Single Employer Models allow eligible rural generalist trainees to remain employed by a Victorian public health service while undertaking approved primary care training. This means trainees can retain their salary level, leave and other employment entitlements as they move between hospital-based and primary care placements.
The goals of the trial are to:
- Make training and working in rural general practice more attractive, encouraging junior doctors into careers in rural generalism.
- Support the retention of the rural generalist workforce by providing longer contracts and place-based training to support doctors to settle in their communities.
- Increase the delivery of services in both hospitals and primary care settings and improve continuity of care for rural communities in the long term.
Details about the trial
The trial commenced in 2025 in the Gippsland, Grampians and Loddon Mallee regions, with trial sites led by Bairnsdale Regional Health Service, Grampians Health and Mildura Base Public Hospital. The trial has since been expanded to Hume and Barwon South West. From 2027, Northeast Health Wangaratta and South West Healthcare will lead place-based trials aimed at further strengthening trainee retention.
The SEM trial is delivered through collaboration between the Victorian Rural Generalist Program, participating health services, primary care providers, the Victorian Government, the Australian Government and local stakeholders.
While undertaking a primary care placement, participating trainees are under the care and supervision of the primary care provider but remain employees of the employing health service. Participating health services and primary care providers work together to support trainees and achieve the aims of the SEM trial.
How primary care providers can be involved
Primary care providers in rural and regional Victoria may register interest in participating in the trial.
To be eligible to participate in the trial, the primary care provider and supervisor must be accredited by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and/or the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) as a GP registrar training practice and GP supervisor.
Approved primary care providers may be included in a section 19(2) exemption under the Health Insurance Act 1973. This allows participating trainees to bill Medicare while receiving a salary during their primary care placement.
The application process is as follows:
- Register your interest using the SEM primary care provider registration form: Register your primary care provider for the SEM trial.
- The department will collate expressions of interest from primary care providers and submit eligible providers to the Commonwealth for consideration under a section 19(2) direction. Providers included in a section 19(2) exemption may receive a seconded SEM trainee, but this is not guaranteed. Usual recruitment, selection and college placement processes will continue to apply.
- The section 19(2) direction is updated every 12 months.
Questions? Watch this presentation to find out more
How you can be involved as a trainee
Participating trainees can retain their employment benefits while moving between hospital and primary care placements, providing greater continuity throughout training.
The SEM trial is available to full-time and part-time trainees who are:
- registered with the Victorian Rural Generalist Program
- enrolled, or intending to enrol, with the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine or the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners on a rural generalist training pathway
- planning to undertake a primary care placement in 2027 or 2028
- at postgraduate year 3 or above.
Fellows are not eligible to participate. Trainees in any region of Victoria can apply to one of the participating trial sites for a position on the SEM trial. Participation is optional, and trainees can choose to leave the trial without this affecting their training.
Register your interest as a rural generalist trainee.
Contact us
If you have any questions or enquiries, please contact the Victorian Rural Generalist Program team at singleemployermodel@health.vic.gov.au.