New practices are often keen to get GP Registrars working with them as soon as they can. It is great that there is ongoing commitment from GP owners to be part of the GP training pathways. There is a process to go through to be able to take on the supervision of GP registrars, and you will need to achieve RACGP accreditation first. 

Once accredited as a training practice, you go through a recruitment process with available registrars. It is a fairly quick process, so be sure to check applicants promptly to arrange interviews. This can all take place approximately 6 months before the registrar actually arrives in your practice, so there is time to prepare and get all the paperwork done. Template contracts and resources are available for you to use on the RACGP website, as are details so that you can comply with The National Terms and Conditions for the Employment of Registrar (NTCER).

The start of the new year is usually a time when the registrars arrive, so you may be about to have your registrar arrive in the month or so. It is best to plan for this, and both the practice manager and supervising doctors need to organise things to help the registrar settle in and get adequate support in their training.

The Registrar Training Organisation will have guidelines about patient numbers and expected throughput for new registrars and it is good to follow these, even if your registrar feels confident that they will be able to see more. This allows for time to do a proper induction, as you should provide to any new employee and time to review things with the supervisor while they build skills and confidence. Often, a brand new first-year registrar is quite terrified at the thought of their first consultations, and it is best to have lots of support provided in the early days.

Where there are practice nurses, I have often buddied the registrar with the nurse for half a day for treatment room orientation and teaching on how to use treatment room equipment. Another half-day is spent learning the practice software and playing on demo patient charts to practice writing scripts, using chronic disease management templates, trying out electronic referrals, etc. They can even practice how the paper goes in the printer for pathology and imaging referrals.  It all helps them feel more confident when they sit in front of their first patient and do it for real. 

All new registrars should do the MBS online billing modules and be provided with resources to help them understand how to bill accurately. Remember, it is the first time many of them bill under Medicare, and it does take a while to get to grips with it. A practice manager can do a lot to guide them and provide education, and it is also worthwhile auditing a sampling of their billings each week to ensure they comply with Medicare requirements.

Supervisors should have a planned time with the registrar each week but also need to be available for questions and review of cases with the registrar. You may need to modify your own sessions to allow adequate time for this, especially for a new first-year registrar.

All this may sound time-consuming and not so good for income generation, but registrars are there to be trained and are not just a bum on a seat. Extra support and time in the early days will help your registrar become more confident, hopefully building a good supportive relationship where they can function independently and generate income before long. If your practice has a supportive and friendly culture, they may return to/stay in your practice once they achieve fellowship. So, the extra effort and time to help them settle in may be well worth it when it is rather difficult to recruit GPs!