Registration in Australia from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand
The Medical Board of Australia now acknowledges the comparability of specialist family medicine qualifications in Ireland, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. This allows eligible doctors to join an Australian practice via the RACGP PEP Specialist Pathway, without the need to sit exams before starting work.
Finding the Right Job
Doctor Connect is an Australian-based recruitment company with 10 years of experience helping find suitable jobs for General Practitioners. We will make sure that you are in a suitable workplace where you will have all the support that you need for a successful career change.
We also consider the importance of making sure that you and your family can settle into suitable supportive school and work environments, respecting your cultural and religious considerations. When speaking with your Doctor Connect Recruitment Consultant, we must be clear on the priorities for you and your family:
We have experience working with doctors on the Specialist Pathway registration scheme who have moved to Australia. We can help you with specific advice along the way to make sure you pass all the requirements and start work as soon as possible.
Suitable Practice Locations
Australia has a shortage of General Practitioners. For many years, this shortage has been most significant in outer metropolitan and rural areas and there is a concerted effort to improve this situation. The shortage in metro areas is projected to grow in the coming years towards 2030, so moving your career to Australia now is a great strategy.
For doctors who studied their medical degree outside Australia, known as Overseas Trained Doctors (OTD) or as International Medical Graduates (IMGs)’ government workforce rules govern the location where you can work. This is to encourage you to work in the areas where there is a shortage of General Practitioners. These areas include outer-metro, regional cities and rural towns where there are some great opportunities for you and your family to have an excellent lifestyle.
Doctors with a Substantially Comparable qualification are required to work in a location that’s called a Distribution Priority Area (DPA) while you are restricted by your 10-year moratorium. If your qualification is Partially Comparable, you are required to work in a regional practice for your first job in Australia, as defined by MM2+ locations.
GPs can work in some great rural towns and thereby reduce the 10-year moratorium down to 6, 5, or 4 years. These GPs are then unrestricted and able to choose where they want to work and live.
There are multiple layers of financial benefits to working in rural areas:
MYTH: All the best jobs in Australia are in MM1, & MM2.
REALITY: There are vibrant, welcoming communities in MM2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. There are reports that some MM2 locations are now over-doctored because so many Partially Comparable doctors have moved there in recent years. This means less patients for new GPs moving to these MM2 towns, making it difficult to earn a solid income.
If your search is too narrow, you may be missing out on the perfect opportunity for yourself and your family. Please do keep an open mind when you are speaking with our experienced placement team. They live in Australia and work with GPs, placing them into jobs in many different locations.
The three goals for GPs settling in Australia – making the system work for you
By being strategic about which community you join, you can achieve the big three goals for overseas doctors in a short space of time.
You will be navigating a system where there are requirements and incentives for you to go to a more rural location. It might be worth compromising on your first job in order to complete all your professional and private goals in the shortest possible time.
If you can compromise in your first location, then you will be serving communities who really do need your skills, and you can expect a much higher income. You will most likely be able to earn and save a significant amount of money to be able to settle in the suburb that you desire, meaning that you and your family can plan for your second home in Australia that will be your forever home.
MYTH: All overseas GPs need to work in small, remote villages when they move to Australia.
REALITY: Most regional cities and rural towns have a vibrant, welcoming and diverse community. You will enjoy living in a place with sound infrastructure, good housing options and a choice of schools, religious institutions and often universities.
Having an experienced mentor already organized by the practice is a highly beneficial element to positively starting your Australian career. Your Doctor Connect Recruitment Consultant will arrange for you to meet with suitable practices for an informal Teams meeting. When you meet with the practice representative, they will discuss with you the demographics, patient flow, and possible incomes in that location for a doctor of your profile.
Registration Process
Moving to a new jurisdiction results in a process of registration that we will need to work through together before you start work. The great news is that the government acknowledges that this system can be improved and over time the process is becoming more streamlined.
The other great news is that Doctor Connect has a passionate, friendly and experienced registration team who are dealing with these processes every day. We will be able to answer your questions and help you get to Australia as soon as possible.
We will need to work through cascading processes with:
This process is detailed but we are here to help and can advise you on current wait times.
English Language Test Requirements
You will need to sit an English test in the coming months. You must prioritise this because you need to have passed the test before applying for AHPRA. AHPRA accepts the IELTS, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. They will only accept results from these exams if:
Whilst there are several online versions of the English Language Test- some even run by OET and IELTS, AHPRA will not accept the results of these exams.
The English Language Test can prove frustrating, and it saves time and money in the long run if you are well-prepared. We recommend engaging with an online language training company, for example, E2 or an experienced private coach.
Immigration
Most GPs will commence on a 482-working visa with full work rights, medium-term stream (2-4 years) Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (subclass 482), which requires sponsorship from an Australian medical practice. Your spouse and dependent children will be eligible to join you on the same visa
Some GPs can start on the 186DE Permanent Residency, but this is dependent on the practice and is less common than the faster 482 Temporary Skill Shortage Visa.
In Australia, as a General Practitioner, you will be welcomed and encouraged to become a Permanent Resident. The practice and practice owners, as well as the RACGP, will be supportive of you completing the exams and becoming a permanent resident. This is the normal practice.
General Practitioner Earnings in Australia
From your first day of work, you’ll earn the full A1, Medicare rebate, which means you will be paid the same for each consultation as other Fellowed Specialist General Practitioners.
GPs working in Australian General Practices are not paid as a salaried employee. You’ll work as a contractor and rely on billings generated through the fee-for-service model. When you meet with the practice representative, they will discuss the demographics, patient flow and possible incomes in that location for a doctor of your profile.
As an experienced Specialist GP, you will realise that this system encourages you to provide high standards of care, develop excellent relationships with your patients, and work smarter, not harder. This will enable you to have an excellent income and to achieve a healthy work-life balance.
MYTH: If a GP moving to Australia can negotiate with a GP practice to give you a higher %, then you will have a better income in the short term and long term.
REALITY: If you move to an area with a GP shortage and join a well-run, stable practice with experienced GP colleagues and a high number of nursing and administrative staff, then 60, or 65% will give you a better income than 70% in a location with too many doctors and not enough patients.
Costs of Medical Registration for Doctors on the RACGP PEP Specialist Pathway
There are costs associated with the move to Australia. While some practices can help financially by giving a sign-on or relocation bonus to cover these costs, not all independent practices have the budget for this. However, it is not unusual for doctors to choose these independent practices because of the benefits associated with working in a smaller practice. These include having a committed and experienced Level 3 Supervisor working closely with you.
Next step on your journey to become a GP in Australia
Thank you very much for your time. We would be happy to speak with you about your individual needs and those of your family. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you on this journey and to welcome and support you when you arrive in Australia.
Please do contact us to discuss further:
General Practice Jobs In Australia – Recruitment Team
WhatsApp – +61 459 064 707
Registrations Team
WhatsApp: +61493612690
A true partnership approach and sole point of contact dedicated to providing a tailored, permanent General Practitioner recruitment solution.
Copyright 2022 © Powered by Five Minutes, All Rights Reserved.