Medical Practitioner’s Pathway To Australia

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Assessment pathways to registration for international medical graduates

International medical graduates (IMGs) whose medical qualifications are from a medical school outside of Australia or New Zealand and who are seeking registration to practise medicine in Australia must provide evidence of eligibility to undertake one of the following assessment pathways:

Competent Authority pathway
Standard pathway, or
Specialist pathway

The assessment process assesses the knowledge and clinical skills of IMGs seeking to qualify for medical registration in Australia.

The Competent Authority pathway

The Competent Authority pathway is for overseas-trained non-specialists, but is also available to specialists, including general practitioners. This pathway leads to general registration.

IMGs who have passed recognised examinations or have completed training through a Board approved competent authority, can apply for assessment under this pathway.

IMGs applying for the Competent Authority pathway should apply directly to the Medical Board of Australia (the Board) for provisional registration.

The Standard pathway

The Standard pathway is for IMGs seeking general registration with the Board. This pathway applies to IMGs who are not eligible for the Competent Authority pathway or the Specialist pathway.

IMGs who have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the Australian Medical Council and the world directory of medical schools

IMGs applying for the Standard pathway should apply directly to the Australian Medical Council (AMC).

IMGs must pass the AMC CAT MCQ Examination before they can apply to the Board for registration.

The Specialist pathway

The Specialist pathway is for the following IMGs:

overseas-trained specialists applying for assessment of comparability to the standard of a specialist trained in that specialty in Australia (specialist recognition), and
overseas-trained specialists applying for an area of need specialist level position in Australia (area of need)

IMGs who have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the Australian Medical Council and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) and who have satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practise in their field of specialty in their country of training, can apply for assessment under this pathway (specialist recognition or area of need).

IMGs applying for the Specialist pathway should apply directly to the relevant specialist medical college for assessment.

Short term training in a medical specialty pathway

The short term training in a medical specialty pathway is for IMGs who are overseas-trained specialists or specialists-in-training wishing to undertake a short period (usually up to 24 months) of specialist or advanced training in Australia.

This pathway does not lead to registration as a specialist in Australia. IMGs seeking to qualify for specialist registration apply for registration via the specialist pathway – specialist recognition.

IMGs who have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the Australian Medical Council and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) and who have satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practise in their field of specialty in their country of training or who are no more than two years away from completing their specialist training overseas, can apply for assessment under this pathway (short term training in a medical specialty pathway).

IMGs applying for the Short term training in a medical specialty pathway apply directly to the relevant specialist medical college for assessment using a Board application form (AAMC-30) before applying to the Board for registration.

Which pathway am I eligible for?

To help you decide which pathway may be relevant to you, an initial self-assessment check and an overview of the pathways is provided as a guide.

Note: If you currently hold, or have previously held, general registration in Australia you are able to complete the specialist recognition process while holding general registration. You are not eligible to apply for limited or provisional registration to complete the specialist recognition process.

Pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI)

IMGs applying for registration may be required to undergo a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI) depending on the nature of the position and the level of risk inherent to the position.

The purpose of a PESCI is to establish whether an IMG has the knowledge, skills and experience to practise safely and effectively in the specific position for which registration is being sought.

Further information

In relation to the assessment pathways, the Board and the AMC do not:

advise IMGs on their qualifications, training or experience
provide information on the training, examination or other requirements of the specialist medical colleges (contact the relevant college).
issue visas or offer any advice on migration to Australia (information on immigration is available from the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website) have any involvement in employing doctors in Australia (information on employment is available from Australian state and territory health authorities)
issue Medicare provider numbers (information is available from Medicare Australia).

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How to Apply for your Skills Assessment

• You may obtain further information on how to apply for your ‘Skills Assessment’ via simply clicking on the blue links located on ‘page 8 and 9’ of the APPLICATION GUIDE’ (located in Step 4).