What you need to know

Most overseas trained doctors (OTDs) are required to work in an Area of Need position because they often cannot immediately obtain full Australian medical registration. Full medical registration allows a doctor to work unsupervised/independently anywhere in Australia in their field of practise.

It is important to remember that if you have conditional medical registration in Australia, you must keep to the conditions of medical registration for an approved Area of Need position or risk losing your registration (and potentially your visa). Medical registration is usually directly linked to the position for which you were employed and you cannot simply change jobs.

Please note: This does not apply to specialists whose only condition of registration is their field of practise and who can therefore work unsupervised/independently.

Additionally, if you intend working as a general practitioner (GP/family physician) or as a specialist who treats private patients, the position must be in a District of Workforce Shortage.

GPs may like to consider the 5 Year Overseas Trained Doctor Scheme, which can potentially shorten the time required to become eligible for an unrestricted Medicare provider number.

If you have an interest in undertaking supervised postgraduate training in an Australian hospital, the information on postgraduate or occupational trainees under the Training and education section of DoctorConnect should be of interest. Information is available about the Occupational Trainee visa from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.