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Prevocational Program

Rural Generalist Pathway – the Prevocational Rural Medical Program

Medical graduates are employed as interns (PGY1) or Junior House Officers (PGY2) by hospitals whose Junior Doctor Education Program has been accredited by the Medical Board of Queensland. All pre-vocational doctors working and training in these hospitals are expected to participate fully in the accredited training program.

However, additional support and training is provided for those pre-vocational doctors who have expressed interest in and/or made successful application for Australian General Practice Training/Remote Vocational Training Scheme. This is to ensure that they can work effectively and safely in a rural placement from as early as the start of their third postgraduate year (click here for a diagram illustrating the Pathway ).

Additional support is provided by the team by way of career advice and planning, and access to an electronic learning planner to log acquisition of mandatory skills and experience. These skills and experiences are prescribed by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine as the lead College:

“ACRRM Education Standards (Curricula, Accreditation, Certification (progressive), training data management and Supervision) will be applied to specify skill, knowledge and attitudinal outcomes and progressive certification requirements at prevocational levels i.e. that render a PGY3 fit for rural practice in vocational training (and therefore under supervision, though it may be distant as in RVTS) from the beginning of PGY3.”

Each pre-vocational doctor develops an individual learning plan in accordance with the ACRRM Education Standards. The team co-ordinates regular state-wide videoconferences and facilitated electronic discussion groups to encourage networking and peer support.

Additional training is provided by:

priority access to terms which facilitate acquisition of mandatory skills and experience (for example, terms in a rural hospital, anaesthetics, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and general practice)
annual attendance at an Orientation for Rural Generalists workshop.

Orientation for Rural Generalists Workshops

These workshops were designed by a team of practising rural generalists and clinical educators to:

enhance clinical practice skills and personal confidence
develop capacity for rural practice and living
illustrate a variety of strategies to address personal, family, social, community, ethical and networking issues which impact on clinical practice in rural areas.

The workshop runs over three days, and comprises an educationally-appropriate mix of simulated clinical scenarios and facilitated discussion groups. Practising rural generalists and other specialists provide a variety of scenarios from their own experience to illustrate session topics.

Travel, accommodation and evening activities are co-ordinated by the team to maximise opportunities for networking and social interactions.

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Last Updated: 28 September 2007
Last Reviewed: 28 September 2007