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 working at an MM 2–7 (non-metropolitan) location — FSP is a rural training program
- 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:
- A training site accredited to train AGPT or FSP registrars, in an MM 2–7 location
- 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 location rule and 19AB
The RACGP ↗ sets the location rule, not 19AB: "As FSP is a rural training program, you're required to work in MM 2-7 locations." In rare circumstances an MM 1 placement may be considered through the RACGP's Extenuating and Unforeseen Circumstances (EUC) process, which you apply for with your program application. The training site must be accredited to train AGPT or FSP registrars.
19AB works alongside it. The Department of Health ↗ says approved general practice workforce and training programs each have their own location requirements, and that 19AB exemptions cannot be used to access a program at a location that does not meet them. So an exemption that lets you bill Medicare at an MM 1 practice (spousal, replacement, a locum exemption) does not make that practice an FSP training location. FSP training work and after-hours billing operate under different 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 runs from your first medical registration in Australia, not from Fellowship
- General registration remains in place; FRACGP is a separate credential layered on top