ADOHTA Position Statement Overseas Qualified Practitioners

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Title: Position Statement: Overseas Qualified Practitioners

Version: 2 Date Approved/Last Reviewed:2011

Approved by: Council Next Review: 2012

OVERSEAS QUALIFIED PRACTITIONERS

Position Statement / Media Release

The ADOHTA supports the development of a process to allow dental and oral health

therapists who have gained their qualifications outside of Australia, to achieve practice

registration in Australia. The lack of an Australian based assessment process is denying

skilled professionals the ability to utilise their skills in Australia and the oral health workforce

is the poorer for it. New Zealand qualified dental therapists are able to apply for registration

in Australia under mutual recognition. This process should be offered to graduates of similar

dental and oral health therapy courses from other countries.

Further Information

The process of assessment for dental and oral health therapists who have received their

qualification in any other country should be either- via direct entry from an approved and

accredited program in selected countries or by an entry exam, both written and clinical. The

latter should be developed by the institutions involved in the education of dental and oral

health therapists and/or the Australian Dental Council and be similar to the exam the ADC

conducts for overseas-qualified dentists seeking registration to practice in Australia.

The ADOHTA asserts that Dental Therapists educated in the United Kingdom should beeligible to apply for registration within Australia under mutual recognition similar to that

offered to Dentists educated in the United Kingdom. The Australian Dental Boards are able

to place conditions upon their registration limiting their practice to those areas covered by

their qualifications eg providing treatment under the prescription of a dentist. Consideration

should also be given to the development of a bridging course to enable overseas trained

dental and oral health therapists to upgrade their skills to enable them to seek full

registration as a Dental Therapist or Dental Hygienist within Australia.

Overseas Trained Dentists seeking to register as a Dental or Oral Health Therapist or

Hygienist should be required to complete an undergraduate degree in Dental Therapy and orDental Hygiene

Until such time that the Assessment process is formalised and bridging courses developed

all enquiries from Overseas Qualified Practitioners shall be referred to the Australian Dental

Council and the State/Territory Dental Boards.

Supporting Information

The purpose of this position statement is to identify and outline the pathways to recognition

of overseas acquired dental and oral health therapy skills and qualifications and identify

sources of information and assistance available for this purpose.



Title: Position Statement : Overseas Qualified

PractitionersDate Reviewed: 2011 Version 2

Next Review 2012

NEW ZEALAND

An assessment process for Overseas Qualified Practitioners to enable registration as a

Dental Therapist or Dental Hygienist is conducted by the Dental Council of New Zealand.

Successful applicants are then able to apply through Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition for

registration within Australia. [1]

DENTISTS

Currently overseas trained dentists have 3 options to enable them to gain registration within

Australia

1) Complete an Australian Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Program

2) By Trans Tasman Mutual Recognition for New Zealand trained dentists or by possessing

a qualification immediately acceptable to registration boards eg from United Kingdom or

Ireland

3) Assessment and recognition of overseas qualifications by the Australian Dental Council

(ADC) including and Occupational English Test [2] The ADC examination has been

developed to assess, (for registration purposes), the dental knowledge and clinical skills of

overseas trained dentists whose basic dental qualifications are not recognised by

state/territory dental boards.

Additionally the Public Sector Dental Workforce Scheme (PSDWS), has been introduced to

help alleviate workforce shortages in the public sector, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Under this scheme graduates from some dental programs in Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia,

Singapore, South Africa and the US are eligible to participate. Those eligible will be grantedan exemption from the ADC Preliminary Examination and a form of restricted registration to

enable them to practise in the public sector for a period up to 3 years during which time the

ADC Final Examination must be undertaken.

DOCTORS

The Australian Medical Council administers the national examinations of overseas trained

medical practitioners seeking to practise medicine in Australia. The process for assessment

for medical practitioners is similar to that of dentists. [3]

NURSES

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council is responsible for assessing qualifiactions [4].

All nurses and midwives who are applying for migration to Australia must prove English

Language Proficiency. All nurses and midwives (including direct entry midwives) working in

Australia must demonstrate the ANMC's national competency standards to be eligible for

registration with a state or territory Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authority (NMRA).



Title: Position Statement : Overseas Qualified

PractitionersDate Reviewed: 2011 Version 2

Next Review 2012

Therefore, overseas nurses and midwives must also be able to demonstrate these

competency standards in order to be eligible for migration to Australia. Applicants who have

had their qualifications and skills assessed may be required to undertake a Competency

Based Assessment Program. Some nursing and midwifery qualifications may meet the

requirements for migration. This means that these nurses will not need to complete a

Competency Based Assessment Program. This includes nurses who have gained theirqualification and are currently registered in selected countries. Nurses and midwives

applying for Working Holiday Visas/Temporary Visas. These nurses and midwives should

apply directly to the relevant State or Territory Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Authorities

(NMRA) for registration requirements and application forms.

1 Dental Council of New Zealand Policy on Registration as an Oral Health Practitioner

in New Zealand, www.dcnz.org.nz

2 Dentistry in Australia Australian Dental Council http://www.dentalcouncil.net.au/

3 Assessment of overseas medical qualifications in Australia

http://www.amc.org.au/exam.asp 4 Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council Assessment Process

http://www.anmc.org.au/international/assessment/process.php

Wright FAC, Satur J & Morgan MV, (January 2000) Evidence Based Health Promotion;

Resources for Planning. No 1: Oral Health, Public Health Division, Department of Human

Services

Available on line at; http://www.health.vic.gov.au/dentistry/publications.htm

WHO (2001) Jakarta Declaration on health promotion into the 21st century

WHO (2005), Bangkok declaration for health promotion in a globalized world

ADOHTA Position Statement Overseas Qualified Practitioners

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