Finding a job

Not all vacancies may be filled with an overseas trained doctor (OTD). Most OTDs are not able to immediately obtain full Australian medical registration. This means that they must work in an Area of Need position. Before applying for a position, please complete the Checklist for OTDs to gain a better understanding of the kind of vacancies for which you may be eligible.

Additionally, if an OTD wants to be able to treat private patients, the position must also be in a District of Workforce Shortage. The information under What you need to know will help you to better understand employment requirements when working as an OTD in Australia.

There are many sources of employment information for OTDs in Australia. Following are some suggestions and contact information, although this list is by no means exhaustive.

If you would like help in locating a suitable job, you could contact one of the Medical recruitment agencies for assistance.

As a general rule, doctors seeking public hospital positions (including specialist positions) or internships should contact the State and Territory Health Departments.

For general practice (GP/family physician) vacancies in rural Australia, try the State or Territory Rural Workforce Agencies. The Divisions of General Practice may also be able to help you find GP positions.

Additionally, the DoctorVacancy website has been developed by the Department to list medical practitioner job vacancies across Australia.

Other employment information sources include medical journals, Specialist College websites and newspapers. You may also like to use a search engine on the Internet and use the following keywords in your search: medical vacancies Australia or medical jobs Australia

If your skill base is both broad and deep, you may like to consider working for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS). One of the most elite medical organisations in the world, the RFDS is for doctors of great skill and experience who can cope with all kinds of medical situations---from running primary healthcare clinics and phone/radio consultations, through to births and emergency surgery. Definitely for those with a sense of adventure!