Filipino Doctors planning to practice in Australia

acel · April 2018

hi pinoyrmtmd: I"m currently residing in south australia and wanting to help my brother to come and practice here in oz like you guys. I'am currently practicing as a clinical pharmacist in one of the gov't hospital here. At the moment we are just researching on the steps to do initially to apply standard pathway. My brother is an IM specialist still in the Philippines. I would like to ask if he needs to take PTE/OET first before applying for assessment and MCQ exams? Thank you heaps in advance .

sleepyhead · April 2018

@Nadine Hi! I would like to ask if I can take OET instead of IELTS for the english proficiency requirement? Thanks for the very informative and helpful posts.

_maldita_ · April 2018

Hello! sorry ngayon lang ako ulit nakapaglog in sa forum. just to give a bit of background about myself, I was working as a resident in a hospital in South Australia last year and then I moved back to Sydney to work in another hospital this year.

@nathan0816 Hi, internship (PGY1 = postgraduate year 1) here are for local graduates and interns need to have AHPRA registration. for us IMGs, they expect us to already have completed our internship overseas because the hospitals offer at least a PGY2 position to IMGs and AHPRA needs to have evidence of completion of internship when you apply for registration. hope this helps.

_maldita_ · April 2018

@mjoymd888 hi, I would suggest that you take the amc part 1 muna sa pinas, you don't have to come to Oz for part 1 and you would only need a visitor/business visa if you will be taking the part 2 exam kasi sa Melbourne lang sya available. once you get a job offer, the hospital can sponsor your visa.

_maldita_ · April 2018

@micsibulo hi, I don't think they recognise USMLE

_maldita_ · April 2018

@Jared_bianca hi, you can take the amc part 1 exam in SG and then you can just apply for a visitor/business visa for part 2

_maldita_ · April 2018

freshMD said:
hello po @_maldita_ and @Nadine

tanong ko lang po..

1. from the day na nagstart po kau mag review for AMC exams until the time na nakakuha na po kau ng full registration.. mga how long did it take u po? like years po ba?
2. after passing amc part 1 po.. as i have read from your previous posts, maghahanap po ng employer to sponsor the visa.. what kind of employment po ito? GP po ba? enough po ba yung salary to be able to save for the fees for the next steps sa process ng pagkuha ng registration
3. lastly po, do they accept filipinos for residency training there in australia? do i need to attain full registration first before i can apply for residency? what are my chances po in getting accepted in a residency program po sa aus?

Hello

yung timeline varies for every person, meron na nakakatapos ng both part 1 and 2 in the same year, iba part 1 muna then will clear amc part 2 the following year which is my case then I got a job offer 6 months after clearing part 2. clinics that employ GPs and hospitals that employ resident medical officers can sponsor a working visa. salary is enough to pay for the fees. they accept Filipinos/IMGs for training (they call it registrar here, medical officers not in training are called residents) but one of the requirements is a full registration. hope this helps

_maldita_ · April 2018

@Mnanie

Mnanie said:
@maldita hello po doc, tanong ko lng po, pano po mg apply ng employer sponsorshipwhen tour based in the philippines? Is it possible online or do i have to get a tourist visa and look for hospitals or gp clinic that could sponsor me? Thank u

hello, you can apply online and then they do phone or skype interviews from pinas

_maldita_ · April 2018

@jermiony

hi, you don't need a Philippine physician license to apply for amc and AHPRA registration but you need to have completed your internship to apply for AHPRA registration

_maldita_ · April 2018

jaydot1989 said:
Hi everyone. I am a newly licensed GP here in Phils. I would like to ask the ff., if its okay po:

1. How long did it take you to start the 2 exams (MCQ and Clinical) and finish them?

2. How long did it take you to complete the entire process, and got your Full registration po?

3. Would u approve that I would apply now, or do I need to acquire a couple of years experience first?

4. Would it also be advisable that I would apply now, or after Specialization nalng po?

Thank u so much for your time! God bless

hi, I cleared my part 2 a year after clearing part 1. it can take around 2-3 years, reviewing for both exams then applying for jobs and then doing 1 year of rotation on a limited/provisional registration before getting a full registration. you need a minimum of 1 year internship experience sa pinas but if you want to increase your chances of getting a job, it is advisable to work a few more years. I would personally suggest that you apply as soon as possible even after 1 year of internship experience if you are after a hospital job.

_maldita_ · April 2018

@bellatrix

hi, I just applied online, just register at seek.com.au then search for medical officer jobs or general practitioner jobs or google:

-queensland health
-Tasmania health
-NSW health
-northern territory health
-western Australia health
-Victoria health

all the best! tyaga lang po sa pag apply

_maldita_ · April 2018

@acel hi, he doesn't have to take the English test before taking the amc exams. he can take it after part 2 exams when he applies for jobs or if he plans to apply for jobs after taking part 1 he can take it earlier

_maldita_ · April 2018

@sleepyhead

hi the following English proficiency tests are acceptable: IELTS, OET, PTE

medseek26 · May 2018

Hello, i am working as medical pfficer in sg. I have passed amc part 1 since 4 yrs ago. I did not proveed to part 2 as i concentrated on my job here in sg but need long term plans now.. before i was having difficulty po on how to try luck kung me mg aacept from australia hospital based work with amc part 1 lng.. i am self reviewing for part 2 but also holing n me easier chance to work in australia without getting the amc part 2 yet.. could you advice me po n wer to apply as basically hospital un experience ko and anu credentials po needed to be assessed ng ecfmg or iecs for successful registrayion s ahpra.. thank you

ssendood · May 2018

Hello docs @_maldita_ @pinoyrmtmd @Nadine and everyone, im asking on behalf of a doctor friend. She's currently a pedia resident on her senior year. She's keen on going to Australia for at least a short term training and/or fellowship. I hope you can advise on how best to prepare and apply. Dapat daw kasi may makuha muna na program before visa stuff but confusing on when how where to start. Initial searches led to RACP and the accredited training sites that eventually require to apply on aphra and/or the matching site (ATSM). Which pediatric hospitals would you know that offer training programs? Appreciate your thoughts on how to get things going. Thank you very much in advance.

_maldita_ · May 2018

@medseek26 hello, there are still hospitals that employ IMGs with only part 1, so just keep on applying and at the same time try to clear part 2 as soon as you can as you have higher chances of getting a job with an amc certificate. apply to public hospitals, they have centralised recruitment here which they call campaign and they usually open applications for the next clinical year (start every February) during this time, May - July. just google the name of the state that you want to apply for + health and it will show you the website for online application. I'm not sure how amc conducts ecfmg verication nowadays, but when I applied for one before through amc, ecfmg sent a letter to my university requesting for verification of my credentials and then we had to follow up with my university if they have sent the verification to ecfmg. hope this helps.

_maldita_ · May 2018

@ssendood hello, is your friend planning to practice in Australia or in the Philippines? If she's only after a fellowship training and will be going back to the Philippines to practice, she needs to find first a hospital that will accept her in a training program and directly contact them. Maybe she could try Children's Hospital in each state. If she plans to practice here in Australia she can either go through the specialist pathway or the standard pathway.

janin · May 2018

Hello @_matilda_ what if the school im currently enrolled in is not recognized by the AMC? Will I be able to take the AMC assesment? Also, what are the criteria and/or process for a school to be recognized by the AMC? Thank you!

_maldita_ · May 2018

@janin hello, as per AMC website: "IMGs who have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by the AMC is eligible to apply for assessment under this pathway." You can check whether your university is on their list of recognised institutions through their website: https://www.amc.org.au/assessment/list-of-medical-schools

With regards to the criteria for being recognized, I'm not sure what it is, but you can check if they have this on the ECFMG website https://www.ecfmg.org/resources/publications.html#ib

hope this helps!

angel05.959 · June 2018

Hi. Im a relatively new GP working at a private hospital for more than 6 months now and I am planning to work in Australia since my boyfriend already is a PR there in Melbourne. I already finished all the initial requirements and I am already eligible to take the MCQ exam.

Im currently processing my Visa but I have a few questions:
1. Any tips or advice on studying for the exam? I plan to self study since the review school rates in Australia are very expensive
2. How long did you prepare for the exam?
3. On what aspect did you focus ur study?
4. Is the medical practice there alot different from the ones we are used to here?

Thank you very much

_maldita_ · June 2018

@angel05.959 hello,
1. You can read through the purple book and blue book (AMC MCQ handbook of clinical questions) first so that you'll have an idea about the topics that usually come out in the exam. Then read about theses topics in John Murtagh, red book (can be downloaded for free at the RACGP website), and the oxford handbook of clinical medicine. You can also refer to the RCH website for guidelines on management of paediatric patients.
2. I think, on the average, IMGs take 2-3 months to prepare for this exam.
3. I mainly focused on the topics in the purple book and blue book
4. I haven't worked that long in the Philippines but I think the practice and the system here is quite different. The good thing is that the hospitals provide adequate supervision for junior doctors and access to clinical practice guidelines.

I hope other pinoy IMGs can provide further tips, especially those who have recently finished their MCQ exams.

QueenAlexa7 · July 2018

hi im new in this forum. it seems that its been more than a year since the last time anyone has logged in . hehe.i may be wrong.. say we have cleared all the steps ,,..as kababayan, i'd like to ask, saan bang part pinaka okey mag practice? good salary and good working relations, environment, pwedeng may anak etc... for short ,Mommy with young family.

_maldita_ · July 2018

@QueenAlexa7 hi, welcome to pinoyau forum. Most moms with young families would prefer to work as a GP in clinics rather than work as a medical officer in hospitals which requires shift work. GPs who work in rural areas usually earn more than those who practice in the city. Hope this helps.

ricrn · July 2018

hi Doctor's good day, I just want to ask if anyone here have tried applying for PR using skill select? is our MD considered 20 points in the education part? (doctorate) thank you

sleepyhead · July 2018

@_maldita_ thank you so much

mjoymd888 · August 2018

@_maldita_ thank you very much

fely · August 2018

@_maldita_ thank you so much for all this info.

I am a junior intern working in Manila this year. I'm graduating in July 2019. My boyfriend is based in Australia and I'm interested in working there. I think I have two options, but I'm undecided which one is better:

Option 1 - go to Australia and try to get registration immediately after graduation in July 2019. That means no senior internship in Philippines and therefore no registration.

Pros: faster to registration in Australia. Faster to earn money.

Cons: too soon? Will I find the registration process in Australia harder without senior internship experience?

Option 2 - go to Australia after senior internship and registration in Philippines (around July 2020)

Pros: more experience to help with reg process in Australia. Will also possess registration in Philippines.

Cons: delays Australia move by one extra year. Delays income.

Have I missed anything in my options above? Anything else I should consider, or does anyone have any recommendations for me in my situation?

elainetalusan · August 2018

Hi! Thank you for all the informative inputs here!
My question is how much would you estimate is the financial investment for us to sustainably practice as GP in australia?
What are the expenses we have to get ready for aside from the exam fees? Like plane ticket, lodging, etc. Thank you so much!

fely · August 2018

@elainetalusan plane tickets are AU$600-1000 return.

Rent is around 400-550 per week for an inner city 1-2 bedroom apartment in one of the capitals.

You'd need to budget a temporary place (pay per night) while finding an apartment. If you're not maarte you could find a low end place or Airbnb room for maybe $80 per night until you find an apartment. A 3-4 star hotel would cost 100-180 per night. You might need 2-4 weeks in the temporary place.

Of course if you're sharing an apartment (e.g. with a partner or flatmate) then costs will roughly halve accordingly.

Australia is an expensive country, but there are options to economise and live efficiently. It's never going to be as cheap as Philippines no matter how much you economise though. So you need a decent budget with contingency. However once you are practicing and earning in AUD the salaries are accordingly high.

I don't know much about regional costs, only city costs. All prices in AUD.

handogMD · September 2018

Good day doctors. I will be taking the PLE this 2019. Afterwards, I plan on preparing for the Australian Medical Exam. I plan on doing moonlighting while preparing for the exams. Can you give me a rough estimate of the cost of the entire process? From Step 1 (MCQ) to Step 2 (Clinicals)? I plan on attending a review center (AMEX Review Center in Quezon City) to help me prepare for the Step 1.
Also, do you think I would have a good chance of landing a job in Australia even if I have limited experience (just the post-graduate internship and moonlighting)? I am interested in pursuing residency there.

Thank you very much.