PESCI Exemptions

Unfortunately, situations can occur after you have been deemed suitable in a PESCI that mean you will not be able to work at the clinic, such as the practice withdrawing their offer or SAPP closing their applications. We understand these situations can be upsetting as a lot of time, effort and money goes into sitting for a PESCI and the idea of sitting for another PESCI can be highly stressful. 

Instead of sitting for another PESCI, you can find a similar practice and request a PESCI exemption. This means that the results for your prior PESCI will be deemed as suitable for your new practice and you will not have to undertake another PESCI. 

What is a PESCI?

A PESCI is an interview, with a set of structured questions and scenarios to test your clinical knowledge and skills relevant to the practice where you will be working. 

A PESCI is required for all IMGs applying to work as a General Practitioner under Limited or Provisional Registration with AHPRA. 

What a PESCI Exemption based on?

When applying for a PESCI exemption, the review will not be based on how close the practices are to each other. Instead it is based on how similar the support available and  demographics of the practice are. For this reason, when searching for a new practice you will need to consider the following:

• Your hours of work (i.e. not going from an after-hours clinic to an in-hours clinic)
• If your Supervisors meet the AHPRA requirements
• Other staff available for support in the practice
• How often patient categories are seen (i.e. Indigenous, Aged Care, Children, etc.)
• Offsite services the IMG is expected to participate in 
• Local Environment
• Local Health Facilities (Hospital, Tertiary Hospital & health services available in the community)

Additionally, with your request you will need to request the same Level of Supervision as your original PESCI. 

To assess this information, you can ask your new practice if they have a Position Description previously prepared as the above information will be outlined in this form and can be compared to your previous practices Position Description. 

Applying for a PESCI Exemption through AHPRA

To apply for a PESCI exemption through AHPRA, you will need to submit a request for an exemption with your original application. You will need to prepare a letter outlining why you are eligible for an exemption based on the previous practice and new practice. 

AHPRA will consider your request for a PESCI exemption at the Medical Board with your full application and will let you know if these results will be transferable or if you need to sit for another PESCI. 

Applying for a PESCI Exemption through RACGP

If you have previously sat for a PESCI through RACGP you can apply for a review of your PESCI report and request for your outcome to be transferred to the new practice. The panel will review your previous PESCI outcome and the information for your new practice to determine if your PESCI is transferable or if you are required to sit for a new PESCI. 

The cost of a PESCI review will be 50% of the full PESCI fee, which will approximately be $1,072 AUD.

How Can We Help You

If you are looking for further guidance on a PESCI Exemption or would like to ask further questions about the information mentioned, this is something our team can help you with. Contact us directly on help@peoplemedical.com.au.

Information for this blog has been taken directly from:

https://www.racgp.org.au/education/imgs/international-graduates/pesci https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration/International-Medical-Graduates/pesci.aspx

People Medical Consulting are a team of professionals with a passion for guiding those specialising in the Medical industry to find their career pathway and settle into Australia. Working with both Australian trained and Overseas trained professionals, we have extensive experience in Recruitment of General Practitioners and Document Assistance for those requiring support with RACGP, AHPRA, 19AA and 19AB Medicare Exemptions.