Short-term training

The Short-term Training in a Medical Specialty Pathway enables an IMG who is an overseas-qualified specialist or an overseas specialist-in-training to undertake short-term training in Australia without being required to complete the AMC examinations or to have a full comparability assessment undertaken by RACS. In general, ‘short-term’ is usually up to 24 months.

To ascertain whether the IMG is a suitable applicant to undertake a short-term position/program, and to ensure hospitals offering such positions/programs provide IMGs with:

• an appropriate scope of work
• adequate clinical and academic supervision and
• a designated supervisor,

it is essential that the employer/sponsor and/or institution has assessed and verified that the applicant:

• is an overseas-trained specialist or is an overseas specialist-in-training, having either passed the relevant specialist examinations or is no more than two years from completing specialist training in their country of training;
• will be undertaking this position (which may include such opportunities as exchange fellowships) for the purpose of specific training or upskilling in their specialty or obtaining experience in their specialty not available in their country of training;
• has the stated intention of returning to their country of training at the end of the short-term program, which shall not be for a period of longer than two years.

It is not expected that the training will lead to the awarding of an Australian Specialist Fellowship.

The Special Purpose Pathway is for International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who intend working in New Zealand for a fixed period of time for a specific purpose.