International Medical Graduate (IMG) pathway in Australia Q&A

Hello!

Australia is a multi-cultural country. We benefit from having health care workers from all over the world come be a part of our team here in Australia.

So I wanted to shed some light into how people who are IMGs come to Australia and their experience.

I interviewed my lovely colleague, Rasha, to help me answer some of the questions I had about IMG pathway.

Q1. Where did you graduate medical school? In which field did you used to work in in your home country?

• I graduated in 2012 From Babylon Medical College – Iraq
• I used to work in Nuclear Medicine Department, I was a trainee 

Q2. When and why did you consider working as a doctor in Australia?

• I started the standard pathway for IMG in Australia on June 2018 and completed all examinations by June 2019 , had my first job offer as a Doctor in July 2020 , so it is a lengthy journey but it was worth it 
• I realized that I have better chances to pursue my career plans in Australia as my options were limited in my home country 

Q3. What exams did you have to take to apply for jobs in Australia?

•  Australian Medical Council (AMC) 1 – MCQ
• AMC 2 – Clinical Exam 
• Occupational English Test (OET) – English Test

Q4. Did you find the examinations difficult? 

Yes, examinations were difficult but with hard work and dedication I managed to pass all of the exams on first go.

Q5. What were the cost involved? 

Roughly estimated cost for the whole journey was $20,000AUD.

Q6. What were some hurdles you faced in transferring to Australia?

Obtaining the visa

Q7. Did you find the job interviews different from what you were used to?

Yes, as the clinical presentations and the practice are different from what we deal with in terms of clinical cases back home.

Q8. How has working in Australia been? 

It has been a great experience so far, it is very rewarding in terms of scope of learning and the friendly environment.

Q9. Would you recommend it to any IMG considering working in Australia?

Yes , and I am already encouraging my family members and friends to consider taking the IMG pathway to be onboard.  

Summary

How did you find it?

This is a very brief Q&A with my friend covering some common questions regarding IMG pathway, nonetheless, I hope it was able to share some valuable information for those considering the IMG pathway or for those who work with these amazing doctors!