Following our recent announcement regarding the eagerly awaited fast-track pathway for GPs relocating to Australia, we are pleased to provide further information.
Expedited Specialist pathway
On the 21 October AHPRA introduced a new expedited specialist registration pathway, that allows specialist international medical graduates with a medical qualification on their new accepted qualifications list to apply directly for specialist registration without the requirement to undergo a lengthy and costly college fellowship assessment.
What is changing
Until now, all international medical graduates had to have their overseas specialist qualification recognised by an Australian specialist college by successfully completing their comparability assessment and being awarded Fellowship. Fellowship then entitled the doctor to apply for specialist registration with AHPRA.
However, further to the recommendations of the Overseas Health Practitioner Regulatory Settings Review - Final Report, 2023 (the Kruk Review) Australia’s health ministers asked for urgent changes to speed up the registration process for international medical specialists and AHPRA set up the new Expedited Specialist pathway to get more medical specialists practising safely in Australia quickly.
Via this new pathway, there will be no formal assessment of your clinical competency by an Australian specialist college, and you will not be awarded Fellowship of an Australian college, but you will have the same specialty registration status as a Fellow.
Who is eligible via this new pathway?
Doctors must have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the AMC and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS). As well as a specialist qualification which is shown on the Medical Board’s accepted qualifications list, and has been assessed by the Medical Board as substantially equivalent or based on similar competencies to an approved Australian qualification for the specialty.
Only General Practice qualifications are currently on this list from the UK, Ireland and Australia, but the following specialties are also under priority consideration for inclusion by December 2024:
- anaesthesia
- obstetrics and gynaecology
- psychiatry
We expect additional qualifications in other specialties to be added over time, as Australian health departments identify other priority specialities.
All other SIMGs can continue to apply to the relevant specialist medical college for an assessment of comparability under the existing Specialist pathway - specialist recognition process.
Processing Times & Fees
AHPRA expect to process complete applications within 4 to 6 weeks, significantly reducing the time it will take for an eligible doctor to complete the Australian registration application process and commence work from the previous 10 to 12 months to 4 to 6 months.
Registration application fees will also be significantly reduced, due to not having to pay the large college comparability assessment fees.
After registration is granted
Via this pathway, doctors will have conditions imposed on their specialist registration, including a requirement to undertake six months of supervised practice, and orientation to the Australian healthcare and cultural safety education. When these requirements are satisfactorily completed, they can apply to have the conditions removed and to practice as an unsupervised specialist.
While no longer necessary for registration purposes, you may choose to seek fellowship from the relevant college to access support, a professional network, involvement in training and education as well as advocacy for the profession. You may also wish to join their CPD home. You will still be able to make a separate application to the specialist college for a comparability assessment and fellowship at the same time as you apply to the Medical Board for registration or after arrival in Australia, where desired.
More Information
You can read through the full details of this new pathway at the following links:
Medical Board of Australia - Expedited Specialist pathway
Medical Board of Australia - FAQ: Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs)
If you are interested in considering a new opportunity down under and would like to discuss your eligibility to make an application for registration via this new pathway, please contact us on +44 (0)131 226 2200 or email info@headmedical.com