MEDIA RELEASE

8 July 2014

2245 junior doctors sit online test for GP training

From 26 May 15 June, 2245 junior doctors who applied for entry into the Australian General
Training program (AGPT) sat down to the first stage of their selection process which was delivered
online for the first time. The AGPT situational judgement test is the first of three stages of selection
into the national GP training program. Historically, these tests have been delivered via a paperbased model. The new process for this test was successfully delivered via computer in 16 sites,
including 58 questions over 116 minutes to complete.
These tests are designed to test applicants clinical reasoning, analytical and problem solving
skills, and their professional and ethical attributes. The next stage involves multiple mini interviews
conducted in national assessment centres across the country. From 6 28 June, GP training
applicants completed six individual interviews, each lasting 10 minutes across 15 sites, including
all state capital cities. These interviews are designed to test applicants communication and
interpersonal skills, organisational and management skills, their sense of vocation and motivation,
and also their personal attributes.
GPET Chair, A/Prof Richard Matthews AM says GPETs national selection process has had over
a decade now to be reviewed, strengthened and its now integral to ensuring we have a
transparent and rigorous national process by which to ensure we get the best GPs for the future.
We know that our process is being watched by other OECD countries as a possible model for their
GP selection. Our hope is that the investment into getting the best of the best junior doctors into
the program, so that we have the best GPs in the world, continues long after GPETs gone. This is
after all, about patient safety he said.
GPET Board Member, and president of the World Organization of Family Doctors (WONCA),
Professor Michael Kidd confirmed the high quality of Australia's selection processes. "Australia has
an internationally-recognised and world leading system for training our general practitioners.
GPET, our colleges and our regional training providers regularly receive requests for support and
advice from other nations. There is strong interest in how we select people into general practice
training who are both highly skilled and also prepared to meet the needs of the Australian
community as part of their training, especially through service in rural areas and communitycontrolled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health services."
During the next stage of the AGPT national selection process these junior doctors will be notified of
their overall scores. They can then review their ranking and if desired, change their preference for
their preferred regional training provider. Finally, they may go through a shortlisting and interview
process with their training provider to make sure theyre a good match for the region in which they
wish to train. Ultimately, all applicants receive advice on their offers by end August 2014 to
commence early in 2015.
GP Registrars in Training
Successful applicants to the AGPT program commence in the first quarter of 2015 and will be
expected to take up to four years to complete the program before attempting fellowship. There are
1500 funded training places in the AGPT program for the 2015 intake, and there are presently

3898* GP registrars currently enrolled in the program and at least 50% of training must occur in a
regional, rural or remote location.
The AGPT program offers a pathway to train towards the Fellowship of the Royal Australian
College of General Practice (FRACGP), the Fellowship in Advanced Rural General Practice
(FARGP) through RACGP and/or the Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote
Medicine (FACRRM).
Entry is open to junior doctors who have completed their internship and gained Australian medical
registration. The AGPT program is managed by General Practice Education and Training (GPET)
Limited, a wholly owned and funded Australian Government company. For further information on
GPET and its programs, please refer to: www.gpet.com.au

For more information please contact Tiffany King on 0435 722 510 or
follow @AGPT_GPTraining on Twitter
*Data accurate as at 3 July 2014

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