RACS agreed that further consideration of the proposal is worthwhile if MCNZ agrees to address a range of our concerns about delivery, supervision, and assessment of training for IMGs.
RACS recognises the global and national workforce crisis and the need not to impose unnecessary barriers to IMGs while simultaneously protecting patient safety.
In the nine RACS surgical specialties most IMGs are considered to hold qualifications, training and experience as satisfactory as a surgeon trained in Aotearoa New Zealand and registered in a similar scope of practice. We are aware analysis of previous IMG applications identifies a small specific cohort of IMGs whose qualifications, training and experience may be assessed to be as satisfactory as a New Zealand-trained surgeon registered in the same vocational scope of practice if the provisional vocational assessment period is extended from 18 to 24 months and discrete training is provided.
We agree it is worthwhile to examine whether extending the provisional vocational assessment period from 18 to 24 months and providing discrete training to address identified deficiencies in the qualifications, training and experience of each IMG would enable more to meet the standard. We have though a range of concerns about delivery, supervision, and assessment of training for IMGs. These concerns include maintenance of the standard for vocational registration, design and delivery of a suitable training programme, the capacity of the current workforce, and the specific characteristics of RACS' nine surgical specialties.
If after consultation MCNZ decides to extend the provisional vocational assessment period from 18 to 24 months for discrete training, RACS will engage with MCNZ to ensure training, employment, supervision, and assessment are robust and safe before being willing to support this extension and introduction of discrete training in the nine surgical specialties.
Read RACS submission (PDF 244.13KB).