Registering to work as a GP in Australia
Registering to work as a GP in Australia - Making light work of the process...
Registering to work can be a complex and bureaucratic process, but we will guide you step by step all the way!
Registering to work as a GP in Australia
In order to work as a GP in Australia, you will need first to be registered with the appropriate medical bodies.
We offer you a snapshot below of the process of registering to work as a GP in Australia, but would be very happy to chat with you to discuss the process in depth as it relates to your education, experience and plans for working as a GP in Australia.
We aim to make the process of registering to work as a GP in Australia a straightforward and streamlined process.
Essentially, as a UK or Irish trained with MRCGP or MICGP by examination, you will qualify for specialist recognition in Australia and be eligible to receive Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP). You will not, however receive RACGP upon successfully completing the registration process but will be given Provisional Registration and placed on the Practice Experience Program (PEP) Specialist Stream. PEP is a programme of training and supervision which you will undertake at your practice in Australia. The programme will last about 6 months, it will not be onerous, but it will provide you with invaluable assistance in settling into the Australian system. Once you satisfactorily complete PEP, you will be granted FRACGP.
If you did not receive you MRCGP by examination in the UK, or an equivalent recognised qualification from another country, you will be required to undergo a more lengthy process and take various examinations. If you are in this position, please talk with us and we will guide you as to what options are open to you.
The whole process will take 6 to 9 months to complete, excluding the PEP stage, and will cost in the region of $15,000AUD or around £7,500GBP, depending on the exchange rate at the time.
Talk to us today about your plans for Australia and for more information on the process…
Steps to getting registration
Step 01
Get your qualifications verified with EPIC, the international verifying body, open an account with the Australian Medical Council (AMC), and find a job in Australia. On average this will take about 6 weeks.
Step 02
Apply to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) which body will assess your qualifications and grant you Provisional Registration. You will need a job offer to apply, as the RACGP will assess your qualifications and determine the scope of your PEP programme for you i carrying out this job. This will take approximately 3 months.
Step 03
Apply to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). There are many parts to this process but principally, they will check your qualifications and your fitness to practice, register you to practice, and issue you with a registration number. You will use this number to apply to Medicare, the government funded health insurance scheme, for a Provider Number which then enables you to start billing Medicare for consultations. This will take approximately 2 months.
Step 04
Complete the PEP programme, designed specifically for you, at your practice. On the successful completion of this, you will be awarded full fellowship - FRACGP.
