RACS recognised the global and national workforce crisis and the need to be careful not to impose unnecessary barriers to International Medical Graduates (IMGs) whilst also exercising caution.
The key points of the RACS submission included:
- The proposal was sound as long as strong criteria are applied and reviewed regularly, and the supervision process is strengthened.
- MCNZ should continue to work closely with RACS and other colleges as this is introduced.
- The expedited pathway cannot be appropriately applied to all surgical specialties, for example in neurosurgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery, the risk of an expedited pathway is too high and often the training is too variable despite superficially appearing similar.
- We train approximately 15 general surgeons each year but half of these stay overseas after their fellowships as they are unable to gain employment in Aotearoa New Zealand, and ways to attract back our homegrown surgeons must be a higher priority than fast-tracking IMGs.
RACS asked for more detail of the three stages of the MCNZ process for Specialist IMGs.
- Ensuring the IMGs' experience and training is equivalent (under either the expedited process or the usual process where the specialist college provides a report on the individual candidate’s characteristics and suitability to do the job).
- Providing supervision and support to ensure the individual IMG is confirmed suitable for and able to integrate into the hospital and community in Aotearoa New Zealand; to include training in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, unconscious bias, and meeting the needs of the Accident Compensation Corporation and Health and Disability Commission.
- Identifying those IMGs who are not suitable and enabling them to be exited from the Aotearoa New Zealand healthcare system.
The fast track registration pathway became effective for anaesthesia, dermatology, emergency medicine, general practice, internal medicine, pathology (anatomical) and psychiatry on 1 November 2024.