Workplace-based assessments

Most IMGs apply for medical registration with the Medical Board of Australia via the Standard Pathway. The first step in the Standard Pathway is having your medical degree verified. The next step is passing the Australian Medical Council exams. Passing the MCQ exam will make you eligible for limited registration, and passing both the MCQ and clinical exams will make you eligible for provisional registration.

After you commence working, whether with limited registration or provisional registration, you must meet eligibility criteria to progress toward general registration. If you commence working in Australia with limited registration, one of the eligibility criteria is to either pass your clinical exam or complete a workplace-based assessment.

So who is eligible for a workplace-based assessment and what is the process of obtaining a position?

You can find information about workplace-based assessments on the AMC’s website here. However, this information can be confusing, so I have summarised it for you.

Workplace-based assessments are an alternative to the AMC Clinical Examination for IMGs with limited registration to have their clinical skills and knowledge assessed. Instead of sitting a formal exam, your performance is assessed in everyday clinical practice in your workplace. This may sound like a great alternative, especially if you find formal examinations daunting or an unnatural depiction of real life practice. However, there are limited workplaces accredited to run workplace-based assessments, and even within these workplaces the spaces are limited. If you are successful in securing a job in a hospital that has an accredited workplace-based assessment program, this does not guarantee that you will be approved for a workplace-based assessment.

So, the first step to being eligible for a workplace-based assessment is to secure a position with a hospital that is accredited for workplace-based assessments and be granted limited registration by the Medical Board of Australia. A full list of accredited workplace-based assessment programs and WBA manager details can be found here. Once you have secured your position, the process is as follows:

·      Contact the WBA manager at your hospital to express your interest in applying for a workplace-based assessment.

·      The WBA manager will explain to you the selection and application process and any additional requirements that the hospital has in addition to the AMC’s eligibility requirements. If you meet all of the requirements, the WBA manager will nominate you to the AMC, who will confirm your eligibility to take part in the program.

·      Your workplace will then decide whether or not to offer you a place in its workplace-based assessment.

If you apply but are not offered a workplace-based assessment, or if you do not successfully complete your workplace-based assessment, you will still need to complete the AMC Clinical Examination in order to be eligible to progress to general registration.

If any of this is still unclear, contact me to make an appointment where we can discuss it further.