New assessment procedures for overseas trained medical practitioners in Australia

In July 1990, the Australian Medical Council’s Working Party to Review the AMC Examination released its Interim Report. The Report marks a significant step forward in the attitude and approach to overseas trained medical practitioners already in Australia. However, the implementation of the report will depend on a significant commitment of resources by both State and Commonwealth Governments together with a similar change in attitude among some of the medical boards and other assessing/accrediting authorities. The aim of this paper is to outline the major problems that have existed in the past decade with respect to the assessment and registration of overseas medical practitioners in Australia and to discuss the changes proposed by the AMC Working Party.