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Information For GPs Considering Relocating to Kalgoorlie If you’ve heard of Kalgoorlie, it is likely to do with a conversation regarding gold and history – two things that have helped shape the modern and thriving city that it is today. Located 600kms from Perth (a one-hour flight) the city is home to a population of around 40,000 people. And the people? They come from all walks of life, cultures, and backgrounds, creating a great environment for families who are looking to relocate to the area. So, what is it about Kalgoorlie that has such a rich history connected to it? Well, the word ‘rich’ is fairly fitting as the city was established in 1893 during the Western Australian gold rushes when gold was discovered in the area, causing a large influx of prospectors from overseas and interstate. History Kalgoorlie’s history is extremely unique. The first sign of gold was discovered in Kalgoorlie in 1893 and since then, the mining of gold has been a major industry in the city and area. Today, the gold mines (and other metals) employ about one quarter of the population and is the home to the annual Diggers and Dealers conference, Australia’s premier mining conference. Things to do Kalgoorlie is a city backed by a vision – a place where people can call home. The growth in population and the development over the years has seen the city host many events such as kids’ festivals, performances, and art competitions. It also offers its residents and visitors many options when it comes to parks, pet friendly locations, cycling trails, walking trails, sports clubs, and many other open public places.  Visit the city of Kalgoorlie website  for the latest news and events in the area. As a home to many families, Kalgoorlie also has an ED department and specialists if a family member is unwell. Schools and Education Kalgoorlie and the area offer many options when it comes to education, including 10 primary schools and four high schools. In 2019, the city of Kalgoorlie launched an education and training guide, helping shape the recognition of importance that the education system holds while also providing support when it comes to careers and goals. Diversity Over the years the city and area have enjoyed not only a growth in population but in diversity, with the city now home to families from the Philipines, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, Australia, South Africa, and England, to name a few. Furthermore, many find the town to be a great culture fit with several cultural features including a Mosque, located in the heart of the city. For any further questions regarding current open opportunities in Kalgoorlie and the area, contact us at Doctor Connect and we will be happy to assist.

Healthcare in Australia is delivered by public and private sector entities and is funded by all levels of government, private health insurers, and out-of-pocket payments by individuals. The Federal Government doesn’t directly fund health service provisions, it funds Medicare benefits. It also jointly funds public hospitals with the States and Territories and provides financial assistance to residential aged care facilities, and home and community care for the aged. Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) benefits are payable for Consultations with doctors. The Medicare Benefits Schedule The MBS is a key component of the Medicare system. It lists a range of professional services, and allocates a unique item number to each service, along with a description of the service (the ‘descriptor’). In broad terms, the types of services on the MBS include consultation and procedural/therapeutic (including surgical) services, as well as diagnostic services. Subsidies for services by eligible health professionals take the form of Medicare benefits paid to the patient. The MBS sets out the ‘Schedule fee’ for each service and the rate/s at which the benefit for that service is to be calculated, as well as providing guidance on the clinical and administrative conditions under which benefits can be claimed. The Schedule fee is a fee-for-service set by the Australian Government and may differ from the provider’s actual fee. Although Medicare is a public scheme, the health professionals providing the services for which benefits are payable are engaged in private businesses – either self-employed, in partnerships, or, increasingly, in corporate entities, small and large. Under the Australian Constitution, the right of medical or dental professionals to set fees at their own discretion is guaranteed. The patient is liable for any difference between the MBS benefit for a service and the actual fee charged by the health professional. This difference is known as an ‘out-of-pocket’ cost. Where the health professional accepts the patient’s assigned Medicare benefit as full payment for the service, there is no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. For full information on the Medicare Benefits Scheme, click here . MBS online Training Medicare provides initial training on the MBS system here .

We have had great feedback from doctors sitting PTE – typically this is the fastest to book, and also the fastest to get a result. Also – please contact us to ask about people’s experience in clubbing their results successfully with AHPRA. What are the English Language Test Requirements to work as a doctor in Australia? AHPRA accepts the IELTS, OET, PTE Academic and TOEFL iBT. They will only accept results from these exams if they were obtained less within 2 years before the date you lodge your AHPRA application, unless you lodge your application for registration within 12 months of finishing your last period of employment. For IELTS you will need a minimum overall score of 7 and a minimum score of 7 in each four components. For OET you will need a minimum score of B in each of the 4 components you are tested in. For the PTE Academic, you will need a minimum overall score of 65 and a minimum score of 65 in each of the four communicative skills. For the TOEFL iBT you will need a minimum total score of 94 and a minimum score of 24 in Listening, 24 in Reading, 27 for writing, and 23 for speaking. Whilst there are several online versions of the English Language Test- some even run by OET and IELTS- AHPRA has informed that they will not accept the results of these exams. Information from: https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Registration-Standards/English-language-skills.aspx https://www.australiavisa.com/visas/english-and-skills-assessments/english-tests/ https://ielts.com.au/australia/about/who-accepts-ielts/organisations-that-accept-ielts https://ielts.com.au/australia/results/ielts-band-scores/reading-band-score https://www.occupationalenglishtest.org/ https://www.pearsonpte.com/who-accepts-pte/australia/visashttps://advancemed.com.au/blog/english-requirements-for-doctors/

Once your nomination has been lodged, you can apply for your visa as well. For that, need to log in/sign up to a VEVO account on the Immigration website. https://online.immi.gov.au/lusc/login Once you log in, go to Health option, which is number 6. Fill out all the related information details for the main applicant and dependant as well. (You will need TRN to complete that form which you can ask to immi agent) Then, you will get Hap ID. and receipt as well. For more detail, please follow below website. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/tools/emedical/emedical-client Then, you need to search for nearest clinic where you go for health check up.  Make sure, you bring Hap ID document with you. Once your health check up is complete, Your result will be directly updated on your VEVO account.

Your Practice Manager requires the following identifiers to set you up to be ready to commence seeing patients. Medicare Provider Number Prescriber Number HPI Number The Prescriber Number is created with your initial Medicare Provider Number. You may need to call Medicare to ask for your Provider Number. The HPI will be with your initial information from AHPRA, you will be able to retrieve the HPI when you log into AHPRA.

Reduce Your 10-Year Moratorium Medicare’s 19AB rules require doctors who studied for their medical degrees outside of Australia to work in an area of distribution priority (DPA) for their first 10 years of practice in Australia. By committing to work in certain doctor-short locations, an overseas GP may be able to complete a GP Fellowship, gain permanent residency, and have no restrictions on their work within 4 years of commencing work in Australia. There are two ways to reduce the length of time that you are bound by the moratorium. Moratorium Scaling Medicare operates the Department of Health’s Moratorium Scaling scheme, which automatically calculates additional reductions monthly. Under the scaling system, working in rural and remote areas earns scaling credits. The more remote the location, the more credits you earn. This is measured against the ASGS Remoteness Areas, using the Health Workforce Locator Map . For example, the coastal city of Bunbury is listed as “Inner Regional Australia, RA 2”. According to the table, working there reduces your 10-year moratorium to 9 years. If you work in Port Hedland (Remote classification RA4, two-hour’s flight to Perth) your moratorium will be 6 years. This could be a great option for a doctor who worked in another setting for 4 years and is now moving into primary care. In addition, look below at the second moratorium reduction method. Scaling occurs for each month that you work and produce the minimum Medicare billings in that location. That means that you do not need to be in that location the whole time to see the benefit. Scaling only applies if your work in a General Practice achieves a minimum of $5000 Medicare billings in the month. This means that if you work full-time in a hospital-based role, then you would also need to work in private General Practice for long enough to achieve those minimum billings for the month Note: It is possible to work in a DPA location until you have completed 9.5 years of the 10-year moratorium, then apply for a 6-month locum provider number in a non-DPA location. Note: If you leave the location, you will maintain all of the accumulated reduction of the moratorium. This is different from the Five-Year IMG Scheme, below. The Five-Year International Medical Graduates Recruitment Scheme The 5-year International Medical Graduates Recruitment Scheme (IMG) aims to attract and retain appropriately qualified and experienced Overseas Trained Doctors (OTDs) to work in private General Practices in some of Australia’s smaller rural communities. Contrary to its title, by committing to work in remote locations under the 5-Year Scheme you may reduce your moratorium to as little as three years. To gain the benefits of the 5-Year Scheme, applicants must be willing and able to: Complete the required number of years that you commit to in the location deemed eligible for the Scheme; and Attain Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) or Fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM); and Attain permanent residency in Australia and/or Australian citizenship. Five-Year IMG Scheme Eligibility Hold or obtain appropriate registration with the Medical Board of Australia. Be eligible to be assessed for FRACGP or FACRRM within two years of commencing on the Scheme. Provide at least seven sessions a week (i.e. 3.5 days of full-time equivalent) in a private General Practice as part of their placement (i.e., not in the hospital setting). Five-Year IMG Scheme Locations As the full list of locations is not published, we check each location to determine the number of years required. As an example, currently the scheme offers: Albany                         5 years Broome                       4 years Darwin                        5 years Geraldton                   5 years Hall’s Creek                3 years Kalgoorlie                   4 years Katanning                   4 years Karratha                     4 years Manjimup                   5 years Newman                     4 years Port Hedland             4 years Tom Price                   3 years Note: If you leave the location before your required number of years is complete, you will not gain any benefit from the Five-Year IMG Scheme. However, you will always be able to use the reduction attained from the moratorium scaling, as explained above. Benefits of Rural Work and Lifestyle When making these plans, it is worth considering all the positives of working in the bush. Remember, that there are systems in place to support IMGs in their transition to work in rural and remote placements. The rural workforce agencies, primary health authorities, your practice, colleagues, the colleges, and other agencies ensure that GPs moving to the bush receive a suitable orientation. They are supported to be able to provide good care to the community. You will have a chance to practice a broad range of medicine while developing and refining your skills. There are greater opportunities to develop a GP sub-specialty. The shortage of GPs in many areas means high demand which leads to increased earnings. Higher incidence of private and mixed billing in some rural areas, together with government incentive bonus payments means that rural and remote GPs tend to earn higher incomes. While many IMGs based in rural areas do move to metro practices when their moratorium is completed, others will stay on for much longer as they get used to the pace of life away from the big city. This outlines how you can make a change, fast forward your career, increase your earnings and provide care for grateful communities in need. We have vacancies with rural and remote practices that can help you to reduce your 10-year moratorium. If you would like to find out more, please contact us.