If you've been assessed for anaesthesia, your CPA period must be in clinical anaesthesia; time spent in other specialities will not be considered. If you've been assessed for pain medicine, your CPA period must be in pain medicine; time spent in other specialities will not be considered.
Before commencing the CPA period, you must submit an “application for approval of a position” for either pain medicine or anaesthesia for review. The outcome of this review will be sent to:
- You (the applicant);
- Your supervisor; and,
- AHPRA (in Australia only).
All applicants are assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration your personal education and work experience. Applicants will be provided with a Report 1/interview outcome report detailing the specific requirements. In general:
- Substantially comparable SIMGs can apply for any position including specialist equivalent in clinical anaesthesia/pain medicine.
- Partially comparable SIMGs can apply for any position including specialist equivalent in clinical anaesthesia/pain medicine. In some cases, the partially comparable SIMG’s are required to work in an ANZCA/FPM accredited department.
*Noting, for all SIMG’s the anaesthesia SIMG performance assessment can only be undertaken in a position that is at provisional fellow level or higher, and the pain medicine SIMG PA can only be undertaken in a position that allows for adequate independence in practice.
In Australia, position descriptions must be submitted on the college template.
In New Zealand all positions must be submitted to the MCNZ for approval. If you fail to submit this application before starting the position, any time prior to application may not be accepted.
At any point during employment an SIMG wishes to change any aspect of their position (for example, changes to the start or end dates of the position, move to part-time hours), a PD variation form must be submitted to the college.
Should an SIMG wish to move positions during an individual program a new application must be submitted to the college for review for approval.
You must have an approved supervisor for your entire CPA period. The nominated supervisor will be reviewed for suitability during the review of the position description.
Change in supervisor
If your supervisor changes during your CPA period, you should submit a new supervisor’s agreement and an application for variation to a position description (PD) form for review by the college.
In order to be eligible to be an SIMG supervisor, the FANZCA/FFPMANZCA must comply with the MBA guidelines in Australia, and the MCNZ guidelines in New Zealand. Further information about becoming a supervisor can be found here (SIMG supervisor agreement form).
Once we've approved a CPA position, the nominated supervisor must submit a CPA report every three months. We will accept ANZCA CPA reports for either anaesthesia or pain medicine or MCNZ supervisor reports. CPA report should be submitted within three months of the end date of the report.
Failure to do so may result in that period of CPA not being counted towards requirements.
Three-monthly CPA reports must be provided until all requirements of the individual program are complete. Failure to do so will delay the completion of the SIMG process.
If you have been out of anaesthesia practice for 12 or more calendar months, you must complete a period of return to practice (RTP) as per PS50.
If you have been out pain medicine practice for 12 or more calendar months must complete a period of RTP as per Medical Board of Australia standard “Registration Standard: Recency of practice”.
In exceptional circumstances, an extension of time may be granted. Application for an extension of time can only be submitted within the last six calendar months of CPA. Applications submitted earlier than this will not be considered.
An extension of time is usually for an additional 12 calendar months. If the expiry date is during an exam sitting the college will automatically grant an extension to complete the exam.
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Our SIMG assessment process evaluates the ability of a specialist to practise as an unsupervised specialist anaesthetist and/or pain medicine specialist at a standard comparable to that required of a fellow of ANZCA (FANZCA) or fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine (FFPMANZCA).
The Medical Board of Australia (MBA) expedited specialist pathway is for SIMGs seeking specialist registration in Australia.
The Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) has introduced a new fast-track registration for specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs), enhancing support for New Zealand’s medical workforce.
Applicants who wish to enter a short-term training (STT) position in specialist anaesthesia or pain medicine in Australia must be assessed for the purpose of medical registration. This pathway does not lead to fellowship.
The SPR is prepared for all applicants in Australia and summarises the initial assessment of an SIMG’s suitability to enter the SIMG process.
The SIMG PA is a one-day assessment conducted by two fellows and at times an observer in the SIMG’s actual working environment.
As an SIMG supervisor, you play a vital role in the training, assessment, and welfare of your SIMG and should have a broad understanding of the SIMG program.
The Area of Need (AoN) process applies to Australia only and is used to address medical workforce shortages in designated areas. It doesn't directly lead to fellowship or specialist registration by the Medical Board of Australia.
Frequently asked questions about ANZCA & FPM SIMG pathways