Have your say. Should rural generalist medicine be recognised as a new field of specialty practice?

17 Oct 2023

The Medical Board of Australia is consulting on a joint application from the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) seeking recognition of Rural Generalist Medicine as a new field of specialty practice within the current specialty of General Practice.

We’re inviting feedback on the application in a consultation which is open until 12 December 2023.

The currently approved List of specialties, fields of specialty practice and related specialist titles in medicine is published.

Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, as in force in each state and territory, the Medical Board may recommend, after consultation and advice, to Health Ministers whether to approve any new specialties and associated protected titles for the profession.

Specialist recognition means that medical practitioners with approved specialist qualifications can be granted specialist registration in a recognised specialty or field of specialty practice and use associated protected titles.

Specialist registration assures the public that a doctor has the qualifications to provide a particular type of specialist medical care and facilitates their access to appropriately qualified medical practitioners.

For a new specialty or field of specialty practice to be recognised, the applicant organisation/s must demonstrate that there is a public benefit and that existing arrangements are unsatisfactory.

The Medical Board is inviting feedback from medical practitioners, the public and other stakeholders on the proposal by the ACRRM and the RACGP to recognise Rural Generalist Medicine as a new field of specialty practice.

The Medical Board’s recommendation to Health Ministers will be informed by consultation feedback and advice from the Australian Medical Council, which is the Board’s accreditation authority.

You can access the consultation paper on the Board’s current consultations page.

More information:

• Read the Medical Board’s and the Australian Medical Council’s Guidelines for the Recognition of Medical Specialties and Fields of Specialty Practice under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law