Australasian College of Surgeons

IMPORTANT NOTICE

• Applicants wishing to apply to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons will be required to download the attached checklist. Please ensure that all information required by the College is included in the application which will be forwarded to the AMC.

• The AMC is unable to provide advice on matters relating to an individual's specialist qualifications, training or experience without completion of a formal assessment through the agreed procedures that are outlined in this website.

• Inquiries on matters relating to the training, examination or other requirements of the Australian or Australasian Specialist Medical Colleges should be directed to the College concerned (see links). The AMC is not in a position to provide information on these matters.

• The AMC is not involved in matters relating to the issuing of visas or migration to Australia. Inquiries should be directed to the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (see www.dimia.gov.au).

• The AMC is not involved in matters relating to the employment or remuneration of doctors in Australia. Further information on these matters may be available from State and Territory health departments.

• The AMC does not process applications for postgraduate or specialist training in Australia. Further information on these matters may be available from the relevant Specialist Medical College (see links).

Specialist Practice in Australia

Specialist medical training and practice in Australia historically arose from the model of postgraduate advanced clinical training developed in the United Kingdom. National Specialist Medical Colleges set the standards of training and coordinate the training, education and examination of medical specialists in Australia. The areas of medical practice assessed by the Specialist Colleges in Australia are set out in Table 1.

The Standards for Specialist Assessment

Applicants for specialist assessment will be expected to have satisfied all the training and examination requirements to practise in their field of specialty in their country of training. The standard applied to the assessment of overseas trained specialists will be the same standard required for admission to the relevant Specialist Medical College as a Fellow. Where components of the Specialist Medical College examination and assessment procedures are applied, they will be the same components or derived from the same examination components that apply to local specialist trainees.

Eligibility for Specialist Assessment

To be eligible for assessment as a specialist you must:

• hold a primary degree in medicine and surgery issued by a medical school listed in the WHO publication World Directory of Medical Schools, , the International Medical Education Directory (IMED) of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), or other publications approved by the Council. (Degrees in traditional Chinese medicine and the Degree of Doctor of Osteopathy (awarded in the USA) are not recognised as primary qualifications for the purposes of specialist assessment); AND

• have completed formal postgraduate training in one of the fields of specialist medical practice recognised in Australia
  

Please Note: The AMC does not require applicants for specialist assessment to have permanent resident status or to hold Australian or New Zealand Citizenship.

The AMC reserves the right to verify the authenticity of formal qualifications directly with the awarding institution or through recognised international agencies, such as the International Credentials Services of the United States Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (EICS).
Procedures for Assessment of Overseas Specialist Qualifications
Persons Holding Fellowship with an Australian Specialist College

If you hold a Fellowship of an Australian or Australasian Specialist Medical College in a recognised field of specialisation, you may apply direct to the relevant State or Territory Medical Board for conditional registration. Click here for information on registration categories.
Overseas Trained Specialists who don't hold a Fellowship of an Australian Specialist College.
The procedures are:

1. Complete and return to the AMC the Preliminary Application Form & fee.
2. The AMC will send you a copy of the current Information Booklet for Applicants and the application forms.
3. Return the application forms, assessment fee and required documentation to the AMC for determination of your eligibility to present for specialist assessment. If you are eligible, and the documentation provided meets the requirements, the AMC will forward your documentation to the assessing College.
4. The College will assess your application. You will need to pay the College's interview/assessment fee directly to the College.
   Applicants for assessment by the Adult Medicine Division or the Paediatrics and Child Health Division of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians will be required by the College to complete an Application Form for an Overseas Trained Physician/Paediatrician Seeking Assessment by The Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
5. On completion of the College assessment, the AMC will advise you and the Medical Boards of the outcome of the assessment.

If you are currently living overseas it is in your own interest not to leave your country before the AMC has confirmed your eligibility to have your specialist qualifications assessed and the assessment has been completed.
College Assessment Procedures
The assessment procedures will follow the formal assessment program of the relevant Specialist College as applied to local trainees. The assessment procedures may include the following components:

• Initial assessment of documentary evidence of specialist training overseas and relevant experience, including a review of log books, etc;
• A formal interview;
• Part I or Primary Examination of the relevant College (or a modified examination based on the Part I Examination);
• Further Specialist Training;
• Part II (Membership or Fellowship) Examination (or a modified examination based on the Part II Examination).

Most Colleges require applicants to present for an examination as part of the assessment process (examination requirements are summarised in Table 2). Experience with the assessment of overseas specialist qualifications confirms that many overseas trained doctors will require Advanced Specialist Training to meet the standards required for specialist practice in Australia.

Specialists (following initial assessment by a College), may be registered by Medical Registration Boards which have indicated that they will, in general, provide restricted registration for up to two years to complete supervised specialist practice, where it has been specified by a College for full registration. Where longer periods are specified, the applicant would be required to pass the AMC Examination.
The purpose of the AMC/Specialist Medical College assessment procedure is to determine equivalence of training and qualifications of overseas trained specialists with Australian trained specialists, with a view to establishing their eligibility to apply for (conditional) registration in Australia. However, while applicants may complete a College's requirements for specialist recognition for registration to practise in Australia, they may not be eligible to apply for election to Fellowship of the College without meeting further requirements of the College, such as, for example, some form of bridging training or experience. Further information should be sought from the relevant College.
College Requires Further Training
After its initial assessment, the College may require you to undergo further training and/or examinations. Most State Medical Boards will consider giving registration for up to a two year period. If the College directs you to complete more than two years of further training, the Medical Boards may require you to complete the AMC examinations and obtain the AMC Certificate to gain unconditional registration in Australia.
There are limited numbers of advanced training positions in Australia, and these are subject to open competition with Australian specialist trainees.
NOTE: The Colleges' assessment requirements and procedures may be changed at any time.
Click Here to complete the steps in the Application Process.
r Assessment of Specialist Medical Qualifications in Australia