Australia is facing a significant doctor shortage, creating increased demand for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) across general practice, psychiatry, anaesthetics, oncology, emergency medicine, and other specialties. Get valuable insights on why Australia is becoming a strong career destination for overseas-trained doctors, covering doctor salaries, high-demand specialties, best states for IMGs, and the AMC pathway. It explores how regional and rural healthcare shortages create opportunities through higher salaries, job availability, and migration pathways. The article also explains the steps involved in becoming a practising doctor in Australia, including AMC exams, AHPRA registration, job placement, and visa considerations.
A regional town in Queensland recently advertised up to AUD 680,000 for a single doctor position and still struggled to fill it. That is not an outlier. It is a symptom of a healthcare system under genuine strain. Australia needs an additional 13,000 doctors by the end of the year to meet demand. Even as hundreds of qualified international physicians already living in the country remain unable to practise due to bureaucratic barriers.
This is not a crisis for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) to watch from the sidelines. It is the most significant career window Australia has opened to overseas-trained doctors in a decade.
Australia’s Doctor Shortage: Why International Medical Graduates Are in Demand in 2026
The numbers paint a consistent picture across every credible source tracking Australia's health workforce.
Australia currently faces a GP shortage exceeding 2,400 full-time-equivalent doctors, projected to surpass 5,500 by 2033. Rural and outer-metro regions reported the highest unmet demand. The federal government is responding at scale. More than AUD 1 billion has been committed to GP workforce funding. Roughly 2,100 doctors are expected to begin GP training in 2026.
The access gap is just as stark outside general practice. Roughly 20% of Australians in remote areas have no nearby GP services. Almost 60% of the rural population lacks local access to specialists. It contributes to a mortality rate 1.2 times higher than the national average in remote communities.
| Indicator | 2026 Figure | Source |
| Additional doctors needed nationally | 13,000+ | UQ News |
| GP shortfall (current → 2033) | 2,400 → 5,500+ FTE | AIHW data |
| Federal GP workforce funding | AUD 1 billion+ | Dept. of Health |
| New GP trainees starting 2026 | ~2,100 (record intake) | Dept. of Health |
| Remote Australians without nearby GP | ~20% | AIHW |
| Rural population without local specialist access | ~60% | AIHW |
This is a structural shortage, not a temporary blip and that means IMG demand will stay elevated for years, not months.
Why Now Is the Right Time to Start Your AMC Exam Preparation
Australia's regulator-recognised pathways, the AMC exam route, Standard Pathway, and Competent Authority Pathway exist precisely because the country cannot train enough doctors domestically fast enough. Overseas-trained doctors remain vital to maintaining access to primary care across Australia, and mechanisms like the Distribution Priority Areas (DPA) framework exist specifically to channel IMGs into the regions that need them most.
If you are weighing whether now is the right time to start AMC preparation, the workforce data answers that question clearly. The opportunity is real, but it is also competitive, getting through the AMC MCQ and Clinical exams efficiently, the first time, is what separates doctors who earns AUD 400,000+ within a few years.
Highest Demand Medical Specialties in Australia for IMGs
Not all specialties carry equal weight in Australia's shortage list. Based on current Jobs and Skills Australia data and 2026 salary benchmarks, here is where the gaps and the pay are concentrated.
| Specialty | Avg. Annual Salary (AUD) | Demand Level |
| General Practice (GP) | 230,000 – 400,000+ (regional) | Critical, nationwide |
| Psychiatry | 235,000 – 255,000 | High, growing |
| Anaesthetics | 240,000 – 310,000 | High |
| Oncology | ~204,000 | Shortage in all states/territories |
| Surgery (General) | 240,000 – 310,000 | High |
| Internal Medicine | 200,000+ | Consistently high |
| Emergency Medicine | 220,000+ | High, especially regional |
Oncology faces a shortage across every Australian state and territory according to the Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List. Psychiatry has added roughly 800 new specialists annually over the past year. Demand keeps climbing as mental health needs grow. GP salaries are somewhere between AUD 230,000 and 250,000 in standard postings, before accounting for regional loadings that push well past AUD 350,000.
Resident Medical Officer and GP roles remain the most consistently advertised entry point. Around 2,300 GP and Resident Medical Officer positions have been advertised in recent periods. Suitable applicants continuing to decline relative to vacancies.
Doctor Salaries Across Australian States: Where Can IMGs Earn More?
Where you choose to practise affects everything. Your AHPRA pathway speed, your earning potential, your visa options, and your day-to-day workload.
| State/Territory | Why IMGs Are Choosing It | Indicative GP Salary |
| Queensland | Acute rural demand. Six-figure rural incentive postings | Up to AUD 680,000 (extreme remote cases) |
| Western Australia | Strong regional loadings, resource-town premiums | ~AUD 400,000 |
| New South Wales | Largest job volume, strong hospital network access | ~AUD 370,000 |
| South Australia | Lower cost of living, steady DPA opportunities | AUD 350,000 – 360,000 |
| Tasmania | Smaller competition pool, fast-track regional incentives | AUD 350,000 – 360,000 |
| Victoria | Diverse specialist demand, strong training infrastructure | Competitive, specialty-dependent |
A remote town in Queensland made headlines after offering up to AUD 680,000 for a single doctor position. A clear signal of how acute regional shortages have become. Meanwhile, Western Australian GPs average around AUD 400,000, while New South Wales sits closer to AUD 370,000, and Tasmania and South Australia trail slightly at AUD 350,000-360,000.
The pattern here is consistent. Regional and rural postings pay more, face less competition, and often unlock faster registration and visa pathways through DPA classification. Metro hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne remain attractive but are comparatively saturated with local graduates.
Step-by-Step Process to Become a Doctor in Australia as an IMG
- Primary source verification: credential checks through AHPRA-recognised bodies.
- AMC Exam pathway (or Standard/Competent Authority Pathway, where eligible): MCQ followed by Clinical Examination.
- AHPRA registration: provisional or general, depending on pathway and supervision requirements.
- Job placement: often via DPA-classified rural/regional roles, which carry Medicare billing eligibility for overseas-trained doctors under section 19AB.
- Visa and relocation: employer-sponsored or skilled visa routes, frequently tied to regional commitment periods.
Each stage has its own failure points. Documentation gaps, exam attempts, visa timing mismatches and most delays IMGs experience are avoidable with structured guidance rather than self-navigation.
Common Challenges IMGs Face When Moving to Australia
Doctors who attempt the AMC and registration process without structured support typically face:
- Multiple failed MCQ or Clinical attempts due to exam-format unfamiliarity (not clinical knowledge gaps)
- Months lost to documentation rejections or incomplete primary source verification
- Missed DPA and rural incentive opportunities due to limited awareness of where demand is concentrated
- Visa sponsorship delays from applying to the wrong job categories
Given that the cost of this bottleneck is measured in qualified doctors driving for ride share apps instead of treating patients, the system itself acknowledges the problem isn't capability, it's navigation.
This is exactly the gap a structured AMC preparation course is built to close. Exam-specific MCQ banks, OSCE-style clinical practice, mentorship from doctors who've cleared the pathway and settled in Australia. You will also receive expert guidance on which states and specialties offer the fastest, most financially sound entry. You get visa assistance too, once you clear registration.
To Conclude With...
Australia's doctor shortage is not closing anytime soon. Headcounts are rising while full-time capacity keeps falling against population growth, chronic disease burden, and retirements. For IMGs willing to prepare properly, this is a multi-year window of genuine opportunity, not hype.