specialization for foreign graduates

[qxqxq]

Hi,
This year I've finished a medical school in Poland and in three months I begin my internship after which I'll receive a full registration at my countrie's medical council. However, I'm taking into consideration moving abroad to do the specialization (gastroenterology) and one of the places I'm thinking about is Australia. Is anyone familiar with all the formalities that I would have to cope with to achieve that? Will it be even possible to start a specialization or do I have to undergo the Australian 2-year interniship despite having finished one at my homecountry? I know that I would have to take IELTS but apart from that I know squat about it. I would be very grateful for any help possible

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[Maevlyn]

Hi there

Finish your internship in Poland and during this time sit the AMC MCQ exam. One you have passed this apply for the AMC clinical exam (which can take up to 3 years depending on your MCQ scores). You can often apply for a job as a Junior house officer (JHO) after you have completed your MCQ and you can prepare for the clinical exam in Australia while you work (which is a good way to do it because you get to know the system). Make sure you get the following rotations in your first year which will grant you general registration with the Australian medical board (medicine, surgery and emergency). This is in fact another internship and it will take you about a year to get it all done. Be careful because the employing hospitals often bank on the fact that foreign doctors don't know about the rotations and can therefore keep you hanging for years waiting for the right rotations for registration (I've seen this happen). Surgery is often a really hard rotation to get.

Once you get all this done you can apply to the general medicine basic training program which is relatively easy to get into but the exams are hard. Once you complete 3 years as a basic trainee and have passed the written and clinical exams you can apply for subspeciality training such as gastroenterology which takes another 3 years and is known as advanced training.

So the whole process takes minimum 7 years given you pass everything first time. Specialists from other countries are often forced to do the AMC exams and rotations as well which is really hard for them because you have to work as a junior in these rotations including a pay cut even though they had been working as a principle house officer in Australia.

I'm going through the process myself and this is what I've learned. Hope it helps
Best of luck

 

[qxqxq]

Thank you so much for such a thorough email, Maevlyn! I really lost my hope that someone would reply. If you don't mind, I would like to clarify other things with you, ok?

So if I understand you well, this 2 year internship period that I've heard about is just a period when I have to do all the rotations after passing MCQ and before passing AMC clinical exam? What do you mean that everything depends on my MCQ score? Is it just a matter of "pass and fail" or only people with best scores from MCQ get to try the clinical exam?

I checked the AMC MCQ website (if anyone is interested - http://www.amc.org.au/index.php/ass/catex/mcq-auth ) and it is written there that first you need to apply for authorisation to AMC (which by the way costs AUD 2,100.). The good news is that the exam takes place almost every two months so it's easy to fit it in your schedule.

Also Maevlyn, how soon does one need to apply for a post at the hospital as JHO? Are there any specific dates or you just send your CV to the head of the department anytime during the year? (I've been looking through application processes in many European countries and trust me - the differences are huge when it comes to this, especially with the time limits).

Finally, as a person who is going through the process herself, what are the salaries (will I be able to support myself as JHO on my own?) and is it very difficult to find a post as JHO when you are a foreigner?

I was also wondering about one last thing. I'm taking into consideration going to Ireland, too and from what I've read many doctors in Ireland work there till they reach the stage of the Senior House Officer and then transfer to ... Australia. Do you have any idea if I did it that way, would I still have to take MCQ and do all the rotations?

Sorry for all the questions, hope that you'll be patient with me.