AdvanceMed

Category: Rural

  • Tips for Compiling A Great Rural Medical Student Resume.

    Tips for Compiling A Great Rural Medical Student Resume.

    Based On An Article Originally Requested By the NSW Medical Students Council about medical student resumes.

    Being able to compile a CV or Resume is an essential skill for pretty much any career.  But as a medical graduate, you may not necessarily have been taught this specific skill so far.

    In my experience it is uncommon for medical schools in Australia to cover how to compile a medical student resume as part of their formal curriculum.  But that’s okay. It is a skill that you can actually teach yourself with a bit of research and guidance.  I’ve reviewed tens of thousands of CVs and Resumes in my time and helped hundreds of doctors write or rewrite their resumes. So, you are in good hands.

    Unique to the state of New South Wales, where I reside, the only medical graduates who need to put a resume together are those applicants applying for Rural Preferential Recruitment (RPR).  This is because this is the only pathway that employers are directly involved in the selection process.  So, I am pleased to have been invited to write this article specifically for that purpose. But even if you are not applying for RPR you will probably learn something by reading this article because you will definitely need a resume in the next few years.

    Let’s start with the basic features of your medical student resume, which components are most important, and the recommended order. After which I will go into some more detail about 3 key aspects of your resume that are important to consider when applying for a rural internship (your personal statement, describing your education and choosing your referees).

    The Basic Medical Student Resume Format

    Included in this article is an example of how you can put together a 2-page medical student resume for your internship application. 

    You can also download this as a word doc template from the following link [will provide you the link].

    Most medical graduates will only need 2 pages for their medical student resume. But honestly if you need to go to another page or two that is fine.  Just know that when your CV is reviewed the first time, its not reviewed for very long (about 8 seconds) and most of that time is spent reviewing what is on the first page.  So, you need to be circumspect about what you do and don’t include on this page.

    The Front Page

    The front page of your medical student resume and in fact the top third of the front page is where you need to put down all the essential information that you absolutely want the employer to see and acknowledge.  You will notice in the example above the biggest element on the front page is the candidate’s name.  That’s deliberate.  That’s the one thing you want them to remember the most.  You notice I have also put Dr as a prefix.  Now you may not feel comfortable doing this if you have not officially completed your degree yet.  If so. That’s OK.  But definitely include it in future resumes.  It displays confidence and formality.

    You will also notice that high up on the front page of this medical student resume are some basic details, including your contacts (you want the employer to be able to contact you easily) and your short qualifications.  For medical jobs there are some essential requirements for most jobs.  These include items like having a medical degree, having the appropriate registration, and in some cases things like being registered with a college, having English language proficiency, and eligibility to work in Australia are also important.  So, all of these should be high up on the front page so that they are seen, and the employer can tick the necessary boxes.

    You will see that the other prominent element in the top third of the medical student resume is a statement.  We generally refer to this as a personal statement or career goal statement.  I recommend spending some time on getting this piece of text right.  It should provide a compelling story for the reviewer to want to talk to you in person.  But do this last after you have put together all the other elements of your resume as you will want to draw on some of these.  More about the personal statement shortly.

    For most medical student resumes work history comes straight after the personal statement.  Employers are most interested in what you have been doing in your most recent job.

    For medical graduates however your most recent significant activity has been your education, so this comes next and this provides yet another opportunity to describe some of the things you have been doing and most importantly have achieved.

    If you do have work history, it’s a very good idea to include some information about this as a bare minimum it demonstrates that you have been employable in the past and in most cases demonstrates many more things about you.

    What Other Headings Should You Use on Your Medical Student Resume?

    Medical Student Resume Page 2

    You will see that I have suggested a range of other headings that you can use both in the short right hand column and after work history.  Other than work and education there is no set rule as to what you should include and where in your Resume.  I would recommend including the next thing that shows your strengths.  So if this is your teaching experience talk about this next. Or if it is the fact that you have already done some decent research, talk about this.

    The only caveat to this is that referees always come last on the resume.

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    3 Specific Areas to Focus In Your Medical Student Resume For a Rural Internship

    Picking appropriate referees, describing achievements and writing a compelling personal statement are key to all resumes.  Let’s talk about how to make them relevant in your resume application.

    Referee Selection

    When I speak to medical students about the need to have referees on their resume, they often get caught up in the need to have well-known consultants as referees on their resume.

    This is not the case. And often times your exposure to brand name consultants who really get to know you is limited anyway.

    It’s more important to focus on a having a diverse range of referees that have recent and relevant knowledge of you.

    A mixture such as a consultant, a registrar and a Nurse Unit Manager or even a professional staff member from your medical school is generally fine.  But try to ensure that there is at least one female and one female on your list.  And aim for at least some of these people to have had decent exposure to you in the last 12 months or so.

    In terms of relevancy for a rural internship, it may seem an obvious point but having people listed who work in rural areas is going to go a long way in terms of your candidacy.  Here’s something that you probably don’t know.  The rural hospitals in NSW that take internships have strong networks with each other.  The JMO Managers and Directors of Training at these hospitals generally know each other on a first name basis.  This network also usually extends to local clinical school staff.  So, if you are able to put someone like a Clinical Dean on your resume this will go a long way for you.

    Educational Achievements 

    One of the more tedious parts to read of most doctor resumes is their work history and education history. It’s almost 99% a list of rotations and responsibilities, which says nothing about how they actually performed.

    By all means give a quick summary of where you were for each of your years of medical school.  But quickly focus in on the things that you particularly did that prove that you are suited for a rural medical career.  There are some obvious candidates here, such as spending a year at a rural clinical school or being a member of a rural club.

    Less obvious might be parts of your course where you focused on generalist medical skills and methods of delivering health care.

    If possible, list at least a couple of things under your education history that show you can get things done.  This does not necessarily need to directly link to rural health.  But is a bonus if it can.  I like the SMART acronym for this.

    Try to describe your achievement end ensure you are Specific about what your achievement was. That you can Measure the success of your achievement. That you can describe your specific Actions in that achievement. And that you can describe the Result and Timeframe in which it occurred.

    So, here is an example that demonstrates SMART,

    “In my final year of medical school, we were set a group task to deliver a presentation on the differences between urban and rural mental health outcomes.  I noticed that we were having some initial trouble as a group in developing individual roles and accountability. So, I volunteered to act as the secretary of the group to ensure better coordination of group roles and tasks. This had an almost immediate effect on improving group dynamics and ultimately contributed to our group delivering the project ahead of time, gaining a higher distinction for our project and being selected as one of two groups to present our findings at the end of the year.”

    You will notice that the example doesn’t really touch much on medical knowledge or skills, but demonstrates skills and values such as emotional intelligence, professionalism, and a desire to achieve success as part of a team.  These are all highly desirable characteristics for employers.

    In terms of competencies that you could demonstrate in your resume I recommend you review the CanMEDS framework [http://www.royalcollege.ca/rcsite/canmeds/canmeds-framework-e] for further inspiration.

    Personal Statements

    Finally, we come to the personal statement.  There is a lot to personal statements.  So if you want to explore them more fully I have written more about the topic on the AdvanceMed Blog (advancemed.com.au).  However, I think for rural preferential internship there are 2 unique ways to go with your personal statement.

    Some of the medical graduates applying for rural interest will be from a rural background and the remaining will have an interest in rural health.

    For the first group. Those with a rural background. This is a strong selling point. The evidence around rural background and the rural training pipeline is well-known to rural hospitals and they are actively seeking candidates from this group as they know they have a high chance of becoming more permanent than just completing a year of internship and residency.  So, it’s definitely worth weaving this into your personal statement.

    My general formula for the personal statement is to:

    1. Offer some value to the employer.
    2. Show natural progression.
    3. Demonstrate how the opportunity helps you.

    So, for graduates from a rural background you can easily weave your background in at points 2 and 3 of this formula.  In which case you can if you want talk about one or two other key strengths for points 1.

    For example,

    “I bring 4 years of high-quality medical school training with a strong emphasis on communication and teamwork schools, I was also awarded a prize for my academic prowess in the area of surgery.  Having been born and high-schooled in a rural NSW town and spent 50% of my medical school at a rural clinical school, I am very prepared and excited to commence my internship at a rural hospital. A rural internship will also help me with my longer-term career aspiration to be a rural general surgeon.”

    For graduates who do not have a rural background but are interested in rural health you should take the opportunity to point out that a rural internship is the obvious next step for someone interested in rural health and will help you to define a rural career.  But, because you do not have that obvious rural background. I would suggest that its also worth pointing out what specific rural exposure and training you have had so far at Item 1.

    For example,

    “I have spent the last 2 years of medical school studying at 2 separate rural clinical schools. In that time I had developed a good understanding of the challenges for rural health as well as been able to identify that some of my strengths, such as personal communication and working within small and agile teams, are well suited to working in a rural hospital.  My rural hospital experience to date means that I am well prepared to take on a rural internship. Further a rural internship will greatly assist me in my desire to one day become a rural general practitioner.”

  • Area of Need Australia. What is it? Who is eligible? How to apply.

    Area of Need Australia. What is it? Who is eligible? How to apply.

    Featured image shows the distribution of population areas according to the Modified Monash Model c/- DoctorConnect site

    Post Update: I continue to get regular queries about identifying Area of Need posts in Australia. Whilst the AoN system does still exist in Australia. These days it is very rare to come across an AoN designated position for any specialty. In the majority of cases, potential employers are requiring Specialists to go through the college assessment process, otherwise known as the Specialist Assessment Pathway, first before considering them for a position. You can find out more information about the Specialist Pathway here and here.

    When working with specialists from countries other than Australia one of the topics we often cover is the issue of Area of Need posts. Area of Need, which is generally abbreviated to AoN is one of a number of aspects of the Australian health care system that is difficult to understand. What is also frustrating is that apart from some notable exceptions it is also difficult to find out how to apply for an Area of Need position. I am writing this post to better inform you about AoN.

    Firstly let’s answer the question of what is Area of Need and how does an Area of Need post differ from the specialist assessment pathway to specialist recognition in Australia. An Area of Need is a location where there is a demonstrated shortage of suitably qualified medical practitioners. An Area of Need post is a position that is specifically established for an international doctor to work in Australia because it has been difficult to find an Australian doctor to work in that position. Whilst historically Area of Need positions have been declared for both trainee and specialist roles. They are generally now mainly declared for specialist positions. With the exception that Area of Need roles are also often declared for IMG doctors to enter into general practice in a training capacity. Area of Need positions then vary from the specialist pathway in two main ways. Firstly, they are not always related to specialist roles. But mostly are. Secondly, they still require an assessment of the specialist IMG doctor’s potential to become a specialist in Australia through the relevant college. But as part of that assessment, the college will also consider the doctor’s suitability for the actual Area of Need position.

    OK. So now you know what Area of Need is and that it is essentially an add-on option to the specialist pathway. Let’s look at a few other aspects of Area of Need that are worth knowing about, including: How are AoN positions declared? How do you find an AoN position? What are the advantages of an AoN position? And how does AoN affect the Specialist Assessment process?

    How is an Area of Need Position Declared?

    The authority for declaring such positions lies with the state governments of Australia (not the Commonwealth government).

    Medical practitioners with limited registration for area of need are working under supervision in an area of Australia where there is a shortage of medical practitioners. They are usually registered to practise in a rural or remote location.

    These practitioners have been assessed as having the necessary skills, training and experience to undertake this practice safely. The state or territory Minister for Health (or their delegate) must declare that the area in which the applicant will work is an ’area of need’.

    The process can vary between jurisdictions but generally, there are two main criteria that need to be filled before an Area of Need position will be approved.

    Firstly, there must be some reason for the vacancy given along with a consideration on the impact upon the community and service delivery as well as access to alternate services and options explored for delivering care in an alternative manner. The impact upon particular populations, such as rural and remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders may also be considered.

    Secondly, there must be evidence of “labour market testing”. Basically, this involves demonstrating that there have been attempts to find suitable candidates from amongst the Australian trained doctor pool but this has not been fruitful. So for example, attempts at advertising and results of previous recruitment campaigns.

    Certain Doctors Cannot Work Under Area of Need.

    For fairly obvious reasons doctors with general registration or specialist registration cannot apply for an Area of Need position.

    New applicants who are eligible for the competent authority pathway or who already hold the AMC Certificate are also not eligible to apply for limited registration and therefore cannot apply for an Area of Need position.

    Finding an Area of Need Position.

    You would think with the many doctor shortages in Australia. Particularly rural and remote Australia. It would be relatively easy to find out all the Area of Need positions.

    Unfortunately, no central list actually exists. This is because the states and territories are both responsible for declaring Area of Need positions as well as determining how these declarations occur. And there is no requirement for these declarations to then be listed or reported anywhere. So there is no central list. And very few of the states and territories publish a list. Even when this list is published it may be out of date.

    At present only NSW Health reports what purports to be an up to date Area of Need list for both General Practice as well as other Specialties. Although I have personally found that when you enquire about some of the positions on the list there is no response or the position has been filled. Western Australia’s list is “UNDER REVIEW”. And Tasmania is only currently reporting GP posts. With Specialist posts also under review.

    Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, ACT and Victoria all have information about Area of Need on their respective health services websites. But no list that I have been able to find.

    So. What other options are there for finding an AON position?

    Well. Sometimes a job may be advertised as being Area of Need. Here’s an example of a Radiologist Position in Victoria advertised on Seek as Area of Need:

    Area of Need Radiologist Victoria

    But some jobs may also be advertised as seeking or being open to international doctors and you only find out that it is eligible for an Area of Need candidate when you speak to the recruiting person. This can often be the case if they are also hoping to still get a more local candidate or perhaps a specialist from a competent authority country.

    AoN jobs are sometimes also posted on college websites.

    Area of Need Positions Come with Advantages

    Ok. So thus far. It seems like identifying an Area of Need position is becoming more difficult than its actually worth. Why would an international doctor bother trying to find one in the first place?

    Well. There are a couple of key reasons why it is in fact worth the bother.

    The first reason is that an Area of Need position is a real job. A job which you can apply for and hopefully be appointed to prior to having to deal with issues around registration and visas.

    The effect of this is that you enter the specialist assessment process with a specific position that provides the level of supervision that you will likely be required to be given should the college approve you to undergo a specialist assessment period.

    A number of IMG specialists are now going through the specialist assessment process with no guarantee of a supervised position afterwards. So they are both bearing the full financial cost of this process as well as the risk that there is no suitable job at the end of it.

    In fact, some colleges, like the College of Psychiatrists will not consider you if you do not have a position offer. Probably because they do not want to be in a position of granting false hope to someone.

    The second reason for obtaining an Area of Need position is that generally speaking if you have secured such a position then you have an employer who will support you through the process of applying for specialist assessment and your registration (as well as visas if you need one). This generally extends to paying for the costs of the assessment, which can be substantial. And will also extend to the costs of the college supervision if you are given the go-ahead to undertake a period of assessment.

    Area of Need and the Specialist Assessment Process

    One key difference between Area of Need and the Specialist Assessment process is that with AoN you start off by applying for a job. This job has been declared to be suitable for an IMG specialist and so if you are able to be successful in being offered the position it is likely that you are also a strong candidate for the specialist assessment process. Otherwise, you are unlikely to be offered the position in the first place.

    Before you take up the position however you must be assessed by the relevant specialty college to determine your suitability for specialist assessment. Just like any other specialist assessment process.

    The process is essentially identical. It is a dual assessment process. The college reviews your general suitability or “comparability” as well as suitability for the AoN post. You may have to fill in slightly more paperwork. There may be an additional fee. The interview questions are likely to be the same.

    You can, of course, apply for other suitable jobs if you are an IMG specialist and then seek specialist assessment and this is actually a smart way to do it if you are able to.

    What Specialties Require Area of Need?

    Wait long enough and most specialties and subspecialties will be listed for an Area of Need position. But here are some of the more common specialties, based on reviewing the past Tasmania list and current NSW and Western Australian lists:

    • General Practice
    • Radiology
    • Psychiatry
    • Physicians (Internal Medicine Specialists)
    • Various Surgeons
    • Ophthalmology
    • Anaesthetics
    • Emergency Medicine
    • Dermatology

    Area of Need in General Practice

    Doctors applying for registration to work in general practice must provide evidence of a minimum of three years (full-time equivalent) experience working in general practice or primary care. If a doctor has had their experience formally assessed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) or by the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) this assessment is reviewed by the Medical Board. Otherwise, the Medical Board assesses a doctors experience as part of the application for registration. There is a minimum requirement that evidence from one of these two colleges that confirms at least three years (full-time equivalent) experience working in general practice or primary care.

    Unless you are also applying for specialist assessment as a general practitioner you will also need to sit a Pre-Employment Screening Clinical Interview or PESCI.

    Question. How Much Does it Cost to Become a Specialist in Australia?

    Answer.

    It is difficult to quantify this question as each specialty differs because each specialty is handled by a separate College. As I have highlighted in this post on UK doctors moving to Australia costs for specialists migrating are certainly going to be in the tens of thousands of dollars when one takes into account the following:

    • costs of both the initial college assessment as well as period of supervision
    • registration costs
    • visa costs
    • travel, accommodation and moving costs

    The good news is. As I have highlighted above. If you get the right job first the employer is likely to pick up a large part of theses costs.

    Question. Is the Process of Specialist Recognition Difficult?

    Answer.

    Again. The answer to this depends on a range of factors. The process of becoming a specialist has arguably become a little bit easier and more streamlined in the last few years since the Medical Board has become involved in monitoring the activity of the specialist colleges and setting standards for how specialists are assessed.

    In 2017, 52% of doctors were assessed as substantially comparable and 27% were as deemed as partially comparable for specialist recognition. But rates vary between the country that you trained as a specialist in and between specialties.

    Its probably reasonable to say that now there is more clarity in the system and for most colleges plenty of information about the specialist assessment process most IMG specialists are probably only applying for specialist assessment now with reasonable confidence that they have the evidence to be deemed comparable.

    Question. How Long Does it Take to Gain a Specialist Job in Australia?

    Answer.

    Many IMG specialists can search for years and not find a job. Its really hard to put a clear timeframe on how long it may take. Its reasonable to assume that it will at least take a few months. Bearing in mind that the initial job you may gain might not be quite at the specialists level. Particularly if you are only deemed as being substantially comparable.

    Question. What Is A PESCI?

    Answer.

    International medical graduates (IMGs) applying for limited registration or provisional registration may be required by the Board to undergo a pre-employment structured clinical interview (PESCI).

    A PESCI takes the form of a structured interview which can only be conducted by accredited bodies. It is an objective assessment of knowledge, skills, clinical experience and attributes to determine suitability to practise in a specific position. The PESCI consists of a structured clinical interview using scenarios.

    Who Needs a PESCI?

    The Board has decided that IMGs who are applying for limited or provisional registration to work in general practice are required to have a PESCI. IMGs in the specialist pathway do not require a PESCI as they are assessed by the relevant specialist medical college.

    You should generally only arrange a PESCI before applying for registration if you can meet all the required registration standards. There is no point doing a PESCI if you are not going to be registered for any other reason.

    At the PESCI, a panel of interviewers assesses your training, knowledge, clinical experience and attributes against the requirements of the specific position for which you are seeking registration. The PESCI process takes into consideration the supports, orientation and level of supervision that can be provided.

    The PESCI uses a set of structured questions and scenarios in an interview setting which are tailored to a specific position. The report of the PESCI cannot be transferred to other positions.

    The interview panel consists of a minimum of three interviewers which include at least two registered medical practitioners. One member of the panel may be a layperson, other health practitioner or registered medical practitioner. The PESCI panel members will be familiar with the clinical and professional demands of the type of position for which registration is being sought.