Specialist international medical graduates

If you trained as a specialist anaesthetist or specialist pain medicine physician overseas, we offer a number of pathways for you to practice in Australia or New Zealand.

Use the self assessment tool to identify which option(s) may be available to you.

Self assessment tool


We strongly recommend that you contact the Department of Home Affairs (in Australia) or the Department of Immigration (in New Zealand) before applying for any of our SIMG streams.

SIMG assessment process

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).

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Medical Board of Australia expedited specialist pathway

The MBA has introduced a new expedited specialist pathway for specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs) to be eligible to apply for the specialist registration, SIMGs must hold recognised overseas specialist qualifications on the Expedited Specialist pathway accepted qualifications list.

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Medical Council of New Zealand fast-track registration for provisional vocational (specialist) registration

The Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) has introduced a new fast-track registration for specialist international medical graduates (SIMGs). Eligible SIMGs from the UK, Ireland and Australia holding approved postgraduate qualifications can apply for this pathway.

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Short-term training (STT) pathway

Applicants who wish to enter a short-term specialist anaesthetic training or pain training (STT) position in Australia must be assessed for the purpose of medical registration. This pathway does not lead to fellowship.

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SIMG preliminary review (SPR)

The SPR is prepared for all applicants in Australia and summarises the initial assessment of an SIMG’s suitability to enter the SIMG process.

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SIMG clinical practice assessment (CPA) period

The clinical practice assessment (CPA) period is the time of supervised clinical practice an SIMG must complete during their individual pathway.

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SIMG performance assessments

The SIMG PA is a one-day assessment conducted by two fellows and at times an observer in the SIMG’s actual working environment.

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SIMG supervisor toolkit

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.

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Area of Need (AoN)

The Area of Need (AoN) process applies to Australia only. The declaration that a specified position is an AoN is made by the relevant government jurisdiction not ANZCA.

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SIMG resources library guide

This guide has been designed to support SIMGs participating in the ANZCA SIMG program, and contains resources intended to help support the overall experience.

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FAQ - ANZCA & FPM SIMG pathways

This page provides help with the most common questions about our SIMG pathway in Australia

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Last updated 09:26 11.12.2024