A career in Emergency Medicine (EM) in Australia is highly rewarding and exciting. It is a career with a high scope and many job opportunities since the demand for doctors working in ED (Emergency Department) is on the rise. Pay rates are also very competitive in this medical sector.

Are you looking for emergency medicine job opportunities in Australia? Whether you are an Australian or overseas doctor, there are many job options available for you. Then, keep on reading to find out how you can practise emergency medicine in Australia and what it is all about.

The role of an EM doctor in Australia

The role of an EM doctor revolved around diagnosing and treating patients coming in for urgent care due to injuries, accidents, or acute illnesses. A doctor in emergency plays a vital role within the Australian healthcare system.

It’s a job role in which you need to prove your resilience by acting fast in any given situation. Following are the key attributes of an EM doctor in Australia:

·        Think and act fast

·        Work across many facets in medicine

·        Have good decision-making and problem-solving skills

·        Lead a team of medical practitioners working in urgent care

·        Have an expanded knowledge and skills in various areas in medicine like anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology.

Challenges experienced by EM doctors in Australia

Working in ED is no easy feat. You need to be resilient in character to work in fast-paced environments. There are several challenges you experience as a doctor in emergency medicine in Australia.

You will be working in a busy healthcare facility where the emergency department is usually overcrowded. It is the true picture of any ED at any given time.

As an emergency doctor, you’ll be working eight to ten hours at a time and around four to five shifts per week. You’ll be working both day and night shifts, and you need to adjust according to the needs of the healthcare practice.

Demand for emergency services in Australia

There is a high demand for emergency medicine doctors in Australia. The demand is expected to grow in the coming years, which means that there’s good scope for doctors in emergency medicine in Australia.

The demand for accident and urgent care services has been increasing at 8% over the past decade. This means that Australia needs more workforce in emergency care.

Job opportunities in emergency medicine are scattered across all states and suburbs in Australia. Job opportunities are high in New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland. Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania also have scope for doctors in emergency medicine.

Benefits of working as an EM Doctor in Australia

Here are the reasons why you should be working as an EM doctor in Australia:

·        It provides a flexible schedule

·        It gives ample research opportunities

·        It provides opportunity for growth within your career

·        It provides Fellowship opportunities

·        It consists of a diverse patient population

·        It provides breadth of cases

The process for Australian graduates to become an EM Doctor

Here is the process of becoming an emergency doctor if you’re an Australian graduate:

·        Step 1 – Complete a degree in Medicine, which takes about six years. It consists of a mix of teaching and placements in hospitals and surgeries.

·        Step 2 – Gain experience working in an emergency setting. You need at least six months experience of experience working in an ED in Australia or New Zealand, to qualify for Australian Emergency Specialist Training. It is awarded by the ACEM (Australasian College for Emergency Medicine).

·        Step 4 – Apply for FACEM (Fellowship of the Australian College for Emergency Medicine), which is a popular way to enter the field of emergency medicine in Australia. It takes a minimum of five years and consists of training in emergency departments in hospitals and doctor’s surgeries. There are also other options that you can consider following in ACEM including:

o   Emergency Medicine Certificate (EMC)

o   Emergency Medicine Diploma (EMD)

·        These have fewer entry requirements and can be completed quicker than FACEM.

·        Step 5 – Once you’ve completed the above steps you can search for jobs in emergency medicine through job boards.

Read the article Who are Emergency Medicine Doctors? How to become one?, for more information on how to become an EM doctor in Australia.  

 The process for IMGs to become an EM Doctor in Australia

As an International Medical Graduate (IMG) you need to follow the below procedure to work as an emergency doctor in Australia:

·        Step 1 – Obtain a medical qualification from one of the medical schools listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.

·        Step 2 – Complete post-graduate training in emergency medicine and obtain a specialist recognition from a reputed college.

·        Step 3 – Apply for assessment of recognition for a specialist qualification to work as an EM specialist.

·        Step 4 – Apply for a specialist assessment

·        Step 5 – Apply for vacancies in emergency medicine.

Job work environments and pay rates

The working environment of a doctor in EM is usually busy and hectic. They are required to work about four shifts a week and one in four weekends. Litigation levels are very low in emergency medicine in Australia. Most of the hospitals in Australia completely indemnify doctors for medico-legal insurance. Australia has one of the most technically advanced emergency medicine specialty practices in the world.

The average annual salary of a doctor in emergency medicine in Australia is $191,196 or $98.05 per hour. The salary for an entry-level position is approximately $190,624 per year while the salary for an experienced position is approximately $203,773 per year.

Industry insights

There are about 2,700 employees working as emergency medicine specialists in Australia. Approximately 84% of these emergency medicine specialists work full-time, which is an average of 45 hours per week.

A majority of these work in healthcare and social assistance. Here are the main industries they are involved in.

·        Healthcare and social assistance: 98.3%

·        Public administration and safety: 1.2%

·        Mining: 0.1%

·        Education and training: 0.1%

·        Other industries: 0.1%

Here is the spreading of employees in emergency medicine across Australia.

·        New South Wales: 30.1%

·        Queensland: 24.2%

·        Victoria: 22.5%

·        Western Australia: 11.1%

·        South Australia: 6.1%

·        Tasmania: 2.5%

·        Australian Capital Territory: 1.8%

·        Northern Territory: 1.8%

Conclusion

Emergency medicine is a field with high job scope in Australia. Working in an emergency department in Australia can prove to be a highly-rewarding career. If you have the required qualifications, training, and experience, there are many job opportunities in this field of medicine.

At Medfuture, we guide you on your way to building a successful career in emergency medicine. We provide a current and updated list of emergency medicine job vacancies on our job board.

Visit our website for more information on the latest medical jobs across all states and suburbs in Australia.

Here are a few related articles to read:

Complete Guide to Becoming an Emergency Medicine Doctor in Australia

Emergency Medicine Physician Workforce - Demand in 2022

How to become an emergency medicine doctor in the UK?