The program is designed to guide junior doctors wanting to be Rural Generalists through the educational and training components necessary to qualify as a vocationally registered Rural Generalist. Aligned with the National Rural Generalist Pathway, the program equips medical Rural Generalists with the skills to address diverse health needs in regional, rural, and remote areas of the Northern Territory.
The Program includes prevocational and vocational doctors in training as well as NT Rural Generalist Fellows.
The program is open to doctors registered with the Medical Board of Australia, holding a primary medical qualification recognised by the Australian Medical Council and World Directory of Medical Schools.
Various entry points to the pathway are available for becoming a Rural Generalist in the NT, with collaboration from health services and partners.
Rural Generalist Coordination Units (RGCUs) have been established in all states and the Northern Territory by the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (DOHAC). They have been established to coordinate the training pipeline for rural generalists and to assist and support doctors in their transition between their postgraduate clinical and training components within both hospital and primary care environments.
The Rural Generalist Coordination Unit (RGCU) in the Northern Territory provides personalised career navigation and guidance for Rural Generalists at all career stages. It coordinates the national JFPDP funding for prevocational doctors to experience rural medicine in regional communities working with various rural and remote primary care teams and rural and remote health services.
To express interest or if you would like to know more about being part of the NT Rural Generalist Program, contact the Rural Generalist Coordination Unit here.
No, participants can opt out at any time if circumstances change or if they decide to pursue a different career path.
Can I transfer to the Northern Territory Rural Generalist Program from another state or territory?
Absolutely. Prevocational/Vocational doctors in other states and territories should contact their local Rural Generalist Coordination Unit and if applicable specialist college to inform them of their transfer and ensure that the NT RGCU is also aware of when they will commence in the NT.
During prevocational years, Royal Darwin & Palmerston Hospital and Alice Springs Hospital allocate all placements including regional rural placements. The RGCU continues to work with regional hospitals and Primary Health Care sites to ensure wide and diverse placements sites are accredited and available to assist in gaining the best experience, skills and knowledge for rural medicine.
Once enrolled in a specialist college, the two GP Specialist Training Colleges have regional education officers and other staff who will guide you in regard to your education and training and assessment requirements. These staff are available along with RGCUs Career Navigators to guide your learning and to discuss the best placements sites for your education and training needs.
For more information see the specific training college website or contact the local GP Specialist Training College Office staff.
The JFPDP is a national targeted funding model to deliver increased rural primary care rotations for hospital-based eligible prevocational junior doctors in Postgraduate (PGY) years 1-5 in Modified Monash Model 2019 (MM) 2-7 locations.
The JFPDP funding goes to the site that is providing the allocated prevocational rural placement to help support the various placement costs including salary, supervision, accommodation and travel expenses as needed.
You can find out more about the John Flynn Prevocational Doctor Program (JFPDP) here.
No. You can be on the RG training pathway regardless of whether you are funded through the JFPDP or not. There are a limited number of funded rotations under the Commonwealth funding model for the JFPDP. Prevocational and Vocational rural rotations can be found in all regions across the NT in both hospitals and primary care settings. Various entry points to the pathway are available for becoming a Rural Generalist in the NT, with collaboration from health services and partners.
You can still undertake rural and remote placements and not be in a funded JFPDP rotation.
The JFPDP is a national grant that is in place to financially support jurisdictions to increase the number of rural and remote primary health care rotations that will contribute to integrate primary health care across care settings.
Prevocational rural and remote placement opportunities are available through the JFPDP and other rural medicine rotations at various locations around the NT. These include each of the regional hospitals as well as for PGY2+ some primary care sites as well.
ACCRM and RACGP oversees the vocational training once enrolled in one or the other college and will guide the curriculum requirements including the best placement sites for your career outcomes. For more information on where these college placements are go to the college websites or speak to your college education staff.
NT RG Career Navigators are locally trained general practitioners/rural medical practitioners/rural generalists many of whom have undertaken their GP/RG training in the NT, most still live and work in the NT. Some hold dual fellowships in both GP Colleges others have retained one fellowship. They have several different advanced/additional specialist skill sets and can advise on community health priorities in different NT communities. The Career Navigators also conduct beginning, middle and end of term discussions as well as a rotation evaluation with each trainee on the NT RG Program as part of the RGCUs quality improvement processes.
You can request a meeting/discussion with a NT RGP Career Navigator at any time prior to entering the program and whilst on the NT Rural Generalist pathway (Prevocational and Vocational).
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