Am I eligible to apply for a placement under the Special Approved Placement Program (SAPP) ?

Here at People Medical Consulting we like spreading what we know and giving you a clear pathway to your career. We’re answering a different question each week based on queries raised via our Facebook & Instagram profiles.

THIS WEEK’S QUESTION…?

Am I eligible to apply for a placement on SAPP?

As you know, A GP who is a PR or citizen who is a NON VR (has not completed fellowship) is restricted by 19AA, requiring you to be on a 3GA program before you can access Medicare. There are 6 of these programs, primarily requiring you to work in a regional area or in the afterhours.

We have received a lot of questions about an exemption from 19AA- there is only one option for an exemption program which is ‘SAPP’.

Recently, The Department of Health made a few changes to the process and requirements of Special Approved Placement Program (SAPP) applications. You can read more about those changes here.

One of the key changes includes defining ‘Categories’ of eligibility to apply for a placement on the program. There are now 6 categories that you must fall under to be eligible. We’ve provided a summary of the eligibility criteria for each one below:

Category A – Participants who demonstrate exceptional circumstances

To qualify for this category participants must have:

a life-threatening illness;
an illness that could become life-threatening if not treated appropriately; or
a chronic illness or disabling condition that if not treated appropriately will prevent the person from performing their normal occupation.

NOTE: Health has an independent Medical Assessor assess the medical case

How Long On The Program: Up to 5 years

Category B – Participants who were removed from another full-time program

To qualify for this category participants must have:

Passed some of the FRACGP or FACRRM assessment components prior to removal from an alternate full-time general practice program;

And

Applied for a SAPP placement for the express purpose of completing remaining assessments and specialising as a GP.

How Long On The Program: Up to 2 years.

Category C – Participants who were removed from the RLRP 2 Year Program

To qualify for this category participants must have:

have completed the RLRP 2-year program that is provided in some jurisdictions to assist doctors with applying for formal general practice training;
have been unsuccessful in obtaining a general practice training position before completing the two-year period offered by the Rural Workforce Agency;
indicate that they intend to re-apply to join the AGPT, RVTS or ACRRM Independent Training Pathway;

And

are being mentored by a VR GP.

How Long On The Program: Up to 2 years.

Category D – Australian trained doctors seeking vocational experience

To qualify for this category this category doctors must have:

obtained their primary Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at a medical school located in Australia or New Zealand;
hold general registration with the MBA;
obtain employment in an accredited full-time general practice under the supervision of a VR GP;

And

nominate that they are seeking vocational experience to meet the minimum requirements for joining the AGPT, RVTS, ACRRM Independent Pathway or the RLRP.

How Long On The Program: Up to 2 years.

Category E – OTDs with limited registration

To qualify for this category this category doctors must have:

registered to practice medicine under either a limited category because they have not completed both parts of the AMC Exams;
compelled by the operation of s19AA to participate on a general practice workforce or training program to qualify for MBS access;

And

ineligible for participating on alternate general practice programs because of the restrictions of their registration with the MBA.

How Long On The Program: Up to 2 years.

Category F – Emergency Respondents

To qualify for this category this category doctors must have:

general medical registration with the MBA;

And

been employed on a time-limited basis in response to a pandemic, national emergency, or local disaster.

How Long On The Program: Up to 6 months

Information for this blog has been taken directly from The Special Approved Placement Program Assessment Framework

As always, if you need help understanding whether your specific circumstances qualify for the SAPP then please comment or contact our team!

People Medical Consulting are a team of professionals with a passion for guiding those specialising in the Medical industry to find their career pathway and settle into Australia. Working with both Australian trained and Overseas trained professionals, we have extensive experience in Recruitment of General Practitioners, Migration for all with a special emphasis on Medical and Document Assistance for those requiring support with RACGP, AHPRA, 19AA and 19AB Medicare Exemptions.