P.O.Box 433
Nedlands
Western Australia 6909
10 Stirling Highway
Nedlands
Western Australia 6009
Five Year Overseas Trained Doctor Scheme
Doctors wishing to work long-term in Western Australia can apply to join the Five Year Overseas Trained Doctor (OTD) Scheme.
This scheme has been operating successfully in Western Australia since 1999. It is designed to help fill workforce shortages in rural areas whilst providing OTDs with opportunities to work towards permanent residency and gain experience in rural medical practice.
To enter the scheme, an OTD must first practise in rural WA for a few months. This provides the doctors with a chance to experience life in rural Western Australia, and to decide whether it is appropriate for themselves and their families. It is also an opportunity for the doctors’ skills and suitability to be assessed. Applications to join the scheme are considered by the State Review Panel, which meets three times a year.
Once accepted onto the scheme, the OTD agrees to practise in a * designated Five Year OTD Scheme town for up to five years. In more difficult locations, this contracted period may be reduced by up to two years, to a minimum total of three years. All towns eligible for the Five Year OTD Scheme are classified into three categories, which are used to determine the length of the reductions. More information about these categories and time concessions can be found under Categories and Time Concessions. A complete list of Towns in all Categories is also available.
Some OTDs have a directly equivalent, recognised qualification in General Practice allowing automatic granting of the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP), which is the current recognised qualification for Australian graduates to practise in unsupervised General Practice in Australia. OTDs without equivalence must obtain the FRACGP within two years of entering the scheme.
Educational Support is provided by Rural Health West to OTDs on the Five Year OTD Scheme who are preparing for this exam.
For further information about the RACGP and how to become a “Recognised General Practitioner” please visit their website.
Once the FRACGP (or equivalent) has been granted, an application for permanent residency may be submitted. Medicare Provider Numbers are initially restricted to the area of workforce shortage, but the restriction is lifted at the end of the contracted period, allowing the OTD to practise anywhere in Australia after this time.
OTDs who are not part of the scheme would usually have to obtain Australian Medical Council accreditation and the FRACGP, and then work in an Unmet Area of Need for a full 10-year period before being granted an unrestricted Medicare Provider Number. The Five Year OTD Scheme therefore offers significant benefits.
To apply to join the Five Year OTD Scheme or for further information, email Tanya Brown at Rural Health West or phone (08) 6389 4500.
* Currently a Five Year OTD Scheme town is classified via the State and Commonwealth Governments
