How to apply to be a rural generalist intern

Who can apply

You can apply in your final year of medical school to start an internship the following year.

You must:

• be completing a medical degree from an accredited Australian or New Zealand university
• have provisional registration with the Medical Board of Australia, or plan to get this when you graduate
• meet the Group A or Group B criteria for intern applicants in Queensland.

You also need to:

• plan to do your vocational training in a rural or remote area
• do advanced skills training in one of the disciplines offered by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) or the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

Where you can train

You can do your internship in one of our 13 prevocational training hospitals across Queensland.

• Bundaberg Hospital
• Caboolture Hospital
• Cairns Hospital
• Hervey Bay Hospital
• Ipswich Hospital
• Mackay Base Hospital
• Mount Isa Hospital
• Redcliffe Hospital
• Redland Hospital
• Rockhampton Hospital
• Sunshine Coast University Hospital
• Toowoomba Hospital
• Townsville University Hospital

When you apply, you need to list these hospitals in the order you prefer.

If you get an offer to join the pathway, you can change or confirm your choices as part of our preferencing process.

We try to offer all applicants a placement in their preferred location, but it's not always possible.

For more information about each site, download our training hospital guide [PDF 836.27 KB] or read more about confirming your preferences.

What to prepare

You need to prepare and upload the following information when you apply.

Why you want to join

Tell us in 800 words or less why you want to join the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway. Your response is part of our selection process.

Your CV (curriculum vitae)

You need to submit a signed copy of your CV that includes a statement confirming the content is true and correct. You can use our Medical practitioner CV template [DOC 319.5 KB] or your own template.

Proof of your identity

If you’re an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you can give us one of the following:

• your passport
• proof of your citizenship
• your birth certificate and Australian driver licence
• your birth certificate and Australian Photo identification card or Adult Proof of Age Card

If you’re not a citizen, we’ll need all of the following:

• your passport
• your Australian permanent visa (this shows you’re an Australian permanent resident)
• a copy of your Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) Entitlements Check Form.

We might ask for more documents during the recruitment process.

Criminal history check

You need to agree to a criminal history check to apply. Fill in the criminal history check consent form [PDF 235.33 KB] and upload it with your application.

Read more about criminal history checks on the Queensland Government website.

Proof of your vaccines

To start as an intern, we need proof you've had vaccinations for:

• measles, mumps and rubella
• whooping cough (pertussis)
• chicken pox (varicella)
• hepatitis B.

Ask your GP to fill in a vaccine preventable disease certification form [PDF 83 KB]. If you don’t have this, fill in a vaccine preventable diseases evidence form [PDF 103 KB].

You'll need to combine your vaccine documents and upload them as a single file.

Learn more about getting proof of your vaccinations on the Australian Digital Health Agency website

Referee details

We'll need contact details for 2 professional referees.

We may contact them during the recruitment process, and they may need to fill in an online report.

They’ll need to tell us about your:

• clinical skills and knowledge
• professional and ethical conduct
• people skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, teaching and learning.

You should ask your referees for their support before you apply.

Exchange of information and evaluation consent form

Fill in our Exchange of information and evaluation consent form and submit this with your application.

Reduced hours and starting midyear

Our application form includes a question about when you can start work. If you can't start your internship in January (term 1), you’ll need to tell us when you apply.

Interns work full time hours. If you want to do reduced hours, send an email to rural_generalist@health.qld.gov.au.

You also need approval from our training hospitals [PDF 836.27 KB] to start midyear or do reduced hours. Contact them before you apply to find out if they’ll approve your request.

Applying for special entry

You may be able to apply for special entry to the pathway. You'll need to give us more information when you apply.

You can only apply for one of the following special entry options.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander interns

We offer a special program of entry to your preferred training hospital.

Read more about our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander intern initiative.

Special consideration

You might not be able to intern at your preferred hospital if there aren't enough places. If this would cause you hardship, you can apply for special consideration.

Examples include:

• personal or financial hardship
• major health problems
• being apart from your partner or children.

Read more about special consideration.

Joint ticket

If you and your partner want to start your internship together, you can apply for a joint ticket. You need to meet certain criteria.

Read more about applying for a joint ticket.

Submitting your application

You can apply online when recruitment opens. Make sure we have all the information we need to review your application.

We’ll let you know the outcome and invite you to an interview if you’re successful.

Learn more about the recruitment process.