International Medical Graduates (IMG) outside Australia
Medical registration
The Australian Health Practitioners regulation authority (AHPRA) www.ahpra.gov.au works with the Medical Board of Australia to determine and regulate the criteria for working as a general practitioner in Australia.
In order for Doctors to be eligible for to work in Australia they will need to fulfil the requirements of one of the registration pathways, coordinated by the Australian Medical Council (AMC). A useful starting point for Overseas Trained Doctors (also referred to as International Medical Graduates or IMGs) wishing to relocate to Australia is DoctorConnect, which provides information for doctors seeking employment in Australia. There is a checklist for medical registration and immigration, information on medical workforce strategies, and programs including Area of Need (AON) and Districts of Workforce Shortage (DWS). Please visit their website for more information www.doctorconnect.gov.au, (a helpful flowchart of the process for Doctors can be found at www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/publishing.nsf/Content/firstSteps)
Doctors who do not have a RACGP recognised specialist qualification will have to sit the AMC part 1 exam (also referred to as the MCQ). The RACGP runs the “AMC bridging program” which helps to prepare Doctors for this exam. For more information visit www.racgp.org.au/education/amc.
In order to progress to Fellowship Doctors will have to then fulfil the requirements of the Practice Eligible pathway or the Vocational training pathway, and then complete either the College examinations or Practice Based Assessment (PBA) in order to obtain FRACGP.
Doctors with RACGP recognised specialist qualifications in General Practice or Family Medicine may be eligible to gain Fellowship through the Specialist Pathway program, a nationally agreed program developed in conjunction with the Australian Medical Council (AMC), the Australian Department of Health and Ageing and the RACGP, and designed to encourage specialist GPs to come to work in Australia.
The SPP leads to Australian medical registration and Fellowship of the RACGP which entitles GPs to practice independently anywhere in Australia, and to access a specialist rate of remuneration under Medicare, the national health insurance scheme.
The requirements for the program vary depending on what country and credentials each particular Doctor holds.