What Is the RACGP Fellowship Support Program (FSP)?
The Fellowship Support Program (FSP) is a RACGP pathway to FRACGP designed for IMGs who are already working in community general practice in Australia and want to progress to Fellowship without entering the formal AGPT training program. It offers a structured, practice-based route to Fellowship for provisionally registered GPs who are building their clinical experience in eligible locations.
Who FSP is for
FSP is aimed at IMGs who:
- Hold at least provisional AHPRA registration and are working as a GP in Australia
- Are practising at an MM2–7 (non-metropolitan) location eligible under 19AB
- Have not yet achieved FRACGP or FACRRM Fellowship
- Want a Fellowship pathway that runs alongside their existing clinical work rather than through a separate training program
It is distinct from AGPT (Australian General Practice Training), which is a competitive entry training program with allocated training positions. FSP is an individualised assessment-based pathway — RACGP assesses your existing clinical experience, identifies gaps, and structures a supervised program to close them.
How FSP works
RACGP assesses each FSP candidate against the RACGP curriculum. The assessment covers clinical competency, communication, professional practice, and population health. Where gaps are identified, the program prescribes specific learning activities, supervised experience requirements, or formative assessments to address them before Fellowship is awarded.
FSP requires:
- An accredited training practice (RACGP-accredited, MM2–7 for 19AB compliance)
- An approved educational supervisor at that practice
- Completion of required learning activities and assessments as set by RACGP
- Ongoing clinical practice at the training site
There is no fixed duration — progression depends on meeting the curriculum benchmarks. Candidates with strong prior training and recent full-scope GP experience typically progress faster.
The 19AB restriction and FSP
Because FSP requires an accredited training practice and that practice must be MM2–7 to comply with 19AB, FSP is not available at metropolitan (MM1) locations as a training program. This is the key location constraint that shapes how IMGs use FSP.
Specifically, the following exemptions do not apply to FSP training sessions at an MM1 practice:
- Replacement exemption
- Spousal exemption (for 19AB training billing purposes)
- Locum exemption
Working at an MM1 practice counts as a 19AB violation for training sessions even if another exemption permits general billing there. FSP training work and after-hours billing operate under different 19AB rules.
The FSP waiting window
There is typically a waiting period between acceptance into FSP and program commencement. This gap can range from weeks to several months depending on RACGP intake timing and practice accreditation processes.
During the waiting window:
- You remain provisionally registered and must maintain a supervisor relationship
- You can work after-hours at a metropolitan practice under the standard 19AB after-hours exemption — this is income-only work; training credit does not accrue since the FSP program has not started
- Your daytime training-counted sessions must still occur at an MM2–7 accredited site once FSP commences
The waiting window is a legitimate earning period that some IMGs use to generate metro after-hours income while their FSP commencement is being finalised.
FSP vs AGPT — key differences
| Feature | FSP | AGPT |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Application to RACGP; assessment-based | Competitive selection, allocated positions |
| Structure | Individualised gap-fill against RACGP curriculum | Fixed 3-year training program |
| Location | MM2–7 accredited training practice | Mix of metro and regional placements |
| Timing | Runs alongside existing GP employment | Full training program commitment |
| Best suited to | IMGs already working in regional GP | Doctors entering structured GP training |
After FSP: FRACGP and full Medicare rights
On completion of FSP and award of FRACGP:
- You can apply for vocationally registered GP status
- MBS item numbers reserved for vocationally registered GPs become accessible (higher rebates for complex consultations)
- The 19AB billing restriction continues — it is based on qualification recognition date, not Fellowship date
- General registration remains in place; FRACGP is a separate credential layered on top
Source: RACGP — Fellowship Support Program