Radiology in Australia: How to Apply and What to Expect

On By caferoentgenIn Beyond the shores

This is Himanshu Pendse. I am currently working in Australia as a Radiologist with special interest in Interventional Radiology. Thanks to the Cafe Roentgen team for the opportunity to elaborate about the Australian radiology system.

A little bit about the Australian Health System first. Australian health system is a public based system similar to the UK. There are a few private hospitals; however the public hospitals are the main referral units and all the high-end stuff is performed in the public hospitals. Thus, getting a spot in the public hospitals for training has to be the main goal. Also, the public hospitals are graded, so not all hospitals have accredited fellowships. The fellowships are competitive as the locals apply for the same ones.

There are two pathways of working in Australia-

1. Applying for a fellowship, also called Specialist-in-training pathway:

The concept of a fellow position in India vs in Australia are quite different. Back in India, we can become fellows the minute you finish the board exams. This is not the case here. Fellows here are considered to be just one grade below the consultants and are expected to work independently. So, it would be at least 3 years after one finishes exams in India, i.e. 6 years of experience, before one should think of applying here. Of course, there are exceptions but this is the usual norm.  Ideally, they prefer that you have worked in the same area back home so that you come here with some prior experience.

FRCR will be beneficial but not mandatory. Australian Medical Council (AMC) registration is not required, but as we all, know rules keep on changing. It is important to start the process of degree verification through the AMC website simultaneously as you apply. FRANZCR is not required.

The applications here are through a central application system similar to the NHS. It is difficult to contact a department to enquire about a fellowship. The main jobs are basically government jobs and are advertised on the government websites. You can find a list of the important websites to find these in my next blog here.

Each state has its own health website. For eg- Western Australia jobs are advertised through website medjobswa.mercury.com.au.  Australia has 7 states so there are 7 main websites. Melbourne and Sydney have a few more per zone which can be easily found on the net. Again, I have listed them all in my next blog here.

Job applications start around Feb for the positions the following year. Applications for fellowships are through the website while the selected candidates get an interview call which is usually in August. The interview can happen over Skype or another similar interview platform. The interview does not usually involve cases; technical questions are asked. They wish to understand whether you will gel well with the with the team.

Once you secure a position, the hospital will send all the paperwork for college registration, medical board temporary registration (AHPRA) and visas, usually in that order.

Most fellowships are for a year, with good hands-on for reporting and IR (as I said, a fellow works like a junior consultant). Next job has to be secured to continue work next year. The same fellowship is usually not offered again to the same candidate. The fellowship has a good salary, and does not require any ‘fellowship fees’, although there will be expenses like registration, college fees etc.

2. Applying for a consultant job – Specialist Recognition Pathway

A. Area of Need (AON) pathway: Complete details about this are also available on the RANZCR college website under the International Medical Graduates (IMG) section. AON pathway means that the applicant has agreed to work in an Area of Need region (away from main cities), and thus needs approval from the college and the medical board for this. There are limitations of work in these regions, especially for procedures. The job has to be secured in advance before the applications for this pathway, which means that the hospital has to commit to hiring you. The application is filed by the employee (Radiologist) and employer jointly.

This needs a job in public or private sector. The actual eligibility process for the position will start after the college gets the paperwork. IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is mandatory.

The Radiology college (RANZCR) will conduct the AON interview which is like a 30-minute exam. All sub-specialities will be tested. This interview is in person.

They will then recommend the suitability for that particular job with the restrictions, if any. For eg, an applicant who has not done breast radiology to the college expectations will not be allowed to report mammograms. This applies for all sub-specialities.

B. Applying through Specialist Pathway: In this, the applicant is saying that he is a specialist in his country and wants to work in Australia as a Radiology consultant. This application does not need a confirmed job in Australia.

The Radiology college will again assess all the paperwork and take an interview. This interview will assess the CV. Then they may or may not recommend mandatory training. High chance is that they will, which is usually up to 2 years. There is usually a specified time-period to finish the requirements.

Securing a job to fulfil the requirements is solely applicant’s responsibility. The jobs have to be in a teaching hospital to fulfil the requirements. The list of approved hospitals is available on the website.

The board exams (Part 2 RANZCR exams) are mandatory for everyone. FRCR or EDIR is considered during the interview but not a replacement for the exam. The main reason being that the RANZCR exams are considered to be exit exams so are designed to be much more extensive. The above pathways and information can change to some extent depending on the candidate’s CV’s and abilities.

I took the longer route among the above processes. I applied for fellowship in Australia 3 years post MD, and came to Australia as a Fellow in Interventional Radiology. This was through the Specialist-in-Training pathway. Then, I applied to the Specialist Pathway and gave the RANZCR interview. Then, I did a diagnostic radiology job for a year rotating in different faculties.  Following this, I gave the RANZCR exams Part II and then got the FRANZCR degree and thus eligibility to work as a Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist. Currently, I do all the vascular and non-vascular procedures as well as general reporting.

Sorry to bombard the readers with all this information. Happy to answer any questions.

CHEERS!

– Himanshu Pendse, Wagga Wagga Base Hospital

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PS: You can check our other blogs on training abroad in our section ‘Beyond the Shores’. 

56 thoughts on “Radiology in Australia: How to Apply and What to Expect”

    1. David Plassan

      Hi Dr. Hammed,

      I hope you are well. I just wish to enquire, can you tell me which nerve block injection would be more effective for chronic pubic pain relief, would it be the illiohypogastric or illilioinguinal nerve block?

      Kind Regards

      David Plassan

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      1. Anonymous

        I’ll have to started from the scratch ,worked out professional registration first ,wondered if it would not be a appropriate way to started as a Nurser get qualifications ,apropriet lever than go for Radiology

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  2. sunny

    hello dr…i M final year resident in diagnostic radiology,examgng next month in india. i want to work as diagnostic radiologist in india…plz guide me

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  4. Anonymous

    Thank you sir for such detailed information.

    I have following questions/doubts.

    (1) Is DM/DNB (super speciality)/Fellowship after PG in India counted as Post PG experience ?

    (2) Experience in private practice/corporate hospitals where DNB courses run, can be taken into account or not? Or experience as SR/AP in only teaching hospitals can be counted.

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  5. V Bhattacharyya

    Hi can you tell me if recommendations are required for applying for a fellowship?
    And what gives you an edge over local candidates in getting a fellowship in Australia ?

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    1. Dr Afshan Shakir

      It was wonderfully explained.Good luck for future.I wanted to know about the visa status.Does it require immigrant visa i.e. PR,preferrably to secure a advanced training position?
      What is the interview like in Sydney?Do they take our viva on film reporting?
      How to search job while sitting in other country?

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    3. Himanshu Pendse

      Hi,
      Yes good recommendations will help. Applying with enough experience is the key. Don’t be in a haste to apply early.

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      2. Anwer alam

        Hi dr pendse.
        In specialist assessment pathway what paper work they asses/require initially to arrange for interview.
        If they recommend for training, they will provide or recommend some hospital or candidate has to search by himself .
        As you said training should be from a teaching hospital, is it the same as you mentioned as a finding a job Or training is different and job is different.

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  6. Dr. Alok yadav

    Thank u sir for hpful information
    Sir i am MD in radiodiagnosis and my wife is MD in pathology currently doing Seniir residency from govt medical college delhi almost 2 ys of experience
    Is there any chance to get good job with good salary
    How much salary is for radiologist in my case and for pathologist
    Plz reply

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    1. Himanshu Pendse

      Hi Alok,
      From what I know Pathology is extremely hard to get here. I don’t know why.
      Good pay as a Radiologist. The main thing is the being ready for fellowship or the other pathway and plus the mandatory exam.

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      1. Nusrat

        hi himangshu
        I have a fellowship in Pakistan & now working as a registrar in a corporate hospital.
        i have completed my fellowship in January2019.
        can i apply for a training post in radiology in Australia? is AMC exam required to get this training post?

        did u require AMC exam to get ur fellowship?

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  7. Anonymous

    Thanks so much for the detailed post. It really does clear out a lot of queries.

    I would really like to know how did you get the balls rolling in getting the fellowship? Is there a specific place where fellowships are advertised?

    Thanks

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      1. Anonymous

        Sir
        I have like around 5 years of post MD work experience. Have worked in govt and private sector both… how to prepare for the interview.. as u are doing interventional radiology… u had exposure to interventional radiology in ur md ? Suppose if one doesn’t have the experience in the branch u want to do fellowship… then how to proceed further …
        plz guide

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  8. dheeraj shyam

    Thank u sir for a comprehensive information.
    Was very helpful.
    I am currently working in intervention radiology in india.. Looking for a fellowship ..
    I was searching for fellow positions in other Australian States. But not able to find their websites.. Could u kindly help with that?

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    1. Himanshu Pendse

      As I said, please google will give you the websites. Search state wise, for eg for nsw it’s jobs.nsw.health.gov.au. And so on. See the government websites

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    2. Anonymous

      Thank you for your explanation.
      I am a year2 radiology resident in Nigeria, cleared plab exams and going to the UK. I plan getting general registration in Australia after 1year of working in the UK.
      How do I get into Radiology training in Australia?

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  11. Afshan Shakir

    Hi,
    I am asking this question again,since it has not been answered clearly.
    My qustion is how to secure the job without PR visa in specialist pathway.i am working in Pakistan after doing FCPS.

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  12. Folasade

    Thanks.I have already done the FRANZR assessment and need 12 minths upskilling. Its been so tough getting a position for the past 10 months. How can you help?Thanks

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  13. Folasade

    Thanks.I have already done the FRANZR assessment and need 12 months upskilling. Its been so tough getting a position for the past 10 months. I have applied to several government hospitals all give me rejection. No PR .No AMC.How can you help?Thanks

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  14. Anjuna Nair

    Hello Himanshu Sir.. Thank you for taking out the time for an awesome write up. I would like to get guidance on few queries.

    1. Did u have to give IELTS for applying for fellowship

    2. While searching for fellowship jobs, how much time did it totally take for paper work and visa and registration process? Did u start all this around February only?

    3. How much did it cost you for the whole application process?

    4. What visa type did you apply for?

    5. Is registrar same as fellow?

    Looking forward to hear from you.. and would also like to know from where you did fellowship.

    Thanks in advance!

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    Reply
    1. Himanshu Pendse

      1. Yes IELTS OR PET is mandatory, I gave IELTS, score of 7 or above in all sextons is mandatory
      2.Paperwork takes 3-6 months.
      3. Whole application without the specialist interview should cost 3 lakh rupees, add 3 lakhs for specialist application
      4.visa keep changing. I had a 457 visa which is scrapped now.
      5.Fellow is above registrar.
      Thanks for reading my blog.
      Hope this helps.

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      1. simply321

        Hi Dr Himanshu

        I am originally from India and doing Radiology Fellowships in USA and would be American board Radiology certified soon after completing a 4 year track. If I apply for specialist pathway, what are the chances I can become a consultant without giving FRANZR exam. I have personal reasons that I am considering moving from US to Australia.

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        1. Anjuna

          Hello Sir,
          Thank you for the blog. I have been actively searching and applying for fellowships in Australia and I found that most institutes are asking for current AHPRA Medical Board Registration and Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists or overseas equivalent as essential criteria.
          From what I understood from your blog, AHRPA registration is done only after getting a fellowship position in that particular institute, in case of specialist IMGs. I have verified my qualifications via ECFMG and cleared IELTS too. However, I do not know how to get AHRPA registration prior to securing a fellowship position. The AHRPA site talks about AAMC-30 form for specialist IMGs who wish to train under supervision with a limited registration, which again is forwarded by the institute where the position is confirmed. Could you please throw some light on this Sir? Would really appreciate your input.
          Thanks in advance
          Dr. Anjuna

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  16. Anonymous

    Dear Dr. Himanshu,

    This is such an informative post. Thank you so much. I know how near impossible it is to get information about Australian training.

    I have some queries for you. Could you please help me.

    If someone applies via specialist pathway and is found comparable to their standards to sit for ranzcr,
    What are the chances of passing Ranzcr for imgs?
    What training resources do you recommend before one applies for the exam?

    Pass rates seem to be low for imgs. What are your thoughts?

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  17. Anonymous

    Hi Himanshu

    I am currently working as a specialist Radiologist in UAE

    Thanks for laying out the different pathways clearly. I took the specialist pathway and applied to RANZCR in OCT 2018 and has been certified as partially comparable requiring 12 months of upskilling in an unaccredited position in RANZCR accredited institute. I have been applying online via RANZCR website and also via different state’s government websites looking for an unaccredited position without any success. It has been frustrating experience so far as these positions are not available easily i guess
    Based on your experience would you please share any pointers you could share which would help me in finding a suitable unaccredited position to fulfill my training requirement before applying for RANZCR Part-2 exams.

    Thanks in Advance
    Dr. Ranjitha

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  18. Jasleen Kaur

    I am a radiologist with dmrd qualification ie 2yrs working in govt sector in India for past three years. Can I apply through the fellowship pathway.

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  19. Anonymous

    Sir , can you please explain how to apply for RANZCR EXAM do the need 6 yrs of training for applying for exam also
    can we give exam first and then start searching for jobs
    In India i did dmrd and dnb so 4 yrs of training so how to show additional training

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  20. KR

    Hi Himanshu,

    Thanks for the article, quite useful radiologists considering to move to Australia. I have trained in India and presently working as a Consultant Radiologist in the UK. I have been thinking of applying for Specialist assessment with RANZCR but hesitant considering the costs and not being able to find a job with one of the accredited training centres after all the hassle. I have heard that AoN jobs are not easy to come by. Could you please shed some light on this? How easy/difficult is the path from assessment to fellowship exam, assuming someone is ‘partially comparable’ or AoN is the easier alternative? Thank you.

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  22. Anonymous

    hello dr Himanshu

    all fellow positions advertized mention RaNZar as an essential qualification,do you need ranzar for fellowship application?

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  23. Hello Dr Himanshu
    honestly I checked a lot of websites offering Radiology Fellowships in Australia and all of them say RANZCR is a requirement to apply…I’m confused… where can I find positions that don’t require RANZCR? …moreover, if I’m already a Consultant (I did my specialty training in Italy) can I apply in Australia for a Specialist-in-training way? I hope you’ll find time to answer, because it’s very important for me and for my family…thanks

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  24. Hello,
    Thanks for the article it is very informative.
    I have one question – if a doctor have applied with one employer to the AoN Assessment and the doctor passed successfully, but later during the process the employer withdraw the offer. Does this Assessment will be still valid for the doctor to apply to other jobs or it is valid only with this employer who lodged the application first? Thank you very much for your help.

    Kind Regards,
    Zori

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  26. Anonymous

    Hi Dr. Himanshu,
    Sir, I am an Australian citizen but finished my MD Radiology from India. I just finished my degree. With just the degree can we apply to the specialist pathway for comparability check or should I keep working in a medical college/hospital and then apply? Do scan centres count as work experience/training? How would you recommend I go about this Sir. Will secondary DNB be beneficial?

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