International recruitment services for Australia and New Zealand

The Australian Medical Council (AMC) is the assessing authority for international medical graduates who want to practice medicine in Australia.

The assessment process follows one of four different pathways:

• The Competent authority pathway;
• The Standard Pathway (AMC Examination);
• The Standard Pathway (workplace based assessment); and
• The Specialist assessment (full comparability / Area of Need).

The competent authority pathway is for international medical graduates applying for non-specialist positions who have completed specified training and assessment through approved overseas competent authorities. Such graduates are eligible to apply for advanced standing towards the AMC Certificate, If advanced standing granted, the applicant is not required to sit the AMC MCQ or clinical examinations, but must to undertake a workplace-based assessment while working under supervision.

The Standard Pathway (ACM Examination) is by AMC Examination, which is designed to assess the medical knowledge and clinical competency and performance of overseas trained doctors whose basic medical qualifications are not recognised by state and territory medical boards. The range of topics covered by the examination is based on the clinical curricula of Australian medical schools, with an emphasis on conditions that are common in the Australian community.

The AMC examinations consist of two sections:

• A multiple choice question (MCQ) examination, this examination is a test of the principles and practice of medicine in the fields of general practice, internal medicine, paediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology.
  The MCQ examination focuses on essential medical knowledge involving understanding of the disease process, clinical examination, diagnosis, investigation, therapy and management, as well as on the candidate€'s ability to exercise discrimination, judgment and reasoning in distinguishing between the correct diagnosis and plausible alternatives; and
  
• A clinical examination which evaluates clinical competence in medical knowledge, clinical skills and professional attitudes for the safe and effective clinical practice of medicine in the Australian community. The clinical examination is in the form of a multi-station structured clinical assessment of clinical skills. Disciplines covered include medicine and surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, paediatrics and psychiatry.
  

  The clinical examination also assesses the candidates capacity to communicate with patients, their families and other health workers.

  
  

The Standard (Workplace-Based Performance Assessment) pathway is intended for international medical graduates (IMG) who are not eligible for the Competent Authority or Specialist pathways. When fully implemented, this will be an alternate pathway to the Standard pathway (AMC Clinical Examination). It is intended that IMG who have obtained qualifications from authorities that are currently not designated as a Competent Authority.

Applicants will be required to complete evidence of English Language Proficiency, primary source verification of medical qualifications, a screening MCQ examination and possibly a pre-employment assessment, followed by further assessment in line with either the Standard pathway (Workplace-based Performance Assessment) or the Standard pathway (AMC Examinations).

To date there are no Authorities accredited for workplace-based assessment. Until workplace-based assessment is implemented, international medical graduates have the option to complete the AMC Clinical Examination to gain the AMC certificate which entitles the IMG to seek general registration.

Specialist pathway Australian national specialist medical colleges set the standards of training and coordinate the training, education and examination of medical specialists in Australia

Applicants for specialist assessment are expected to have satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practise in their field of specialty in their country of training. The standard applied to the assessment of overseas trained specialists is the standard required for admission to the relevant specialist medical college as a Fellow. From January 2009, applicants must also demonstrate evidence of English Language Proficiency prior to assessment by the relevant specialist medical college.

Area of need specialist pathway From June 2002, arrangements have been introduced to fast-track the processing of applications from overseas-trained specialists, whose primary medical qualifications are not recognised in Australia, for assessment for area of need specialist positions.

The documentation requirements and arrangements for processing area of need applications are broadly similar to those for applications through the standard AMC/specialist medical college pathway for overseas-trained specialists. However, there are some differences because of the need to process area of need applications rapidly and in parallel with the assessing college.

Before your application can be processed, you must have been selected by an employer as suitable for consideration for appointment to a designated area of need specialist position.