on this page
As an intern, registrar or a trainee, you can get a Medicare provider number. You can’t access full Medicare benefits until you meet the general practitioner (GP) and specialist eligibility requirements. Until then you’ll have limited access to Medicare benefits.
Interns
Medical graduates must finish an internship before registering with the Medical Board of Australia. Your internship is a transition from medical school to independent practice and specialty training.
You can apply for a provider number when you have provisional registration with the Medical Board of Australia. You’ll be applying as a medical practitioner. Read more about applying for a provider number.
Registrars
After your internship you’re a resident in a public hospital for 1 or 2 years. During this time you’ll need a medical practitioner provider number. The hospital will claim benefits from us and pay you a wage. Read more about applying for a provider number.
When you’ve finished your residency, you can apply to a recognised medical specialty training program as a trainee. This is how you become a fellow of a recognised medical specialty college.
Trainees
Trainees are also called non-vocationally recognised medical practitioners (non-VR MPs). As a trainee, you’ll need a medical practitioner provider number for each location you work from. Your access to Medicare benefits will depend on your program. Read more about applying for a provider number.
Individual colleges run specialist training programs and exams. These training programs can be 3 to 7 years of full time work depending on your specialisation.
There are 3 types of training programs:
- medical training programs for GPs - these are changing from 1 January 2019
- workforce training programs - these will change on 1 January 2019
- other medical practitioner programs.
Medical training and workforce training program
From 1 January 2019, medical training for GPs will be available through the:
- Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine
- Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.
A new workforce training program will begin from 1 January 2019. This program will let trainees access Medicare benefits while working in approved locations.
On the Department of Health and Aged Care website you can read more about:
- Stronger Rural Health Strategy - Streamlining General Practice Training
- training - Improved access to Australian trained general practitioners and quality care.
Other programs for medical trainees
The Other Medical Practitioners (OMPs) programs allow non-VR MPs to access higher Medicare rebates for providing services in approved locations.
You can enrol in the Temporary Resident OMPs (TROMPs) program through Health and Aged Care. Read more about the TROMPs program on the Health and Aged Care website.
Applications to other OMPs programs will close on 31 December 2018. If you’re part of an OMPs program before 1 January 2019, you’ll get information from Health and Aged Care about how you can stay on the program.
Read more about OMPs programs on the Health and Aged Care website.
More information
Read about GP and specialist eligibility requirements.
Read more about Medicare benefits for health professionals.