To work as a doctor in Australia you are required to have registered with the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and be registered with one of the state medical boards. Assessment of medical qualifications in Australia is coordinated by the AMC, where if you have not completed your medical degree in Australia or New Zealand, you will follow one of four assessment pathways:

Competent Authority Pathway

This pathway is for international medical graduates who are applying for non-specialist positions and have completed their primary medical qualification from or have completed specified training and assessment through the following approved overseas countries: United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States and New Zealand.

Components of  the AMC assessment include assessment for advanced standing towards the AMC certificate and assessment of 12 months supervised practice in Australia.

For further information please refer to the AMC website: www.amc.org.au

Specialist Pathway

Applicants for the Specialist Pathway are to have completed or be within two years of completion of an accredited specialist training program, which will then be assessed by the relevant Australian/New Zealand specialist college. The national specialist medical college sets the standards of training and coordinates the training, education and examination of medical specialists in Australia. The college will ensure that the training which has been undertaken is of an equivalent standard to that of Australian trained doctors. Each assessment will determine if any additional requirements are required to be undertaken to gain fellowship in Australia.

For further information please refer to the AMC website: www.amc.org.au

Area of Need Specialist Pathway

This pathway was introduced to fast-track the process for internationally trained specialists to work in regional areas of Australia and has a similar application process as the Specialist Pathway/Standard Pathway. Before the application can be made, applicants are required to be selected by an employer for appointment in a designated area of need position. This application will then be quickly assessed in conjunction with the appropriate specialist college.

For further information please refer to the AMC website: www.amc.org.au

Standard Pathway

This pathway applies to IMGs who are not eligible for registration under the Competent Authority or Specialist pathway i.e. doctors who have trained in a ‘non comparable’ medical school which has not been formally reviewed and accredited by the AMC. All IMGs seeking registration through the Standard Pathway are required to pass the AMC examinations which consist of a Multiple Choice Questions (AMC MCQ) examination and a clinical examination. The MCQ exam can be sat in an AMC pre-approved venue either inside or outside of Australia. On successful completion of the MCQ examination, you will be able to work in Australia with conditional state registration and under supervision. The next stage is to successfully pass the AMC clinical exam, which will then entitle the doctor to AMC full registration.

For further information please refer to the AMC website:www.amc.org.au

English Language Skills

Australia

It is an Australian Medical Council (AMC) and a National Medical Board of Australia requirement that medical practitioners seeking to practice in Australia must pass an English language proficiency test or be granted an exemption.

The following English language skills are accepted:
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)- Must score a minimum of 7 in each of the 4 components

Alternative English language tests which are accepted:
Occupational English Test (OET) with grades A or B only in each of the four components
Professional Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) in the UK - pass
NZ registration examination (NZREX) in NZ - a pass

Results must be obtained within two years prior to applying for medical registration.

If you have had your secondary education or your relevant professional tertiary qualifications taught and assessed in English as the native or first language in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, United kingdom or United States of America, you may be granted an exemption upon providing the relevant evidence.

For further information please refer to the AMC website www.amc.org.au or the IELTS website www.ielts.org/

New Zealand

Should you seek to work in New Zealand as a Doctor, the New Zealand Medical Council (MCNZ) requires all applicants to satisfy their English language policy.
You are required to sit the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) test, if you are an international medical graduate from a country where English is NOT a native or first language.