Medical Education Officer Kirsteen Knevitt from YNLHN
Rural Generalists of SA
June 2025 – Kirsteen Knevitt, Medical Education Officer at YNLHN
This month, we take a slightly different angle and present Kirsteen Knevitt from YNLHN. Kirsteen tells us about her role in the Medical Education Unit and supporting doctors in training.
Past Profiles
Medical student Lauren Whitington attending Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors’ Congress (PRIDoC 2024) in Adelaide.
Conference Sponsorship awarded to rural medical student
As part of our commitment to ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rural medical students and trainees are nurtured and grown, the Rural Generalist Program South Australia (RGPSA) was proud to support a medical student Lauren Whitington from regional South Australia to attend the Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors’ Congress (PRIDoC 2024) in Adelaide.
RGPSA News and Stories
News
‘What is SEM?’ Webinar – learn about the single employer model
On 19 June 2024, the RGPSA hosted a webinar event for trainee doctors to learn about the single employer model.
The Single Employer Model (SEM) is a Commonwealth initiative that enables rural generalist and general practice trainees to be employed by a single employer (in this case, SA Health) for up to four years while they complete their vocational training.
The event features a presentation from the Rural Support Service, detailing how the model will be trialled across the state and Q&A session.
‘What is SEM’ Information webinar for trainees – video recording
Single Employer Model (SEM) Information webinar PowerPoint presentation slides – June 2024
Drs Abby Moore, Jessica Martyn, Lloyd Weir and Harry Gaffney with Kylee Nuss, TMO Manager, Rural Support Service
Australian Medical Students Association Conference 2023
The Rural Generalist Program South Australia gave the Plenary session at the Australian Medical Students Association (AMSA) Careers Conference 2023 in Adelaide on 29th March 2023. Kylee Nuss, Manager of the Trainee Medical Officer Unit, Rural Support Service, SA Health introduced the RGPSA and guest speakers Dr Harry Gaffney, Dr Abby Moore, Dr Jessica Martyn and Dr Lloyd Weir speaking about their experiences training in rural South Australia.
AMSA Plenary Session Video – RGPSA
Dr Hamish Eske
Working towards recognition of rural generalist medicine
Dr Michael Beckoff
ACRRM representative on the National Rural Generalist Recognition Taskforce
MBBS, FACRRM, FAICD, Assoc. Dipl. Agric (Dist)
The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) have been working together with the Office of the Rural Health Commissioner since November 2019 to form the National Rural Generalist Recognition Taskforce. The Taskforce is seeking to facilitate recognition of Rural Generalism as a specialist field within general practice.
This recognition is vital to ensure the success of the Rural Generalist Training Pathway programs in each state and territory. Skilled and well-trained Rural Generalists provide valued services to rural and remote communities and with the expansion and success of this program, comes positive health outcomes and a much needed stable workforce.
I am pleased to advise that the second and final stage assessment of the joint application to the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) by ACRRM and the RACGP for Rural Generalist specialist recognition has been completed. It has found that the case had been established for recognition of Rural Generalist Medicine (RGM) as a new field of specialty practice.
Over the past few months, the Australian Medical Council (AMC) Review Panel, tasked by the MBA with responsibility for assessment of the joint application for Rural Generalist Recognition, have finalised their assessment report which supported the application as demonstrating a case for recognition.
The next step is for the MBA to assess the report provided by the AMC, along with the advice that the proposal demonstrates there is a case for RGM to be recognised as a new field of specialty practice.
The MBA will ideally recommend recognition of RGM to the Ministerial Council. It is hoped that the Health Ministers will convene and provide an outcome in the first half of 2025. In which case, Rural Generalism will finally be recognised as a new specialist field and be incorporated into the national law and included on the national register of specialties. Henceforth, doctors with an approved Fellowship qualification in RGM will be able to apply for specialist registration in the new field.
Latest Update from the Rural Generalist Recognition Taskforce: Progress Update February 2025
Links for more information:
RACGP: Rural Generalist Recognition
Left to right: Dr Monowar Hossain, Dr Jessica Farrar, & Stewart Woods
Notices
Call for Applications
Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) program second intake
The AGPT program offers fully Commonwealth-funded Fellowship training in the speciality of general practice
AGPT through Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) program now open
AGPT through Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP) program now open
Rural Procedural Consolidation Term Grants – call for applications
The Rural Generalist Program South Australia (RGPSA) invites applications for Rural Procedural Consolidation Term Grants to support Rural Generalist registrars or Fellowed GPs towards the consolidation of new skills development or require upskilling in an existing skill after significant time away from advanced skills practice.