Application processing times
An unprecedented number of applications received by the Board in May and June will result in longer processing times for some applications. The Medical Board and Queensland Health Area Health Services have an escalation process in place which ensures applications for critical positions are processed with priority. General practitioner applications are still being processed within normal timelines.
This Pathway allows international medical graduates who have obtained qualifications from authorities who are not presently on the Australian Medical Council (AMC) Competent Authority list, to apply for Special Purpose registration in Queensland in a non-specialist position.
To be eligible to apply for Special Purpose registration through the Standard (Non Specialist) Pathway you must hold a primary medical qualification recognised by the World Health Organisation and International Medical Education Directory (IMED), which was obtained outside Australia or New Zealand.
You can apply for Special Purpose registration only if you:
Exemptions:
Doctors seeking short term registration (five weeks or less) are exempt from the requirements of the Standard (Non Specialist) pathway.
IMPORTANTThere are four categories of Special Purpose registration for which you can apply under the Standard (Non Specialist) pathway:
Supervised training to prepare for clinical examination - s133
Enables you to undertake Board-approved supervised training to prepare for the clinical examination conducted by the Australian Medical Council
Medical teaching or research - s134
Enables you to engage in medical teaching or research
Practice in area of need - s135
Enables you 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.
Practice in the public interest - s137
Enables a person to practise the profession for a particular purpose if deemed to be in the public interest; for example an urgent need for specialised expertise.
The steps to General registration via the Standard (Non Specialist) Pathway are illustrated below.
New applications for Special Purpose registration lodged before 1 July 2008 and approved by the Board on or after 1 July 2008, must show evidence of successfully completing the AMC MCQ within the first 12 months of registration.
If you are looking for a position in general practice, the Board has developed a Self Assessment Guide for General Practice (
77k) to help you identify the type of position to which you are best suited.
If you 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 Health Workforce Queensland or the Australian Association of Medical Recruitment Agencies (AAMRA) for other positions.
More information is available on our Working in Queensland page.
To apply for Special Purpose registration under the Standard (Non Specialist) Pathway, you must complete the following and submit to the Board:
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