Welcome to The Lucky Country: the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners deters overseas-trained academic general practitioners
Katharine A. Wallis
Primary Care Clinical Unit, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Level 8, Health Sciences Building, Brisbane, Qld 4029, Australia. Email: k.wallis@uq.edu.au
Australian Health Review 44(5) 782-783 https://doi.org/10.1071/AH19276
Submitted: 5 December 2019 Accepted: 13 January 2020 Published: 16 September 2020
Abstract
In assessing overseas-trained general practitioners (GPs) applying for specialist recognition in Australia, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) sets a minimum requirement of 2 days per week ‘undertaking general practice activities’ over the 3 years prior to application. The RACGP does not consider academic practice (i.e. relevant teaching and research) to be a ‘general practice activity’, thereby blocking overseas-trained full-time academic GPs from specialist recognition in Australia. The actions of the RACGP have implications for access to quality primary health care in Australia.
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