What is the Five-year International Medical Graduates Recruitment Scheme?
The Five-year International Medical Graduates Recruitment Scheme, also known as the 5YR Scheme, provides assistance and incentives to attract and retain experienced general practitioners (GPs) to remote locations. The 5YR Scheme assists suitably qualified and experienced International Medical Graduates (IMGs) and Foreign Graduates from an Australian Medical School (FGAMS) to practise in rural and remote locations that have difficulty recruiting and retaining GPs.
The 5YR Scheme is funded by the Australian Government and administered in Victoria by the Rural Workforce Agency of Victoria (RWAV). It allows IMGs and FGAMs to reduce their 10-year provider number moratorium by working in a designated rural setting. The moratorium can be reduced by five, six or seven years, depending on the location of the doctor’s employment.
Objectives of The 5YR Scheme
The main objectives of the 5YR Scheme are to:
- provide incentives to attract qualified and experienced IMGs and FGAMs working in general practice to overcome current and future community needs for general practice medical services in rural and remote Australia;
- increase the number of appropriately qualified IMGs and FGAMS in rural and remote Australia;
- enhance the professional development, skills and knowledge of IMGs and FGAMS in Australia; and
- bring a degree of stability to the provision of GP services in rural and remote communities.
Benefits of participation in The 5YR Scheme
- Facilitating Medicare financial benefits access for participating doctors: Where a location is listed as a current Distribution Priority Area (DPA), Health will grant an exemption under section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act 1973 (Cth) to allow medical practitioners participating in the scheme to gain access to the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) financial benefits arrangements.
- A reduction in the 10-year moratorium on provider number restrictions under section 19AB of the Health Insurance Act: The Delegate to the Minister for Health and Aged Care will grant a non-location specific 19AB exemption to medical practitioners who have satisfied the requirements of the scheme.
For more information please see the program guidelines here.
For more information and/or to book a phone call to discuss your eligibility, please call GP programs on 03 9349 7800 to get in touch with us now.
