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WELCOME! If you are thinking of taking a year out/ curious about moving to Australia this might be the page for you! I hope you all find this useful. If you have any questions, you can reach out to me on my social media channels (most likely to reply on Instagram), although I hope this page has all the information you may need ✨

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📓Contents

‼️DISCLAIMERS

📸Social Media

[Watch full YouTube video here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANXR277TniI&t=212s it takes you through this whole Notion page!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANXR277TniI&t=212s)

Watch full YouTube video here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANXR277TniI&t=212s it takes you through this whole Notion page!

⚕️Australian Healthcare System

https://www.careers.health.qld.gov.au/medical-careers/career-structure

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Personal experience:

I applied for a PGY3 role.

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Resident Medical Officers (RMO)

• Intern - means a medical practitioner who holds a practicing certificate from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency authorising an appointment as such under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law 2009. Interns are medical graduates who have been accepted into an intern training program under the supervision of their employing hospital. Generally, this will be the 1st year of practise following completion of a medical degree. In this year they must successfully complete various rotations under clinical supervision. Queensland Health is currently the sole provider of intern training in Queensland.
• Junior House Officer (JHO) - 2nd post graduate year. A JHO is a medical practitioner in their first year of service after eligibility for full registration as a medical practitioner.

If you have done FY1 in UK, you will be coming in as a JHO

• Senior House Officer (SHO) - 3rd post graduate year. A SHO is a medical practitioner in the second or subsequent years of practical experience after eligibility for full registration as a medical practitioner and who has not been appointed as a Registrar or Principal House Officer.

These resident medical officers work in teams led by senior medical staff and may be further supported by Registrars in specific clinical specialties.

• Principal House Officer (PHO) - 3rd and subsequent post graduate years. A PHO is a medical practitioner appointed as such who is not undertaking an accredited course of study leading to a higher medical qualification. A PHO position is an equivalent level to Registrar.
• Registrars means a medical practitioner appointed as such who is undertaking an accredited course of study leading to a higher medical qualification.
• Senior Registrar - means a medical practitioner appointed as such who has specialist registration with the Medical Board of Australia and is undertaking an accredited course of study leading to a higher medical qualification.
• Provisional Fellowship Year (PFY) - means a Registrar who has finished training and is required to do a Fellowship Year before they can get specialist registration (a requirement of some Colleges). It can also be a personal choice to undertake a PFY.

Source text lifted directly from:

https://www.careers.health.qld.gov.au/medical-careers/career-structure

⏳When to move?

The training ‘year’ in the UK runs from August to August, whereas in Australia it runs from February to February - opposite just like the seasons!

The Messly Blog outlines all the pros and cons of moving at each date and when to think about applying;

• Structured induction programs with many new starters, facilitating easier integration and socialization.
• Opportunity to locum in the UK for 6 months prior, gaining experience and saving money.  - Better integration into the Australian academic year, enhancing social and professional networking. | - Maybe higher competition due to the influx of applicants.
• Requires early planning and application submission in the preceding year.
• Committing to a February start may extend your F3 year into an F4 year. | | August | Coincides with the end of the UK training year, making it a convenient transition point. | More flexible; applications can be submitted directly to hospitals or through recruitment agencies. | - Opportunity to gain additional experience or save money by working in the UK before moving.
• Potentially less competition for available positions.  - May allow for a smoother transition without a significant gap between UK and Australian roles. | - Fewer job openings, as many positions are filled during the February intake.  - May miss out on structured induction programs, making integration slightly more challenging.
• Potential for a shorter contract (e.g., 6 months), which might not be ideal for those seeking longer-term positions. |

SHOs and JHOs are appointed over 5 terms. This is 2025 to 2026.

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Personal experience:

• I began my application process in January 2024 for end of August start in 2024.
• I did not apply through any agency and applied by myself. </aside>

Note: Starting in February may allow for better alignment with the Australian medical system and provides opportunities for pre-move locum work in the UK, which can be financially beneficial and enhance your experience. However, it requires earlier application and may extend your F3 year. August starts offer flexibility but may come with fewer job opportunities and less structured onboarding.

Reference:

https://www.careers.health.qld.gov.au/medical-careers/resident-medical-officer-rmo-and-registrar-campaign/term-dates

https://www.messly.com/blog/key-dates-for-moving-to-australia-as-a-uk-junior-doctor

🗺️Where to move to

These were the locations I honed in on, however, best to do your own research to see where is suitable for you!

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Personal experience:

• One of the factors affecting where I would be moving to was coming with my husband. If you are coming with family/ friends or have family already in Australia this may change where you move to.
• I chose Brisbane because was slightly cheaper living cost and all round sunshine weather, plus I liked the city life. Although I know friends who have gone more for beach/ coastal region and have equally enjoyed that too (i.e. near Gold Coast) </aside>

📋📞Job Application & Contacts

• See where you want to apply; weather that’s secondary care or tertiary care. See if you want to be based more in the city or in a rural facility.
• 3 ways to apply;
  1. Jobs website
  2. Recruitment portal
  3. Email hospital directly

Application & Contacts

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