INFORMATION TO ASSIST INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL GRADUATES INTO RURAL GENERAL PRACTICE

Want to work in Australian General Practice?

General Practice in Australia provides primary, continuing, comprehensive whole person care to individuals, families, and communities and is generally not hospital based. International Medical Graduates (IMGs) wanting to work in Australian general practice must have current medical registration with the State Medical Practitioner Board, a current visa allowing them to work as a medical practitioner and a provider and prescriber number.

IMGs that do not have general registration through the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria are able to apply for a specific medical registration as a medical specialist (if vocationally registered) or under Area of Need.

GPs coming from overseas to work in Australia on a temporary basis need to apply for a 457 visa.

Australia currently has a moratorium of 10 years for OTDs wanting to access a provider numbers. Provider numbers are essential as they allow patients to access Medicare rebates and also allows the doctor to refer patients to specialists. Locations that are classified as an 'Area of Need' are able to access an exemption to the moratorium allowing an IMG affected by the moratorium to access a provider number.

West Vic Division of General Practice can assist you with the paper trail and has a great track record of assisting IMGs into rural Australian general practice on a temporary and permanent basis, having obtained over 30 permanent residency approvals for doctors and their families within the Division

Why West Vic Division?

The Central Western Victorian Region includes some of Victoria's most scenic and recreational locations. The terrain is diverse, from the mountains and foothills of the Grampians and Pyrenees Ranges to lakes and streams of the Wimmera and Western District Riverine systems to semi arid plains. Although predominantly made up of farming communities the region boasts a diversity of traditional and alternative horticultural and agricultural pursuits as well as mining, hospitality and other light industries. Viticulture is a growing industry, and many wineries have cellar door sales in picturesque settings.

The West Vic Division of General Practice has a wide range of positions available depending on your interests. There are solo, group, provincial, rural and remote practices that have vacancies; the Division is able to offer a position to suit your needs. The West Vic Division is highly skilled in the area of recruitment and retention. The Division’s aim is to ensure that GP trainees and doctors considering rural careers are matched to an area which best meet their interests and skills.

How is the role of RWAV different to the Division?

IMGs arriving in Victoria to work will be in contact with many organisations assisting with general practice workforce issues in rural areas. The two main organisations you will deal with are Divisions of General Practice and the Rural Workforce Agency of Victoria (RWAV).

This information has been developed to briefly explain the differences of the two organisations.

West Vic Division of General Practice is located in the central west of Victoria. Divisions are a GP organisation offering a wide range of services to members. Assisting with workforce issues is one of the priority services. West Vic Division has a case management approach in the area of recruitment and retention of GPs. The West Vic Division workforce staff has the expertise to provide support regarding the practice visit, paperwork, such as registration, visa, provider number and prescriber number and assistance to Fellowship with the RACGP.

RWAV is a State based organisation established to lead the development and support of sustainable general practice and other associated health services in rural Victoria to meet community needs. RWAV addresses the shortage of GPs in rural Victoria through a range of programs, including Rural Locum Relief Program (RLRP), Victorian Overseas Trained Doctors Rural Recruitment Scheme (VORRS) and working with medical students, Registrars, female GPs and other Australian-trained GPs. RWAV website http://www.rwav.com.au/

Resources

The Australian Federal Government - Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has developed a website called DoctorConnect which has a basic guide for IMGs, which identifies important information for doctors interested in working in Australia. This guide is a helpful first step in determining the most appropriate, general course of action that you may need to take to enter the Australian medical workforce. It is not intended to take the place of professional advice and is purely indicative.

The DoctorConnect website is now live and the official address is http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au.

The website has been designed to assist not only IMGs, but also employers and recruitment agencies to efficiently work their way through the various immigration, job search, registration, assessment, recognition and approval processes leading to entry to Australia and employment in the Australian medical workforce.

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