Practice in australia

[b3aver]

Hi, I'm quite new in this forum. actually, I've been researching A LOT about steps I need to take for me to practice medicine in Australia.
My current situation is, I'm a final year medical student, after my graduation, I'm planning to take AMC exam there, and while waiting for the clinical exam date I'll try to work in the area of need until then (standard pathway). But I still have several questions that need to be cleared :

1. Say, after I passed AMCE both MCQ and clinical examination, and completed supervised training for a period of time, then I will be granted full registration right?
on doctorconnect website, it is stated that after I received full registration, the I will be able to practice everywhere in Australia without supervision. But how about moratorium? Am I still bound to moratorium thing? or moratorium apply just for OTD who doesn't hold full registration? ie conditionalregistration / area of need pathway

2. Moratorium :
- I need to work in DWS area for 10 years (5 years in an area that provide 5 year scheme) in order to get medical rebates. After 10/5 years, what happen next? Will I be free to practice anywhere in Australia? or are there any regulations?
- Is it true that if I don't work in DWS area the I won't get medical provider number, if I don't get medical provider number, then I won't be paid or write referral letters to specialist?

Thank you

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[b3aver]

Anyone?

 

[jaketheory]

Hi, I'm quite new in this forum. actually, I've been researching A LOT about steps I need to take for me to practice medicine in Australia.
My current situation is, I'm a final year medical student, after my graduation, I'm planning to take AMC exam there, and while waiting for the clinical exam date I'll try to work in the area of need until then (standard pathway). But I still have several questions that need to be cleared :

1. Say, after I passed AMCE both MCQ and clinical examination, and completed supervised training for a period of time, then I will be granted full registration right?
on doctorconnect website, it is stated that after I received full registration, the I will be able to practice everywhere in Australia without supervision. But how about moratorium? Am I still bound to moratorium thing? or moratorium apply just for OTD who doesn't hold full registration? ie conditionalregistration / area of need pathway

2. Moratorium :
- I need to work in DWS area for 10 years (5 years in an area that provide 5 year scheme) in order to get medical rebates. After 10/5 years, what happen next? Will I be free to practice anywhere in Australia? or are there any regulations?
- Is it true that if I don't work in DWS area the I won't get medical provider number, if I don't get medical provider number, then I won't be paid or write referral letters to specialist?

Thank you

hi b3aver,

1) after you get an amc certificate (passing required exams) and completing a period of supervised training, yes, you should be entitled to unconditional (full) registration.

As someone who has earned a medical degree outside austrlia or new zealand or as someone who has earned an aus/nz medical degree as an international student, you will be subject to the moratorium. your ten years towards the moratorium starts when you gain PR or unconditional registration. check the recent regulations- someone here will likely chime in if i am incorrect.

2) while you are subject to the moratorium you will have to work either in a DWS or in a public hospital. there are exemptions for public hospitals. they may be only in certain area. im not the best to respond as i am a PR and have thus forgot many of those regulations that now no longer apply to me.

however, after the moratorium period is over (10/5) you can then work anywhere in australian and get medicare rebates. no regulations!

if u dont work in dws or public hospital (there are exemptions for public hospitals), you cannot get an exemption to get a provider number. for patients to get subsidized healthcare through medicare, their providers must have a provider number. if you do not have a provider number, they will have to pay you full fee with no prospect of have the government reimburse them for any part of your fees (as you are ineligible without a provider number). because of this, patients are unlikely to seek your services because they can see another doctor for considerably less money.

i invite others to respond and clarify any misinformation i may have provided. i do not claim to be an expert in these matters.

 

[b3aver]

Thanks for your reply jaketheory.
I was thinking that while waiting for the AMC clinical exam after passing MCQ part, I would work in DWS so I could earn money at least for my living cost. Is it possible? or I couldn't work anywhere in Australia if I don't hold full registration? how about conditional registration?

I'm still a little bit confused about medicare rebates. I understand that as long as I work in DWS, then I will be exempted to get a provider number, as long as I have
provider number then I'm eligible to receive medicare rebates right? Or do I have to finish my moratorium period first or anything to be eligible to receive medicare rebates?

 

[jaketheory]

b3saver, if you dont hold full registration you will have to apply for conditional registration. with conditional registration, you will have to work in an area of need. states define where areas of need are whilst the fed govt define where districts of work force shortage are. so, no, you will not be able to work anywhere prior to gaining full registration.

to get medicare rebates you will need a medicare number and under the medicare act of xxxx (or whatever its called) international med graduates are not eligible for a medicare number for ten years after gaining full registration. however, you can be exempted from this requirement by working in a district of workforce shortage (during the 10 year moratorium). thus, as long as you work in a dws, you will be able to recieve rebates during the moratorium.

i think you are not exempted from getting a medicare provider number, rather you are exempted from having to wait out the 10 year moratorium to get your number. i know img's working in public hospitals during their moratorium period do get a number because i know one that has confirmed to me he had to get one to to work there, so i think this is how it works.

 

[sharonwatever]

hi ,,.I just want to know more about the moratorium?!. and what do you mean that you have to work either in a DWS or in a public hospital??!...so you don't to choose the public hospital? (like do you get to choose your own location) or do they assigned for you??
sorry,..I'm new to this,!..

 

[redshifteffect]

hi ,,.I just want to know more about the moratorium?!. and what do you mean that you have to work either in a DWS or in a public hospital??!...so you don't to choose the public hospital? (like do you get to choose your own location) or do they assigned for you??
sorry,..I'm new to this,!..

There is a thread about the moratorium that explains the information you are looking for. Of course you choose the public hospital, provided you get a job in one that is. No one assigns you anything.

 

[pitman]

hi b3aver,

your ten years towards the moratorium starts when you gain PR or unconditional registration. check the recent regulations- someone here will likely chime in if i am incorrect.

From July 1, the Moratorium will start when you get unconditional registration.

if u dont work in dws or public hospital (there are exemptions for public hospitals), you cannot get an exemption to get a provider number.

I looked more into this to see how docs under the moratorium with full registration were working in Areas of Need - basically, if your job location isn't in a DWS, the employer can apply for an exemption to the DWS requirement. Apparently (in Qld), if the job is an Area of Need, then that request gets rubber-stamped. If it's not, then it gets considered but the odds are lower.

 

[pitman]

to get medicare rebates you will need a medicare number and under the medicare act of xxxx (or whatever its called) international med graduates are not eligible for a medicare number for ten years after gaining full registration. however, you can be exempted from this requirement by working in a district of workforce shortage (during the 10 year moratorium). thus, as long as you work in a dws, you will be able to recieve rebates during the moratorium.

Just to clarify for the newbies - the original legislation refers to 10 years, but from July 1 of this year in practice it'll be the `5-10 Year Moratorium` (depending on how rural you are).

i think you are not exempted from getting a medicare provider number, rather you are exempted from having to wait out the 10 year moratorium to get your number.

The exemption is to the restriction from getting a provider number. So if you are exempted (e.g., in a training program, in a DWS, etc.), you are able to get a provider number. You need exemptions for the period of your moratorium (5-10 years from unconditional registration) in order to receive medicare $$ as per jaketheory's discussion above.

 

[b3aver]

I looked more into this to see how docs under the moratorium with full registration were working in Areas of Need - basically, if your job location isn't in a DWS, the employer can apply for an exemption to the DWS requirement...

Really? that's new information for me

Just to clarify for the newbies - the original legislation refers to 10 years, but from July 1 of this year in practice it'll be the `5-10 Year Moratorium` (depending on how rural you are).

5 year moratorium (5 year scheme) only applies if you work in a place (rural area of course) eligible for the scheme. The scheme purpose is to reduce 10 year moratorium to 3-5 years. There are many places in each territory eligible for the scheme, you can search it.

The problem is, I don't know which town I should look into first for my future workplace (it's because I've never gone to Australia). Do you have any suggestion which town is quite nice and have decent population number? and, how's life as a doctor there?

 

[pitman]

5 year moratorium (5 year scheme) only applies if you work in a place (rural area of course) eligible for the scheme.

That's what I said. All of Australia is newly designated a remoteness score (RA 1-5), and if you practice in the most remote area (RA 5), the moratorium gets reduced to 5 years. 6yrs if RA 4, 7 if 3, and 9 if 2. There's no other eligibility requirement (assuming you've picked a DWS or have been approved for an exemption).

The scheme purpose is to reduce 10 year moratorium to 3-5 years.

I haven't seen any policy saying down to 3 years (certainly post a reference if you've seen one!), but down to 5. See for example: http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/publishing.nsf/Content/program-otd-factsheet