Are you an International Medical Graduate (IMG) or doctor seeking registration to practice medicine in Australia?

Did you earn your medical qualifications from a school outside of Australia or New Zealand?

Then you must first be verified by the Australia Medical Council (AMC) before applying to register to practise medicine in Australia.

All doctors working in Australia must be registered with the Medical Board of Australia.

IMGs have three pathways to gain medical registration in Australia.

They are:

  • Competent Authority pathway
  • Standard pathway
  • Specialist pathway

Competent Authority Pathway

  • This is for overseas-trained non-specialists, although it is also available to specialists as well as GPs. This pathway leads to general registration.
  • IMGs who have passed recognised exams or have completed training through a competent authority approved by the Medical Board of Australia can apply for assessment this way.
  • IMGs applying for this pathway should apply directly to the Medical Board of Australia for provisional registration.

Approved Competent Authorities

The Medical Board of Australia has approved a number of international authorities to assess the applied medical knowledge and basic clinical skills of IMGs for the purposes of medical registration.

Relevant examinations in the following countries are:

United Kingdom – General Medical Council (GMC) and Professional and Linguistics Assessment Board (PLAB) examination or graduates of a GMC-accredited medical courses

Canada – Licentiate examinations of the Medical Council of Canada (LMCC)

United States – United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) of the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Or the COMLEX-USA examination of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners (NBOME)

New Zealand – Medical Council of New Zealand Registration Examination (NZREX) 

Ireland – graduates of medical courses accredited with the Medical Council of Ireland 

More information about the Competent Authority pathway is available here.

Standard Pathway

This is generally for non-specialist IMGs seeking general registration in Australia who are not eligible for the Competent Authority pathway.

IMG’s who have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution that is recognised by both the Australian Medical Council and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) can apply for this assessment, following one of two methods:

AMC Examinations – applicants will be required to pass both the AMC CAT MCQ Examination and the AMC Clinical Examination.

Workplace-based assessments – applicants will be required to pass the AMC CAT MCQ Examination and complete a workplace-based assessment of their clinical skills and knowledge at an AMC-accredited authority. Places are limited and a minimum 47 weeks must be completed.

More information about the Standard pathway including a list of AMC accredited authorities is available here.

Specialist Pathway

This is for IMG’s 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).

If they have also satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practice in their field of specialty in their country of training, they can apply for this assessment in one of the following two fields: 

Specialist recognition – overseas-trained specialists applying for assessment of comparability to the standard of a specialist trained in that specialty in Australia

Area of need – overseas-trained specialists applying for an area of need specialist level position in Australia

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

You can find more about the Specialist pathway here.

Short-term training in a medical specialist pathway

This is for IMGs who are overseas-trained specialists or specialists-in-training wanting to undertake that training (normally up to 24 months) in Australia.

This does not offer registration as a specialist in Australia. IMGs wishing to qualify for specialist registration in Australia must still apply via the Specialist pathway – Specialist recognition.

You will find more information about short term training in a medical specialist pathway here.

And if you’re still not sure which pathway applies to you, check this handy self-assessment chart.

Work as a doctor in Australia with AHA Clinics

Moving to work as a GP in a new country can be exciting but a lot to manage. Here at AHA Clinics, our team regularly assists overseas doctors with making the move.

AHA is the perfect place for overseas doctors to work.

Our clinics pride themselves on a fantastic, inclusive culture that supports you both professionally and personally.

We are located in the heart of Adelaide’s southern beaches where you can enjoy fulfilling work and then relax with all the perks the coast lifestyle has to offer.

Our purpose built, state-of-the-art facilities make coming to work here an absolute pleasure.

If this sounds attractive to you, find out more and get in touch here.

You can also call us today on +61 411 059 421 or email recruit@aharecruitment.com.au