Where Can You Practice with a UK MBBS? ( Australia )

Australia offers pathways for international medical graduates (IMGs) to become licensed. A UK medical degree is highly regarded, and there are two main routes to practice in Australia:

Competent Authority Pathway (CAP):
The Competent Authority Pathway is a streamlined route that recognizes certain countries’ training as equivalent. The UK is one of these recognized systems. If you completed your primary medical qualification in the UK and a year of supervised training (e.g. UK Foundation Year), you may be eligible for this pathway. Key points of the CAP route for UK graduates:

You should have GMC registration and at least 12 months of post-grad clinical experience (such as FY1). (In practice, many UK graduates use this after finishing FY1 or FY2).

You will need to have your credentials verified by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and apply to the Medical Board of Australia for the CAP. This involves paperwork and proving good standing.

No AMC exams are required under this pathway. You bypass the usual AMC Part 1 (MCQ) and Part 2 (clinical) exams.

Once accepted, you can obtain provisional registration in Australia and must work under supervision (often as a hospital resident) for about 12 months. After one year of satisfactory supervised practice in an Australian hospital, you become eligible for full general registration in Australia.

Standard Pathway (AMC Exams):

If you are not eligible for the Competent Authority route (for instance, if you have no UK postgraduate experience or did not complete internship), you can pursue the standard pathway. This entails:

Passing the AMC Part 1 MCQ exam (a written test on medical knowledge).

Passing the AMC Part 2 Clinical Examination or completing an approved Workplace Based Assessment. These assess clinical skills.

After passing these, you would need to do a period of supervised practice in Australia (often similar to an internship year) before getting general registration.

The standard pathway is essentially Australia’s version of a licensing exam route for IMGs. UK graduates who haven’t done an internship (FY1) may need to do this. However, note that

UK graduates who have finished at least FY1 often choose the Competent Authority Pathway to avoid these exams.

Summary:

Australia welcomes UK-trained doctors. Many use the Competent Authority Pathway to skip the AMC exams and quickly start working under supervision. You’ll need to arrange an Australian job offer and appropriate visa. After a year of work and meeting supervision requirements, you can obtain full Australian registration.