The clinical year in Australia differs from the UK. The clinical year in Australia commences on the first Monday in February each year (see clinical year term dates for NSW).
NSW Health undertakes an annual recruitment campaign to recruit JMOs for the following clinical year. The Campaign dates are published each year and it is completed in various rounds:
Early round – this starts around May of each year and includes only limited specialties
Main round – this runs from early July each year through to August and is when most vacancies will be advertised
Second round – this begins in October of each year and only includes those positions not filled in the main round. Vacancies will continue to be advertised through to January.
Important Note: if you are applying for a specialty training position you may be required to apply directly to the College in addition to NSW Health.
All positions advertised during this period start on the first Monday in February the following year, unless otherwise stated or organised by the convenor.
You can view all NSW Health vacancies and apply for positions online through our recruitment system.
Please note that NSW Health does not accept applications from recruitment agencies. During the application process you will be required to answer a number of questions, submit declarations and meet the selection criteria of the position and this can only be completed by the applicant directly.
Any positions that remain vacant after the annual JMO recruitment campaign, or vacancies that come up during the year, are advertised on the recruitment website by each facility.[VT(N1] During the annual JMO campaign, successful applicants can receive an employment contract for the minimum length to complete training (up to 6 years), depending on the role and the specialty. Successful applicants recruited outside of the campaign, and commencing after the start of the clinical year, will receive a shorter contract length of no more than two years.
Alternatively, if there is a specific area where you are hoping to find employment, you can contact that location directly for any current vacancies.
Position titles during the various stages of training differ across the world. Below is a table to more clearly clarify the terminology used in the UK with that of position titles used in NSW, including the selection criteria that you will need to meet and the registration requirements:
Formerly House Officer or Pre-Registration House Officer.
Entry level doctors who are provisionally registered to undertake the required 12 month period of supervised training.
Second year of training. Formerly House Officer or Pre-Registration House Officer.
This is a medical officer who has completed internship and registration with the Medical Board of Australia.
Junior trainee (resident) doctors in specific specialty.
A medical officer seeking to become a medical specialist who has been accepted by a specialist medical college to complete the vocational training program and holds general registration.
Foundation year 2 or Core Trainee 1 level (formerly Senior House Officer).
Generally these medical officers are not yet in a specialist training program. They may work in one specific area or they, like more junior residents may rotate across a range of different medical specialities.
Specialty Trainee year 3+ / equivalent.
A medical officer who is not in a specialist college training program approved position.
For information on specific specialties, check NSW Health's Map My Health Career. For more detailed information on position titles, you can view our Glossary of terms.
After studying a undergraduate degree at a recognised University, medical students apply to the Health Education Training Institute (HETI) for a two year Internship year, which is part of a national matching process commencing in May. This is similar to the process undertaken by the UK Foundation Programme Office who facilitates the two year foundation programme that commences in September each year.
After the two year internship, JMOs (post graduate year 3+) can continue their training through two different routes:
At the conclusion of specialty or General Practitioner training, a JMO is qualified to work unsupervised as a General Practitioner, Staff Specialist, Visiting Medical Officer or Postgraduate Fellow positions.
The Medical Board of Australia (MBA) is the registration body for medical practitioners in Australia, similar to the General Medical Council (GMC) in the UK.
The MBA has several registration options available for JMOs and IMGs, which vary from the GMC registration options.
Further information on registration requirements and the Medical Board of Australia can be found on the AHPRA website.
