The new Advanced Skills Training Posts Rural Generalists and General Practitioners Program (AST Program) is an initiative of the Australian Government delivered by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) to support 15 AST training posts per annum for the 2024.2, 2025 and 2026 training years.

The intent of the AST Program is to identify innovative training opportunities that develop the skills required by our rural communities and provide participants with a positive high quality training experience.

 

What's different about the AST Program?

  • All Advanced Specialist Training (AST) and Additional Rural Skills Training (ARST) disciplines supported for both GP College curriculums
  • Flexibility on how you can use the funding
  • Training in MMM 2 -7 locations
  • Advanced skills training can be delivered in places where its needed.

Further information on eligibility, how to nominate and how to apply to the program can be found in the Advanced Skills Training Posts Rural Generalists and General Practitioners Program (AST Program) Operational Procedures or contact us on astprogram@acrrm.org.au.

The AST Program supports high quality 12-month AST posts in hospital, general practice community and non-general practice community settings. The program will contribute toward the costs of an AST post for ACRRM and RACGP Registrars and Fellows in regional, rural and remote Australia to attain advanced skills. 

Training posts under the program will include all AST and ARST disciplines supported under the GP College curriculums. This includes non-procedural areas such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, mental health, palliative care, remote medicine and adult internal medicine. 

You can access the full list of ACRRM AST disciplines here and RACGP ARST disciplines here.

The program will fund up to $150,000 for each 12 month AST post (pro-rata where not completed) toward the cost of participant employment and training for two AST posts in each state and three in the Northern Territory for:

  • Rural Generalist (RG) registrars
  • General Practitioner (GP) registrars
  • Fellowed RGs and GPs.

Training posts will be in Modified Monash Model (MMM) 2 - 7 locations. Consideration can be given to support MMM 1 locations if training is not available in a rural location and support for the post will fill a service delivery gap in a rural community. 

Training Posts:

  • All AST training posts must be accredited before participant commencement and wherever possible should meet the accreditation requirements of both GP Colleges.
  • Posts funded under the program must be new training posts.
  • Posts cannot have received funding by another organisation for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
  • In MMM 2 – 7 locations
  • Should support community need and be directed toward highest priority AST disciplines. 

To be eligible, participants must be either:

  • enrolled in a GP College fellowship training pathway; or
  • a Fellowed RG or GP applying to complete advanced skills training approved by the relevant GP College.
AST Application Process

For an AST Post to be funded by the AST Program:

Step 1
  • Identify a potential AST post and contact ACRRM, RACGP or RGCUs/jurisdictions to investigate further to ensure the post meets AST Program post eligibility criteria.
  • AST posts may be in hospital, general practice community and non-general practice community training settings.
  • All AST posts must be supported by the relevant jurisdiction to be considered for funding under the AST Program.
Step 2
  • An AST post must be nominated by the RGCUs/jurisdictions, ACRRM, RACGP.
  • An AST Post cannot be nominated without the support of the relevant jurisdiction.
Step 3
  • Nominations for AST posts are provided to the AST Program team by the RGCU/jurisdiction or relevant GP College.
Step 4
  • All AST post nominations are presented to AST Program Selection Committee in priority order for review.
  • The AST Program Selection Committee provide the endorsed priority list with an allocation plan to the DoHAC for funding approval.
  • DoHAC will review the recommendations and approve the posts that will receive funding.

 

Participant application process

AST Program funded posts can be advertised in various ways. Applications for placement into an AST program post should be undertaken in line with the advertised position:

  • Application through the relevant state or territory RGCU recruitment process
  • Direct application to the employer of the advertised AST.

FAQs

Yes. Part-time training can be supported if all parties agree. Part-time training must comply with your College policies.

Only RG or GP registrars or Fellowed RGs or GPs are eligible to train on the AST Program. 

To apply to undertake an AST approved by a GP College you must be an RG or GP registrar enrolled in a GP College training pathway or be a Fellowed RG or GP. 

You are eligible to access an AST position funded by the AST Program if you meet one of the below criteria:

  • Australian General Practice Training Program (AGPT) registrar applying to undertake an AST post approved by the relevant GP College.
  • Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) Independent Pathway (IP) registrar applying to undertake an AST post approved by ACRRM.
  • ACRRM Rural Generalist Training Scheme (RGTS) registrar applying to undertake an AST post approved by ACRRM.
  • Remote Vocational Training Scheme (RVTS) registrar applying to undertake an AST post approved by the relevant GP College.
  • Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Fellowship Support Program (FSP) registrars applying to undertake an AST post approved by the RACGP.
  • Fellowed ACRRM and/or RACGP Rural Generalists and/or General Practitioners applying to undertake an AST post approved by the relevant GP College.
  • Your GP training college has confirmed you are eligible to undertake the identified AST.

 

Remember, your GP training college must confirm you are eligible to undertake the identified AST.

No. Surgery AST may require a minimum of two (2) years to complete and will count as two (2) posts for the purpose of funding and post allocation.  Training in other AST disciplines for >12 months may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

All AST disciplines supported by ACRRM and RACGP curriculums are eligible for funding. This includes non-procedural areas such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, mental health, palliative care, and paediatrics as well as procedural areas such as obstetrics, anaesthetics, surgery, and emergency care.

You apply for a hospital-based AST program training post via the relevant state or territory Rural Generalist Coordination Unit (RGCU) and host employer recruitment process. Note, the application process may be different in each state/territory.

For non-hospital-based posts you will liaise directly with the identified host employer of the approved AST program post and relevant College.

Posts that include a combination of hospital and community-based training settings will identify the host employer responsible for employment.

You will need to advise: 
• Your College – follow the process as outlined by your College. This will most likely include speaking with your Medical Educator and Training Program Advisor.
• The Rural Generalist Coordination Unit (RGCU) in your state/territory if you are on their RG pathway.
• The host employer and where a range of sites form the training post, the health facility where you are currently practicing.

It is the responsibility of the host employer, your College and RGCU (where applicable) to notify the AST Program of your withdrawal.

Yes, an AST post can be in a hospital, general practice community and/or non-general practice community training setting. The post can be with a single organisation or comprise of a range of health settings across a number of organisations. For example, an AST post could consist of a term in a general practice and a term in an Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS).

To be eligible for funding, the AST Post must be accredited by at least one of the GP Colleges, supported by the relevant state/territory Rural Generalist Coordination Unit (RGCU) and meet the AST Program funding eligibility criteria.
All AST disciplines supported by ACRRM and RACGP curriculums are eligible for funding. This includes non-procedural areas such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, mental health, palliative care, and paediatrics as well as procedural areas such as obstetrics, anaesthetics, surgery and emergency care.

A post is considered new if it:

  • is accredited and never had a trainee from either GP College
  • is accredited and has not received funding for >3 years
  • does not replace or duplicate an existing training post
  • is currently unaccredited though eligible for accreditation with at least one of the GP Colleges and has not received funding for >3 years
  • is a new model for training e.g. a hub and spoke model, or a post across a range of settings, includes multiple sites but does not replace an existing post
  • supports new activity

A new post is not:

  • A training post that has received funding through another organisation for more than 12-months within the last 3 years.
  • A position funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care (DoHAC), applicant organisation or a state and territory government.
  • An existing post already in place that has been modified.

The AST Program supports innovative and flexible approaches to training. If you are uncertain your training post meets the requirement for a ‘new’ training post, we encourage you to contact the AST Program team at astprogram@acrrm.org.au   

Once you have identified a potential new post these are the next steps:

If your post is in a general practice, a non-general practice community setting or a private hospital:

  • Contact a GP College representative/s in your state/territory to explore:
    • Whether the identified post it meets the AST Program post eligibility criteria
    • AST accreditation status of the post
      • If the post is unaccredited complete and submit all necessary accreditation documentation
    • What community need the AST will meet
    • Nomination of the post for consideration for AST Program funding

      If your post is in a public hospital or health service:

  • Contact the Rural Generalist Coordination Unit (RGCU) in your state/territory to explore:
    • Whether the identified post it meets the AST Program post eligibility criteria
    • What community need the advanced skill training will meet
    • Nomination of the post for consideration for AST Program funding
  • The RGCU will liaise with the GP Colleges to determine the AST accreditation status of the post
    • If the post is unaccredited the RGCU will refer you to the GP Colleges to follow their accreditation process.

You nominate your AST post through one or all of the following:

• The Rural Generalist Program Coordination Unit for your state or territory
• ACRRM regional team for your state or territory 
• RACGP Rural Program Manager for your state or territory

An AST post must have the support of the Rural Generalist Program Coordination Unit for your state or territory to be nominated.

Each state is funded for two (2) FTE AST posts per year and the Northern Territory is funded for three (3) per year. 
The RGCU’s, ACRRM and RACCGP will each nominate AST posts and collectively prioritise nominations for the respective state/territory in line with the AST Program guidelines. The list of prioritised posts is then submitted to the AST Program Selection Committee who select the posts and forward to DoHAC for approval.

Yes, you can nominate an AST post that isn’t accredited however, the training post must be accredited with either or both ACRRM and RACGP before the trainee commences and the issue of funding.  

We recommend AST posts are accredited at the time of nomination and where the training post isn’t accredited a plan demonstrating eligibility to meet accreditation and timeframes to submit applications is submitted with the post nomination.

No. Surgery AST may require a minimum of two (2) years to complete and will count as two (2) posts for the purpose of funding and post allocation.  Training in other AST disciplines for >12 months may be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

AST Program funding can be used in flexible and innovative ways to support trainees and training posts to undertake AST in rural locations. Some of the ways the funding can be used are to:

  • Supplement trainee salaries and wages
  • Provide access to training not otherwise available e.g. Courses, workshops, conferences
  • Provide payment to the supervisor for supervision of advanced skills training
  • Support trainee travel relating to AST training
  • Support trainee accommodation relating to AST training

AST Program funding cannot be used for:

  • Trainee salary and wages where Medicare Benefits are claimed or salary support received
  • Supervisor payments where the supervisor is a paid employee or contractor of the:
    • Commonwealth, state/territory government or applicant organisation and/or,
    • where supervision forms part of their paid role
  • Purchase of assets e.g. supplement the purchase of property to accommodate trainees, motor vehicles etc

Training posts are to be in regional, rural and remote (MMM 2 - 7) locations. However, the AST Program may consider support for an AST post in an MMM 1 location to provide training where training is not available in a rural location and where support for the post will fill a service delivery gap in an identified community.

This also applies to training posts that include a rotation from regional, rural and remote locations in an MMM 1 location. 

Up to $150,000 is provided per 1 FTE per annum. You can also apply for partial funding if you do not need or are not eligible to receive the maximum amount. Funding can be used flexibly to support advanced skills training in rural locations. 
A breakdown of how you intend to use the funding is submitted when you nominate the AST post. 

Public hospitals, general practices, non-general practice community health organisations, Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS), Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS), Aged Care Services, Local Health Networks, private hospitals providing public hospital services, private health care organisations/settings.

If you are a registrar or Fellowed RG/GP who has identified an AST post for funding you will need to liaise with your College, either directly or via the specific health care facility, or the National Rural Generalist Program Coordination Unit in regard to nomination.  Individual registrars or Fellowed RGs/GPs are not eligible to apply directly for funding under this program.

Any post funded by another organisation within the last 12 months will need to conclusively demonstrate the funding for the post is not ongoing.

No. The AST Program encourages you to look at innovative and flexible ways the funding can be used to support AST trainees and training posts to train in rural locations. For example, a trainee may need to move to another location to complete all or part of their AST training. Funds can be allocated to support the trainee with accommodation expenses.

Some ways the AST Program funding can be used are to:

  • Supplement trainee salaries and wages
  • Provide access to training not otherwise available eg. Courses, workshops, conferences
  • Provide support to the supervisor
  • Support trainee travel relating to AST training
  • Support trainee accommodation relating to AST training

An AST Post is not able to be paid for the same service twice. So, a post that is fully funded by the Commonwealth, applicant organisation or a state/ territory government will not be eligible to receive AST Program funds. 

However, if an AST Post receives funds to support trainee salaries and wages only the post may be eligible to receive partial funding to support other non-funded aspects of training such as the supervisor and/or access to additional training.  

Advanced Skills Training, which spans hospital and community settings where the hospital or health service is the employer, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

You will be required to pay any funds paid in advance back to the AST Program. The AST Program team will contact you to advise if there are any funds to be returned.