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Australian IMGs: Where Are They Now?

Johnner

Member
This doesn't seem to get much attention but there are pretty sizeable numbers of Australians who have gone overseas to study medicine. I have personally never encountered any of them in the medical workforce today, but I have encountered many non-Australian Medical Doctors practicing in Australia.
Why is there this irregularity?
I would think the lack of internships are the biggest hurdle facing Australian IMGs. Is their lack of foreign medical work experience preventing them from working in Australia.
Personally, I know one Australian allied health worker who left their job to study MD in Eastern Europe, graduated and is now back to working in allied health in Australia. He only lost money, time and gained nothing.
At the same time I know a foreign medical graduate working as a registrar, locally.
My question is: What is preventing the Australian IMG from practicing in Australia while the real IMG is so successful?
My assumption is the work experience he got after graduating from his home country puts him a step above the others.
 

chinaski

Regular Member
My question is: What is preventing the Australian IMG from practicing in Australia while the real IMG is so successful?

The career point at which they tried to enter the Australian market, and the year they gained access. An IMG with specialist qualifications (gained overseas) has a lot more leverage to enter the market in an area of need than an IMG trying to get an internship, for instance. The other thing you need to remember is that fifteen years ago, IMGs were flooded throughout the Australian workforce. Their numbers have dried up as jobs at intern and resident level have dwindled, and as many of them moved into training and beyond, but some still remain. An IMG you see working as a registrar today may have entered the system a long, long time ago. Similarly, as above, some of these IMGs are already fully qualified specialists in their own country (but required to work "under supervision" which is often in a registrar role), which gives them a different route of entry and accreditation process with the colleges and AHPRA (and Australian immigration).

Contrastingly, I would think the majority of Australians who go offshore to get a medical degree try to come home ASAP. As such, you're more likely to see them failing to do so, just as you would any other IMG, because there's simply very little room (or need) to import junior pre-vocational doctors into Australia any more.
 

Johnner

Member
"Similarly, as above, some of these IMGs are already fully qualified specialists in their own country (but required to work "under supervision" which is often in a registrar role), "
I see.
Can the foreign doctors complete their year of supervised practice under the supervision of a GP in a private GP clinic (If they choose to be GPs) or is it required to be in a hospital?
 

chinaski

Regular Member
The requirements and conditions that must be undertaken for recognition of specialist qualifications depends upon the college responsible for credentialing the qualifications (ie there is no blanket rule that applies to all IMGs), as well as AHPRA regulations.

ETA: The following link may prove informative (you seem to be mixing the different IMG pathways) - the specialist pathway applies ONLY to those who have specialist qualifications from overseas (the "one year of supervised practice" requirement is associated more for those applying at a lower level, such as the standard pathway): https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration/International-Medical-Graduates/Specialist-Pathway.aspx
 
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Johnner

Member
The requirements and conditions that must be undertaken for recognition of specialist qualifications depends upon the college responsible for credentialing the qualifications (ie there is no blanket rule that applies to all IMGs), as well as AHPRA regulations.

ETA: The following link may prove informative (you seem to be mixing the different IMG pathways) - the specialist pathway applies ONLY to those who have specialist qualifications from overseas (the "one year of supervised practice" requirement is associated more for those applying at a lower level, such as the standard pathway): Medical Board of Australia - Specialist pathway

Do you personally know of/heard of any Australians successfully practicing medicine in Australia after training overseas?
 

chinaski

Regular Member
Do you personally know of/heard of any Australians successfully practicing medicine in Australia after training overseas?

No. As you can imagine, the number of people who do so would be very small. I know of some who completed specialty training overseas and never came home, but none who trained and then returned to Australia.
 

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