Forecasted Oversupply of 7000 Doctors in Australia by 2030

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Yeah,I understand that rural specialisation is a little different from hospital ones. So,I was wondering if it was possible to go through this pathway(since most internationals are required to go through rural) and transit to mainland hospitals? In short,are rural specialty transferrable to mainland hospitals or are we supposed to take up a new fellowship if we transit there?

Sounds quite depressing if rural GP skill sets are non-transferrable~

Not really, at least not to my knowledge.
Maybe at a regional site, on the peripheries of a city. But not at tertiary site no.

To clarify - you wouldn't be able to 'practice' as an obstetrician suddenly at a tertiary hospital after being a rural GP-Obstetrician - it's not the same thing. But you may be able to have some privileges at a regional site, working alongside or under fully qualified obstetricians. as an illustration. Again, a GP obstetrician for example, can offer the basics, but once things get complex, you have to refer. The length of training is not the same in this regard, not to mention you're being geared for different things. You could be a city GP later that sees the uncomplicated pregnancies in clinic.

The rural generalist skillsets and training is there for the purpose of helping you work with limited resources in sometimes a more geographically isolated setting. regardless, anythign complex will get shipped out to a tertiary centre. It's a good career, if you're able to cope with the challenges.

I'm not entirely sure what you're getting at.

Where are you from again?

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The main specialty that one can specialise in is GP under the rural healthcare framework,which is transferrable even after you leave rural,as you mentioned above.I was just curious about the specialisation options available = the more options to specialise in different fields,the merrier.

Then again,I do not mind settling for rural GP,only time can tell when I enter medical school.

I am from Sg,if you are referring to the country that I am from. Though my country has guaranteed internship,but progression to specialisation is pathetic for my country,as IMGs are treated as second-rate doctors. Full registration is required for residency training,which takes 2 years on paper,but ends up 3-4 years in many cases. And the work conditions are rather unfavorable,there is little protection for doctors' rights here. 80-100h work week,till you complete residency. Most of my friends currently studying medicine in Australia,are not very keen on returning home.
 
I don't know what you mean by 'mainland' hospitals, but rural generalist procedural skills are meant for non-metropolitcan hospitals, and no, a year, say, of anaesthetics, O&G, or ED is not meant to be enough to practice independently as seniors in such hospitals (you'd be considered to be at the registrar level). Generally speaking, proceduralists work in hospitals smaller than those found in regional centres, where there are extreme shortages. In practice this does not have to mean 'remote' -- many of these are within an hour of a regional centre, or about two hours from a metro centre.

Having said that, the line is grey. I have a former classmate who did a year of anaesthetics as part of his GP training to obtain the JCCA credentialling, and then spent a year as a senior medical officer in anaesthetics at Mackay Hospital (a regional centre in Qld) due to shortages there. He should be considered a rare exception though.

As to ED or general medicine, I work independently in rural hospitals of 30-60 beds that have shortages. The larger hospitals where I work (e.g., Dubbo) I am essentially treated like a senior registrar (just paid more, since I'm a locum). However my relative independence is a result of time and experience alone. Formal generalist procedural accreditation in ED by contrast is simply a way to bypass some of the time I've spent building a CV doing similar work. In the future, it is likely that more hospitals will require formal credentialling or fellowship (specialty or GP) to work independently in ED (while for O&G or anaesthetics work outside of ED, the year of formal procedural training is now the only practical way for GPs to become credentialled in those areas).
 
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Seems to me that unless I am directed towards becoming a GP,I will probably not accept my position working as a rural healthcare practitioner.

I definitely prefer the wider spectrum of options for residency,working in metropolitan hospitals,if opportunity provides.
 
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I was frightened by oversupply.

Getting straight to the point I've just finished intership in Ireland as a EU citizen from Lithuania and thinking about career path in Australia. Are there any possibilities to apply via competent authority pathway and skip AMC exams? Or may I finish core surgical training and try then?
 
That's nice. Good for you :D
Thumbs up. Congratulations.

Getting straight to the point:
I would strongly advise going to CP's thread: US doctor moving to Australia. other posters in there have asked the exact same questions as you have just now. CP was an IMG to Australia from the US. With very sound and specific advice, at least have a read and ask questions there.

I can't help you - I'm not an IMG to Australia. So whatever you know is as much as I know about applying to Australia as an IMG.
 
I'm confident that if there are any moves to decrease int'l docs, it will be done without destroying the int'l med student market, i.e., there could be additional hurdles for FMGs to come to Australia, but if you train here there will be a route to staying (so long as you get an internship job).

Similarly, the Commonwealth internship spots were funded for political reasons, to keep alive the prospects for the bulk of int'l students. I don't foresee the govt defunding those, either.

Do you know when the CMI funding will cease? I have read conflicting statements.
 
Do you know when the CMI funding will cease? I have read conflicting statements.
I stand by this:
I don't foresee the govt defunding those, either.

I think what you've heard is talk about standard 4-yearly review of funding. People for some reason think the risk of defunding is raised significantly just because there's a mandated review. It's certainly the *time* that defunding would be decided, but as I've said, I don't anticipate that. It'd be politically stupid, and not something that would come out of the blue.
 
Do you know when the CMI funding will cease? I have read conflicting statements.
No idea. I'm not willing to make bets or predictions on this either.

It's never been announced as something permanent.
But on the flip side, has been renewed so far.

Spaces are up to as much as 10 million AUD worth of internships will buy.

Similarly, no idea whether they'll expand the number of spaces. eligibility is restricted - so you must be full fee paying 4 years on shore (so UQ ochsner, Monash Malaysia or IMU students are not eligible).

Addit: Long story short, I would still recommend having a back up plan. Multiple back up plans. Don't put all your eggs in one basket kind of idea. Whenever there's the notion of no job guarantee, have a way out for the worst case scenario. Also, success isn't about talking or dreaming about it. It's working hard, putting in the effort.
 
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