Specialist Pathway - People Medical Consulting

This is a FAQ BLOG and you can refer to our Getting Started as a General Practitioner in Australia blog here.

Need help understanding your pathway?

Date Updated: 2026-07-17

What is the Specialist Pathway?

The Specialist Pathway is for Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) with an international specialist medical qualification and here are the possible registration pathways depending on your eligibility requirements:

Expedited Specialist Pathway: A fast-track pathway to specialist registration for SIMGs with an international specialist medical qualification is on the Expedited Specialist pathway: accepted qualifications list.
- Example: Qualifications in general practice from Ireland, New Zealand, or United Kingdom
- If you qualify, then you can directly apply for specialist registration with AHPRA. It will have conditions like needing to complete 6 months of supervised practice. Read more in our Expedited Specialist Pathway blog here.

Specialist Pathway – Specialist Recognition: A pathway to specialist registration for SIMGs with an international specialist medical qualification that is NOT on the Expedited Specialist pathway: accepted qualifications list.
- You will need to apply for comparability assessment.
- Please keep in mind that as an IMG, you will be required to work in a Distribution Priority Area for a moratorium of 10 years.

Specialist Pathway – Area of Need: A pathway that DOES NOT lead to specialist registration, but it is for SIMGs with an international specialist medical qualification who wish to work in an area of need specialist level position in Australia.
- You will need to apply to a relevant specialist medical college for an area of need assessment.
- If you have been assessed as suitable, you will be eligible to apply for Limited Registration – Area of Need or (if you’re qualified for the Competent Authority Pathway) Provisional Registration. Please note the college assesses your qualifications and relevant experience against the specified requirements of a position in a confirmed area of need.
- This pathway DOES NOT lead to specialist registration, BUT if you are on this pathway, you may also apply for the Specialist Pathway – Specialist Recognition to gain specialist registration with the Board. You can complete the requirements for specialist recognition while working in an area of need position.

If you’re not sure what you’re eligible for, you can take the Registration Self-Assessment tool here.

How do I start this pathway?

Your first steps on this pathway are to:

Have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the Australian Medical Council and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS)
Apply to ECFMG to have your qualifications verified via EPIC: https://www.ecfmg.org/psv/
Apply to AMC to have a portfolio established: https://account.amc.org.au/sign_in
The next steps would depend on your preferred pathway as seen in AHPRA’s flowchart below:

For the Specialist Pathway – Specialist Recognition, apply directly to either ACRRM or RACGP using the college application form. The college assesses comparability against the criteria for an Australian-trained specialist in the same field of speciality practice. The college will assess you as either:

Not comparable, or
Substantially comparable, or
Partially comparable

Following assessment, you will be required to undertake a period of supervised practice, which may involve the completion of workplace based assessment(s) or further training, and college assessment, including examinations. After you complete all the college requirements, the college can recommend you to be granted recognition as a specialist.

For Expedited Specialist Pathway, you would need to check the accepted qualifications list, find a job, and apply for specialist registration with AHPRA.

What medical registration can I apply for?

The outcome of your comparability assessment will determine the type of registration you can apply for.

Specialist Pathway – Specialist Recognition:
- Provisional Registration (if you are also eligible for the Competent Authority pathway) or
- Limited Registration
- Note: You must have been assessed by the college as substantially comparable or partially comparable. IMGs with Limited or Provisional Registration must work under supervision.

Expedited Specialist Pathway:
- Specialist Registration (with conditions)
- You will need to complete 6 months of supervised practice and assessments before you can apply to have those conditions removed and obtain an unconditional specialist registration.

How do I attain Fellowship?

Once you have undertaken the recommended period of supervised practice or workplace based assessment, you will either be automatically eligible to apply for ACRRM/RACGP Fellowship or will have to sit for the Fellowship Exams.

For those taking the Specialist Pathway – Specialist Recognition, you will need to apply to a relevant college (ACRRM or RACGP) comparability assessments. Please note that RACGP requires a job offer AFTER the comparability assessment application. Let’s talk more about each one below!

ACRRM Specialist Pathway

You can apply for ACRRM Specialist Pathway if you are a Specialist IMG (SIMG) who have ACRRM-recognised overseas specialist qualifications based on the Codified List here. If your qualification isn’t there, you’ll first need to have your curriculum assessed.

Once you are deemed eligible, you will be invited to have a paper-based assessment and a structured interview via video-conference before you will be given your assessment outcome.

You will be determined as either substantially or partially comparable. If you are awarded not comparable, you will need to apply either through the Standard Pathway or Competent Authority Pathway. Here are some key notes details:

Partially Comparable: You will be required to participate in at least 6 months to a maximum of 24 months full time equivalent (FTE) practice with a supervisor approved by the college, including further training, assessments and possibly examinations. If you have exceeded the 24 months mark and the college recommends that you need more time to demonstrate the required standard, then you will be deemed not comparable.

Substantially Comparable: You will be required to participate in at least 3 months to a maximum of 12 months full time equivalent (FTE) practice with a supervisor approved by the college. If you have exceeded the 12 months mark and the college recommends that you need more time to demonstrate the required standard, then you will either be deemed as partially comparable or not comparable.

Not Comparable: You will be given more information on other AHPRA medical registration pathways and other pathways to achieve Fellowship of ACRRM.

RACGP Specialist Pathway

You can also apply for the RACGP Specialist Pathway which is also known as the PEP Specialist Stream.

Aside from the comparability assessment, your curricula will be assessed under Eligible, or Not Eligible as one of the eligibility requirements for the program. To see your curriculum classification, you can click here.

If your qualification isn’t on the list, this means that it hasn’t been reviewed yet and you will need to apply to RACGP to evaluate the curriculum before you can apply for the comparability assessment.

After the comparability assessment, you will be assessed as either Substantially or Partially Comparable. Once you have been assessed, your next step is to find a general practice position located in a MM 2-7 location (MM1 if you are substantially comparable). Please keep in mind that as an IMG, working in Australia for the first time, you will be restricted by 19AB and will have to find work in a DPA location.

You will then work as a General Practitioner under supervision and will undertake assessments (AKT, KFP and CCE) to help you on your way to becoming a Fellowed doctor.

We Can Help You

Here at People Medical Consulting, we have a passion for guiding medical practitioners through their career pathways to Australia. We have extensive experience in assisting medical facilities in recruiting doctors from local and overseas who will best suit their requirements.

We provide Document Assistance for those requiring support for their PESCI with IME, ACRRM or RACGP, registration and all other mandatory AHPRA requirements, fellowship program related forms and letters, application for Medicare provider and prescriber numbers, application for 19AB or 19AA exemptions and preparation of employment documents.

If you want to talk to someone about your pathway or practice management—book a consultation with us below, or if you need Recruitment or Document Assistance, contact us at help@peoplemedical.com.au or click the buttons below. We’d be glad to help you!

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Information from this blog has been taken directly from: