AMC pathways information
The Australian Medical Council (AMC) assesses international medical graduates who want to practise medicine in Australia. The assessment process follows one of four different pathways:
- Competent authority pathway
- Standard Pathway (AMC Examination)
- Standard Pathway (workplace based assessment)
- Specialist assessment (full comparability / Area of Need)
The AMC also offers a service to the Australian state and territory medical boards to conduct primary source verification of the primary medical degrees of international medical graduates wishing to register with the boards.
Competent authority pathway
In July 2006, the Council of Australian Governments (a meeting of Australia’s national, state and territory leaders) announced a new national process to assess international medical graduates.
The competent authority pathway is for international medical graduates applying for non-specialist positions who have completed specified training and assessment through approved overseas competent authorities. Such graduates are eligible to apply for advanced standing towards the AMC Certificate. A person granted advanced standing is not required to sit the AMC MCQ or clinical examinations, but must to undertake a workplace-based assessment while working under supervision.
Standard Pathway (AMC Examination)
The AMC administers national examinations of overseas-trained medical practitioners who want to practice medicine in Australia.
The AMC examinations are designed to assess the medical knowledge and clinical skills of overseas trained doctors whose basic medical qualifications are not recognized by state and territory medical boards; that is, doctors trained in medical schools that have not been formally reviewed and accredited by the AMC.
The examinations are set at the level of attainment of medical knowledge, clinical skills and attitudes required of newly qualified graduates of Australian medical schools who are about to begin intern training.
The AMC examinations consist of two sections: a multiple choice question (MCQ) examination and a clinical examination:
- The MCQ examination is a test of the principles and practice of medicine in the fields of general practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and obstetrics and gynaecology. The examination is administered by computer and is in two parts (a morning session and an afternoon session held on the same day), each three and a half hours long. Each part contains 150 questions.
The MCQ examination focuses on essential medical knowledge involving understanding of the disease process, clinical examination, diagnosis, investigation, therapy and management, as well as on the candidate’s ability to exercise discrimination, judgement and reasoning in distinguishing between the correct diagnosis and plausible alternatives.
- The clinical examination evaluates clinical competence in medical knowledge, clinical skills and professional attitudes for the safe and effective clinical practice of medicine in the Australian community. The clinical examination is in the form of a multi-station structured clinical assessment of clinical skills. Disciplines covered include medicine and surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics and psychiatry. Candidates are scheduled for a single morning or afternoon examination.
The clinical examination also assesses the candidates capacity to communicate with patients, their families and other health workers.
The examinations are designed as a comprehensive test of medical knowledge, clinical competency and performance. Both are multidisciplinary and integrated.
The range of topics covered is based on the clinical curricula of Australian medical schools, with an emphasis on conditions that are common in the Australian community. The AMC’s Board of Examiners ensures that the format and content of the examinations are consistent with undergraduate medical courses and the standard of examinations in Australian medical schools. Members of the Board have broad expertise over the full range of disciplines covered in the AMC and medical school examinations.
Standard Pathway (Workplace-based Assessment)
The Standard (Workplace-Based Performance Assessment) pathway is intended for international medical graduates who are not eligible for the Competent Authority or Specialist pathways. When fully implemented, this will be an alternate pathway to the Standard pathway (AMC Clinical Examination). It is intended that IMGs who have obtained qualifications from authorities that are currently not designated as a Competent Authority. Applicants will be required to complete evidence of English Language Proficiency, primary source verification of medical qualifications, a screening MCQ examination and possibly a pre-employment assessment, followed by further assessment in line with either the Standard pathway (Workplace-based Performance Assessment) or the Standard pathway (AMC Examinations).
The Australian Medical Council Interim Accreditation Committee has developed guidelines for accreditation for Workplace-Based Assessment. Feedback on the guidelines for Workplace-Based Assessment is currently being received, prior to requests for Authorities to submit applications for accreditation early in 2009. To date there are no Authorities accredited for workplace-based assessment. Until workplace-based assessment is implemented, international medical graduates have the option to complete the AMC Clinical Examination to gain the AMC certificate which entitles the IMG to seek general registration
Specialist pathway
Specialist medical training and practice in Australia arose from the model of postgraduate advanced clinical training developed in the United Kingdom. National specialist medical colleges set the standards of training and coordinate the training, education and examination of medical specialists in Australia. The areas of medical practice assessed by the specialist colleges
Australian Recognised Medical Specialties. The list includes those organisations, specialties and qualifications that are recognised and approved by the Australian Minister for Health and Ageing.
Applicants for specialist assessment are expected to have satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practise in their field of specialty in their country of training. The standard applied to the assessment of overseas trained specialists is the standard required for admission to the relevant specialist medical college as a Fellow. From January 2009, applicants must also demonstrate evidence of English Language Proficiency prior to assessment by the relevant specialist medical college. Where components of the college’s examination and assessment procedures are applied, they are the same as, or derived from, those that apply to local specialist trainees.
Area of need specialist pathway
From June 2002, arrangements have been introduced to fast-track the processing of applications from overseas-trained specialists, whose primary medical qualifications are not recognised in Australia, for assessment for area of need specialist positions.
The documentation requirements and arrangements for processing area of need applications are broadly similar to those for applications through the standard AMC/specialist medical college pathway for overseas-trained specialists. However, there are some differences because of the need to process area of need applications rapidly and in parallel with the assessing college.
If you are considering applying for the AMCs area of need specialist pathway, you should note carefully the requirements and the steps involved.
Before your application can be processed, you must have been selected by an employer as suitable for consideration for appointment to a designated area of need specialist position.
Details of the position must be provided on the Attachment to Application for Assessment as Area of Need Specialist Form at the time the employer lodges the required documentation on your behalf.
Full details of the arrangements are set out in the Users Guide Assessment Process for Area of Need Specialists.
The guide includes a flow chart of the steps involved in the process (pages ii and iii), and suggestions to make processing faster. The guide outlines the documentation requirements and gives contact details for each of the bodies involved in assessment and registration.
Application forms for assessment as an area of need specialist are available on request to the AMC, or from website.