Medical Doctor - URGENTLY Needed.

[HarryVR]

GP required for a vibrant NSW river town. Barham is a dynamic place and I have lived here for the past 11 years. My practice was recently rocked by the death of a Colleague and now we need to attract a new GP. Great incentives a support from our local Council to the right candidate. An excellent opportunity to achieve a lot with very little effort.

Aussie doctors want to live in the hustle and bustle of the city.

I am looking to find a GP who enjoys country life, outdoor activities such as water skiing, wakeboarding, trail bike riding, fishing, golf, tennis,picnics with your kids in the great outdoors,hiking, cycling and many more leisure pursuits.

Anybody knowing of somebody interested, please contact me ASAP.

The Labour Government is closing the door for Overseas Trained Doctors as from 1st July this year, thus 2 month remain to make an application for registration, then it will be too late until who knows when ?

[Gizmo]

Boo (Korien) - have you seen this?

[boo]

Hi

I am a GP and my husband an I have been talking about getting permanent visas for Oz. I finished my training in 2000 and have full registration with GMC although I have never worked overseas. I did my internship at Tygerberg Hospital (Gine an Obs, peads, urology, ENT, neonatology), then did 6 months at a primary care fascillity and 2 months trauma at Grootte Schuur Hospital and 2 months Neurosurgery. Then I worked as a MO in Internal medicine at Karl Bremer Hospital, doing the calls for peads and then I became their staff doctor. In 2004 I started clinical trials and also started doing regular locums at one practice in Goodwood where I am currently nearly part of the furniture. I recently started clinical research in the field of Psyciatry which has been a great help for my GP work too. Oh, and I used to assist a very well-known Gine with his surgeries.

We have 2 young kids and my husband is an electronic/electrical engineer with a very good job in SA at the moment!!

What are the chances that I will ever be accepted as a doctor in Oz???

Who knows, maybe I am who you are looking for!!!

[sbhennops]

Hi Boo

With your background you should not have to many problems. I think the docs here from overseas are scanned, and those going to small towns are normally welcomed if they are up to standard. I lost both my GP's to OZ while still in SA, both were great GP's. With your Ginie and peads background a small town would be glad to have you. I would give it a go if I were you, small towns look after there Doc's as they are difficult to replace. Give it a go girl, you have nothing to loose.

Steph

[Pippa]

Dear Harry,

Thank you very much for notifying everyone ! I've forwarded your message (opportunity) onto people that I know in the medical field.

The Labour Government is closing the door for Overseas Trained Doctors as from 1st July this year, thus 2 month remain to make an application for registration, then it will be too late until who knows when ?

I've had no idea that the labour government is closing the doors on overseas trained doctors !!!

Regards,

Pippa! X

[HarryVR]

Dear Harry,

Thank you very much for notifying everyone ! I've forwarded your message (opportunity) onto people that I know in the medical field.

I've had no idea that the labour government is closing the doors on overseas trained doctors !!!

Regards,

Pippa! X

Hi Pippa,

I might have to explain the statement. The Government is not closing the door stating NO doctors may migrate. No, what they are doing from 1 July 2008 : any OTD (Overseas Trained Doctor) needs to first pass the MCQ of the AMC.

Until 30 June 2008, a doctor trained in RSA can still register and take up employment in Australia without meeting that requirement.

The problem with the AMC MCQ's is , they are offered in Australia twice a year and around that date in a few select centres around the world. The closest for RSA doctors would be Cairo, or else Australia. This process could add another A$20K and possibly 2-3 years to the process.

The AMC is pedantic and timelines are designed in such a way that a person can't apply for more than one examination at a time. Thus you can't sit the next MCQ, should you fail at the first attempt. You just need to look at the statistics page on their website to see what I mean by not passing first round.

I hope I have not caused too many panic attacks.

I am prepared to assist a doctor to meet that deadline as we have a very active local Shire Council. They labour diligently to help such a person and with their connection we can have the whole process finished by 30 June.

Cheers, Harry

[HarryVR]

Boo (Korien) - have you seen this?

Hi Gizmo,

I see you had your visa granted today !! Wooohooo !!

As the Aussies would say : Good onya!

What kind of work do you people intend doing in Australia ?

Cheers,

Harry

[milo]

Hi,

To confirm Harry's statement. We met with our agent on Tuesday re our last bit of visa paperwork. She also mentioned that the MODL/SOL list has changed.

Australia has taken GP and some other skills off the lists. Don't know when the cut-off date is though. (Will ask her to e-mail me the letter and then perhaps post it on the forum). They are only interested in doctors with specialist training.

Better you GP guys get your applications in ASAP!!!

[Gizmo]

Hi Gizmo,

I see you had your visa granted today !! Wooohooo !!

As the Aussies would say : Good onya!

What kind of work do you people intend doing in Australia ?

Cheers,

Harry

Hi there - I am so happy we finally have our Visa - feels like heaven!

I have degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and my husband is an Electronics Engineer.

Korien (Boo) is my best friend and her husband is my husbands boss- but also an excellent friend!

[HarryVR]

Dag Gizmo,

Ek skat jy praat dan sekerlik Afrikaans. Hartlik geluk en glo my julle sal sommer baie gelukkig hier in Australia wees.

EK is nou in my 12e jaar hier en dis vir ons home. Die laaste besoek aan Suid-Afrika het gevoel soos om 'n foreign country te besoek.

Waar beplan julle om heen te gaan in Aus?

Groetnis en alles van die beste,

Harry

[christine_brumfitt]

Hi everyone

This is all news to me - I'm a recent medical graduate - I graduated last year and decided not to do my internship in South Africa. I'll be writing the AMC MCQ exam in a couple of weeks - Its actually alot easier to write it now and there are far more than two MCQ times a year - its more like 5 or 6 with them adding more all the time. The decision to make all doctors write the MCQ's has been in the pipeline for a long time and is probably a good idea when you see some of the doctors there. Speaking English is a major problem. From speaking to people who have written the exam before this seems to be the only problem - apart fom it costing a small fortune of course. But once you have written the exam you are eligible for unconditional registration with the state medical board. This was my main reason for writing it straight out.

Dont be put off by the exams - they have very good textbooks are support and it is definately worth it!

Christine

[Gizmo]

Dag Gizmo,

Ek skat jy praat dan sekerlik Afrikaans. Hartlik geluk en glo my julle sal sommer baie gelukkig hier in Australia wees.

EK is nou in my 12e jaar hier en dis vir ons home. Die laaste besoek aan Suid-Afrika het gevoel soos om 'n foreign country te besoek.

Waar beplan julle om heen te gaan in Aus?

Groetnis en alles van die beste,

Harry

My Afrikaans is baie sleg. Ek is n Engelse meisie, maar ek sal probleer om in Afrikaans te antwoord.

Ons het nie besluit waar ons in Australia sal gaan nie. Dis belangrik vir ons werk te kry, maar ons het n twee-jaar oud meisie, en ek hou van die idee om buite die groot stede te woon.

OK - after all that poor grammar, I am going to give up! (Korien, you had better not be laughing at me! ).

What I am trying very unsuccessfully to say is that we are outdoor people and like the idea of open spaces. We would like our daughter to grow up with the same opportunities we had as kids - camping, horse-riding, hiking etc. As of yet, though, we haven't decided where to settle - since we have never been to Australia, we are open to all suggestions!

[HarryVR]

Christine,

Welcome to the news ! Welcome to the GP Workforce in Australia. Good luck with your Intern Year and what may await ahead.

I would gladly advise and give advice, but PLEASE , don't come mirking the waters. We are dealing with a serious issue here and something which is subject to a fairly strict timeline.

I shall attempt to provide you with some information you may not have come across / interpreted differently to how it actually exists.

I have been practising in Australia for 12 years and know the ropes. It certainly must be daunting for a new graduate who is about to embark on a career in a country foreign to them. I speak from experience.

Indeed you are in a totally different situation to the kind of GP I am looking for.

You don't qualify to migrate as a GP as you currently stand. You are not fully qualified as yet. Once your Intern year is completed, you require at least another 4 years post-graduate experience to qualify under the present arrangement.

You would thus have to take an alternate avenue. The person I am appealing to is a mature, experienced doctor who does qualify.

Taking the AMC route means you have to re-do an Intern year, BEFORE you will receive full registration. The people I am appealing to would be people much less inclined to want to re-do an Intern year, for several reasons. Family, financial etc.

It makes no difference to you, as you have no choice, you have to take the route of the AMC. You have no other option available to you at this time.

As you may note from my posts, I am alerting people to the fact of what the current situation is and what the situation would be after 1 July. Someone may have the opportunity and be eligible to meet the 30 June deadline, saving themselves a fair bit of heartache and money.

The suitable candidate would be eligible to IMMEDIATELY embark on the route of the RACGP, which once again you would not qualify for at this time. The RACGP route gives a person a post-graduate qualification i.e. FRACGP. The AMC Certificate is not a post-graduate qualification.

FRACGP gives a person Specialist Registration with the Medical Boards. The AMC gives you General registration.

FRACGP means Medicare pays the higher rebate, AMC means your patient gets the lower rebate.

FRACGP gives a person access to apply for a Permanent Resident Visa. AMC does not !

You will have to enter under a Student / Trainee visa, unless your parents have included you in their application / you have a significant other who is either Australian / qualifies for PR.

And in the end, if YOU plan on entering GP practice in Australia, you have no choice but do a Registrar Term with a General Practice. That takes another 3 years plus 2 exams, resulting in FRACGP.

You NEED FRACGP to gain PR if you are the applicant. I can go on and on, but would only bore other readers of this thread. These are all rules and regulations you will become familiar with as you move along your path. I'd hate to give it ALL away and spoil it for you !

I don' think you are likely to find any doctor qualified for a number of years, who would be keen on starting this whole process over again, if they have the option of an alternative.

As far as support and textbooks are concerned, yes everybody has access to fantastic textbooks.

Sadly you construe support with what YOU will experience in your Registrar Term. The whole issue of support in GP practice is different. You have just stepped out of medical school, having just completed your final year exams, thus the exam should not pose a great deal of difficulty for you at this point.

Try preparing yourself for an exam which is set at the level of a newly qualified graduate, while working full-time and attending to all your day-to-day responsibilities. I don't think so !

The reality of working and earning is different while attempting to prepare for an exam set at final year knowledge level.

You are young, carefree and adventurous. You have yet to learn the tricks of the trade. This thread does not relate to you at all !

Your bubble has yet to burst ! When it does and you have your feet firmly on earth, call me. It should take about 4-6 years. You ought to be fully fledged by then and we can have a great chuckle about this conversation.

Good luck.

Harry.

[boo]

(Korien, you had better not be laughing at me! ).

You know, I have told you many times before. I love your accent and I would never laugh at your grammer. Gosh, I can't be shy every time I talk to you!!