RACGP-ACRRM analysis shows the top unis for aspiring GPs

A new analysis has revealed for the first time which universities are performing best to meet to meet Australia’s need for specialist GPs in metropolitan and rural, and remote communities. 

The University of Origin analysis, available online, reflects a university’s performance in producing graduates who go on to train as specialist GPs and Rural Generalists (RGs) in the Commonwealth-funded Australian GP Training (AGPT) Program, relative to the size of the student cohort. 

It combines data from the Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and is the first such analysis by any specialist medical college. 

The University of Origin report will inform future research, policymaking, and potentially targeted interventions to strengthen GP training. It found: 

• the overall top three universities, by percentage of cohort who enrolled in GP training in 2025, are: James Cook University (JCU) – 52%, the University of Notre Dame Australia Fremantle (UNDA Fremantle) – 50.5%, and the University of Wollongong (UoW) – 45.6% 

• the top universities for metropolitan GP training were Bond University, UNDA Fremantle, and UNDA Sydney  

• JCU also led for regional, rural, and remote GP training, followed by the University of Tasmania and UoW 

• the top universities by absolute numbers were Monash University – 115, the University of Queensland (UQ) – 107, and JCU – 90. 

Almost one in three eligible medical students entered specialist GP training, around double the 14.4–18.8% of final year medical students who named GP or RG training as their first preference in surveys. 

The University of Origin analysis also found 80% of the GP cohort commences specialist training within five years of graduation, allowing doctors who train as GPs to commence specialist practice sooner than most of their peers. 

Comments attributable to RACGP President Dr Michael Wright  

“GPs are Australia’s most accessible medical professionals, with 99% of people reporting they could see a GP when they need to. But patients need more support and are spending longer with their GP to manage complex health issues.  

“The RACGP’s Health of the Nation report found 86% of GPs support patients to manage issues non-GP specialists would typically treat, usually because of limited access to other specialists or the cost barrier of this care for our patients. 

“We need more GPs to meet this growing need for care. The wide range of results between universities shows students’ experiences at university have a significant impact on their career choice.  

“The fact that four in five doctors who become specialist GPs start training within five years of graduating shows general practice allows you to rapidly progress from hospital training to independent practice. Medical graduates can spend a decade on hospital rotations before they are accepted into specialist training. Specialist GPs go from campus to clinic faster than our peers.  

“The University of Origin rankings reflect which universities are meeting our growing need for specialist GPs who can provide efficient, person-centred care that keeps people out of hospital. It should inform both further research and policies that fund and shape education to create the medical workforce Australia needs.”  

Comments attributable to ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin 

“We know doctors who train in rural settings are far more likely to build their careers in rural communities, and this analysis highlights that universities and rural clinical schools with good rural exposure are the fertile ground from with our next crop of ACRRM Rural Generalists start growing.  

“The findings are particularly important following the Australian Government’s announcement of 50 additional Commonwealth supported university medical places this week.