No. of registered overseas trained doctors climbs

Number of registered overseas trained doctors climbs

The number of overseas-trained doctors registered during the year climbed to 1,345, up from 1,089 last year and no slow down is expected according the Medical Council’s latest annual report.

Chief executive, Sue Ineson said today that doctors are now registered from 83 countries.

“We are now registering more doctors from a greater variety of countries than ever before, particularly on temporary registration.

“The Medical Council, as the registering body with responsibility for public safety, must steer a path between pressure to register doctors more quickly and the responsibility to undertake thorough assessment and checks on applicants,” said Ms Ineson.

Each applicant’s skills, experience and training are compared with those of a

New Zealand trained doctor.

“We make our requirements transparent through the use of checklists and, for vocational registration, publication of details of the New Zealand standard in each branch of medicine on our website.”

Ms Ineson says with challenges to registration decisions becoming more frequent here and overseas, scrutiny of policy and audits of decision-making are ongoing.

After examination of medical education, accreditation and registration systems in the United Kingdom and the performance in New Zealand of doctors trained there, changes in the Council’s policy meant that from 1 May 2002 graduates of medical schools accredited by the General Medical Council became eligible for permanent registration without examination (previously they could only work on a temporary basis without examination).

“This new policy has been a resounding success, in the first year attracting 197 new doctors from the United Kingdom to bring their skills here longer term.”

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