More Doctors for Rural Australia

The More Doctors for Rural Australia Program (MDRAP) is for the first step for many doctors to joining a college fellowship pathway while gaining experience in the field.

MDRAP is transitioning to the Pre-Fellowship Program on 1 April 2024.

For further information, please email the Health Workforce Coordinator at fellowshipsupport@ntphn.org.au

What is MDRAP?

The More Doctors for Rural Australia Program (MDRAP) supports non-vocationally recognised (non-VR) doctors to gain valuable general practice experience in rural and remote communities before they go on to do a college fellowship. Junior doctors and locums who are providing services in rural and remote communities are also eligible for the program.

Successful participants will have an individually tailored learning plan and be eligible for funding through the program’s support package, which will give participants access to learning and development activities. The support package will also provide funding to the health service or practice to support the supervision of the program’s participants during their placement.

What are the requirements?


Participants of the program are required to:

  • provide evidence of at least one application to a college-led pathway during their placement

  • undertake ongoing general practice learning and development activities

  • participate in general practice training modules at Royal Australian College of General Practitioners or the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine within 6 months of commencing the program

  • complete regular supervision reports with their supervisor.

Who is eligible?

The program is open to doctors who are Australian citizens, permanent residents, or temporary residents who fall into the following categories:
• doctors with prior general practice experience
• doctors without prior general practice experience
• doctors providing locum services (dependant on prior general practice experience)
• junior doctors in Postgraduate Year (PGY) 3-5 gaining exposure to general practice.

What is needed for eligibility?
To participate in the program, doctors need:
• current registration with the Medical Board of Australia
• an offer of employment and necessary skills and experience to perform the role
• evidence of appropriate support in place to meet supervision requirements if applicable.

Who is not eligible?
Doctors who have previously participated in a college-led general practice training program (eg the Australian General Practice Training Program, the Independent Pathway offered by ACRRM, the Remote Vocational Training Scheme or the RACGP’s Practice Experience Program) and have not attained fellowship may not be eligible.

For more information, read the program’s guidelines.

Financial support

MDRAP participants will receive up to $13,600 during their placement to support their learning and development activities. This funding will also cover the requirement to complete 6-month general practice training modules.

Information for health services

Health services that support and supervise MDRAP participants during their placement can receive up to $30,000 per year.

The program is an opportunity for health services and practices to recruit non-VR doctors and provide them with valuable general practice experience. It also supports non-accredited practices to achieve accreditation and offers supervisor training to eligible doctors.

If you’re a health service interested in the program and need help recruiting non-VR doctors, Rural Workforce Agency (RWA NT) can assist with the recruitment of doctors.

How to apply

To apply, please contact us by completing the form below.

Contact Us

For more information or support, please contact us.