General Practitioner Procedural Training Support Program (GPPTSP)
The GPPTSP is a Commonwealth-funded grant that supports rural and remote GP Fellows to undertake the RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural).
Introduction
The General Practitioner Procedural Training Support Program (GPPTSP) aims to improve access to obstetric and anaesthetic services for women living in rural and remote communities by supporting GPs to attain procedural skills in obstetrics or anaesthetics. The Obstetrics component of the program is managed by RANZCOG and the Anaesthetics component is managed by ACRRM.
GP Recipients are provided with up to $40,000 (GST-exclusive) to gain either the RANZCOG Associate Advanced Procedural (APTP) or Advanced Rural Skills Training in Anaesthesia. The GPPTSP is a Commonwealth initiative and has been funded by the Australian Government Department of Health since 2010.
There are up to 10 GPPTSP Obstetric grants available per annual selection round for eligible GPs to undertake the RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural).
RANZCOG will pay Support Recipients a total of $40,000 across two payments:
$20,000 following acceptance and commencement of training at an accredited site
$20,000 following successful completion of training and full certification as an Associate Member (Advanced Procedural)
Eligibility
To apply, applicants need to meet the following eligibility criteria:
Be defined as a General Practitioner (GP). For the purposes of this program, a GP is defined as a medical practitioner who has achieved Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and/or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
Be practising principally in a rural or remote area in a Modified Monash Model category MM 3-7 location. See here for more information on the MMM model and refer to the Government’s Health Workforce Locator Tool to determine your location’s classification.
Apply
Obstetrics component
Applications for the 2024 round will open Monday 22 April 2024.
Eligible applications will be assessed and selected by RANZCOG’s Assessment Panel in accordance with the selection guidelines outlined by the Department of Health. All candidates will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Background
The Maternity Services Review report Improving Maternity Services in Australia, delivered in February 2009, identified the need to improve access to maternity services for women in rural and remote locations. There was little incentive for rural GPs to undertake additional training to broaden their skills base so that they can provide more comprehensive services to their communities.
The initiative to support GPs in rural and remote areas, to complete the procedural training program in obstetrics is intended to help overcome workforce shortages and increase the availability of maternity services in those areas.