Specialist assessment pathway

Purpose

To allow Overseas Trained Specialists (OTS) to:

undertake training
practise in a position and/or location which has been declared an area of need
engage in medical teaching or research in a specialist capacity.

Eligibility

To be eligible to register through the Specialist pathway you must have provided your specialist qualifications from outside Australia or New Zealand to the Australian Medical Council (AMC) for assessment by the relevant specialist college in Australia. This assessment will consider whether your qualifications, skills and experience are suitable to the specific position you seek to fill. Please visit the AMC website for further details.

There are five categories of Special Purpose registration available for overseas trained specialists. Please refer to the table below to choose the category under which you should apply.

Specialists-in-Training - Post Graduate Study or Training - s132
Enables applicants to be registered if they have been designated as a specialist-in-training by the appropriate specialist college. (See below for further information)
Medical teaching or research (deemed specialist) - s134 & 143A
Enables applicants to engage in medical teaching or research, in a specialist capacity.
Practice in area of need (deemed specialist) - s135 & 143A
Enables applicants to practise in an identified area of need (i.e. an area or position designated by the Minister for Health as having insufficient registered medical practitioners to meet local demand), in a specialist capacity.
General Practice - Practice in Area of Need (RACGP 5 year program) - s135
Enables applicants accepted into the Royal Australian College of General practitioners 5-year program (Categories 1 and 2), to apply for Specialist registration
Study or training to obtain a qualification in a specialty - s136
Enables applicants with a specialist qualification obtained overseas to undertake study/training to obtain a prescribed Australian qualification in a specialty.

CRITERIA FOR SPECIALISTS-IN-TRAINING s132:

A specialist-in-training must meet the following criteria as set by the specialist college:

Must be a recognised specialist or specialist-in-training in their country of training. Specialists-in-training comprise of those who have passed specialist examinations and/or are no more than two years from completing specialist training in their country of training.
Undertake training or obtain experience not available in their country of training, for up to one year. In exceptional circumstances this can be extended to two years, and includes opportunities such as exchange fellowships.
Plan to return to their country of training at the end of training in Australia.
Provide comprehensive documentation concerning the training program, the nominated supervisor and evidence that the training program is appropriate for the applicant’s prior training and experience.
Not disadvantage an Australian trainee if selected to fill a position.

Please click on the link below for the information on how to apply to the respective specialist college before applying to the Board for registration.

Specialist-in-training Assessment

Looking for a Position

If you are a qualified medical practitioner who meets the requirements for practice in an area of need and are looking for positions currently available in the public hospital system, you can make your search through Queensland Health's Currently Advertised Positions. You could also search the Australian Association of Medical Recruitment Agencies (AAMRA) for other positions.

More information is available on our Working in Queensland page.

How to apply

To apply for special purpose registration under the Specialist Pathway, you must complete the following and submit to the Board:

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