Overseas trained doctors in Australia

Overseas trained doctors in Australia (OTDs) are Medical practitioners who completed their core medical training overseas. Historically, from time to time there has been a shortage of qualified Medical Practitioners in Australia, especially Rural Australia, and the Australian Government has at times encouraged immigration for such graduates to Australia.

Australia has welcomed and continues to rely on a considerable number of doctors from overseas, with the largest numbers from the UK, India, Malaysia, China and New Zealand. The number of overseas born doctors in Australia has increased in recent years (though not all are overseas trained). In 2011, more than half of GPs (56%) and just under half of specialists (47%) were born overseas, up from 46% and 37% respectively in 2001. In comparison, less than a third (28%) of the total employed population of Australia in 2011 were born overseas.

International medical graduates who wish to be licensed in Australia must apply to the Australian Medical Council (AMC) to arrange an appropriate assessment pathway. The standard pathway involves an IMG sitting a series of assessments, including an AMC Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Exam and an AMC clinical exam. AMC MCQ Exam consists of 150 MCQs organized through computer adaptive scoring.

For AMC clinical exam, a candidate is required to pass 12 out of 16 cases including one compulsory case in each of Gynecology and pediatrics.

Those OTDs who have passed the necessary exams and obtained AMC certification can then apply to an Australian specialty training positions.

Australia is in the process of establishing a national registration process for all the doctors under Medical Board of Australia.

In 2010 the Minister for Health and Ageing (Australia) launched an Inquiry process into registration and accreditation processes for international medical graduates which reported in 2012. Recommendations included measures around procedural fairness, transparency and efficiency in recognising OTDs especially for specialist training and qualification.

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