How difficult for IMG to get vocational(residency) training?

[Toomanyoptions]

Hi everyone!

My brother (MD this summer) and I would love to move to Australia or New Zealand, take the internship to obtain permanent residency and then specialise!
However, if we can't get our desired specialty we would rather look elsewhere!

I should add that we each expect to have a publication at this future time and have 2 or 3 years of postgraduate training.

However, I can not find any information in these threads and imrmedical is not very informative either on how difficult it is for IMGs to get further training (vocational) in

1. ophthalmology - especially this
2. radiology
3. radiation oncology?

This is a potential life changing question so any info on this would be highly appreciated!

Thank you very much!

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[singmed15]

I'm a med student in Aussie, and there are fully trained docs on this forum who can probably answer this question more thoroughly, but here goes. I'll start with general info, so if you want a direct answer to your question skip to the bold part:

As you may already know, training here and in NZ is usually bi-national (meaning that if you get trained in one country you are considered fully qualified in the other without any legal restriction.)

Unlike in the US/Canada, you can only apply to training programs after a few years (1-3 depending on specialty) of being a junior doctor (Resident Medical Officer). Entry into these programs will allow you to be come a registrar, and after some number of years/competency requirements, you can sit fellowship exams and become a fellow of the college responsible for whatever specialty to you're working in.

Entrance to these colleges is quite competitive (i.e. becoming a registrar), and generally speaking more people come to the country once they have fully specialized, rather than to get training. If you got your med degree in the US/Canada/UK/Ireland/SA, it can be a bit easier to come as a junior doc.

Now for the important bit:

Bearing in mind the process of entry, it is tough for even domestic students/junior docs to get into many training programs, and you can bet that in most circumstances it'll be near impossible for the more competitive programs if you're an IMG. There are also numerous criteria you must fulfill to be allowed to come here and practice as well (immigration, licensing, exams, etc.)

Ophthalmology and Rad-Onc fall in the category of competitive, because there are very few spots and a good number of applicants vying for them. So unless you can get yourselves an Aus/NZ citizenship and gain entry into a good junior doctor position (not in a small country hospital that doesn't have either of those specialists working there), it's highly unlikely you'll be able to gain entry at all.

Radiology may be possible, assuming again you can get past the various hurdles thrown up against IMGs. Right now, it's only specialties in shortage that tend to be more open for IMGs, such as Rural General Practice, General Practice, Psych., Gen. Med, etc.

One thing about immigration - I don't know why you want to move, and I won't make assumptions about your motives, but it's important to make moves like this for the practical aspects, not for the idea/romance of it. Meaning that Aus/NZ can be very nice places to live, if you have a good job and a good living situation. Otherwise this place will suck just as much as any other developed nation. If you guys have a stable future wherever it is you live, then stay there. You can always come and visit.

Hopefully other people will jump in and provide more info. I don't claim to be an authority in these subjects, but this is just going off what I know without too much added speculation.