The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has announced a record-breaking 1,772 doctors will begin specialist GP training in 2026 through the Commonwealth-funded Australian General Practice Training (AGPT) Program. This represents a nearly 19% increase on the previous record set in 2025, signalling a significant shift in the pipeline of future GPs entering the Australian workforce.

Record Numbers, Strong Rural Focus

Of the 1,772 new trainees, 841 have chosen the rural training pathway — meaning they will spend the full three years of their training in regional, rural, or remote communities. That figure represents a remarkable 44.2% increase on 2025, driven by a 125% rise in interest in rural training since 2024. This is not accidental: the RACGP deliberately expanded rural training places and worked with state and federal governments to improve access to rural training incentives.

A further 770 doctors have chosen the general pathway, which requires at least 12 months in outer metropolitan, rural, or Aboriginal health services. An additional 161 doctors on the composite pathway will serve at least six months in areas of greatest need, including the Northern Territory, North West Queensland, and Western NSW. On top of this, 293 trainees (16.5% of the cohort) will qualify as Rural Generalists, gaining an extra year of skills in emergency medicine and hospital care.

A Historic Funding Agreement

The training expansion is underpinned by a landmark $751.3 million five-year AGPT Grant agreement between the RACGP and the Federal Government — the largest and longest ever awarded to a medical college in Australia. The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) received a separate $331.7 million to deliver its portion of the program. Announced alongside Federal Health Minister Mark Butler, the 2026–2030 agreement provides the colleges with long-term funding certainty to plan and grow the GP workforce.

Key incentives available to GP trainees include a $30,000 annual salary top-up when transitioning into community practice, paid parental leave of up to 20 weeks, and five days of paid study leave per year. These measures are designed to close the salary gap between GP registrars and their hospital-based counterparts, which has historically been a major disincentive for choosing general practice.

What This Means for GP Recruitment

For practices and recruiters, this record intake represents a genuine opportunity. Nearly half of all current trainees are spending their entire training period in non-metropolitan areas, which significantly increases the likelihood they will remain in those communities long-term. The RACGP reports that first preferences for rural training regions have increased by 45% this year alone.

However, RACGP President Dr Michael Wright cautioned that more growth remains necessary. “It takes 10 years to train a GP,” he noted. “Workforce planning must align with this cycle to reduce reliance on overseas-trained doctors.” With a further 1,110 eligible applicants unable to secure a place this year, there is clear demand from junior doctors — the challenge now is ensuring the training infrastructure, supervisor capacity, and funding keep pace.

Training Quality on the Rise

The Medical Board of Australia’s 2025 Medical Training Survey shows that 85% of RACGP trainees would recommend their current training position, 89% rated their clinical supervision as good or excellent, and 86% would recommend their workplace as a place to train. These figures suggest that the expansion in numbers is not coming at the expense of training quality.

This article draws on reporting from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). Read the original media release here: RACGP to train record number of specialist GPs in 2026, and the NewsGP article here: RACGP secures landmark AGPT agreement.