I would prefer to work in a large city like Sydney or Melbourne – is this possible?

Metropolitan cities have obvious appeal to everyone, including our own doctors in Australia. So the competition for positions in these locations is very high. If you intend working in Australia sooner rather than later, consider the possibilities and benefits of working in other coastal cities, regional towns, and rural areas. The world is getting smaller – metropolitan cities around the world are becoming so crowded and generic - have you noticed the same billboards and retail outlets wherever you go? Why not opt to experience the real Australia - wide open spaces and peaceful lifestyle of rural communities, classic Aussie pubs and stunning National Parks – where you will discover what a colourful country Australia really is.

Will the hospital where I have found a position reimburse me for airfares, visas or medical registration or any other outlays such as relocation expenses?

Hospitals will usually reimburse some of your travel or relocation expenses. This amount varies from hospital to hospital. As a rule, hospitals located in metropolitan cities offer very limited, if any, reimbursement. Another good reason to consider regional centres over big cities!  You should discuss this with your employing hospital following your interview - in fact it’s a good idea to write a list of questions to ask your future employer!

What indemnity cover do I need?

Australia is no different from most countries where professional indemnity is essential. If you will be working in a public hospital (operated by the state government) you will be covered by your employer’s policy but you are recommended to take out your own cover. This becomes mandatory if you are employed as a specialist or as a General Practitioner in private practice.

Be mindful of the fact that you need "tail" cover to protect you against claims that come to light after you leave Australia or cease practicing.

What can I bring to Australia through the Airport and what do I need to declare?  

Australia has very strict laws relating to the importation and/or possession of certain goods. AQIS screens every piece of luggage brought into Australia. This ensures that the quarantine risk to Australia's agricultural industries and unique environment is minimised. You must declare for inspection all food, plant material and animal products on arrival in Australia to ensure they are free of pests and diseases.  

Please note that food includes anything you eat or drink such as processed foods, uncooked food, airline food and snacks. When you declare these items they will be checked by a Quarantine officer who will determine whether they are allowed into Australia.Some products may require treatment to make them safe. Other items may be restricted due to pest and disease risks and will be seized and destroyed by AQIS.  More information at AQIS  

A word of advice  - As a routine part of their work, Customs officers may question travellers at any time. Trained dogs may also be used to detect illegal drugs or prohibited imports. If you are in doubt, declare your goods or ask a Customs officer for advice. Declaring goods does not necessarily mean your baggage will be examined. There are severe penalties for not declaring prohibited or restricted items and goods on which you must pay duty/tax. Presenting false receipts also carries heavy penalties. More information is available at Australian Customs Service. 

What is the Australian education system?  

The education system in Australia is open to all people. School is compulsory for all children aged between five and fifteen years. These ages may vary slightly in some states. The government provides public schools. Churches and other groups provide private schooling. Public schooling is free and users pay fees for private schooling.

Note: Students holding temporary visas may be required to pay full school fees. Check with individual schools for details. 

Each state government manages the school system within their state. This means that they provide funds and regulation for their schools. Both public schools and private schools exist in each state. The curriculum taught in each state or school may vary but the learning areas are the same in all.  You can find out more about each State and Territory education system by viewing their web site.

Useful Links when you arrive

Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues www.cmyi.net.au 

ABC Rural News & Information Service http://www.abc.net.au/rural/ 

SBS http://www20.sbs.com.au/sbs_front/index.html 

Australian Doctors Trained Overseas Association http://www.adtoa.org/ 

LawStuff http://www.lawstuff.org.au/ 

White Pages Telephone Directory www.whitepages.com.au  

Yellow Pages Telephone Directory www.yellowpages.com.au

Childcare – Australian Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs http://www.facs.gov.au/ 

Australian  Taxation Office http://www.ato.gov.au/ 

Australia Post http://www.auspost.com.au/

Real Estate http://www.realestate.com.au/ 

Points to remember when composing your Curriculum Vitae

• Please remember a well written and informative CV will greatly enhance your chances of being selected for interview. 

• In your CV only include relevant details as described above.  Do not include for example conferences attended as a medical student and sporting awards from your period at school etc.

• Include your primary and specialist qualifications as well as any other which are relevant to your clinical practice. 

• Provide details of the academic institution or professional body that awarded you your qualifications.  Only include qualifications that are awarded by competitive examination or by continual assessment following an authorised curriculum.  Do not include qualifications that have been bought by subscription. 

• English language proficiency. Include details of your IELTS/OET/PLAB/NZREX results including individual scores and date of completion OR eligibility for exemption (evidence of secondary education in a country where English is the native or first language – Canada, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, USA and South Africa) §         Details of your current post - this should specify the name of the hospital/facility, the department, the name of your supervisor and list your duties and responsibilities.  

• When writing about employment/practice history, don't write much about the hospital, write about your responsibilities.   

• Present your previous positions in reverse chronological order – start with the most recent position first 

• Medical registration - provide details of all registrations you currently hold and have ever held with medical licensing authorities (whether or not you are currently working or have ever worked in that country or state)

• Post Graduate Medical Training - State the specialty in which you obtained your specialist qualification, with comprehensive details of your post graduate medical training including the duration of each part of it.  This information may be used to assess whether you meet the criteria during interview.  You need to show that the post graduate training you completed is equivalent to the post graduate training required for the award of a certificate of specialist training in your specialty in Australia. Identify which posts were training posts, their specialty content and the names of your supervising consultants.  If you have kept a logbook during your training, make a note accordingly.  (Your logbook is likely to record details of practical procedures carried out by yourself, seminars and courses attended.  If you were appraised as to your progress during training please include details in this section)   Courses and conferences – provide details of those attended over the last 5 years including their scope and duration. 

• Clinical or Procedural Skills and experience - It is important to give as much information in this section as you possibly can.   Hospitals need to be reassured in which areas you are able to work independently, or with assistance and supervision. You should include wherever possible;

1. Types and number of operations carried out with and without supervision

2. Types and numbers of practical procedures carried out:  such as endoscopic procedures and invasive procedures (e.g. cardiac catheterisations, central vein cannulations, joint injections etc)

3. If you are an anaesthetist, types of anaesthetics administered with some comment as to your proficiency at varied types of anaesthetics.

4. Details of skills obtained e.g. Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)

5. Wherever possible you should provide details of the size of your current workload:

•             Number of operating sessions per week

•                Number and types of operations being carried out 

•                Number of out-patient clinics per week

•                Numbers of patients seen per clinic by yourself 

•                Number of in-patients under your care at any one time &                 example of a typical case mix of patients

• the frequency of your on-call and details of your exposure to acutely ill patients

• how much of your time is spent with non urgent cases and how much with acutely ill patients

• Details of recent examples of complications experienced in your practice and how you followed these up  

• Give full details of continuing professional development/continuing medical education which you have undertaken since your specialist qualification.  

• Briefly describe all of your research projects during your career to date.  Document the outcomes of your research projects.  List your publications and identify those published in peer review journals. 

• Referees - ensure that the referees are aware that you are nominating them in your application for employment in Australia and have agreed to act as your referee. Referees must be able to comment on the quality of your work. Referees should be a senior medical colleague or a direct supervisor. Referees should not be family members. 

• And don’t forget to use the spell-check function on your computer!