AMC MCQ + clinial exam + OET, how hard to get internship?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

aceindeed

New Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
I am a chinese citizen living in USA. I've passed AMC MCQ and OET, clinical exam scheduled.
Do I have to get Australian PR first to get an internship position?
How hard to get an internship in Australia without clinical experience?
Thankx

Members don't see this ad.
 
I am a chinese citizen living in USA. I've passed AMC MCQ and OET, clinical exam scheduled.
Do I have to get Australian PR first to get an internship position?
How hard to get an internship in Australia without clinical experience?
Thankx

You will no need PR first, but if you can get it, it would obviously make things easier. Unfortunately applying from outside Australia for PR can be a very long process. Even within can be long. In the past, the goal median processing time for visa grant for an overseas applicant from a low-risk country was 9 months with the 75th %-ile being 12 months (median of 12 months and 75% of 15 months for applicants from high risk countries). If you are applying with a chinese passport, you'll probably be considered high-risk. US is low risk. The risk factor is dependent upon whether the country has an arrangement with Australia to process an electronic travel authority.

As an international med grad you may not be eligible for internship in some states. check the websites of the medical boards of each state. for those which you are not eligible, you can still apply to do a supervised period of training which is deemed equivalent for registration purposes. NSW is one state which does not allow IMG do internships; but you can do a supervised year. For those states that you can apply for internship, your placement allocation priority will be after everyone else (save other IMG's of course), thus you will only have a shot if they have places available after the locals and others with higher priority have been allocated (international med graduates from Aus med schools will have a higher priority).

How hard? that is subjective and not worth commenting on. do the research i suggested above.
 
I'd suggest visiting Doctorconnect.gov.au

What I learned from that website is that you either apply for GP or hospital non-specialist assessment through the Area of Need pathway in order to get a conditional registration. In order to do so, you might need to find a job recruiter and check with the State Medical Board for the requirements.
 
Last edited:
Members don't see this ad :)
I'd sugest taking a look at Doctorconect.gov.au

What I learned from that website is that you either apply for GP or hospital non-specialist assessment through the Area of Need pathway in order to get a conditional registration. In order to do so, you might need to find a job recruiter and check with the State Medical Board for teh requirements.

you wouldnt be able to apply as a GP unless you've finished GP training in your home country and that training is deemed sufficient for the position for which you are applying. Given the OP is asking about applying for internship positions, I assume he has not completed any specialty training (GP is considered a specialty in Australia and takes 3 years training after the internship year).
 
you wouldnt be able to apply as a GP unless you've finished GP training in your home country and that training is deemed sufficient for the position for which you are applying. Given the OP is asking about applying for internship positions, I assume he has not completed any specialty training (GP is considered a specialty in Australia and takes 3 years training after the internship year).

Ok, got it. Just to make it clear, I have very limited knowledge about the Australian system. So, I double-checked the website and it seems that Internship is listed under the hospital non-specialist section. They mention that you need to contact the State and Territory Health Departments for internships. So I believe one needs to check each state's website.

By the way, is internship what every IMG should start with if they want to do reseidency eventually?
 
So I believe one needs to check each state's website.

hmmm, didnt I say that in my first post above?

By the way, is internship what every IMG should start with if they want to do reseidency eventually?

As I stated above, and as one would find out in visiting each state's medical board website, not all state's allow IMG's to apply for an internship, per se, as that state's internship match system is reserved for local grads only. However, an equivalent position with a different name and different appliation procedure is still available to IMG's in that state. Check the NSW medical board site as this is the one I'm specifically thinking of, though I am pretty sure there are others states that do things similarly.
 
I'm still wondering whether internship is the only thing IMG's should start with.
 
I'm still wondering whether internship is the only thing IMG's should start with.

i dont understand. if have not done specialty training in your own country, you will have to do either an internship or an equivalent year of training in Aus. If you have done specialty training, you would not be eligible for an internship but you would still be required to work in a supervised position unless you've already attained fellowship of an australian specialty college. what is the question?
 
The question: is there any pathway where you can join a residency program without doing internship?
 
The question: is there any pathway where you can join a residency program without doing internship?

if you have not completed an internship in your home country, you would first have to complete an internship or an equivalent year of training before being eligible for specialty training. that is a fundamental aspect of Australian postgraduate medical training. many specialties will require a senior house officer (SHO) year as well, which is another year of general (non-specialty) training.

If you have completed some specialty training in your home training, you would not have to do an internship, though you would have repeat at least one year of training before being eligible for more advanced training. This is specialty specific and I only know about physician training.

For example, to be a physician in Australia requires completing both basic and advanced physician training, even for general internal medicine. If you were to complete an IM residency in the US and then move to Aus, you would have to complete one year of basic physician training. Basic physician training is equivalent to an IM medicine; however, the college of physicains requires at least one year of basic training be completed within Australia and thus you'd have to repeat one year before being eligible for advanced physican training (sub specialty training).
 
Last edited:
many specialties will require a senior house officer (SHO) year as well, which is another year of general (non-specialty) training.

So, jaketheory, can you please tell us about the hierarchy for residency and how difficult/long it takes to move to the next level? So far, it seems to me to start with Intern then SHO.

Generally speaking, are there certain competitive and noncompetitive specialities? Are you considered a non-competitive applicant as an IMG?

If you have completed some specialty training in your home training, you would not have to do an internship, though you would have repeat at least one year of training before being eligible for more advanced training. This is specialty specific and I only know about physician training.

So if you are finish your residency and fellowship in the states, you'll still have to repeat one year in order to practise in Australia?
 
So, jaketheory, can you please tell us about the hierarchy for residency and how difficult/long it takes to move to the next level? So far, it seems to me to start with Intern then SHO.

first is intern year. some specialties require only intern year, whilst some others will require one SHO year. There may even be some specialties that require two years of SHO work. I know physician training only requires an intern year. However, the larger teaching hospitals in capital cities are the most competitive, and to be competitive, one will often have to have one or more years of SHO work experience, even for specialties that do no require an SHO year.

You would apply to the specialty college the year prior. Most specialty training will consist of a basic training level followed by advanced training. You will generally need to take an exam to proceed to advanced training. In many cases, one will have to apply for a position every year; they are one year contracts. But some larger hospitals have it organized so that you dont have to deal with reapplying and possibly relocating every year. for anything more specific, you should visit the website of the different specialty colleges.

Generally speaking, are there certain competitive and noncompetitive specialities?

of course there are.

Are you considered a non-competitive applicant as an IMG?

you would generally be considered less competitive; however, generalizations are not really valid. if you are the better candidate, being an IMG by itself would not otherwise make you any different. but there will be stigma similar to that in the US. People would prefer to hire a local, but if the best applicant is an IMG, they might get the job over a local.

from many posts here i am under the impression connections can make a large difference. as an img, you are likely to be disadvantaged in this respect. i've not been through the process so i cant say much more.

So if you are finish your residency and fellowship in the states, you'll still have to repeat one year in order to practise in Australia?

you dont necessarily have to repeat a year of training, but you will have to work under supervision for a year. You will not be able to run your own practice solo immediately upon arrival in Aus.

you seriously should have a thorough look at www.doctorconnect.gov.au as well as the websites of specialty colleges before posting any more questions here.
 
You would apply to the specialty college the year prior. Most specialty training will consist of a basic training level followed by advanced training. You will generally need to take an exam to proceed to advanced training. In many cases, one will have to apply for a position every year; they are one year contracts. But some larger hospitals have it organized so that you dont have to deal with reapplying and possibly relocating every year. for anything more specific, you should visit the website of the different specialty colleges.

I think only Physicians training, Psychiatry and ED have a structure like that. Most of the other ones do not have that structure. Surgery used to until the SET program was introduced.

I've only seen very few specialities where you have to "apply" for a position every year. With most of the programs I've seen your contract is simply renewed every year - though I suppose if you were really disliked you could your contract not renewed for the following year, though I personally have never heard of this happening.

This also varies from state to state, with certain states actually organising your entire training for you. This has the downside though of requiring you to do "rural" rotations where they send you for 6 months to (in some cases) even an entire state (like the Victoria-Tasmania Gen Surg program).
 
I am a chinese citizen living in USA. I've passed AMC MCQ and OET, clinical exam scheduled.
Do I have to get Australian PR first to get an internship position?
How hard to get an internship in Australia without clinical experience?
Thankx
Hello, i´m a portuguese medical student and i would like to know how difficult is the MCQ australian exame?
Is it more difficult than the USMLE step 1 and 2?
Is there any books to study
 
Top