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20 June 2022 | Australian GPs, DPA, UK/Ireland GPs | 10 minutes read
Have you ever envisioned yourself working as a general practitioner or GP in Australia? If so, then you’re off to a good start.
Taking up a general practitioner job in Australia can be completely rewarding, as it is definitely one of the most crucial roles in the healthcare system.
If you’re an Australian aspiring to become a GP or a general practitioner in the UK (or some other country) looking to move to or work for a GP practice in Australia, then you’ll find this post quite helpful.
So, what is a GP in Australia? Is a general practitioner the same as a general physician?
GPs are doctors who have undergone general practice training in medicine. They have the expertise and ability to treat any health problems people typically encounter during their lifetime.
Because GPs typically work with communities, they have opportunities to get to know individuals and families living in the same area. This gives them the unique ability to deliver care that is tailored to the needs and situation of their patients and their families.
A general practitioner in Australia is known as a general physician in the United States, so they refer to the same thing.
If you are an international medical graduate or a doctor trained overseas, there are steps and pathways to becoming a GP in Australia you can follow.
There are specific registration pathways available for internationally trained medical practitioners:
Competent Authority Pathway
This path leads to general registration and is open to internationally trained non-specialists or specialists.
The Australian Medical Board has approved a number of international authorities as being qualified to participate in this program. Applicants who have completed training or assessments from an authorised competent body are eligible to apply for a provisional registration visa through this route.
Approved competent authorities include:
Internationally trained doctors must hold a primary qualification in medicine or surgery from a training institution recognized by both the Australian Medical Council and the World Directory of Medical Schools.
Applicants who follow this course will be granted temporary registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) after successfully completing 12 months of supervised practice.
Specialist Pathway
This route is open to doctors who have received their primary training in medicine and surgery at a training institution that is recognized by both the Australian Medical Council and the World Directory of Medical Schools.
Applicants must have completed all training and examination criteria to practice in their field of specialty in their country of training or be no more than two years away from completing their specialist training overseas to be eligible for registration. Overseas trained specialists should apply directly to the relevant specialist medical college for assessment.
If you have a valid visa, such as a temporary employer-sponsored visa, you can work in Australia under provisional registration as an overseas-trained doctor.
Provisional registration is not regarded a full positive skills assessment; therefore, overseas qualified medical practitioners cannot yet apply for a general skilled visa. You need full registration status before a general skilled visa may be considered.
Evidence of full registration with AHPRA would enable a suitable skills assessment to be conducted for medical doctors.
You have four options for demonstrating English language proficiency. These pathways are as follows:
Applicants from various fields can take the IELTS, PTE Academic, and TOEFL iBT tests.
The National General Practice Accreditation (NGPA) Scheme oversees accreditation in Australia.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission) developed this Scheme to link GP accreditation with the Australian Health Service Safety and Quality Accreditation Scheme.
The NGPA Scheme gives practices seeking certification more options, improves support programs for accreditation implementation, and (in the future) will allow practices to gather and publish accreditation performance data to benchmark themselves.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Standards are used to evaluate practices.
All Overseas Trained Doctors (OTD/IMG/FGAMS) who obtained their initial medical registration in Australia on or before 1 January 1997 are covered by Section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act.
Moreover, international medical graduates who are GPs must work in a distribution priority area for the first ten years of their medical registration in Australia to be eligible for Medicare under Section 19AB.
At Alecto, you’re sure to find DPA GP jobs in Australia.
Find out what’s available for you today!
What does a GP doctor do? When a person has a health problem, they usually go to their GP first. As a GP, you can treat minor illnesses and injuries whilst referring more serious conditions to specialist doctors.
Overall, these are the primary tasks of a general practitioner:
As a general practitioner, you’ll have a thorough understanding of medicine and many opportunities to develop your ability to evaluate patients efficiently.
A GP is qualified to provide general health advice and to provide prescriptions. You may even find yourself serving as a patient’s main point of contact many times, and coordinating their general health requirements.
As an aspiring GP, your foremost concern would be how to become a GP in Australia and obtain a general practitioner degree.
Below, we outline the steps and pathways on how to become a general practitioner in Australia:
General registration follows graduation from medical school and completion of an internship for Australian medical graduates. Specialisation necessitates more training and research, as well as approval from the Medical Board of Australia.
General practice is recognised as a medical speciality in Australia (referred to as ‘GP Fellowship’). The Australian Medical Council (AMC) has granted general practice Fellowship training to the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
Doctors training to become vocationally recognised (VR) GPs have access to the highest value Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items by participating in a formal pathway to GP Fellowship. Formal training best prepares doctors for the responsibilities that GPs have in the community, as well as the increasing complexity and variety of their work.
To be recognised and work independently as a specialist GP, you will need to qualify as a Fellow of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (FACRRM) or as a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP).
Both Fellowships lead to Vocational Recognition and registration under the Specialist (General Practice) category with the Medical Board of Australia. These qualifications allow you to work unsupervised as a GP anywhere in Australia. MBS eligibility rules may continue to apply to some doctors.
You can complete your general practice training and earn your Fellowship in a variety of ways. Your interests and circumstances will influence the course you take.
In Australia, there are several pathways to general practice and two medical colleges where you can get a GP fellowship. While both the ACRRM and the RACGP Fellowships allow you to practise as a GP in Australia, the technicalities differ. Make sure you understand the differences before choosing which college to apply to.
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine Fellowship Pathways
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Fellowship Pathways
Whichever pathway you choose will require you to have experience working in general practice and hospital specialties that are relevant to GP work. You will also have to attend educational workshops, teaching sessions, and invest significant amounts of personal study.
Now that you already have some basic information on the pathways to GP Fellowship, you may be wondering how long it takes to become a GP.
In Australia, becoming a general practitioner takes many years of formal education and training.
Based on the above alone, you’ll know that studying to become a general practitioner requires commitment, diligence and hard work.
In the end, however, you will be rewarded with a fulfilling medical career that allows you to help many people whilst also providing you with a very decent source of income. Who knows, you may even establish your own clinic one day.
But if you’re looking for GP career opportunities, you’ll have plenty to choose from at Alecto, so make sure to check them out.
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