Data in this table covers the period from 1 January 2014 to 30 June 2014 when the specialist assessment process was administered through the AMC. From 1 July 2014 the assessment process was administered directly by the individual specialist colleges and reported to the MBA/AHPRA.
Source: The Australian Medical Council administrative data, 2015
Table 5.7b: Specialist assessment process by medical specialty, 1 July 2014 – 31 December 2014
Medical specialty
Number of applications to college
Substantially comparable
Partially comparable
Not comparable
Withdrawn
Number of applications
Proportion of total
(%)
Adult medicine
54
30
7
9
9
54
8.5
Anaesthesia
35
8
10
4
0
35
5.5
Dermatology
10
1
4
3
0
10
1.6
Emergency medicine
16
0
6
3
2
16
2.5
General practice
186
114
31
6
63
186
29.2
Intensive care medicine
5
0
0
1
6
5
0.8
Medical administration
1
0
0
1
0
1
0.2
Obstetrics and gynaecology
33
4
2
4
4
33
5.2
Occupational and environmental medicine
2
1
0
0
0
2
0.3
Ophthalmology
9
1
4
4
0
9
1.4
Paediatrics and child health
16
3
5
8
10
16
2.5
Palliative medicine
3
4
0
0
0
3
0.5
Pathology
10
1
8
3
0
10
1.6
Psychiatry
118
40
35
6
0
118
18.5
Public health medicine
2
1
0
0
1
2
0.3
Radiology
81
3
46
6
2
81
12.7
Rehabilitation medicine
0
0
0
0
1
0
0.0
Sexual health medicine
1
2
0
0
0
1
0.2
Sport and exercise medicine
2
0
2
0
0
2
0.3
Surgery
53
6
12
24
6
53
8.3
Total
637
219
172
82
104
637
100.0
Source: The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency administrative data, 2015
Table 5.8 presents data on the countries in which approved applicants were trained.
Three-quarters of all overseas trained specialists came from the United Kingdom and Ireland (436 or 76.4%). The next largest group was from New Zealand (40 or 7%). Two other cohorts of overseas trained specialists with qualifications substantially comparable to Australia came from India (24) and Canada (14).
Table 5.8: Substantially comparable specialist applications by country of training and medical speciality, 2014
Medical specialty(a)
Canada
India
New Zealand
South Africa
United Kingdom and Ireland
United States of America
Other(b)
Total
Proportion of total
(%)
Adult medicine
0
7
0
1
16
0
12
36
6.3
Anaesthesia
0
5
0
1
11
0
6
23
4.0
Dermatology
0
2
0
1
0
0
2
5
0.9
Emergency medicine
1
0
0
0
5
2
0
8
1.4
General practice
9
0
40
0
360
0
1
410
71.8
Obstetrics and gynaecology
1
2
0
0
9
0
8
20
3.5
Ophthalmology
0
0
0
1
3
0
0
4
0.7
Paediatrics and child health
0
1
0
2
14
3
2
22
3.9
Psychiatry
0
4
0
0
3
0
7
14
2.5
Public health medicine
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0.2
Radiology
1
1
0
1
8
0
2
13
2.3
Sexual health medicine
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
4
0.7
Surgery
2
2
0
0
2
0
5
11
1.9
Total
14
24
40
7
436
5
45
571
100.0
Data in this table covers the period 1 January 2014 to 30 June 2014 when the specialist assessment process was administered through the AMC. From 1 July 2014, the assessment process was administered directly by the individual specialist colleges and reported to the MBA/AHPRA.
Other includes: Argentina, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Sri Lanka and Sweden.
Source: The Australian Medical Council administrative data, 2015
Area of Need Specialist Assessment
Overseas trained specialists applying for an Area of Need assessment must also have completed all training requirements and be recognised as a specialist in their country of training. When assessing applicants for suitability for Area of Need positions, if the IMG requests, medical colleges will determine at the same time (or soon thereafter) what is required to meet standards for fellowship.
An Area of Need applicant is always assessed against a position description. This allows an overseas trained specialist to work in a designated specialty position, provided conditions imposed by the Medical Board of Australia are met. The position description together with the qualifications, training and experience of the applicant will determine the level of risk and the level of supervision or further assessment required.
Specified Specialist Training
Applicants who wish to enter Australia for specified specialist training will require registration by the Medical Board of Australia (through the medical boards in each state and territory) following advice from the relevant specialist medical college. This limited registration allows applicants to undertake training or to obtain experience in Australia not available in their country of training for a short period (normally up to two years), but can in exceptional circumstances be extended to three years. The MBA refers to this as short term training (specialists-in-training).
