Eligibility and application

Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM) is recognised by the Australian Medical Council as a standard medical practitioners must attain to be recognised for the specialty of general practice.

The Fellowship program has been developed by rural doctors to equip Rural Generalists and specialist General Practitioners who work in a rural or remote context.

  • FACRRM demonstrates you can confidently and competently work independently in a broad range of locations and environments.
  • Fellowship provides access to the maximum benefits available under Medicare’s A1 items for you and your patients.
  • FACRRM is identified as a preferred qualification by recruiters.
Yes, you can save and return at any time. Please check the application key dates so you don’t miss intake closing.
Suitability Assessment questions are assessed by a panel of FACRRMs. Assessments are deidentified and information from your eligibility application are not disclosed to the assessing panel. Only responses provided to the Suitability Assessment questions can be considered.  

The ACRRM selection team will advise applicants directly of their outcome from the selection process via email.

Applicants will participate in a series of short interviews, each designed to allow you to display your ability to think logically about a topic and communicate your response and ideas effectively. Questions are not clinical scenarios but may require providing examples of your experiences.

You should ensure you refer to and address the selection criteria throughout your application. 

Yes. Interns are eligible to apply for the training program to begin training in the following year. General registration should be achieved by the training commencement date.
No, you can only have one active application at a time. If you are unsuccessful, you are required to wait 6 months prior to reapplying. 
Yes. Successful applicants commencing in the following year would still complete their hospital residency requirements in line with jurisdictional requirements. 
International Medical Graduates can be eligible for government-funded training. All applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for training - have working rights in Australia, an Australian Medical Council–recognised qualification, and unrestricted registration with Ahpra.

For full details, refer to the ACRRM Eligibility Guide or contact the team at selection@acrrm.org.au or 1800 223 226 for tailored advice.
Yes, unsuccessful applicants may go through the formal Reconsideration, Review and Appeals process to have an outcome reconsidered. 

Training and recognised prior learning (RPL)

ACRRM Fellowship is focussed on providing doctors with the skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver healthcare in communities outside the urban footprint.

We highly recommend you complete the majority of your training in a rural or remote area.  A sound knowledge and broad experience of rural medicine, practised in a rural and remote context, is essential.

For Fellowship purposes, there is a minimum requirement of 12 months living and working in a rural or remote community.  For further information please refer to the Fellowship Training Handbook.

Core Generalist Training (CGT) covers three years of the four-year Fellowship program. You will develop broad knowledge, skills and attributes in primary, secondary and emergency care in a rural and remote context and gain essential Rural Generalist skills across a variety of domains.

Advanced Specialised Training (AST) covers a minimum of one year of the four-year Fellowship program. AST will deepen your knowledge and skills in a procedural or non-procedural discipline including Population Health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Anaesthetics, Emergency Medicine and more.

For further information visit our webpage on Training and Education or refer to the Fellowship Training Handbook. 

There are alternatives available so you can gain experience in paediatrics, anaesthetics and obstetrics and gynaecology where a 10-week term has not been undertaken during the Core Generalist Training (CGT) year. You must gain this equivalent experience prior to Fellowship, however, gaps in knowledge should be considered when preparing for assessments.

When remediating gaps in CGT, evidence of training must be supported by a specific logbook and supervisor report. This documentation is then presented to the College Censor for approval and endorsement.

For further information please refer to the Fellowship Training Handbook.

Yes. RPL may be granted for prior relevant training and experience, assessed on a case-by-case basis. This is assessed with your medical educator and training program advisor once you have commenced training.

Registrars have six months from the commencement of training to apply for RPL.

For more information, please have a look at the RPL Policy.

  

You can be awarded a maximum of two years RPL on the ACRRM Fellowship Program. For more information you can view ACRRM's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy.

The training order is flexible and designed to suit individual circumstances and service needs. 

However, registrars who hold general registration and commence training in postgraduate year (PGY) 2 must commence with Core Generalist Training.

Registrars who hold general registration and commence training from PGY3 or above, may commence AST training. 

Registrars work directly with a medical educator to develop an ACRRM training plan, this helps guide registrars through training whilst achieving Fellowship requirements. 

ACRRM registrars are required to work and train in regional, rural and remote locations (MMM2-7) and gain experience across primary, secondary and emergency care in rural practice in order to gain the competencies, skills and attributes described in the Core Generalist Training curriculum.

Metropolitan training is usually supported for meeting clinical experience requirements and some ASTs in line with service and training capacity. 

Your qualification will allow you to work in metro once training is complete.

No. Rural Generalists work as part of multidisciplinary teams, though scope is broader than metropolitan practice. 

There are 12 AST disciplines to choose from, and registrars are required to undertake one AST during their training time to achieve Fellowship. 

However, once Fellowed, you can undertake additional AST outside of training.

Depends on comparability, recency, and AST accreditation requirements. Refer to the RPL Policy for further information. 

Yes. Incentives may include financial support, grants, and jurisdiction-specific benefits. 

To help registrars calculate payments they may be eligible for, the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) has developed a financial support calculator tool. The calculator provides a guide only to the maximum level of financial support available to rural and remote doctors, based on the search parameters and a full year. 

Overseas rural or remote experience may be considered, however, this depends on several factors, including comparability of the role, recency of the experience, and any applicable Advanced Specialised Training (AST) accreditation requirements. 

Each application is assessed on its individual merits. For detailed guidance, please refer to the RPL Policy. 

Assessments

The standard for all Fellowship assessments is of a doctor practising safely, confidently and independently in a full and diverse range of healthcare settings across Australia, with particular focus on rural and remote settings.

While you may attempt an assessment once the minimum training time eligibility, or equivalent Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) has been met for that modality, it is important to be well prepared prior to enrolling. Your Training Program Advisor and Medical Educator will provide personalised advice on when, and in what training post, an assessment attempt is recommended.

A programmatic approach to the assessment requirements is also strongly recommended. For further information please refer to the Fellowship Training Handbook.

There are several modality specific assessment support programs offered to registrars by the College including formal study groups, mock exams, face to face workshops and 1:1 preparation sessions with Medical Educators. Please contact your Regional Training Network for more information.

The College recommends completion of the assessment support program the semester prior to the planned attempt, to allow familiarisation with the context and format of the assessment. Assessment support programs allow participants to receive individualised feedback on their performance and guidance on their continued preparation.

The Registrar Committee also provides registrars with a guide for all ACRRM assessments.

Pathways

Training on the AGPT pathway, you will be fully funded, with comprehensive education and training support. 

The education program is mapped to the proven ACRRM Rural Generalist Curriculum, blending learning elements delivered and supported by ACRRM's national and regional teams, including self-directed online learning and face-to-face workshops. Learn more about AGPT. 

Transition of the AGPT program to ACRRM-led training successfully occurred in February 2023.

Information on ACRRM’s responsibility to deliver the AGPT program, including the College-led discussion paper, executed third party transition plans and more can be found here.

The Independent Pathway (IP) is a self-funded stream of the ACRRM Fellowship program. Participants are not restricted by Commonwealth funding requirements and policy, and can craft a training plan to suit their career goals, negotiate training placements and manage their learning experience.  

The IP is mapped to the ACRRM Rural Generalist Curriculum and registrars participate in face-to-face learning alongside their peers, as well as online learning. Learn more about the Independent Pathway. 

Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) is a Commonwealth-funded program providing vocational training for medical practitioners in remote and isolated communities and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout Australia.

RVTS training is provided by Remote Vocational Training Scheme Ltd. More information about RVTS is available here.