Introduction
Building a healthcare career in Australia will be a stepping stone in your career and will bestow you with abundant opportunities to learn and grow.
You might have heard about the Australian Medical Council (AMC), the Australian Medical Council Exam etc if you have been contemplating migrating to Australia as a doctor. But if you haven't heard yet, it's time you know.
The Australian Medical Council is an independent national standards body in Australia. They are responsible for ensuring the highest standards of medical education, training, and assessment. They also conduct an exam called the AMC exam for international medical graduates (IMGs) seeking registration in Australia.
The AMC Australia serves as a benchmark to evaluate the knowledge, skills, and clinical competence of IMGs before they can practise medicine in Australia.
Registration Pathways
There are three pathways that an international medical graduate (IMG) can choose from. The medical qualifications of the IMG must be from a medical institution outside of Australia or New Zealand, and he/she must produce evidence for the eligibility to undertake any of the following assessment pathways:
- Standard pathway
- Competent authority pathway
- Specialist pathway
The assessment process assesses the knowledge and clinical skills of the candidates seeking registration to practise medicine in Australia. The candidates may be MBBS doctors, MD doctors, or MS doctors. An initial self-assessment can be done to understand the pathway that will suit the IMG best.
Standard Pathway
The IMGs seeking general registration with the board in Australia can follow the standard pathway. A primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a medical institution recognised by the AMC is mandatory to be eligible for the assessment associated with the standard pathway.
Competent Authority Pathway
The competent authority pathway is for overseas-trained non-specialists as well as specialists, including general practitioners. This pathway to general registration does not result directly in recognition or registration as a specialist in Australia.
International medical graduates (IMGs) who have fulfilled the criteria specified by a Board-approved Competent Authority are eligible to apply to the Medical Board for assessment under this pathway.
Specialist Pathway
The applicants for the specialist pathway must belong to any of the following categories:
- 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 position in Australia
- Short-term training: Overseas-trained specialists or specialists-in-training wishing to undertake a short period of specialist or advanced training in Australia
IMGs holding a primary qualification in medicine and surgery from a training institution recognized by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) can apply for assessment under this pathway if they have fulfilled all the training and examination requirements necessary to practise in their specialty field in their country of training.
What Is Skill Assessment?
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) examination is a significant milestone for international medical graduates (IMGs) seeking to practice medicine in Australia. To ensure that candidates possess sufficient knowledge and skills to appear for this exam, a skill assessment is conducted as a prerequisite before taking the AMC exam. This process evaluates the qualifications, capabilities, and clinical competence of the IMGs and will ensure that the candidate will be perfect for working as a doctor in Australia and to provide safe and effective healthcare in the Australian context.
Requirements For The Skill Assessment
International medical graduates must fulfil the specific requirements set by the Australian medical council.
- Primary medical qualification
- Completion of training and examination requirements in their home country
- Provision of authentic and verified documents
- Knowledge about medical ethics and professionalism
Skill Assessment Procedure
Step 1: Confirm that the primary qualification of the IMG is recognized by the AMC.
For that, you can check here https://www.amc.org.au/accredited-organisations/medical-schools/
Both standard pathway and specialist pathway applicants must have their qualifications recognized by the World Directory of Medical Schools in addition to meeting the other requirements for the skill assessment by the AMC.
Step 2: Obtain primary source verification on all the qualifications of the candidate.
All the documents need to be submitted after creating an EPIC account.
Step 3: Once the EPIC account is created, the candidate must nominate the AMC to receive various status updates.
Step 4: Create an AMC portfolio
Step 5: Begin the skill assessment process after choosing the relevant pathway.
How To Ensure Proper Skill Assessment?
It is important for IMGs to carefully review and meet these requirements before applying for the skill assessment to ensure eligibility and increase the chances of a successful assessment outcome. The AMC provides detailed information and guidelines regarding the specific requirements for each pathway, and candidates should refer to the official AMC website for the most up-to-date information.
The Amc Exam
The Australian medical council examination has two parts. After the prerequisites for the exam are completed, the IMG can proceed with the CAT MCQ Examination, which is a written examination. Once the CAT MCQ is cleared, the second round will consist of the clinical examination or workplace-based assessment. Clearing both of these tests will make you eligible for registration in Australia.
The skill assessment before the AMC exam is a crucial step for international medical graduates seeking to practise medicine in Australia. Meeting the requirements for the assessment ensures that candidates possess the necessary educational qualifications, clinical experience, English language proficiency, medical ethics knowledge, and clinical skills to deliver safe and effective healthcare. By recognizing and addressing these essential requirements, aspiring IMGs can enhance their chances of successfully passing the skill assessment and progressing towards their goal of practising medicine in Australia.
We offer a crash course that can help candidates clear the AMC MCQ exam and guide them throughout the migration process to Australia.
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