by How to work as a Doctor in Australia. There are four pathways for IMGs to practice medicine in Australia: Standard pathway, Specialist pathway, Competent Authority pathway and Short-term Training in a medical specialty.
The suitable pathway for Nigerian-trained doctors is the standard pathway which requires a written examination and structured clinical examination of the Australian Medical Council or an approved workplace-based assessment program and 12 months of supervised practice in an approved position. The process will take 18 to 24 months to complete and is capital-intensive.
Nigerian-trained specialist physicians may be able to practice medicine in Australia through the specialist pathway, however, there are limited slots and they need to meet the eligibility criteria.
For Nigerian-trained Family physicians, there is a standard pathway similar to the specialist pathway, it requires you to take the Australian Medical Council 1 examination and then do a college assessment, a test of English.
Steps to Work as a Doctor in Australia from Nigeria
To practice medicine in Australia as a Nigerian-trained Doctor follow the steps below:
- Primary source verification and opening of Australian Medical Council account
Primary source verification of primary medical degree by the Australian Medical Council (AMC). The AMC verifies credentials through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)/Electronic Portfolio of International Credentials (EPIC).
Canada, the UK, Australia, Kuwait and other countries also use the ECFMG/ EPIC to verify the medical credentials of international medical graduates who want to practice medicine in their country.
After verifying your medical credentials with ECFMGEPIC and opening an account with the Australian Medical Council, you can now link the verified credentials to the Australian Medical Council account.
on verification of your medical credentials and linking the verified documents with your Australian Medical Council account you can apply for the AMC1 exam. The centres/locations to sit for the AMC1 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) exam can be seen on the AMC website.
2. Medical Registration
To work as a doctor in Australia from Nigeria via the Standard pathway, the applicant must pass the AMC1 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) examination before they can apply to the Board for registration. Nigerian-trained doctors who have passed the AMC1 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) exam can apply for limited registration.
3. Apply for Jobs
After passing the AMC1 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) exam, you will need to pass a test of English exam and do a college assessment. Armed with these three documents you can apply for jobs.
Once you secure a job you will be required to do a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI) (a pier-to-pier structured interview) to see if you can function in that role. If you pass the interview, you resume work as a doctor in Australia on a limited licence.
While on a limited licence, you can do the Australian Medical Council 2 examination to get a general licence or if you are a Family physician you can get a specialist qualification by writing a fellowship examination to get a specialist Licence either way you get a full license to practice
4. Limited registration
Nigerian-trained doctors and other international medical graduates(IMG) must pass the AMC1 Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Examination before applying to the Board for a limited licence. In addition, the IMG must have secured an employment offer in Australia.
