Key Takeaways

• Recognition of the Indian MD degree in Australia
• Registration process for an Indian specialist to work in Australia
• Specialist pathway process and requirement
• Cost of registration for an Indian MD and timeline
• Alternatives to the specialist pathway

Did you know that India produces nearly 35,000-40,000 medical postgraduates every year? The medical postgraduate study in India is a two-year course with multiple specialties. The competition for jobs after postgraduate studies and the low salaries have been a key factor in pushing Indian doctors to look for opportunities outside the country.

Medical Career in Australia for India Doctors

Australia has long been the hotspot for Indian doctors to grow their medical careers. The country provides opportunities for career growth, cutting-edge technologies, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and high salaries.

For medical graduates who pursue an MD after the MBBS, the path to Australia is slightly different.

International candidates with a specialist degree also need to be evaluated before they can enter the Australian workforce.

Role of the Australian Medical Council

The Australian Medical Council has set the standard for medical education in Australia. It is tasked with assessing the IMGs’ competency against set criteria. This ensures that the standard of the Australian healthcare system is maintained.

For MDs from India who want to practice in Australia, AMC is the body they have to go through.

Although AMC does not directly organize the assessment for specialists, it is through the AMC portal that candidates can schedule different types of skill assessments.

Is the Indian MD Degree Accepted in Australia?

The Indian MD degree that candidates pursue after finishing their MBBS course is essentially a specialist degree. Australia does not directly recognize the Indian MD degree. This means, with an Indian MD degree, candidates will not be able to practice in Australia.

Instead, the candidates are allowed to register for the skill assessment. After they clear the assessment, they can then apply for registration.

The most common pathway that an Indian MD/MS holder can take for skill assessment is the Specialist Pathway.

Let’s talk more about the pathways.

Also Check: Australian Medical Council Exam Course

Skill Assessment Pathway for Indian MDs

The Australian Medical Council exams are the most common assessment exams that are taken by IMGs who want to practice in Australia. But this exam is for candidates who have a primary medical degree.

For an MBBS degree holder, the skill assessment pathway is the Standard Pathway. Through this, they will take the AMC exams. Based on the results of both exams, they can be eligible to register.

For specialists international medical graduates (SIMGs), or people who have an MD/MS degree, the pathway is the Specialist Pathway.

Specialist Pathway: The assessment through this pathway is conducted by the specialist medical colleges in the field. Before this, your degree is assessed for being comparable to the equivalent degree in Australia.

The initial steps are similar to the Standard pathway, with AMC account creation and Primary source verification.

Let’s look at the process of SIMGs registration through the Specialist Pathway.

There are a few points to note:

• If the candidate is found not comparable in the initial assessment report of the specialist medical college, they would need to select another pathway for registration. This is mostly the standard pathway.
• In such a case, the registration process will be restarted, but the verification need not be done again.
• The skill assessment does not happen through the MAC, but through the specialist medical college. AMC only supports the verification and application process.
• Provisional registration is only for candidates from the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. Indian candidates have to go for the limited registration.
• Limited registration is essential in completing the supervised work period. Candidates won’t be allowed to practice without it.
• This pathway will get the candidate a specialist registration with the MedBA.

There are two other ways to get registration under the specialist pathway:

1. Expedited Specialist Pathway Registration: This is for selected specialties listed by the MedBA.

• Anaesthesia
• General practice
• Psychiatry
• Obstetrics and gynaecology

If a candidate has a specialization in any of these subjects, they are eligible for expedited specialist registration.

In this case, there is a supervised 6-month work in a specialty medical college, after successful completion of which the candidate can apply for specialist registration.

2. Specialist Pathway- Area of Need: This does not lead to a specialist registration. This is a way for candidates to enter the workforce in a specialist-level position. They are provided with a provisional or limited registration, which requires annual renewal. The area of need is decided by the state health authority.

Specialist Registration Process: Fees and Timeline

The process of getting a specialist registration can vary widely, depending on the candidate and the requirements.

The verification process for the documents takes anywhere between 4-6 weeks. It also might extend in case of incorrect or missing documents.

The assessment from the specialist medical college can take up to 18 weeks.

The supervised practice itself can be 12-24 months long.

In total, specialist registration can take 18-30 months to complete, from document verification to getting the license.

Apart from this, the assessment fees for a specialist medical college vary. It ranges from $2000 to $10,000.

AMC Exam for Indian MDs- Is it Required?

The AMC exam is usually for candidates who have selected the standard pathway for registration.

If the candidate does not pass the comparability assessment from the specialist medical college and is determined to be non-comparable, they can choose the standard pathway in such cases.

After this, the candidate will have to take the AMC exams.

To sum things up, Indian candidates who have done an MD after the MBBS course can apply for specialist registration in Australia. Although the Indian MD degree after MBBS is not recognized directly in Australia, it forms the basis for the specialist registration pathway.

The Australian Medical Council does not assess the candidates through the specialist pathway. This work is for the specialist medical college in the field relevant to the candidate’s degree.

Although the process of getting into Australia after MD as an Indian doctor can be long, it is very rewarding, with high returns.

You can reach out to the experts in the field of AMC exams, Academically, for any questions or doubts.