GP training starts before qualified doctors choose general practice or rural generalism as their vocational specialty pathway; it starts before the hospital-based junior doctor opts for a rotation in general practice; it even starts before the medical student nominates one or more GP placements in their undergraduate degree. GP training starts with every relationship between, and within, the practice team and community, every quality-improvement measure, every good outcome and interaction that makes the GP the role model of the school-aged patient.

GP training is about medical practices helping to develop the next generation of primary healthcare physicians within the framework provided by the Australian General Practice Training Program (AGPT). Training practices provide an on-the-job learning environment outside of the traditional university and hospital-based programs, similar to an apprenticeship type model.