A new report and survey has revealed that IMGs are facing the same persistent issues with working in Australia.
The AMA has reignited calls for reform to better support international medical graduates (IMGs) with a new report and survey of its members outlining the areas in need of change.
With workforce shortages nationwide, many IMG advocates have stated that the international graduates could be the key to address the longstanding issue.
“IMGs are a critical part of our healthcare system — particularly in regional, rural and remote communities — but their pathway to being able to practice in Australia remains unnecessarily convoluted, costly, and opaque,” AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said.
“Despite their significant contribution being widely acknowledged, the current system fails to provide IMGs and their families with the support, transparency, and co-ordination they deserve.”
Racial discrimination and a lack of social support networks were raised in the report as a major barrier for IMGs entering the Australian health workforce.
The survey highlighted further issues facing IMG integration such as inefficient orientation and mentoring that has been reportedly limiting IMG understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
This issue has been exacerbated in rural areas where IMGs now compromise 53% of the medical workforce, along with 56% of all GPs in Australia.
With this reliance reportedly expected to increase, the AMA has reiterated its calls on the government and regulators to act on its recommendations.
These include focusing on streamlining application processes along with providing greater transparency regarding job placements and support structures.
“These are doctors are coming from overseas, separating from their culture and from their countries to come and serve rural and remote Australia,” RACGP National IMG Committee chair Associate Professor Ayman Shenouda told The Medical Republic.
“They deserve to be having some support in the relocation to those communities, especially when they come with their families.
“We need to seriously think of IMGs, not as a short-term solution for rural communities, but as part of the long-term solution, and we need to support IMGs in establishing themselves.”
As part of the AMA recommendations from the report, it was highlighted how other commonwealth nations have adopted similar recommendations to great success.
These suggested international policies have also focused on streamlining IMG integration along with shifting away from the direct equivalent of qualifications and focusing on assessing medical skills and knowledge.
“We think that the best way to address support within the communities is to try and have more comprehensive onboarding and local integration of the international medical graduates and their families into the communities,” AMA Vice President Associate Professor Julian Rait told TMR.
“That means providing not just orientation to the Australian healthcare system, but also orientation to community life, particularly in rural and regional Australia, connect them with cultural groups, sporting clubs and faith-based organisations, as well as traditional medical organisations such as the AMA.”
“But also, I think supported employment and training structures with high quality supervision and clear career pathways would be a good look.
“Even consider cultural safety training for all healthcare workers so that we can address some of the problems of systemic racism and create more respectful workplaces.”
