Starting in private practice: Recent fellows' checklist

Updated

Read time 3 min

Friday, 17 Jul 2026

Managing the essentials

• Remember to pay your fellowship fees with your specialist medical college.
• Apply to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) for specialist registration.
• Notify Services Australia of your fellowship, so you can:
  • apply for or update your Medicare provider number
  • create a Provider Digital Access (PRODA) account to review or close inactive provider numbers and create new provider locations. Remember, each practice location needs its own provider number and all activity at that location should be billed through that provider number.

Medical indemnity updates and insurances

• Notify your medical indemnity insurer you have fellowed. 
• You will need to update your medical indemnity category of practice to your specialist category. You will be asked to provide an estimate of your annual gross billings. This tool can help estimate your billings. As part of your registration requirements, you must have appropriate indemnity arrangements in place for the healthcare you provide. You may be eligible for a Getting Started in Private Practice (GSIPP) premium reduction.  
• This is also a good time to consider your personal insurance needs such as income protection, accident or trauma cover and life insurance.  
• On the business side, if you are starting a practice, consider practice insurance including cyber cover. 

Meet your CPD requirements

• Know your continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. You will need to nominate a CPD Home (either a college or non-college home) to meet your 50 hours of CPD annually. Avant’s online CPD activities can help you meet the Medical Board of Australia’s requirements.

Comply with professional obligations

• Know your obligations under the Medical Board’s Good medical practice: a code of conduct for doctors in Australia.
• Doctors must comply with strict advertising obligations under the National Law. Refer to Ahpra’s Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service and the TGA’s advertising regulations for more information about your obligations. Our factsheet can also help.
• Be aware of telehealth requirements and consider your medical indemnity coverage before you offer any telehealth.
• Know the OAIC’s health privacy requirements and read our privacy essentials factsheet.
• Understand the use of real-time prescription monitoring in your state or territory to practise safely when prescribing certain medicines. Make sure you document these checks in the patient’s record.
• Understand how to safely use artificial intelligence (AI) scribes for medical documentation to comply with consent, privacy and compliance standards. Before using an AI scribe, use our AI checklist and see Ahpra’s guidance on meeting your professional obligations when using AI in healthcare. 
•  Consider subscribing to reputable clinical resources or guidelines, for example, Therapeutic Guidelines, MIMS and the Australian Medicines Handbook. 
• Think about your process to follow up and recall clinically significant patients, and handover care to other health professionals. If you are joining an established practice, familiarise yourself with the practice’s systems and understand how to follow up and recall patients.  
• Consider peer support and governance within the practice or private hospital. Understand the approach to reviewing outcomes, collaboration for difficult cases and seeking multidisciplinary input or second opinions.  

Informed consent

• Establish a good, shared decision-making process and documentation practices for your patient consent discussions for all treatment. 
• If you are a proceduralist, ensure the consent forms you use are specific to the procedure and document any additional information in the patient’s record. Many colleges have information sheets to help inform patients of the risks and benefits of procedures. The use of diagrams and images may also assist, and using open-ended questions can help you assess a patient’s understanding about the procedure.
• Remember, patients are required to be informed upfront about all costs relating to consultations and procedures to enable them to make fully informed decisions about their treatment. The financial consent discussion must be documented and is more than just a necessary administrative step; it builds patient trust and reduces complaints. Manage these conversations effectively with our speciality-specific guidance.

Financial management 

• Decide on your billing rates. Make sure they reflect your years of training. If you’re unsure, refer to the AMA schedule fees or ask more experienced colleagues how they set their fees. Refer to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s information on fee setting by medical professionals to comply with competition law. 
• Decide how you will manage private fees and whether you will participate in Government funded programs.
• Consider your bookkeeping process and, if outsourcing to a third party, verify their credentials. If you’re starting your own practice, ensure it is payroll-compliant and your bookkeeping is up to taxation standards. For more information, view our practice start-up essentials checklist.  
• Discuss your tax obligations with your accountant, including whether you need to obtain an Australian Business Number and register for GST. 
• If you’re joining or starting a private practice, seek information from a medical finance specialist on funding options, cash flow, and structuring decisions to support your transition into independent practice. 
• It’s also a good idea to evaluate whether your current living arrangements support your long-term plans, including proximity to your practice, family needs and lifestyle balance. 

Support to navigate risks

Our Risk Advisory Services are a membership benefit, providing advice to support Avant members as they navigate their move to private practice. Access personalised consultations, educational resources, and practice setup advice to help you practise safely. 

Looking after yourself

Starting in private practice can be both exciting and challenging. Don’t forget to prioritise your own health, including having your own GP and scheduling time off as part of your self-care routine. Our health and wellbeing resources can help. 

For more information and support, call us on 1800 128 268.