ACRRM Independent Pathway - People Medical Consulting

This is a FAQ BLOG and you can refer to our Pathways to GP Fellowship in Australia blog here.

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Date Updated: 2026-06-02

Not sure what 3GA Program to join? Here’s a little bit about the ACRRM Independent Pathway (IP)!

What is the Independent Pathway?

ACRRM IP is an accredited General Practitioner (GP) training and education program that helps GPs achieve Fellowship with ACRRM (FACRRM) and Specialist Registration. The 4-year self-funded program is designed to equip GPs with the clinical knowledge and skills to practice rurally through the Core Generalist Training and Advanced Specialist Training.

Am I eligible?

To be eligible for ACRRM IP you must:

Hold an Australian/NZ citizenship, or a Permanent Residency status, or a Temporary Residency status (skilled migration or business visas – student visa is not permitted)
Hold General Registration, Provisional Registration, Limited Registration, or Specialist Registration with the Medical Board of Australia

You will be required work in a rural area (MM 2 – 7) with at least 12 months in MM 4-7, whilst also meeting your 19AB requirements.

What are the costs?

There are fees in this program, so you need to be prepared to cover these costs if you plan to join.

Program fees:

Application Fee: $190
Selection Fee: $500
Enrolment Fee: $495
Education Program Fee: $24,950
ACRRM Membership Fee: $450 annually
Training Support: $2,570 annually

Other associated fees:

Recognition of prior learning: $745
Assessment fees:
- Case Based Discussion (CBD): $2,305
- Multiple Choice Question (MCQ): $1,945
- Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS): $3,970
- Projects: $3,590

How can I apply?

Applications are open various times in the year and are listed in the key dates calendar on their website.

The application has the following stages:

Online application
- Complete your application by placing your personal details, mandatory supporting documents, referee details, and training region preferences.

Suitability Assessment
- Submit 5 essay-style paragraphs about how your interests and experience relate to the ACRRM selection criteria.

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)
- MMIs are a series of 6 short interviews. You only have 2 minutes to read a scenario and 8 minutes to answer, so be prepared by understanding the selection criteria and relating your experiences to each standard.

How do I achieve Fellowship with ACRRM?

If you have gone through the application process, then you will be onboarded with the program. You will then need to complete the following training, education, and assessment requirements:

Training Requirements

You will need to finish 3 years of Core Generalist Training (CGT), and at least 12 months (2 years for surgery) of your chosen Advanced Specialised Training (AST).

CGT enables you to have general skills and knowledge in primary, secondary and emergency care in a rural and remote context. This includes:

12 months in primary care
3 months in emergency care
3 months in secondary care
12 months in rural or remote practice (MM 4-7)
Clinical experience and demonstrated skills in key areas like Anaesthetics, Paediatrics, & Obstetrics

AST aims to refine your skills and knowledge specifically to one discipline and you will work in a rural area that needs the chosen discipline. The 12 disciplines are:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
Academic Practice
Adult Internal Medicine
Anaesthetics
Emergency Medicine
Mental Health
Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Paediatrics
Palliative Care
Population Health
Remote Medicine
Surgery (24 months)

Education Requirements

Throughout the 4-year program, you will need to accomplish the following education requirements:

Primary care orientation
A series of online modules
Face to face and virtual workshops
Cultural education with Joint Colleges Training Services (JCTS).
ACRRM Fellowship Education Program (AFEP):
- Sem A & B: 5x online modules, online MCQs, 3-day virtual workshop, & 2-day face-to-face workshop each semester
- Sem C: 5x online modules & online MCQs
- Sem D: 5x online modules & online MCQs
Emergency Medicine Courses:
- Rural Emergency Skills Training (REST)
- Advanced Life Support 2 (ALS 2)

Assessment Requirements

ACRRM has fellowship exams which are both clinic based and theoretical. Generally, assessments are offered twice each year although there are exceptions to this. The exams that you will undertake are:

Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (miniCEX)
- A workplace based assessment used to evaluate your direct contact with patients.

Multiple-Source Feedback (MSF)
- A well recognised, valid, and reliable method of assessing interpersonal and professional behaviour, development, and clinical skills.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
- A standardised assessment used to test your core generalist applied knowledge, recall and reasoning across all areas of rural and remote practice.

Case Based Discussion (CBD)
- An assessment of clinical reasoning and knowledge application using case notes from your own clinical context.

Structured Assessment using Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS)
- A standardised viva assessment especially designed to assess rural and remote practice.

You’ll also need to submit logbooks, projects, and supervisor reports. Once you have successfully completed the program and the necessary requirements, you will be able to achieve Fellowship with ACRRM.

Interested? Apply for the ACRRM Independent Pathway here.

We Can Help You

Here at People Medical Consulting, we have a passion for guiding medical practitioners through their career pathways to Australia. We have extensive experience in assisting medical facilities in recruiting doctors from local and overseas who will best suit their requirements.

We provide Document Assistance for those requiring support for their PESCI with IME, ACRRM or RACGP, registration and all other mandatory AHPRA requirements, fellowship program related forms and letters, application for Medicare provider and prescriber numbers, application for 19AB or 19AA exemptions and preparation of employment documents.

If you want to talk to someone about your pathway or practice management—book a consultation with us below, or if you need Recruitment or Document Assistance, contact us at help@peoplemedical.com.au or click the buttons below. We’d be glad to help you!

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