Is there a Moratorium for the IMG's working in New Zealand?

[Mrs Tiger]

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Hi

As many of you may know, there is a 10 year Moratorium for the IMG's working in the Australia i.e. they can't establish private practice till 10 years unless they work in DWS (District of Workforce Shortage).

I wonder if there is some kind of moratorium for the IMG's working in New Zealand?

Basically, is there any kind of difference between the "NZ medical graduates" and the "IMG's who manage to get General Registration in New Zealand" at all?

Thank you in advance

 

[PacificBlue2012]

Hi

As many of you may know, there is a 10 year Moratorium for the IMG's working in the Australia i.e. they can't establish private practice till 10 years unless they work in DWS (District of Workforce Shortage).

I wonder if there is some kind of moratorium for the IMG's working in New Zealand?

Basically, is there any kind of difference between the "NZ medical graduates" and the "IMG's who manage to get General Registration in New Zealand" at all?

Thank you in advance

You probably would want to check with the New Zealand authorities about this, I doubt it, because NZ is a small country whereas Australia is a large country. And the moratorium only applies to GPs, other fields are exempt, and many other fields you are employed by the hospital or state health service.

They do this on purpose to force OTDs to work in rural areas as GPs. As I said the rule only applies if you are a GP. I even know a surgeon who just moved here from the UK and works in the Northern suburbs of Sydney.

 

[pitman]

You probably would want to check with the New Zealand authorities about this, I doubt it, because NZ is a small country whereas Australia is a large country. And the moratorium only applies to GPs, other fields are exempt, and many other fields you are employed by the hospital or state health service.

Pacificblue is once again incorrect and should refrain from posting such confident assertions in areas outside his scope.

The Australian moratorium applies to all IMGs and former int'l students (except Kiwis) independent of specialty, not just to GPs. Trainees in public hospitals get exemptions, as do those working in Districts of Workforce Shortage. If the surgeon in question is not in either, then he/she had to apply for and get an exemption, just as any other doc. In practice this is often successful if the job is designated an Area of Need. GP trainees are the only ones who have a particular training restriction as a result of the moratorium (they must do the RACGP rural training route or ACRRM).

NZ does not have an equivalent to the moratorium, but that has nothing to do with the size of its country (there are seriously under-served areas just like in Australia). I haven't heard of any across the board restrictions put onto IMGs, but note that registration there isn't based on specialty but on 'scope', which includes not only your credentials, but your proven experience, along with your professional plans while in NZ. See links below as a starting point:

http://www.mcnz.org.nz/Registration...eddoctor/Beforeapplying/tabid/84/Default.aspx
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/
http://www.mcnz.org.nz/Registration...g/RegistrationPathways/tabid/136/Default.aspx

 

[PacificBlue2012]

Pacificblue is once again incorrect and should refrain from posting such confident assertions in areas outside his scope.

The Australian moratorium applies to all IMGs and former int'l students (except Kiwis) independent of specialty, not just to GPs. Trainees in public hospitals get exemptions, as do those working in Districts of Workforce Shortage. If the surgeon in question is not in either, then he/she had to apply for and get an exemption, just as any other doc. In practice this is often successful if the job is designated an Area of Need. GP trainees are the only ones who have a particular training restriction as a result of the moratorium (they must do the RACGP rural training route or ACRRM).

NZ does not have an equivalent to the moratorium, but that has nothing to do with the size of its country (there are seriously under-served areas just like in Australia). I haven't heard of any across the board restrictions put onto IMGs, but note that registration there isn't based on specialty but on 'scope', which includes not only your credentials, but your proven experience, along with your professional plans while in NZ. See links below as a starting point:

http://www.mcnz.org.nz/Registration...eddoctor/Beforeapplying/tabid/84/Default.aspx
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/
http://www.mcnz.org.nz/Registration...g/RegistrationPathways/tabid/136/Default.aspx

The restriction is harsh on OTDs who are GPs, not specialists. Specialist training programs are very long in Australia, so 10 years will be up by the time one becomes a consultant.

Being forced to live in the middle of nowhere would immediately destroy the dream of being in Oz for a lot of people. It takes nearly 10 years to become a surgeon in Australia, and the rule does not apply to someone training in a hospital, so if you want to be surgeon in Australia, this is not a worry. There are also ways around the 10 year rule and ways to cut the length to a shorter period of time.

Even then there are many areas near big cities that are considered "regional" or underserved. Nepean which I personally think is an armpit of NSW, is only about an hour away from Sydney CBD but is an area of need.

 

[Mrs Tiger]

I haven't heard of any across the board restrictions put onto IMGs, but note that registration there isn't based on specialty but on 'scope', which includes not only your credentials, but your proven experience, along with your professional plans while in NZ. See links below as a starting point:

http://www.mcnz.org.nz/Registration...eddoctor/Beforeapplying/tabid/84/Default.aspx
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/
http://www.mcnz.org.nz/Registration...g/RegistrationPathways/tabid/136/Default.aspx

Thanks for your informative reply.

I checked the links you provided me. In terms of getting a visa, I don't have any problems as I am a PR of New Zealand.

But about about the scope, I think I didn't quite get it. How the registration being based on scope in NZ can affect the easiness of my way to become a specialist? Do we have to prove the Medical Council of New Zealand that we have a professional plan for a particular specialty?

Could you kindly shed a light on this?

I know it is a noob question, but do you happen to know how hard it is to become a become a specialist in NZ(compared to Australia)? Is it as competitive as Australia? Will it take the normal 7-8 years?

Thanks again

 

[pitman]

The restriction is harsh on OTDs who are GPs, not specialists. Specialist training programs are very long in Australia, so 10 years will be up by the time one becomes a consultant.

Being forced to live in the middle of nowhere would immediately destroy the dream of being in Oz for a lot of people.

This is what you said:

And the moratorium only applies to GPs, other fields are exempt...

...which is simply not true. It is also misleading to anyone who comes to Australia and isn't in a training program.

The moratorium isn't particularly harsh for GPs, either. If you're a fellow, it's simply a matter of finding an exemption just like with any other specialty -- this will depend in part on state, but for example in Qld there are GPs under the moratorium within 20minutes of Brisbane (e.g., Inala).

 

[pitman]

Thanks for your informative reply.
But about about the scope, I think I didn't quite get it. How the registration being based on scope in NZ can affect the easiness of my way to become a specialist? Do we have to prove the Medical Council of New Zealand that we have a professional plan for a particular specialty?

Sorry, I didn't realize you were seeking college training in NZ -- no, you don't need to prove that ahead of time, as your specialty training in NZ w/ experience there would define your specialty scope.

I know it is a noob question, but do you happen to know how hard it is to become a become a specialist in NZ(compared to Australia)? Is it as competitive as Australia? Will it take the normal 7-8 years?

No idea, except I do know that it's relatively easy to do anaesthetics way down South Island. I'll otherwise defer to any Kiwis (e.g., greens) who might be here...

 

[PacificBlue2012]

This is what you said:

...which is simply not true. It is also misleading to anyone who comes to Australia and isn't in a training program.

The moratorium isn't particularly harsh for GPs, either. If you're a fellow, it's simply a matter of finding an exemption just like with any other specialty -- this will depend in part on state, but for example in Qld there are GPs under the moratorium within 20minutes of Brisbane (e.g., Inala).

I have run into plenty of OTDs in Sydney as well. There are many areas of need in an around big cities.

There are many British physicians working in the Australian system. Its kind of two tier for OTDs, OTDs from Commonwealth countries like the UK usually have few issues.

 

[Mrs Tiger]

Thank you for your inputs.


a) There is this sentence in New Zealand Medical Council:

Registration to work within a provisional general or provisional vocational scope of practice will only be granted to a doctor who is intending to practise medicine in New Zealand.

I think I am having some problems in understanding the concept of this sentence. I mean, it is obvious that anyone who wants to get registered in NZ, actually wants to practice medicine in NZ! What else he/she should get registered for anyway? So I wonder if this sentence has some other concept that I have failed to understand.

Maybe they mean that if a doctor get provisionally registered in NZ, he/she can't go to Australia after say 1 year to get into college training or to get better salary etc.

What do you think?

 

[jaketheory]

Thank you for your inputs.


a) There is this sentence in New Zealand Medical Council:

Registration to work within a provisional general or provisional vocational scope of practice will only be granted to a doctor who is intending to practise medicine in New Zealand.

I think I am having some problems in understanding the concept of this sentence. I mean, it is obvious that anyone who wants to get registered in NZ, actually wants to practice medicine in NZ! What else he/she should get registered for anyway? So I wonder if this sentence has some other concept that I have failed to understand.

Maybe they mean that if a doctor get provisionally registered in NZ, he/she can't go to Australia after say 1 year to get into college training or to get better salary etc.

What do you think?

many docs in training, especially from developing countries, go to western countries for training. usually a requirement of their training program is that they must return to their home country after completing training. in this case, it should not be their interntion to practice in the country of their training (because their program prohibits that).

if you are eligible to remain to practice and can convince them it is your intention to practice in NZ, what you actually do once granted registration is up to you (going to Australia, etc. . . .). i doubt they are going to rescind your registration, especially if you can convince them you intend to return. but i am no lawyer, fortune teller, whatever.

 

[greens]

Tiger,
The ease of getting on a training scheme in New Zealand really depends on what specialty you are trying to pursue. For example, if you want to do physician training you basically just apply to the Australasian physician board and you become a member of the college. However getting further (i.e actually becoming a physician or doing sub-specialty stuff is harder because you have to pass an exam that has roughly around a 45% or less pass rate I believe in the beginning of the training). The specialties that are difficult to get into in other countries are generally difficult over here as well, probably some more so because of the country size. I.E. Plastics only took 2 people in the entire country last year, and Ear, Nose, Throat took 3. (Or at least in the North Island, but pretty sure it was the entire country)

I'm pretty sure it is safe to say that you would have to work as a house officer/non-training registrar for a couple years before you would actually get on any training scheme. If you go to the Australasian board websites of whatever specialty you are thinking, there will probably be a section that gives the point system of things you need to do before you would apply with the reality of being accepted ( research, specific runs, published papers, conferences, courses, etc.)

 

[Mrs Tiger]

Tiger,
The ease of getting on a training scheme in New Zealand really depends on what specialty you are trying to pursue. For example, if you want to do physician training you basically just apply to the Australasian physician board and you become a member of the college. However getting further (i.e actually becoming a physician or doing sub-specialty stuff is harder because you have to pass an exam that has roughly around a 45% or less pass rate I believe in the beginning of the training). The specialties that are difficult to get into in other countries are generally difficult over here as well, probably some more so because of the country size. I.E. Plastics only took 2 people in the entire country last year, and Ear, Nose, Throat took 3. (Or at least in the North Island, but pretty sure it was the entire country)

I'm pretty sure it is safe to say that you would have to work as a house officer/non-training registrar for a couple years before you would actually get on any training scheme. If you go to the Australasian board websites of whatever specialty you are thinking, there will probably be a section that gives the point system of things you need to do before you would apply with the reality of being accepted ( research, specific runs, published papers, conferences, courses, etc.)

Thank you for your reply. It made many vague points clear.

I have passed AMC MCQ and IELTS and like I said, I have applied to sit NZREX. What are my chances of getting a RMO/HMO position after passing NZREX considering the fact that my only job experience is my internship in Portugal? ( I have a Resident visa of New Zealand )

Should I apply for Internship positions or for RMO positions after passing NZREX?

Thank you

 

[Mrs Tiger]

Thank you for your reply. It made many vague points clear.

I have passed AMC MCQ and IELTS and like I said, I have applied to sit NZREX. What are my chances of getting a RMO/HMO position after passing NZREX considering the fact that my only job experience is my internship in Portugal? ( I have a Resident visa of New Zealand )

Should I apply for Internship positions or for RMO positions after passing NZREX?

Thank you

Any clues? 🙄

 

[g12321]

Thank you for your reply. It made many vague points clear.

I have passed AMC MCQ and IELTS and like I said, I have applied to sit NZREX. What are my chances of getting a RMO/HMO position after passing NZREX considering the fact that my only job experience is my internship in Portugal? ( I have a Resident visa of New Zealand )

Should I apply for Internship positions or for RMO positions after passing NZREX?

Thank you

so what happened?