Expedited Specialist pathway

SIMGs seeking specialist registration in Australia. 

All IMGs must have a primary qualification in medicine and surgery awarded by a training institution recognised by both the AMC and the World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS).

To be eligible for the Expedited Specialist pathway, SIMGs must have a specialist qualification which is on the Medical Board’s Expedited Specialist pathway: accepted qualifications list. 

The current specialties on the list are:

• general practice. 

The priority specialties next to be considered are:

• anaesthesia
• obstetrics and gynaecology
• psychiatry.

More specialties will be progressively added, prioritised by Australia’s health ministers.

This pathway leads to specialist registration.

SIMGs on the Expedited Specialist pathway can apply for specialist registration first. The Medical Board will impose conditions on the SIMG’s specialist registration so they can meet the requirements of the specialist registration standard, including six months of supervised practice, an orientation to the Australian healthcare and cultural safety education.

When these requirements are satisfactorily completed, the SIMG can apply to the Medical Board to have the conditions removed. 

• Apply to the AMC for primary source verification (PSV) of your primary and specialist medical qualifications. The AMC use the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) verification services.
• Apply to the ECFMG to establish an EPIC/MyIntealth account for verification of your qualifications. 
• Check that your qualification is on the Board’s Expedited Specialist pathway: accepted qualifications list. 
• Apply to the Medical Board for specialist registration.
• Submit a supervised practice plan including nominating a supervisor and details of an appropriate specialist position, that the Board will need to approve. This can be done when you apply for registration or after registration has been granted. 
• If you want fellowship, you can apply to the relevant specialist medical college, and complete the requirements while on the Expedited Specialist pathway.

• You can start practising when the Medical Board has granted you specialist registration and approved your supervised position.
• Complete six months supervised practice including an orientation to the Australian health system and cultural safety education.
• After three months of practice, submit a supervised practice report.
• Complete the required work-placed based assessments (see below).
• Complete any additional assessments required by the Medical Board. 
• At the end of the six months of practice, submit an orientation report, a supervised practice report and evidence of completed assessments. 
• Apply to the Medical Board to have the conditions removed. 

SIMGs can apply for registration for both specialist qualifications. Contact Ahpra for further information about the process. 

• When you apply for specialist registration, you can give us permission to share your contact details with the relevant specialist medical college. The college can give you information about the process to get fellowship. 
• Colleges are CPD homes and can provide professional networks and support for SIMGs.

There are different fees charged by different organisations for different purposes.

• The AMC charges a fee to establish an AMC candidate account for you, so that it can arrange primary source verification (PSV) of your qualifications. Contact the AMC for fee information.
• ECFMG charge a fee for the EPIC PSV service. Contact the ECFMG for more information about fees. 
• Ahpra and the Medical Board charge an application fee and a registration fee for specialist registration. See the Medical Board fees page. 
• There are fees for workplace-based assessments while on this pathway. The SIMG will be responsible for the costs of the multi-source feedback assessment and there may be other assessment costs depending on the type of assessment.
• CPD homes charge a joining fee. See the relevant CPD home for fees.
• If you choose to get fellowship, there will be college fees. Contact the college for details. 

The medical registration forms are on the Board’s forms page. 

Application for specialist registration

• Application for registration as a medical specialist (applicants who do not hold general registration) - AGSP-30

OR

• Application for specialist registration for a medical practitioner (currently holding general and/or specialist registration) - ASPC-30

Application for removal of registration conditions 

The common registration forms are on Ahpra’s registration page.

• Application for review of conditions or undertakings - ARCD-00

SIMGs on the Expedited Specialist pathway must complete a period of supervised practice (usually six months). The SIMG will need to submit a supervised practice plan which nominates a supervisor and a proposed specialist position, for the Board to approve.   

• Supervised practice plan - SPPA-00
• Supervised practice plan – Section G

While you hold conditional specialist registration and are completing the supervised practice, you and your supervisor will need to complete an Orientation report and a Supervised practice report and provide it to the Board after three months’ practice.  

At the end of your supervision period (usually six months), you will need to provide a final supervision report when applying to have your conditions removed.  

• Orientation report – OREP-30
• Supervised practice report - TSPR-00

Further supervision information and forms for SIMGs on the Expedited Specialist pathway are on the Board's Supervised practice requirements page.

SIMGs on the Expedited Specialist pathway must complete an orientation to the Australian healthcare system and cultural safety education during their period of supervised practice. These requirements must be included in the supervision plan that you submit to the Board for approval.  

You will be required to provide documentary evidence to show that you have completed an orientation to the Australian healthcare system and cultural safety education when applying to have your conditions removed.

More information about the evidence required is in the Board’s Evidence guide: Eligibility for specialist registration.

See the Board’s orientation page and cultural safety education page for more details. 

To ensure that the SIMG on the Expedited Specialist pathway is safe, ethical and competent in their specialist practice, the Board requires formal competency assessments to be undertaken against seven domains during the period of supervised practice. The assessments include a multi-source feedback assessment conducted by a Board-approved provider, and one other additional assessment. The additional assessment must be appropriate for the specialty and SIMGS can choose one of a mini-clinical evaluation exercise (Mini-CEX), direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) or case-based discussion (CBD). You will need to specify the additional assessment to be undertaken as part of your Supervised practice plan.

Forms for the assessments:

• Case-based discussion assessment form – CBDA-30 
• Mini-CEX assessment form – MCEX-30 
• Direct observation of procedural skills assessment form – DOPS-30 

For more information about the WBAs, and the forms, see the Board’s supervised practice requirements page. 

Registration standards define the requirements to apply for registration and for ongoing registration.

For specialist registrants: Registration standard: Specialist registration (2024).

See also mandatory registration standards for English language, criminal history, CPD, professional indemnity insurance, recency of practice on the Board’s registration standards page.

All SIMGs who have specialist registration on this pathway have a CPD home and do 50 hours of CPD each calendar year.

If you are on this pathway, you will need to include any high-level requirements for your specialty in your CPD program.

You can choose an AMC-accredited CPD home suitable for your scope of practice. This can be a specialist medical college or non-college CPD home. The CPD homes are listed on the About CPD homes page.

General information about CPD is on the Board’s CPD page. 

The Medical Board will accept applications for specialist registration from SIMGs who have a qualification published on the Board’s Expedited Specialist pathway: accepted qualifications list and who are currently registered on the Specialist pathway.

If you are a SIMG who is currently registered on the Specialist pathway and you are eligible for the Expedited Specialist pathway and:

• you hold limited registration, you can apply for specialist registration through the Expedited Specialist pathway when it opens OR wait to apply until your limited registration is due for renewal and surrender your limited registration when your specialist registration is approved. If you have not met the relevant supervised practice requirements, your specialist registration will be subject to conditions that enable you to meet this requirement
• you hold provisional registration, you can stay on the Specialist pathway with provisional registration OR apply for specialist registration when the Expedited Specialist pathway opens. If you have not met the relevant supervised practice requirements, your specialist registration will be subject to conditions that enable you to meet this requirement. When all requirements are met, you may be eligible for both general and specialist registration.

If you have an application for limited registration pending when the Expedited Specialist pathway opens (including an application for renewal), Ahpra will contact you to discuss your options.

• Expedited Specialist pathway: accepted qualifications list  
• Qualifications Assessment for the Expedited Specialist pathway
• Evidence guidance: Eligibility for specialist registration (178 KB, PDF)

A list of the specialist medical colleges is available on the Board’s Useful contacts webpage.

FAQs for SIMGs are on the Board’s FAQs page. 

Email your enquiries about the Expedited Specialist pathway. 

For all other enquiries please use the Ahpra web enquiry and phone contacts on the Contact us page.