Overseas GPs now have a new process for securing doctor jobs in Australia after the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) decided to alter the existing Specialist Pathway Program (SPP). This program has been replaced with a new Specialist Recognition Program (SRP) designed to optimise best practice guidelines and improve education and support for international medical graduates.

Your Doctor Jobs is similarly committed to delivering the best help possible to foreign GPs looking for Australian doctor jobs – so read on to have some of your burning questions answered about what this change may mean for your move Down Under.

What do the RACGP’s changes to international doctor’s applications mean?

What do the changes mean for international doctors?

While the SPP and the SRP remain very similar application processes, the new program is designed to rethink how overseas medical qualifications are viewed compared to Australian certification. As such, overseas GPs will now need to fill out an extensive comparability assessment, which includes details on:

• The recency and continuity of your medical practice.
• Participation in ongoing professional development.
• Any specialist or other relevant qualifications you hold.

Applications will still take around 10 weeks to be assessed by the RACGP, with applications split into three categories:

1. Substantially Comparable – Successful applicants will be awarded Fellowship ad eundem gradum (FAEG), meaning they can start looking for Australian doctor jobs.
2. Partially Comparable – If applicants secure this pathway, they then must complete standard RACGP medical examinations while working in Australian general medicine within a 24-month timeframe.
3. Not Comparable – This means international doctors will have to find another route to RACGP fellowship in order to practice in Australia.

The medical qualification you gained overseas will be compared to equivalent certification in Australia under the Specialist Recognition Program.

When will these changes take effect?

The RACGP will stop accepting application payments for the SPP as of 31 August 2018. Any applications made before this time will still be processed under the existing policies. The Specialist Recognition Program will open on 3 September 2018 for new overseas applicants.

How do I apply?

To go through the SRP, overseas trained GPs must complete a comparability application, in order to determine if their international medical qualification is suitably comparable to the qualifications of an Australian-trained doctor, or if further certification is needed. You start this process with an online form, which will then be analysed by independent RACGP assessors.

This new process will make applications lengthier for overseas-trained doctors who want to relocate to Australia. For more information about the move to the new Specialist Recognition Program, you can check out some of the burning questions, answered by the RACGP themselves. But don’t wait too long – with the average application time already standing at 6-8 months, you need to move quickly to make your Aussie relocation a reality. GPs who are considering a doctor job in Australia should reach out to the Your Doctor Jobs team today to apply through the outgoing Specialist Pathway Program by clicking below!