Hello, and welcome to the series of our guideline videos for healthcare professionals. This video is the continuation of couple of videos, where we discussed factors for Australia, as most preferred jobbing destination for healthcare professionals in the world, and different available pathways used for a prosperous future in Australia. We have added the link of these videos here, as well as in the description section. In this video, we will be discussing about competent authority pathway, specially the eligibility criteria for the countries declared eligible, due to their similar healthcare system to Australia. Also, application process for competent authority pathway, which may require you to sit for PESCI exam.
This is Dr. Muhammad from interface medical education, and I will try to discuss competent pathway in detail. So, keep watching this video till the end. I am sure that you will be able to understand many things related to this pathway, specially its eligibility criteria, and application process. Before starting this video, we would also like to invite you to watch many of our videos, made for healthcare professionals. I will request you guys to subscribe to our channel, hit the bell icon, to enjoy more of such informative videos in future, and of course, if you like this video then, do not hesitate to hit the Like button, and send us your valuable comments. So, let’s get started now. What is competent authority pathway? This is comparatively is the mostly used pathway due to its ease as well as its cost effectiveness for IMGs, international medical graduates, who are junior or non specialist doctors or GPs, who have passed and work for a certain period of time in that authorized or competent country. Australia has declared 5 countries as competent or authorized countries having somehow equivalent healthcare system to Austria. These approved competent countries have their own licensing exam, which include passing PLAB 1 as well as PLAB part 2 of GMC UK. For Canada, the required passing exam is LMCC. For USA, one is required to pass all steps of ECFMG USMLE, which includes step 1, 2 and 3. Beside USMLE, national board of osteopathic medical examiners, COMLEX USA is also there. For New Zealand, it is NZREX which is Medical council of New Zealand. For Ireland, it is medical council of Ireland, which includes graduates of medical courses in Ireland accredited by the medical council of Ireland. Passing any of the above approved countries’ licensing exam’s component does not automatically allow you to apply via competent pathway, but additionally one must also need to fulfill experience component in that country. Like after passing UK PLAB, one must complete foundation year 1 in the UK or 12 months supervised training or internship in the UK. For Canada, after passing LMCC exam, one must complete postgraduate education or residency training in Canada, and this period of practice can be undertaken as part of the LMCC or separately. After passing ECFMG USMLE exams or National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) licensing exam, one must complete atleast two years of graduate medical education within a residency program accredited by the Accreditation council for Graduate Medical Education. For USA again, there is another rather less known exam component which is Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination, COMLEX USA. Passing level 1 and Level 2 of Cognitive Evaluation, and Level 2 of Performance Evaluation, as well as and Level 3 exam, plus successful completion of a minimum of two years of graduate medical education within a residency program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and, or by the American Osteopathic Association. For New Zealand, after passing New Zealand registration examination and successfully completing of the required rotating internship which is accredited by the MCNZ. For Ireland, after passing graduate of a program of basic medical education and training accredited and approved by MCI, and successfully completing an internship in Ireland. For those candidates who have post examination or post training experience in different competent authority then their licensing exam’s competent authority, then any such experience must be approved by the competent authority of the country in which it was completed. Like, after passing LMCC licensing of Canada, If one pursue 12 months supervised training in the UK, then the experience component must be approved by the GMC UK, not by the medical council of Canada. Being an international medical graduate, IMG. Once, the candidate is eligible for competent authority pathway through meeting Medical board of Australia approved competent authorities, as we discussed earlier in this video, then he or she must apply to Australian medical council for primary source verification, PSV, of their qualifications. Beside this PSV, one is required to set an AMC portfolio online. We have separately discussed this EPIC verification process by ECFMG, and AMC portfolio in detail, in another of our video. You can find the link of that video here, as well as in the description section.
Secondly, candidate is required to have an employment offer from Australia. You can find a job in either Hospital system or general practice. For general practice, one is required to have three years of full time working experience in general practice. For hospital system, it is for those who do not have any general practice experience, and need to work for a period of 12 months in different rotations. Like, for medicine and surgery, 8 weeks each, and for emergency medicine is for 10 weeks. After working for a year in the hospital system, a candidate may be eligible for general registration and will be able to work as general practitioner in Australia. Being an IMG, while applying for limited or provisional registration to work in general practice in Australia, you may be required to sit for PESCI, which is pre –employment structured clinical interview, designed to evaluate your skills and ability to practice safely and effectively in Australia. In most cases, IMGs are advised to apply for registration before a PESCI exam. However, if IMG meets the three years experience requirement in general practice or primary care, then application for registration can not be processed until a PESCI exam is arranged. IMGs, who are following specialist pathway do not need to sit for PESCI as they are assessed by the relevant specialist medical college. You can sit for PESCI with either Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, RACGP or Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, ACRRM. Once you have passed your PESCI, you can apply for registration with AHPRA. You must successfully meet certain criteria, such as; Current criminal history Successfully passing English proficiency test, such as IELTS, OET, TOEFL IBT, and PTE academic Recency of practice, and Professional indemnity insurance arrangements Being an IMG, you may be eligible to apply for general registration with AHPRA after completing 12 months, which is minimum of 47 weeks of full time service. That’s all from us for this video. Hopefully this video may have cleared different aspects as well as eligibility requirements of competent authority pathway for Australia, to be able to apply as a doctor there. Do not forget to watch many of our videos made for healthcare professionals. Hopefully, you may have liked this video, then, do not forget to hit the like button. Share, comment and subscribe to our channel. Have a good day, bye.