Latitudes Group International - Important information for F2 Doctors

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Australia

At this early stage in your career, we recognise how important your postgraduate training is to you.

In the vast majority of cases, completion of your F2 year will enable you to obtain a Senior House Officer level position in Australia. Below is a simple table that demonstrates the equivalency across the systems.

Years	United Kingdom	Australia	New Zealand
PGY 1	F1	Intern	Intern/House Officer
PGY 2	F2	Junior House Officer	House Officer
PGY 3	ST1	Senior House Officer	SHO / Specialty Training
PGY 4	ST2	Registrar / Specialty Training	Registrar / Specialty Training

Accessing Training Positions

Before an internationally trained medical graduate can commence specialty training, the general rule is that you will require full registration and, in some cases, permanent residency.

This requirement does not apply for Emergency Medicine, General Medicine or Anaesthetics, however the latter is highly competitive. It is also important to note that it is unlikely that you will be able to access an accredited specialty training positions directly from overseas, and this is best achieved from onshore and within the ‘system’.

Obtaining general registration and permanent residency in Australia

Competent Authority Model

If you are eligible under the Competent Authority Pathway (CAP) then you will be able to obtain full general registration after completing 12 months of satisfactory service and assessment in the Australian health system. Once you have full general registration, you will be able to apply for permanent residency.

Further information can be found on the Australian Medical Council’s web site, or by viewing this important information.

Other pathways

After 1 July 2008, all applicants for professional registration in Australia are required to complete the requirements as set down by the AMC. Candidates not eligible under the Competent Authority Model must successfully pass the AMC MCQ Part 1 examination prior to being eligible for registration in all states and territories of Australia.

On obtaining a position and completing 12 months of satisfactory service in the Australian health system, eligibility for general registration will be conferred.

Permanent Residency

Once full registration is obtained, an application for permanent residency is possible, however it must be recognised that although medical practitioners are on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) in Australia, the processing time can still take 12 months or more. Access to specialty training in specialties that require permanent residency will not be able to be accessed until after permanent residency has been granted.

There are other employer sponsored schemes such as the Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) and the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), that can shorten the time taken to obtain permanent residency, however it is important to note that these schemes "tie" you to the sponsoring employer for periods between two and three, and are sometimes unsuitable for the requirements of the training schemes.

Summary

To begin with, the best position to be aiming for is an SHO position that is accredited for postgraduate training, but not part of a specialty training scheme.

In general, these positions will require that you undertake a number of terms in different disciplines:- Emergency, Surgery, General Medicine, etc. and the terms number between four and five per year.

In most cases, this additional training undertaken in Australia can be credited towards your training careers back in the United Kingdom.

In some situations, we can secure SHO level positions that will be particularly focused towards a specialty: - General Medicine, Haematology, Endocrinology, etc. which have a distinct lean towards general physician training.

If you are seeking to move for a longer term or permanently, then you will have to complete 12 months or so, obtain general registration, and permanent residency can be acquired, thus allowing access to specialty training positions. This can take two years and sometimes more.

For the colleges that additionally require permanent residency in Australia, up to 12 months of experience in a non-accredited training post can be credited towards your training. This time period should facilitate your grant of permanent residency.