PESCI – What You Need to Know

Pre-Employment Structured Clinical Interview (PESCI)

Clarification Around PESCI

Our team have received many enquiries asking for clarification around PESCI’s. More specifically, how to determine if a PESCI is required for General Practice.

So, to make things easier, we have put together this helpful blog. Please note, if you have specific questions or you need help, please give us a call! You can also contact us directly on admin@peoplemedical.com.au.

What is a PESCI?

PESCI stands for Pre-Employment Structured Clinical Interview. AHPRA defines a PESCI as an objective assessment of your knowledge, skills, clinical experience and attributes to determine whether you are suitable to practise in a specific position. The PESCI consists of a clinical interview using scenarios.

Do I need to sit for a PESCI?

Doctors intending to apply for Limited registration or Provisional Registration to work in general practice need to sit for a PESCI. Since PESCI is position-specific, this requirement can also apply to General Practitioners who are already registered with AHPRA with Limited Registration or Provisional Registration who wish to work in another practice.

For the doctors in the specialist pathway, PESCI is not a requirement because they will be evaluated by their respective specialist medical college.

Take note also that doctors seeking limited registration for an area of need to work in general practice must possess a minimum of three years of full-time equivalent (FTE) experience in general practice or primary care.

When should I sit for my PESCI?

In our experience, it’s best to sit for your PESCI before applying for AHPRA registration, unless you are applying for Limited Registration via the Area of Need pathway.

For doctors intending to apply for Limited Registration via the Area of Need pathway, it’s recommended that you apply for AHPRA registration before sitting for your PESCI. This allows AHPRA the opportunity to assess your experience in general practice or primary care, and determining your eligibility for registration.

Who are the PESCI Providers?

· ACRRM – PESCIs are offered online only. ACRRM does not provide face-to-face PESCIs at the moment. You may apply through their website and the interviews utilize video conferencing. For more details, contact the IMG Assessment team on 1800 223 226 or email img@acrrm.org.au.

· IME – Face-to-face interviews are available at IME’s headquarters at Gold Coast, QLD. Virtual interviews are also available.

· RACGP – Currently, RACGP PESCIs are done via Zoom only and are open to all states in Australia. RACGP also verified that they accept applications from individuals with job offers all over the country, as they are already nationally accredited.

During busy periods PESCI dates can be sparse. Depending on the provider, bookings may be made in advance and earlier dates allocated as per waiting lists.

Will AHPRA know about my PESCI results?

After sitting for your PESCI, results are made available to you via the PESCI Outcome Report to Applicant form. In addition, your results will be sent direct to AHPRA via the PESCI Report to the Medical Board of Australia.

Please keep in mind, if you have attempted a PESCI more than once, AHPRA will also be sent copies of your unsuccessful results.

Should I address the recommendations of the PESCI panel?

The short answer is yes. Any PESCI recommendations made by the PESCI Panel need to be addressed in your application. In most cases, this is done using the SPPA-30 Supervision Plan.

AHPRA will review your PESCI results and compare with any previous results received (including unsuccessful attempts or previous attempts for other practices). So, be sure that every recommendation has been addressed appropriately. Each recommendation will be reviewed to determine your ability to practice safely.

How long does my PESCI results last?

Your PESCI results will last up to 12 months from the date of your results.

Can I get a PESCI Exemption?

PESCI’s are designed to assess and determine whether you are suitable to practice in a specific position, therefore exemptions are rarely granted. To apply for a PESCI exemption through AHPRA, you will need to submit a request for an exemption with your original application. The request must be lodged with AHPRA. ACRRM is not able to grant exemptions.

PESCI Resources

Our team facilitate a Pre-Employment Structured Clinical Interview (PESCI) Study Buddy group, via Facebook. This group is aimed to connect doctors who are studying for their PESCI. Please see the following link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1469286566700283/

What should I do to prepare for my PESCI?

This is a whole new topic on its own. There are many PESCI tutors, preparation courses and groups on Facebook. We had been advised by Kay Duperouzel that recalls are not the answer. A recall is just that- a doctor recalling their experience which may or may not be accurate. Another Industry Insider advises that nothing can replace time within the practice working alongside your Supervisor. In this person’s words “The simplest answer is to work with your supervisor and spend as much time in the practice as possible prior to the PESCI. If the practice does not offer this, it is the wrong practice for you. The Support received prior to the PESCI is a good guide to the support you will receive afterwards.”

Note: The information presented above has been sourced from AHPRA, ACRRM, IME, and RACGP web pages and the new guidelines have been updated as of 16.02.2023.

How Can We Help You

Our team do not offer PESCI Preparation. However; if you are looking for guidance, contact us directly on help@peoplemedical.com.au.

Information for this blog has been taken directly from: · http://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Registration/International-Medical-Graduates/pesci.aspx
https://www.acrrm.org.au/support/pre-fellowship/international-graduates/pesci
https://www.acrrm.org.au/becoming-registered-in-australia/standard-pathway/pesci
https://www.acrrm.org.au/docs/default-source/all-files/pesci-handbook.pdf?sfvrsn=eeabefd5_2
https://www.racgp.org.au/education/imgs/international-graduates/pesci   https://imemedical.com/collections/pesci-interviews

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,  Migration  for all with a special emphasis on Medical and    Document Assistance  for those requiring support with RACGP, AHPRA, 19AA and 19AB Medicare Exemptions.