Better support needed for vitally important international medical graduates
Greater support and funding for international medical graduates (IMGs) is required to ensure they can continue making their critically important contribution to healthcare in communities across Australia.
In its updated position statement, the Australian Medical Association recognises the key role IMGs deliver and calls for clearer pathways and properly funded supervision to support them to practise safely and build sustainable careers in Australia.
IMGs are a permanent and valued part of Australia’s medical workforce, particularly in under-serviced communities in rural and remote areas. Currently, IMGs represent 53 per cent of the rural medical workforce, and 43 per cent of all GPs in Australia.
Federal AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said reforms are needed to ensure IMGs are treated fairly and supported to contribute to the delivery of health care in Australia.
“International Medical Graduates are far from a temporary fix — they’re a permanent and important part of Australia’s medical workforce, as well as valued members of the communities they live and work in,” Dr McMullen said.
“IMGs are providing an invaluable service in some of Australia’s most remote communities but if we want them to feel at home and stay, we must support them and their families to settle, belong and thrive. That means addressing some of the challenges they face, such as red tape, isolation, racism, and insufficient support and supervision.
“Moving to a new community is hard enough, let alone moving to a new country, so we would like to see more comprehensive onboarding of IMGs in communities, includes housing support, and support for the families of IMGS.”
The AMA is calling for transparent recruitment processes that provide accurate information about roles, living conditions, and the availability of level 1 supervision places. It also wants action taken to address registration delays that mean IMGs are held back from entering the workforce.
“We want visa sponsorship to be decoupled from individual employers, providing IMGs with greater mobility, autonomy, and job security,” Dr McMullen said.
The position statement also supports the progressive reduction of the 10-year moratorium on Medicare provider numbers for IMGs. Introduced in 1996, the moratorium’s original objectives — limiting immediate access to Medicare-funded private general practice and retaining IMGs in public sector roles — no longer reflect current workforce needs.
