Overseas-trained doctors need guidance through the labyrinth of providing medical care in a new country
Australia, like many other developed countries, depends on international medical graduates (IMGs) to fill workforce shortages. About one in every three to four members of our medical workforce are trained overseas,1 and this dependency is likely to continue for many more years. IMGs are a heterogeneous group with varied skills and competencies. Their training and orientation needs differ according to the strengths and weaknesses they show within the Australian health care context. During the 2009–10 financial year, over 3000 medical graduates came to Australia from other countries.2
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The Centre for Continuing Medical Professional Development has implemented the first workplace-based assessment project for overseas medical graduates for the Australian Medical Council (AMC). Our project was funded by the AMC and the Department of Health and Ageing. We are both IMGs who have passed the AMC examination and are now examiners.