The training job opportunities have almost dried up recently for overseas trained doctors as a result of increased medical school graduates coming out each year in Australia.
More than ten thousand medical student graduates applied for training positions across various specialty training positions in Australia. There are not enough training positions available for all the applicants but majority of them were successful in obtaining employment in hospitals with training positions.
The Australian Medical Association Medical workforce and Training summit that took place in March 2018 made serious recommendations in order to tackle future work force needs in healthcare while simultaneously producing trained specialists to meet those needs.
The summit members voted in majority against opening any more new medical schools. The summit members also voted in overwhelming majority in favour of streamlined training positions for all the medical school graduates that would guarantee continued employment while ensuring service provision. This model is similar to Canadian training pathways for medical specialists where the medical school graduates continue their residency training immediately following the completion of internship training over a total training duration of around five years before completing their specialist training.
There is continuing reliance on International medical graduates for service provision of care to patients in underserviced areas in Australia which are mostly rural and remote areas.
The recent changes in work visas meant that international medical graduates with enough experience post internship will be employed in short term employment positions of up to two years and a maximum of four years with no option to apply for permanent settlement or further extension unless and until they move into a training position in that short term period. Once the doctor is employed by the hospital the immigration department of Australia would issue these doctors with a two year short term visa in order to allow the doctors to commence their employment in Australia. The employers usually provide guidance and help in securing the visa for the international medical graduates.
Rural and regional hospitals have started to advertise for employment positions targeting international medical graduates, Many doctors from Myanmar and Malaysia have started to apply for these positions in Australia.
The Queensland health recruitment portal for resident medical officers is now open. All the doctors including international medical graduates seeking positions in Australian hospitals should apply for employment through the RMO campaign link - https://www.health.qld.gov.au/employment/work-for-us/clinical/medical/recruitment/rmo
