Vocational Training Program Outline
Introduction
SGPT delivers Australian General Practice Training under contract with GPET (General Practice Education and Training). Both the RACGP and ACRRM pathways are provided. Training is three years duration under the RACGP pathway and four years under the ACRRM pathway.
Training Posts
Training occurs at postings in local and regional hospitals, accredited General Practices and Aboriginal Health Centres. There is the option to undertake some of the training elsewhere in Australian and in Ireland. Training in these posts is on the apprenticeship model with time allocated each week for one on one tutorials.
Most hospital terms are based at the Latrobe Regional Hospital, West Gippsland Hospital and Central Gippsland Hospital.
Educational Components
SGPT provides a range of educational components, aimed at providing the best outcome for the registrar by incorporating flexibility and on-going availability of supervisors.
Within each of the training terms, registrars have support and training from a supervisor who is available for assistance on a day-to-day basis and who is contracted to provide weekly tutorials for registrars.
While placed in a practice registrars receive External Clinical Teaching Visits which involve a visiting supervisor providing feedback on observed consultations and often include an educational session with the visitor and the registrar’s own supervisor.
Medical educators, who are also experienced rural GPs, provide additional educational programs on a regular basis.
Peer Learning Workshops are held throughout the year for registrars at all levels of training. These include monthly teleconference sessions for hospital based registrars, third weekly educational days for registrars in their first year of a general practice placement (GPT1 and GPT2), and second monthly educational days for registrars in their second year of general practice placements (GPT3 and extended skills). These are regarded as highlights of the SGPT program by many registrars. Workshops include procedural and emergency skills training.
Cluster groups are held monthly on a subregional basis. These are evening meetings for registrars at all levels of training posted within a particular sub-region.
SGPT also provides generous funding support for registrars to undertake appropriate external courses.
Monitoring & feedback
Registrar progress is regularly monitored by informal and formal assessments. Feedback is then provided to assist the registrar in achieving the level of competence required for independent general practice.