The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP)

The College’s General Practice Education Programme (GPEP) is a three-year specialist training programme for doctors to achieve vocational registration in general practice. The programme consists of 36 months (full-time or equivalent) of clinical work, which includes a minimum of 18 months spent in general practice. There are part-time options available.

The programme focuses on the competencies (the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes) required of a general practitioner working in primary care in New Zealand.

It is organised under the following six domains:

• Communication
• Clinical Expertise
• Professionalism
• Scholarship
• Context of General Practice
• Management

The emphasis is on health promotion and prevention or the earliest possible intervention. The programme is designed to provide opportunities for learners to apply what they learn in practice and recognises the cultural and ethnic diversity of general practice registrars and their patient populations. The programme is delivered through a range of diverse learning experiences that supports both guided and independent, self-directed learning.

The structure of the programme is as follows:

Year 1:

Year 1 of the programme is typically completed over 12 months and consists of a range of formative activities such as seminars, video reviews, in-practice and community visits, after hours sessions, teaching time and video reviews. Clinical experience is completed at two six-month practice placements or in one practice over the 12-month period. Clinical and written examinations are generally completed (subject to completion of prescribed programme requirements) at the end of Year 1.

Year 2 and 3:

Years 2 and 3 of the programme are typically completed over 24 months. During this time, Registrars  are required to find a practice to work at and must work a minimum of 16 clinical hours a week. Registrars are also required to develop and maintain a mentoring relationship with a Fellow of the College throughout years 2 and 3.  During the second and third years, an academic component (equivalent to a 15-credit university paper) relevant to the programme must be completed. In addition, a range of formative activities must be completed. This may include: clinical audits, professional development plan, in-practice visit, learning groups, mentoring relationship and colleague feedback.

Fellowship Assessment:

Registrars seeking Fellowship of the College normally complete GPEP and then complete the Fellowship Assessment. Completion of all year 1-3 prescribed formative and clinical experience requirements, a pass in the written and clinical examinations and the academic component are required prior to being considered for a Fellowship assessment. Successful Registrars will be awarded Fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (FRNZCGP).

The College’s Rural Hospital Medicine programme is a four-year training programme for doctors who wish to specialise in rural hospital medicine. The programme consists of 48 months full-time clinical experience, which comprises of a range of compulsory, recommended and elective runs within a variety of roles and settings. There are part-time options available.

The programme focuses on the competencies (the skills, knowledge, values and attitudes) required of a rural hospital doctor working in New Zealand.

It is organised under the following six domains:

• Rural hospital context
• Communication
• Clinical Expertise
• Professionalism
• Scholarship
• Leadership and Management

Rural Hospital Medicine is characterised by independence in decision-making and responsiveness to community needs. The emphasis on the programme is to equip a rural hospital doctor with the skills necessary to deal, at least initially, with any presenting medical problem.

They will undertake shared care arrangements with urban-based specialists, involving the identification of serious illness at an early stage, arrange transfers, manage complex care; and are involved in community health initiatives.

The programme is designed around primarily experiential and problem-based learning. Learners are expected to bring a high level of self-review, reflection and critical analysis of current practice to their experiences in the programme. The programme is intentionally flexible, since doctors come to it from different backgrounds, with many bringing a wealth of experience.

The programme is delivered through a range of diverse learning experiences that supports both guided and independent, self-directed learning.

Fellowship Assessment:

Registrars seeking Fellowship of the College normally complete the Rural Hospital Medicine programme and then complete the Fellowship Assessment. Completion of all prescribed academic components and clinical experience requirements, a pass in the Twelve Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (MiniCEX) examinations, rotational supervisor reports and Structured Assessment using Multi-Patient Scenarios (StAMPS) assessment are required prior to being considered for a Fellowship assessment. Successful Registrars will be awarded Fellowship of the Division of Rural Hospital Medicine of New Zealand (FDRHMNZ).

Minimum requirements for admission to GPEP.

Applicants must:

• Hold registration with the MCNZ allowing work in general practice in the general scope of practice without limitations or conditions.
• Have completed a minimum of two years of postgraduate experience in a range of medical positions relevant to general practice in New Zealand, including:
  • a total of eight rotating hospital runs, with at least six being from the College’s preferred list;
  • one year of hospital or relevant community-based attachments (runs) completed in New Zealand.
• Qualify to be an Associate Member of the College, as per the College Rules in force at the time the application is submitted.
• Provide a Certificate of Professional Status (COPS) from the MCNZ which is dated no more than 3 months prior to the programme entry date and indicates that the doctor is in good professional standing.

Minimum requirements for admission to the Rural Hospital Medicine programme. Applicants must:

• Hold registration with the MCNZ allowing work in rural hospital medicine in the general scope of practice without limitations or conditions.
• Have completed a primary medical qualification.
• Have completed a minimum of two years full-time equivalent appropriate medical experience in at least six of the following areas:
  • Cardiology, Dermatology, Ear, Nose and Throat, Emergency medicine, General medicine, General practice, General surgery, Geriatrics, Musculoskeletal, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Opthalmology, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Palliative care, Psychiatry, Rehabilitation, Respiratory medicine, Rheumatology, Rural hospital, Rural general practice
• At least one year of experience, after the primary medical degree, obtained in the New Zealand context
• Provide a Certificate of Professional Status (COPS) from the MCNZ which is dated no more than 3 months prior to the programme entry date and indicates that the doctor is in good professional standing.

Indigenous Entry Pathways Description

Not applicable.

Key Dates

Applications: (GPEP information only)

Online applications for the GPEP are open from February – April each year.  An application fee applies.

Examinations: The written and clinical examinations are held in November and December every year.

Online registrations are open from July – September.

Examination fees apply.

Placement Requirements

All clinical time during the GPEP programme is expected to be undertaken in a New Zealand practice.

Year 1 requirements: The first year comprises two 26-week attachments to a College approved teaching practice and approved teacher. Four days a week are usually spent in the practice with one day attending seminars and workshops.

Year 2 and 3 requirements: During Years 2 and 3, 24 or 26 months (full-time) is required to be completed in a College approved teaching practice.

Written and clinical examinations may be undertaken at the end of year 1 of the programme. Candidates are eligible to sit the examinations when they have completed a minimum of 80% of the GPEP Year 1 programme requirements, which includes a range of formative activities.

Written examinations: are held in 10 regional centres throughout New Zealand on a fixed date in December every year. They are a multi choice format, consisting of two papers (one in the morning and the other in the afternoon) lasting for three hours each

Clinical examinations: are held in Wellington in November over six days every year. They consist of approximately 10 case studies and follow the Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessment method.

A pass in the written and clinical examination is required to be eligible for a Fellowship assessment.

Fellowship Assessment:

Registrars are eligible for Fellowship assessment when they have completed all prescribed programme requirements and have passed the written and clinical examinations and academic component.

This consists of a visit to the Registrar’s practice by a trained Fellowship Assessor, who is a senior Fellow of the College. The Fellowship Assessor examines the practice, records and consultation skills and assess against a set of quality standards. The visit takes approximately four to five hours. A written report of the visit is then completed and considered by the College to award Fellowship.

For a detailed list of all programme and assessment requirements, please refer to the ‘Fellowship Pathway Regulations’ published on the College website.

There are a range of funding options available for candidates as follows:

Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ):

Funding is available for Year 1 of the programme (eligibility criteria applies). Candidates will be employed by the College in their first year of training and the College funds both training and employment.

A mix of practice funding and HWNZ:

The practice employs the Registrar and the College funds their training for Year 1 of the programme.

Self-funding:

The practice funds the employment of the Registrar and the Registrar funds their training for the entire programme.

A comprehensive list of all training fees is available on the College website.

Indigenous Mentoring Programs, networks, support programs etc

Pou Whirinaki – Māori clinical and pastoral support

Pou Whirinaki provides clinical and pastoral support to all the Māori GP registrars in our specialist training programme, the General Practice Education Programme.

Email details: pou.whirinaki@rnzcgp.org.nz

Te Akoranga a Māui – Māori collegial support

The College has a Māori representative group known as Te Akoranga a Māui. Te Akoranga a Māui is made up of College members who self-identity as Māori and have Māori whakapapa.

With more than 150 members, Te Akoranga a Māui is proud to be the first indigenous representative group established in any Australian or New Zealand medical college. Membership is optional.

Member contact is via email: teakoranga@rnzcgp.org.nz