GP AUSTRALIA

The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) recognises general practice experience in Australia as being comparable to that in New Zealand for the purpose of training, this assists with registration, and if you are an Australian citizen you can live and work in New Zealand without a work permit.

The Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP) is recognised in Ireland, Hong Kong and Malaysia. However, some colleges require additional assessment prior to working in those countries. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is undertaking negotiations with several overseas Colleges for recognition of the FRACGP.

Australian medical recruiters often have overseas positions among their services, and can provide advice on the requirements in the locations where they offer opportunities.

Aid organisations

Médecins Sans Frontières, Red Cross and a myriad of other organisations need doctors to assist them with the emergency and ongoing work they do with communities in need around the world.

They may only require your Australian medical qualifications, but will often specify length and type of experience in the position you will fill. The following example is an explanation of Médecins Sans Frontières general requirements.

‘Requires at least two years’ professional experience… relates to the field position they would fill. Normally those qualified as specialists seek to work with Médecins Sans Frontières in the area of their specialty, in which case the requirement is for two years’ experience in that specialty.

However, occasionally, a specialist is willing to fill a more general position. For example, a neurosurgeon might be willing to work as a general surgeon on a field mission, or a paediatrician to fill a GP position. In such cases, the two years would relate to their more basic qualification. But the requirement is for recent experience. Someone who has worked as a specialist for many years may not, for example, have any recent experience as a GP.’

Médecins Sans Frontières also reports that the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners accredit time in the field with them to post graduate medical training, under certain situations and criteria.

International medical assistance organisations

These companies provide services to travellers and expatriates. Employment opportunities with them include working on teams recovering and repatriating patients to a medical facility or their home country, practicing in clinics which serve expatriate communities and medical leadership positions. They usually require full medical registration in your home country, levels of experience required depend on the position.