Categories of general practitioners

Below are the National Reference Panel categories of general practitioners (GPs/family physicians), which are used for the purposes of assessment of overseas trained GPs who wish to work under the 5 Year Overseas Trained Doctor Scheme.

For more information, contact the relevant State or Territory Rural Workforce Agency.

Category 1

GPs who hold:

• Fellowship of The Royal New Zealand College of GPs (FRNZCGP);
• Certificates in Family Practice from the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and successful completion of both parts of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Examination;
• Both Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP UK) and Certificates from Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP) UK.

Doctors who hold these qualifications are eligible for admission to Fellowship of the RACGP ad eundum gradum.

Category 2

GPs who hold:

• Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners UK (MRCGP)
• Membership of the Irish College of General Practitioners (MICGP);
• Membership of the Faculty of General Practitioners; or Member of the College of Family Practitioners, South Africa by examination (MFGP or the new MCGP)
• The Certificate of the American Board of Family Practice USA (ABFP);
• The Certificate of the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP) UK;
• Masters of Medicine (Family Medicine) from the National University of Singapore;
• Registration as a Family Physician with the Health Professions Council of South Africa ( formerly the South African Medical and Dental Council of South Africa)
• Masters of Family Medicine, South Africa;
• Masters of Prax Medicine, South Africa.

Doctors who hold these memberships/qualifications are required to undertake the RACGP Fellowship exam. They have 2 years in which to successfully complete the exam.

Category 3

General practice training and postgraduate qualifications not recognised by RACGP but who have more then 5 years of full time general practice experience.

Doctors in this category are eligible for the award of Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) via the practice eligibility route after a determination by the RACGP of the equivalence of their general practice experience to 5 years full time of Australian general practice and completion of the RACGP examination.

Category 4

No general practice training or postgraduate qualifications, but more than 5 years full time general practice experience in another country.

Category 5

No general practice training or postgraduate qualification and less than 5 years of equivalent full time GP experience in another country. Doctors in this category would not be eligible for FRACGP until they have completed 5 years of equivalent general practice.

Please note that the eligibility criteria for the RACGP examination includes having a minimum of 4 years approved full-time GP experience or part-time equivalent of which at least 1 year full-time GP experience must be gained in Australian general practice.