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The process for an internationally trained doctor to gain registration to work in Australia is complex. One of the most frequent questions that I am asked is do I have to work in one location for ten years?
The Australian Government directs internationally trained medical practitioners into areas which have a greater need for health provisions. These areas are called District Priority Areas (DPA) and you must work in a priority area for up to ten years. You may also have heard this as needing a 19ab exemption.
The ten years always applies unless you work in a location where you can ‘scale down’ your moratorium.
What is scaling?
Under the scaling system, working in rural and remote areas earns scaling credits. The more remote the location, the more credits you earn. The best way to see how scaling works is to look at the reductions available for working in certain locations.
So, if someone works in Marysville (90 mins drive to Melbourne’s CBD) the MM5 classification reduces your moratorium would be 8 years.
But, if you work in Bairnsdale (a 3.5 hr drive to Melbourne’s CBD), the RA3 classification means that your moratorium is 7 years.
To scale it back further choose Karratha in Western Australia for 5 years. Or Streaky Bay, a gorgeous coastal community in South Australia, and a 7-hour drive to Adelaide.
You don’t have to stay in the same location either. You can start in an RA2 location, move to a RA3, then back to an RA2 again. Medicare keeps track of your scaling and adjusts it as required.
For information on the ten-year moratorium, scaling and how to get your moratorium down to as little as three years, get in touch today!
