Why is Australia the Destination of Choice for Doctors?
In the past decades, the Government of Australia has put many favorable policies allowing for the entry of skilled workers into the country. Between 2022 to 224, nearly 8,000 foreign doctors migrated to Australia for work. A large majority of them were from Asian countries, like India, China, the Philippines, etc.
The reason for this can range from:
- Higher salary
- Work-life balance
- Healthy work policies and bonuses
- Better lifestyle
- Well-developed healthcare and education system
- Inviting and hospitable culture, to
- Need for change
How to Become a Doctor in Australia?
To practice in Australia, you need to be registered with the Medical Board of Australia. For this, your skills and knowledge will be assessed by competent authorities.
One of them is the Australian Medical Council, which conducts the AMC exam. Through AMC, you can register for the exam, verify documents, schedule your exam, etc.
You would also need to show English language proficiency in case English is not your native language.
Your registration pathway will depend on what stage of your medical career you are on. Let’s go through the process of registering with the Medical Board of Australia step-wise.
Register as a Doctor in Australia: Steps to Follow
Create a Mylntealth/EPIC Account
The Electronic Portfolio for International Credentials (EPIC) account is used to verify your identity, degrees, and credentials. This account is for all foreign medical graduates who want to work in Australia. The verification reports will be sent directly to the organization of your choice, such as the AMC.
The Mylntealth account is a platform used by the AMC, and has a similar job of verifying your credentials.
Know About Your Assessment Pathway
There are multiple pathways through which you can be assessed to register with the Medical Board of Australia
Standard Pathway: This pathway is for candidates who have obtained their medical degree outside of Australia and New Zealand from an AMC-recognized institute. International medical graduates can then register for the AMC MCQ Exam and the AMC Clinical Exam, and upon clearing the exams, they can proceed with their registration with the Medical Board of Australia.
Also Check: AMC exam preparation course
Competent Authority Pathway: This pathway is specially for medical graduates and practitioners (specialists and non-specialists), who have been assessed by authorities deemed competent by the Medical Board of Australia. These authorities are:
| Competent Authority | Country |
| General Medical Council, United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Medical Council of Canada | Canada |
| Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates of the United States | United States of America |
| Medical Council of New Zealand | Canada |
| Medical Council of Ireland | Ireland |
| National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners | United States of America |
If you have registered under and practiced under these authorities, you can apply for the competent authority pathway. For this, you’ll need to submit your application directly to the Medical Board of Australia.
It is managed by the Medical Board of Australia and requires 12 months of supervised training before you can obtain your license.
Specialist Pathway: This pathway is for Specialist International Medical Graduates (SMIGs) who have obtained their specialist degree outside of Australia. You will need to check the validity of your specialist degree before moving forward with the assessment.
This assessment is done by the Australian Specialist Medical College in the relevant field, and the application is directly submitted there.
Short-term Training in a Medical Specialty Pathway: This pathway is also for SMIGs. Here, you apply to be trained in an Australian Specialist Medical College, before you can be fully registered with the Medical Board of Australia.
Create an AMC Candidate Account
The AMC Candidate account is the platform where you will upload all your information, which will then be verified. Even if you are not taking the AMC exams, you would need an AMC candidate account for verification purposes and to create your portfolio, which is a requirement for every foreign medical graduate in Australia.
Create Your Portfolio
Creating your portfolio is probably one of the most important things you need to do while registering with the Medical Board of Australia.
Your portfolio is a record of all your medical degrees, experience, internships, qualifications, and more. You will also upload your identification and signature proof here.
Schedule Your AMC Exam
If you are selecting the standard pathway, you will need to take the AMC Exam. There are two parts in the exam:
AMC CAT MCQ Exam: Here, you will be sitting for a computer-based, theory exam. You need a score of 250/500 to clear the exam.
AMC Clinical Exam: This test assesses your clinical skills. You need to clear your AMC MCQ exam and have your English language proficiency certificate to sit for this exam. You need to clear 9 out of 14 stations to move forward.
Work-Based Assessment Program: An alternative to the Clinical exam is the WBA, where you will do supervised work in a clinical setting, for 6-12 months, at the end of which you can get your certificate.
You can find more details on this on our AMC exam blog.
Download Your Result and Certificate
Once you are through with your assessments, you can view your results and download your certificates.
After this, you can proceed with the registration process with the Medical Board of Australia.
Also Read: AMC Exam Results Guide
Application for Registration
Once you have all your certificates, you can apply for registration with the Medical Board of Australia. The application would require details about qualifications, personal history, etc. Depending on your pathway, a complete application can take between 2-8 weeks to be processed. Ensure that you fill in all the required details carefully to avoid any delays in processing.
The process of registering as a doctor in Australia can be lengthy and sometimes confusing, but ultimately rewarding. The opportunities that you can get there will be extremely beneficial for both your profession as well as day to day life. If you’re considering this move and are confused as to where to start, reach out to us and allow us to guide you through your big move.