Policy for Australian General Registrants

Eligibility for registration within a provisional general scope

To apply for registration within a provisional general scope of practice you must:

hold a primary medical degree from a university medical school listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools; and
have passed the Australian Medical Council (AMC) Multichoice Questionnaire (MCQ) examination; and
have passed the AMC Clinical examination
OR
have successfully completed a formal AMC-approved workplace-based assessment (WBA); and
have satisfactorily completed 12 months of supervised practice in Australia culminating in full general registration in Australia; and
satisfy our English language policy requirements; and
satisfy section 16 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act.

Once your provisional general registration is confirmed and practising certificate is issued, you can start practising. At this point you will commence working toward achieving general registration.

Your practising certificate will include an endorsement requiring you to work under supervision in the position that was approved in your application for registration. You will need to apply for a variation to your scope of practice if any of the details listed on your practising certificate need to change as a result of a change to your employment, position, or supervision.

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English language policy

Checklist 7

REG1 application form

Eligibility for registration in the general scope

Registration in the general scope is not automatic, rather you must make an application once you become eligible. To apply for registration in the general scope of practice you must complete the following requirements while working within a provisional general scope:

one year working within a provisional general scope in a New Zealand hospital, general practice, educational institution or other organisation approved by Council, under the supervision of a doctor approved by Council; and
achieve advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) certification less than 12 months old at the level of New Zealand Resuscitation Council

- CORE Advanced for doctors working in hospital-based practice; or

- CORE Immediate for doctors working in general practice or non-clinical based practice.

receive satisfactory supervision reports for 12 months FTE worked under supervision; and
be recommended for registration in the general scope by the Council approved supervisor; and

the recommending supervisor must have been the Council approved supervisor for at least 3 months immediately prior to application.

Council expects all doctors who have satisfactorily completed the requirements of their provisional general scope of practice to apply for a general scope of practice. If you don’t achieve the requirements to apply for registration in the general scope within a 12 month period, you will need to continue to work under supervision until you have met the requirements.

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Recertification requirements

Council is responsible for ensuring the ongoing competence and fitness to practise of doctors in New Zealand, and one way that we achieve this is by setting standards for recertification and accrediting recertification programmes.

Doctors who are registered in the general scope of practice must enrol with and participate in the Council approved recertification programme – inpractice, administered by bpacnz. Doctors who are participating in an accredited vocational training programme in New Zealand, are exempt from enrolling in inpractice.

Once you are registered to practise in the general scope of practice, you are no longer required to work under supervision. You will need to participate in inpractice, unless you are enrolled in and participating in a formal vocational training programme in New Zealand.

For a practising certificate to be issued you must meet the Council’s recertification requirements.