP has announced variations to the Fellowship Support Program (FSP) and Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program eligibility and selection process to enhance training outcomes.
Coming into effect from next year for the 2025.2 intake and beyond, the updates are intended to simplify application processes for potential candidates and provide tailored support, such as financial incentives for applicants in rural areas and other areas of workforce need.
The key updates include:
- simplifying the AGPT application processes by removing referee requirements
- introducing a single online national entry assessment to replace the existing tests, with the option to sit remotely from anywhere
- reducing AGPT red tape, including removing the need to have an active permanent residence application at the time of applying to ensure a fairer selection process while maintaining long-term eligibility requirements – applicants must be on an accepted visa and meet the permanent residency requirement by completion of training
- reduce the AGPT Program application and selection fee to $690 to make it more affordable
- strengthening FSP eligibility criteria by requiring applicants to have at least 12 months of general practice experience in Australia in the past four years
- tightened remote supervision requirements for the FSP to ensure appropriate supervision levels and patient safety.
RACGP President Dr Michael Wright welcomed the changes which he says will ensure candidates have equitable access to training opportunities, while also expanding rural training opportunities.
‘We’re aligning our training processes and simplifying procedures so that our programs remain exactly where they belong – at the forefront of general practice education in Australia,’ he said.
‘These changes will help us build an even stronger and well-prepared GP workforce. We’re ensuring that in 2025 and beyond, Australia is equipped to meet the growing demand for GPs, particularly in rural and remote areas.’
A new RACGP-led financial incentive to address healthcare shortages in the Northern Territory is also being introduced, offering registrars on the AGPT Program who accept a training place in the Territory in 2026 a $20,000 grant paid in two instalments of $10,000 after completing their first and second community-based general practice training terms in the NT.
With the RACGP training 90% of Australia’s GPs, and participants’ satisfaction with these training programs
rated high, interest in general practice training has also increased significantly since the RACGP
officially took over in early 2023.
All places have been filled for the 2025 AGPT Program intake – with
a record 1504 registrars to begin their training, exceeding the 2024 intake by 20%.
Additionally, rural placements have increased by 17% from 492 in 2024 to 583 in 2025.
‘That is a great result because addressing the maldistribution of GPs and ensuring a strong rural and remote general practice workforce is vital,’ Dr Wright said.
‘When you combine those strong figures with the enhancements to GP training I’m announcing today, it’s clear to see that we’re heading in the right direction.
‘Every patient deserves access to high-quality general practice care, and by boosting our GP workforce, we can make sure that no one misses out.’
Key dates for the RACGP’s training programs:
- FSP – applications for the 2025.2 intake open 15 January and close 5 February
- AGPT – applications for the 2026 intake open 3 March and close 8 April 2025
Dr Wright says the college will continue its commitment to delivering quality, accessible and tailored programs that ‘meet the evolving needs of our GPs and the communities we serve’, which cover metropolitan, rural, regional, and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
‘I’m proud to lead a college full of hardworking, committed and talented GPs,’ he said.
‘We are building a stronger, more resilient general practice workforce to meet the evolving needs of communities across the nation.
‘Securing the future of our GP workforce is crucial. All Australians should have access to a GP regardless of their postcode or income.’
Further details on the updates to the entrance requirements are available on the
AGPT Program and
FSP webpages. Registration for upcoming webinars for each program is available on the
RACGP website.
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