Australian Medical Council – MCQ exam

All Australian State and Territory medical boards have implemented new registration requirements as part of a national assessment process. There are three options for International Medical Graduate’s (IMGs) seeking registration:

Competent Authority Pathway - Be granted an AMC Certificate of Advanced Standing
Standard Pathway - Pass the AMC Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) examination
Specialist Pathway - Specialist qualification is assessed by the AMC/specialist Medical College Pathway

This policy applies to all applications for registration made from 1 July 2008, and applications for registration can only be considered after you have received an offer of employment.

Competent Authority Pathway

If you hold a Primary Medical degree from the UK, and you are seeking registration for a non-specialist position you can apply for Conditional Registration through the Competent Authority pathway to the Medical Board of the state.

For this you will need to first apply to the Australian Medical Council (www.amc.org.au) to have your qualification assessed. On successful assessment the AMC will then grant an Advanced Standing Certificate. You will then be able to register with the Medical Board and complete 12 months supervised clinical practice.

Competent authorities are those medical examining bodies whose assessment processes have been designated by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) as being consistent with the medical training and assessment processes in Australia

Eligibility

Eligibility to apply under the competent authority pathway requires the applicant to have undertaken the accredited process for registration in a country approved by the AMC. The AMC’s website will help you determine if your qualifications and experience meet the eligibility requirements.

Upon successfully completing 12 months supervised clinical practice in Australia with satisfactory supervisor assessment reports, you will then be able apply to the AMC for the full AMC Certificate and be eligible to apply for full general registration in Australia.

Specialist Pathway

If you hold membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) and the Certificate of the Joint Committee on Postgraduate Training for General Practice (JCPTGP) UK, it will also be possible to apply for Conditional Registration via the Specialist Pathway.
This process involves obtaining recognition from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) of your qualifications and if successful, you will not be required to sit the Australian Medical Council (AMC) examinations.

Eligibility

Eligibility to apply under the Specialist pathway will require you to have qualifications equivalent to Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP). The RACGP website will help you determine if your qualifications and experience meet the eligibility requirements.

Standard Pathway

If you hold a Primary Medical degree from an authority who are not presently on the Australian Medical Council (AMC) Competent Authority approved list, you will be required to apply for special purpose/conditional registration in Australia in a non-specialist position.

This pathway requires that you successfully pass the AMC Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) examination prior to being eligible to apply for initial professional registration in Australia.

Eligibility

Eligibility to apply for special purpose registration through the standard assessment pathway will required you to hold a primary medical qualification that is recognised by the World Health Organisation and International Medical Education Directory (IMED), which was obtained outside Australia or New Zealand.

If you have any questions regarding the AMC Exam and pathways please do not hesitate to contact us on ozteam@locumotion.com or toll free from the UK on 0808 238 9516.

Alternatively, please refer to the following websites for further information www.amc.org.au

Please note: The Australian State and Territory Medical Boards are responsible for the registration of all medical practitioners. The decision to grant medical registration is entirely the decision of the State and Medical Board.