Partially Comparable Doctors-The Gamechanger for the Permanent Rural GP Workforce

Accessing an Excellent Pool of Motivated Doctors via the RACGP Specialist Pathway

The RACGP PEP Specialist – Partially Comparable Pathway

Have you had exposure to GPs who are eligible for the RACGP Specialist Pathway (Partially Comparable) in your rural practice yet? We have had great success with this route, providing highly qualified and motivated candidates. This pathway is crucial for rebuilding the General Practice workforce. We have established internal processes to recruit and register these doctors, enabling them to join your team seamlessly.

The RACGP now recognises several Specialist Qualifications as being Partially Comparable. This recognition allows them to access the PEP Specialist Pathway. The RACGP has thoroughly vetted their training and experience, ensuring that these SIMG GPs possess suitable Family Medicine experience and qualifications. As a result, they do not need to sit the AMC exam, a PESCI, or endure the suffocating Level 1 supervision.

Understanding Candidate Requirements

The only difference between these Partially Comparable candidates and the Substantially Comparable candidates (i.e., the NHS vocationally trained MRCGPs) is that the Partially Comparable group must work in MM2 locations. Additionally, they must sit their exams to attain Fellowship.

Restrictions and Motivations to Go Rural

In recent years, the RACGP has assessed several international family medicine specialist qualifications as being comparable to FRACGP. This assessment has opened opportunities for us to bring a wealth of experienced candidates to help with our GP shortage. Candidates on this pathway face these restrictions:

• Must work in an MM2-7 location

• Require Level 3 supervision, which can be done remotely (similar to NHS-trained MRCGPs)

• Expect to take 4 – 6 months to commence work with you

• After gaining Fellowship, they need to work in a DPA location for the duration of their moratorium. Some will stay in the initial rural location, while others may seek roles in DPA locations, likely in connected practices within the same organisation. These doctors are usually happy to commit to a four-year contract, with plans for long-term settlement.

• Billing full A1 Medicare Rebates from commencement

  
  

We have a dedicated internal registrations team who will guide the doctors through the full process, ensuring they don’t get lost in the AHPRA system and avoiding delays.

Quality of Candidate Training and Experience

We’ve worked extensively with these candidates over the past two years. We have found them to be capable Family Physicians, often with years of experience comparable to Australian GPs who have completed vocational training. As with any group of clinicians, some are more committed to core General Practice patients, while others bring valuable knowledge around sub-specialties, including emergency, chronic disease, teaching, and leadership.

Motivated GPs Looking to Commit to Rural Locations

Having worked with GP jobs in Australia for decades, I can confidently say this is the single biggest positive change we have seen. Rather than competing with other practices or towns for a diminishing pool of VR GPs, we now have verified doctors. The RACGP has confirmed that they are Comparable to Australian-trained Specialist GPs, making them suitable for the Specialist Pathway. At Doctor Connect, we have developed strong relationships with this group, resulting in a pool of active and committed candidates.

GP Candidate’s Needs

The great news for these candidates is that they can now consider opportunities to fulfill their dream of living in Australia, which was previously unavailable. They are typically in the middle of their careers, seeking a community to settle into with their families.

We meet with all our candidates to explain the basics of General Practice in Australia. This includes general discussions around contracts and income. We work with the doctors to ensure they have reasonable expectations of the move and emphasise that this can be a great opportunity, but they may need to compromise at some point.

It’s essential to set realistic expectations regarding the practice. Some practices offer accommodation and relocation allowances, while others do not. Additionally, these doctors will incur costs when making this career change, spending at least $20,000 in registration processes with AHPRA, RACGP, and immigration before paying for airfares. They may be coming from health systems where doctors are not as well compensated. If your practice can provide some financial assistance, it will be greatly appreciated.

These Partially Comparable doctors need to work in an MM2-7 location and require the support of a practice with a Fellowed GP who can offer Level 3 supervision (which can be remote, as the SIMG is responsible for the patient) for the first 1 – 2 years. Some GPs have family and cultural commitments, so they may prefer towns of a certain size with primary or high schools, access to community groups, or specific places of worship.

Our Process

1. Understand the Requirements of Your Job

   We will work with you to confirm the details of your town, practice, and open GP job. With many years of experience in rural and remote GP practice, we understand what will make this match successful.

   
   

2. Promote Opportunity

   We will promote the opportunity to our candidate pool, including active candidates we know to be suited.

   
   

3. Present Shortlist

   You will receive a shortlist of suitable candidates, and we will arrange for an online face-to-face meeting.

   
   

4. Signed Contract

   If the candidate is suitable, we will manage the offer and commitment. We will arrange all necessary paperwork. Our strong knowledge of this process ensures that you are only contacted for the information you need when required.

   
   

5. Invoice

   We’re a traditional contingency recruitment company. Our introduction, registration, and support services come with a fee to the practice. This will be discussed with you beforehand. There is an additional cost for the nomination for a visa with the Immigration Department. However, we are confident that the costs to the practice will be easily recouped in the first 6 – 12 months of having an experienced GP join your team.

   
   

Moving Forward

We are actively working with doctors from this pool who are available to join your practice. This will play an important role in bringing balance to the Australian Rural GP workforce and ensuring equity in the provision of primary healthcare. We welcome the opportunity to assist you in finding a doctor with the right skills, personality, and commitment to be a part of your practice for many years to come. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this further.