When you choose to become a GP (General Practitioner) in Australia you need to have a certain level of training either in the country, or recognised by the country if you studied in another country. Then you are in the excellent position of looking for a much sought-after Sydney GP job. Here is more about how to become a GP, what it pays and finding the right job.
Coming from another country
If you have trained or are going to train as a GP in another country there are certain things you need to do to get it recognised here and to work as a doctor in Australia. There are programs for such skilled workers. If you are chosen then you need to get a Visa to work as a GP. You will also need a HWEC – Health Workforce Exemption Certificate, or a HWC – Health Workforce Certificate. You can check with the RWA to see which you will need. Then you will need an employer-sponsored visa such as a Temporary Skill Shortage visa, an Employer Nomination Scheme visa or a Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa.
Becoming a GP in Australia
To become a GP in the country you need a number of years of training. This looks something like the following;
- Getting a Doctor of Medicine or Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine or finishing a post-grad in medicine after doing an undergraduate degree. For the latter, you also need to pass the Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test and also get through the interview process.
- Completing an internship in a reputable hospital for a year working in different departments.
- Completing training with the Medical Board of Australia.
- Completing the Australian General Practice Training to get a GP fellowship which includes 3 years of GP training and then an exam. Should you want to work in a rural area you will then need another year of rural practice training.
How to find a GP job
In order to get a private sought-after Sydney GP job you will need to work in what is called a Distribution Priority Area. When you do not have a specific location in mind and are more open to where you work, you will probably find it is easier to get a GP job. To get a public system GP job you need to check out the State Health Department website. If you want to work in a public hospital you can seek them out directly to see if they have any positions that suit you. There are also a number of reputable medical recruitment agencies you can turn to.
What will you earn as a GP?
When you work as an Aussie GP you get the benefit of a much better-balanced work and home life, and you are much better paid than a lot of GPs around the world. You can expect to start at around $200,000 AU up to $350,000, but if you choose to work longer hours, manage chronic patients and so on, it is possible to earn more than $500,000 a year.
