Becoming a doctor in Australia or any other country is more than just wearing a white coat with a stethoscope around your neck. Skills, the right attitude, and expert knowledge are needed. In this post, you will find out everything you need to know that can help you become an exceptional medical professional in Australia.
Australia has long been a popular destination for most trained doctors who wish to practice abroad. This is due to the country’s standard of living, high salary range, and relaxed lifestyle that is rare to find in most countries.
This post provides information on how to become a doctor in Australia, admission requirements, Australian schools, and much more.
You can quickly scroll through the table of contents below to get an overview of everything this post entails.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Who is a doctor?
- What are the functions of doctors?
- Why do I need to be a doctor in Australia?
- What do I need before I can work as a doctor in Australia?
- have a medical degree
- To have a job
- Assess your skills
- Then look for a visa
- Where can I work as an Australian doctor?
- What skills are required to function as a doctor?
- How much does a doctor earn in Australia?
- salary estimate
- How long does it take to become a doctor in Australia?
- How can I become a doctor in Australia?
- #1. Meet High School Prerequisites
- #2. Attend an accredited 4-year college
- # 3. Take an entrance exam
- UMAT
- GAMSAT
- Basically, this test consists of 3 sections;
- #4. Boarding school
- #5. Get medical records through the Medical Board of Australia
- #6. Get a scholarship through a specialized medical training program.
- What are the Australian schools that offer degree programs for doctors?
- #1. Australian National University School of Medicine (ANUMS)
- #2. University of Sydney Medical School
- #3 University of Melbourne
- #4. Monash University
- #5. Flinder University
- #6. Deakin university
- #7. University of Tasmania
- #8. University of Queensland
- Frequently Asked Questions on Becoming a Doctor in Australia
- What skills do you need to have to become an Australian doctor?
- What is the salary of an Australian doctor Like?
- How do you become a doctor in Australia?
- I am 45 years old, can I still become a doctor in Australia?
Who is a doctor?
A physician is a person who cares for or restores a person’s health through a medical procedure. This person focuses on diagnosing and treating a person’s illness, disease, injury, pain, or other conditions.
He or she cares for the patient, understands their health problem, and uses their scientific expertise to learn the best way to treat the illness or anxiety.
Physicians can be found in many settings, including public health centers, educational institutions, private practice, group activities, and hospitals. They have some diversity in their form and now they are solid and part of a project that is respected all over the world.
What are the functions of doctors?
The role or duty of physicians largely depends on the field of medicine in which they specialize. Categorically, there are different types of doctors;
These doctors specialize in treating
immune system malfunctions, such as asthma, eczema, food allergies, insect sting allergies, and some autoimmune diseases.
Physicians in this specialty administer pain medication to patients who wish to have an operation, surgery, or childbirth.
As a cardiologist, you will supervise everything that has to do with the heart and blood vessels. You will care for patients with heart failure, heart attack, or high blood pressure.
As a rectal surgeon, you manage issues involving the small intestine, cancer, hemorrhoids, inflammatory bowel disease, the colon, and the butt.
They care for seriously ill or injured people and often run intensive care units in hospitals. You may see them if your heart or other organs are failing or if you have had an accident.
These doctors specialize in digestive organs, including the stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. As a gastroenterologist, you will care for patients with abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, jaundice, or cancers in their digestive organs.
These doctors care for the elderly. They can treat people in their homes, doctor’s offices, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals.
Working as a family doctor, your primary role will be to care for the entire family, including children, adults, and the elderly. You can get routine checkups and screenings, receive flu shots and vaccinations, and manage diabetes and other ongoing medical conditions.
Why do I need to be a doctor in Australia?
Although becoming a doctor in countries like the US, Germany, Canada or any other major country can be rewarding, practicing any medical profession in Australia can bring many benefits.
To begin with, Australia has a high standard of living which makes it possible for doctors to have access to a high quality of life. Other than that, you will be honored and respected because Australia places a high value on doctors because of their contributions to the health sector.
In addition, there is a wider range of job opportunities in Australia for the medical professions than in other countries. That means no matter what area you want to major in, you can be sure of landing a job upon graduation.
Australia has a high standard of living which opens up a wider range of opportunities for medical staff.
Furthermore, you will earn a good salary and enjoy excellent working conditions. You and your family can have access to comprehensive public and private health care and first-class education.
When it comes to earnings, Australia ranks third on the list of countries with the highest wage earnings after Canada. In Australia, the median annual salary for a specialist is $3, while that of a GP is $260,000.
Also, as a doctor in any specialty, you can always learn and acquire advanced skills and education. Just like if you work in private practice, you will need to join a program to gain vocational recognition. This may even lead to more job opportunities for you.
Also, Australia’s job security is one of the best. Australian workplaces encourage staff to support each other. You are also protected by your employment contract and labor laws.
What do I need before I can work as a doctor in Australia?
To work as an Australian doctor in the country, you must meet the following;
have a medical degree
This is actually the first step. You must have an accredited degree from a recognized school. The school must be recognized by the Australian Medical Council or the World Directory of Medical Schools.
To have a job
The fact that you have studied medicine and decided to be administering medicines or treating minor illnesses in your area does not really make you a professional doctor. You must have a job. Or apply for a job as a non-specialist, specialist, or doctor-in-training.
Only then can you apply for registration or a visa.
Assess your skills
Your skills will be assessed by the Australian Medical Council, which is part of the registry. And to climb through this stage, you need to have a certain standard of English language skills.
Then look for a visa
To get to this stage, you need to have completed the skills assessment and proven to be good. Please note that obtaining a visa is very important if you must work in Australia.
Where can I work as an Australian doctor?
There are so many places in Australia where you can work. But if you are an international student, you may be restricted from working in certain places. As your first job in Australia, you will need to work under supervision in an area that needs doctors.
This applies to public and private sector positions. These areas are called distribution priority areas for GPs, or labor shortage districts for other specialists.
For example, if you work in the private sector, you will need a Medicare provider number. Here, you can work as a GP or other specialist, or as a non-specialist. Physicians residing in Australia can work in a public hospital without a Medicare provider number.
If you are working in the public system, your salary will depend on your experience and educational qualification. That means it will depend on whether you are a working graduate trainee or intern, a residential medical officer, or a hospital medical officer. Also, the hospital you work with can help pay for your moving costs and temporary housing.
What skills are required to function as a doctor?
If you have all the basic educational requirements without the necessary skills to work as a doctor, trust me, you can mess up.
To be an exceptional and professional doctor in any specialty, you are expected to possess particular skills. With these skills, you can opt for this profession.
How much does a doctor earn in Australia?
One of the advantages of choosing to practice as a doctor in Australia is that Australian doctors earn more money in Canada.
In general, the starting salary for a doctor in Australia ranges from $100,000 to $400,000 annually. But you can earn more if you have a higher qualification, years of experience, employment status, or work hours.
Another way your salary will be determined is by your specialty. For example, the salary of a dentist is different from the salary of a podiatrist.
In addition to salary, there are other benefits that doctors in Australia receive. Some of these benefits come as incentives. And they include;
- Sick leave that can be 2 weeks paid per year
- Annual vacation which can be one month of paid vacation per year
- Pension
- Many hospitals will also provide subsidized meals, free or cheap lodging, and other benefits.
How long does it take to become a doctor in Australia?
Becoming a doctor is more than a struggle, it requires a high score to get a place in the Faculty of Medicine. It’s an absolute minimum of 10 years after entering high school… but it’s not uncommon for it to take 12-14 years.
How can I become a doctor in Australia?
You don’t just become a doctor in Australia by choice or birthright, but you plan and follow due process that will take years to complete.
The process of building a medical career is often competitive and exciting. It is competitive in the sense that it involves rigorous courses and activities that you must successfully complete.
#1. Meet High School Prerequisites
Entering medical school, you either go through high school or use a college degree. If you are going with a high school degree, you must have achieved a band four in advanced mathematics and have an ATAR of 99.95 on the High School Certificate.
#2. Attend an accredited 4-year college
To become a doctor in Australia if you don’t want to use your high school certificate, you can attend a university or college to earn a bachelor’s degree in an accredited medical program. You can study science or pharmacy before studying Medicine.
Upon graduation, you must have up to a grade point average of at least 65 or higher (a credit average).
# 3. Take an entrance exam
Take an entrance exam. The exam can be UMAT which is for undergraduate medical students or GAMSAT which is for graduate students.
UMAT
UMAT, which stands for Bachelor of Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test score, is required if you want to apply for undergraduate admission to 7 of the 19 medical schools in Australia.
The main focus of these tests is to assess your critical thinking, problem-solving, understanding of people, and nonverbal abstract reasoning, skills that are considered important for the further study and practice of medicine. Once you score high here, you have a better chance of being accepted to any medical school in Australia.
Recently, UMAT has been replaced by the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). So instead of taking UMAT, he sits for UCAT.
GAMSAT
The Graduate Medical School Admission Test (GAMSAT) is an Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) postgraduate examination specifically designed to assess and determine a student’s ability to handle high-level intellectual studies in programs doctors and health professionals.
In addition, it aims to assess your analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as how you organize and communicate your ideas in order to select candidates for postgraduate medical studies.
#4. internships
Whether you are a citizen or an international student, you must complete a 1-year internship at a public hospital before you can obtain a full medical record. You can decide which hospital you would like to do your internship at while you are still in medical school.
#5. Obtain medical records through the Medical Board of Australia
This is the next step after completing your internship. This medical registration is carried out by the Medical Board of Australia and is renewed every September 30 of each year. If you studied outside of Australia, before obtaining general registration, you must complete 12 months of approved supervised practice in Australia.
In addition, you can also opt for 1 or 2 years of pre-vocational training after registration.
Finally…
#6. Obtain a scholarship through a specialized medical training program.
Once you have completed a sufficient amount of internship and RMO training, you may apply for admission to a medical specialty training program through specialty colleges.
This will require taking a number of different assessments, including written, clinical, and practical exams which can vary by university.
These vocational training programs can range in length from three to seven years, after which you will be able to practice medicine independently as a general practitioner, specialist physician, or surgeon.
Note that to become a doctor in Australia, there is no age limit for medical school. You can become a doctor in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and even 60s. The main thing is to make sure that you will be a good doctor after acquiring everything you need.
Frequently Asked Questions on Becoming a Doctor in Australia
What skills do you need to have to become an Australian doctor?
To become an Australian doctor, you must have the following skills;
Ability to work long hours, often under pressure.
Good practical skills
Ability to solve problems.
Effective decision-making
skills Leadership and management skills…
What is the salary of an Australian doctor Like?
In general, the starting salary for a doctor in Australia ranges from $100,000 to $400,000 annually. But you can earn more if you have a higher qualification, years of experience, employment status, or work hours.
How do you become a doctor in Australia?
To become a doctor in Australia, follow the steps below
Meet high school prerequisites
Attend an accredited 4-year university Take an internship
entrance exam too.
I am 45 years old, can I still become a doctor in Australia?
Of course yes.
There is no age limit to becoming a doctor. You can even become a doctor at age 60.
