International medical graduates deserve a pathway. Not a labyrinth

IMG Colleagues: I have you back 

International medical graduates are central to Australian general practice. Across the country, particularly in rural and regional communities. Yet too often, Australia treats them as a workforce solution rather than as colleagues whose skills, careers and families deserve proper support.

If we want IMGs to build long and successful careers in Australian general practice, we need pathways that are clear, fair, affordable and designed to help them succeed.

The problem is not your commitment

For many IMGs, the journey into Australian general practice involves migration, registration, Medicare, supervision, employment, assessment, training and Fellowship across multiple organisations.

The complexity is significant. So is the cost.

For IMGs, the pathway to Fellowship can cost $40,000 or more a year.

That is a major barrier for doctors who may already be meeting the costs of migration, registration, assessments, relocation and supporting their families.

We cannot say Australia urgently needs more GPs while expecting individual doctors to personally carry such a large financial burden to enter the specialist general practice workforce.

Supervision is another major bottleneck. Experienced doctors who have completed substantial requirements and are ready to work can still be prevented from entering communities that need them because appropriate Level 1 supervision is unavailable.

We also need to recognise what IMGs already bring. Many arrive with years of clinical experience, specialist skills, languages and cultural knowledge. Our pathways should identify genuine learning needs while appropriately recognising previous experience and capability.

The goal should be a safe pathway to becoming a confident Australian specialist GP, not an unnecessarily complicated test of persistence.

What I will do to improve IMG pathways

If elected RACGP President, improving IMG pathways will be a core part of my commitment to Back Every GP.

My first priority will be the financial barrier to Fellowship.

I will make Commonwealth funding for FSP and PEP a national RACGP advocacy priority and mobilise our membership behind that case.

Training to become a specialist GP should not depend on whether a doctor can personally afford tens of thousands of dollars each year. If government wants to strengthen the general practice workforce, it must invest in the doctors undertaking the pathways needed to build it.

I will also push for:

• greater Level 1 supervision capacity, with proper funding and support for supervisors;
• stronger rural and remote supervision models, including safe remote and blended supervision where appropriate;
• clearer and more navigable pathways from entry into Australia through to Fellowship;
• more individualised recognition of prior experience and capability while maintaining high professional standards;
• better opportunities for IMGs to progress into supervision, education and leadership once they achieve Fellowship.

These are practical workforce reforms. They support doctors, strengthen general practice and improve access to care for communities that need it most.

How I will do it as President

I am not starting from zero on this work.

I have already advocated for stronger grassroots IMG representation within the RACGP and contributed to establishing the RACGP National IMG Committee.

As President, I will strengthen that voice and ensure IMG experience directly informs College policy and advocacy.

I want the National IMG Committee to be an influential source of advice and policy development, not a body consulted only after decisions have been made.

I will also support stronger IMG representation through RACGP faculties and the National IMG Committee, because many barriers are experienced locally. These include securing supervision, navigating training, connecting with peers and establishing a professional and family life in a new community.

Nationally, I will take these issues directly to government, regulators and training bodies.

I will make the case for Commonwealth investment in FSP and PEP, bring evidence of supervision bottlenecks directly to decision-makers and push for better coordination between the organisations responsible for IMG pathways.

Importantly, IMGs themselves must be at the table when policies affecting their careers are designed.

The role of the RACGP President is not simply to identify barriers. It is to build the case for change, bring the right voices together and use the influence of the College to secure better outcomes.

From filling vacancies to building careers

For too long, workforce success has been measured by how many doctors we can recruit into areas of need. That is not enough.

Success is whether those doctors can achieve Fellowship without prohibitive financial barriers, receive the supervision they need, build sustainable careers and become respected specialist GPs. It is whether their families can build lives in the communities they serve.

International medical graduates have supported Australian general practice for decades. It is time we backed them.