Australian medical Council

National examinations of medical practitioners trained outside Australia are administered by the Australian medical Council in order to determine the equivalents of the training and qualifications with Australian trained medical practitioners..

Overseas trained doctors whose basic or whose basic medical qualifications are not recognised in Australia undergo the AMC examination to assess their clinical schools and medical knowledge for registration purposes.

The standard of results attained in the AMC exam is intended to be the same as that required of newly qualified Australian medical graduates prior to commenting in turn training. Candidates for the AMC examination must also meet the English language proficiency requirement.  

The AMC examinations test medical knowledge, clinical competence, professional attitudes and performance.  Candidates must possess good medical knowledge which involves clear a clear understanding of the disease process, clinical examination, diagnosis, investigation, patient therapy and management.

Candidates for the AMC exams must demonstrate the ability to exercise discrimination, judgment, reasoning and communication.
There are two sections in the AMC exams.

1. The computer administered multiple-choice examination consisting of multiple-choice questions of (MCQ).  The AMC MCQ tests candidates in general practice, internal medicine, paediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology.  The AMC MCQ is conducted over one day, and is in two parts, each of three hours duration.  Each part consists of 125 questions.

2. The AMC Clinical examination covers medicine, surgery, obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics, and psychiatry.  The format of the AMC clinical exam can consists of a multistation assessment of candidates clinical skills and takes half a day.

Specialists

Medical specialists who have been trained overseas and have been recognised by Australian or Austral Ocean specialist medical colleges for registration to practice in their field of specialisation may be registered by the relevant Australian State and Territory medical boards to practice in Australia.

The Australian government placed medical practitioners on the skilled occupations list which means that applicants satisfying Australian State or Territory medical board requirements for general medical registration or conditional registration may practise as a specialist and do not require a sponsor to migrate to Australia.  For more information go to the website of the Department of immigration and multicultural and indigenous affairs at www.DIMIA.gov.au/migration/skilled/doctors/index.htm.

Overseas trained doctors whose primary medical qualifications do not have Australian recognition can gain general registration by:

  1. passing the AMC examination
  2. being awarded the AMC certificate
  3. completing a period of supervised training approved by a State or Territory medical board.

Overseas trained specialists with a primary medical qualification not recognised in Australia must:

  1. Have there training and qualifications assessed through AMC and specialist medical College assessment procedures
  2. have gained recognition as a specialist practitioner by the relevant College
  3. apply to a State or Territory medical board for conditional registration to practice in their field of specialisation.