MedBA

Updated on 23 Nov 2020

Overview

International medical graduates (IMGs) whose medical qualifications are from a medical school outside of Australia or New Zealand and who are seeking registration to practise medicine in Australia must provide evidence of eligibility to undertake one of the following assessment pathways:

• Competent Authority pathway 
• Standard pathway, or 
• Specialist pathway   

The assessment process assesses the knowledge and clinical skills of IMGs seeking to qualify for medical registration in Australia.  

Eligibility:

IMGs who meet the criteria in one of the competent authority categories may be eligible for provisional registration via the Competent Authority pathway.

To be eligible for one of the seven categories, IMGs must have completed BOTH the prescribed assessment component (a medical course or exam) AND the experience component.
Medical courses must be accredited by the competent authority and undertaken and completed in the competent authority country or on the Board’s list of eligible offshore courses for categories B and F.

The experience component (all categories) must be approved by the competent authority and undertaken and completed in a competent authority country.

IMGs must have secured an offer of employment before applying to the Board for registration.

Competent Authority pathway :

The Competent Authority pathway is for IMGs who are non-specialist or specialists (including general practitioners) and are seeking general registration with the Medical Board of Australia (the Board).

The Board has approved a number of international authorities as competent to assess, for medical registration, the applied medical knowledge and basic clinical skills of IMGs.

The approved competent authorities are:

• General Medical Council (United Kingdom - for the PLAB examination or for graduates of GMC-accredited medical courses in the United Kingdom) 
• Medical Council of Canada (LMCC) 
• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates of the United States (USMLE) 
• Medical Council of New Zealand (NZREX) 
• Medical Council of Ireland (graduates of medical courses in Ireland accredited by the Medical Council of Ireland).

IMGs who have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the Australian Medical Council and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS) and who have satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practise in their field of specialty in their country of training, can apply for assessment under this pathway (specialist recognition or area of need).

If you currently hold, or previously held, general registration you are not eligible to apply for the specialist pathway. You can complete the requirements for specialist registration while holding general registration, through a separate process. You are not eligible to apply for limited or provisional registration to complete the specialist recognition process.

Standard pathway:

The Standard pathway is for international medical graduates (IMGs) seeking general registration as a medical practitioner in Australia. It involves completion of a written examination (CAT MCQ) and structured clinical examination of the Australian Medical Council (AMC) or approved workplace based assessment program.

The Standard pathway has two alternative processes leading to the award of the AMC Certificate:

• Standard pathway (AMC examinations) - Assessment is by examination only - the AMC CAT MCQ Examination and the AMC Clinical Examination. Most non-specialist applicants will be assessed through this method. 
• Standard pathway (workplace-based assessment) - Assessment is by examination and workplace-based assessment - the AMC CAT MCQ Examination and workplace-based assessment of clinical skills and knowledge by an AMC-accredited authority. There are limited numbers of assessment programs, and as a result, relatively few applicants are assessed through this pathway. The AMC has accredited the following authorities:
  • Central Coast Local Health District
  • Flinders Rural Health South Australia (in partnership with Mt Gambier Hospital)
  • Hunter New England Local Health District
  • Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District
  • Launceston General Hospital
  • Monash Health
  • Mid North Coast Local Health District
  • Rural and Outer Metropolitan United Alliance
  • Western Australia Country Health Service
  • Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service

IMGs on the Standard pathway must successfully complete 12 months of supervised practice (minimum of 47 weeks full-time service) in an approved position.

Specialist pathway:

If you currently hold, or previously held, general registration you are not eligible to apply for the specialist pathway. You can complete the requirements for specialist registration while holding general registration, through a separate process. You are not eligible to apply for limited or provisional registration to complete the specialist recognition process.

There are two pathways within the Specialist pathway:

Specialist pathway - specialist recognition:

• the IMG applies directly to the relevant specialist medical college who assesses comparability against the criteria for an Australian-trained specialist in the same field of specialty practice
• the outcome of the specialist medical college's assessment will determine the relevant registration type 
• the relevant specialist medical college may require the IMG to undertake peer review (oversight) or further training or examinations, before recommending that the IMG be granted recognition as a specialist.

Specialist pathway - area of need:

• the IMG applies directly to the specialist medical college who assesses their qualifications and relevant experience against the specified requirements of a position in a confirmed area of need
• area of need is determined by the relevant state or territory health authority (the AMC, the college and the Board have no role in determining which areas are declared area of need)
• this pathway does not lead to specialist registration. IMGs on the Specialist pathway - area of need can also be on the Specialist pathway - specialist recognition if they wish to gain specialist registration with the Board.

Apply Online:

Fees

Schedule of fees effective 1 August 2020

Item	National fee ($)	Rebate for NSW registrant ($)	Fee for registrants with principal place of practice in NSW ($)
Application fee for general registration*	811	0	811
Application fee for specialist registration*	811	0	811
Application fee for provisional registration for Australian and New Zealand graduates	0	0	0
Application fee for provisional registration for international medical graduates (graduates outside Australia and New Zealand)*	405	0	405
Application fee for general registration after converting from provisional registration	0	0	0
Application fee for limited registration*	811	0	811
Application fee for non-practising registration*	158	0	158
Application fee for endorsement of registration	106	0	106
Application fee for fast track application*	60	0	60
Application fee to add specialist registration to current general registration	203	0	203
Application fee to add general registration to current specialist registration	203	0	203
Application fee to add another specialist registration to current specialist registration	203	0	203
Registration fee for general registration	811	107	704
Registration fee for specialist registration (for practitioners who do not hold general registration)	811	107	704
Registration fee for limited registration	811	107	704
Registration fee for provisional registration	405	42	363
Registration fee for non-practising registration	158	3	155
Registration fee for general registration (teaching and assessing)	158	3	155
Late renewal fee for general registration	30	0	30
Late renewal fee for specialist registration	30	0	30
Late renewal fee for limited registration	30	0	30
Late renewal fee for provisional registration	30	0	30
Late renewal fee for non-practising registration	5	0	5
Late renewal fee for general registration (teaching and assessing)	30	0	30
Replacement registration certificate	20	0	20
Extract from the register	10	0	10
Copy of the register (if application is assessed as in the public interest)	2000	0	2000
Verification of registration status (Certificate of Registration Status)	50	0	50

*Payment of both an application fee and a registration fee is required at the time of application.

Please note that:

• There are no fees for the registration of students.  
• There is no application fee to change registration type from provisional registration to general registration.
• There is no application fee to change registration type to ‘non-practising’.   
• Only one fee for annual renewal of registration applies to general registrants and specialists. A medical practitioner who holds both general registration and specialist registration is required to pay only the fee for annual renewal of general registration.  
• Medical practitioners with general and specialist registration are only required to pay one late renewal fee.
• If you are required to apply for an international history check from an approved supplier, you will be responsible for the cost of the check.

FAQ

Contact Details:

Australian Capital Territory

Street address:

Ground Floor
50 Blackall Street
Barton
ACT 2600

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Canberra
ACT 2601

New South Wales

Street address:

Level 51
680 George Street
Sydney
NSW 2000

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Sydney
NSW 2001

Northern Territory

Street address:

Level 5
22 Harry Chan Avenue
Darwin
NT 0800

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Darwin
NT 0801

Queensland

Street address:

Level 4
192 Ann Street
Brisbane
QLD 4000

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Brisbane
QLD 4001

South Australia

Street address:

Level 11
80 Grenfell Street
Adelaide
SA 5000

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Adelaide
SA 5001

Tasmania

Street address:

Level 5
99 Bathurst Street
Hobart
TAS 7000

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Hobart
TAS 7001

Victoria

Street address:

Level 8
111 Bourke Street
Melbourne
VIC 3000

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Melbourne
VIC 3001

Western Australia

Street address:

Level 1
541 Hay Street
Subiaco
WA 6008

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Perth
WA 6001

National

Street address:

Level 7
111 Bourke Street
Melbourne
VIC 3000

Mailing address:

AHPRA
GPO Box 9958
Melbourne
VIC 3001