Close
This information is for doctors who have an Australian or New Zealand primary medical qualification and overseas specialist qualifications who wish to return to Australia and apply for specialist registration.
If you have been awarded a primary medical qualification in Australia or New Zealand, and you have gained a specialist qualification overseas, you may seek specialist registration on return to Australia.
You cannot be registered as a specialist in Australia until you have been awarded a fellowship by an Australian Medical Council (AMC) accredited specialist medical college, or until you have been advised by the college that you have passed all the requirements for an approved qualification. See the list of AMC accredited specialist medical colleges on the Medical Board website.
International medical graduates have their specialist qualification assessed via the Specialist pathway. The Specialist pathway is for medical practitioners who are not qualified for general or specialist registration. Therefore, as doctors who have an Australian or New Zealand primary medical qualification are qualified for general registration they are not eligible to apply for assessment under the Specialist pathway. However, they still need to have a comparability assessment of their specialist qualification.
The Board’s information sheet outlines the process for an Australian or NZ medical graduate to have their overseas specialist qualification assessed. The assessment process is similar to the Specialist pathway. Australian and NZ graduates can apply for provisional or general registration to complete any college requirements.
Information about assessment by a specialist medical college is available on the relevant college’s website.
Information about primary source verification is available on the Australian Medical Council website.