Medical Internship Australia 2027 Clinical Year Application Guide

*We will be regularly updating this post as the various States and Territories update their processes. Where information is not currently available for the 2027 clinical year we have used information from the previous year, i.e. 2026. If you notice anything incorrect please let us know in the comments below.

Wondering how to become an intern in Australia? I once supervised the largest intern application system in Australia, specifically the HETI NSW Intern application system, for four years. Therefore, I would like to impart some of the insights I gained from that experience to this year’s medical graduates. It’s time for our well-liked guide on applying for internships in Australia. Welcome to the Internship Australia 2027 Clinical Year Application Guide.

Recent Developments of Note.

1. One interesting phenomenon of the past few years of internship allocations in Australia has been that most jurisdictions have not been able to fill all intern posts. This theoretically creates more opportunities for IMG doctors at the RMO level. We have attempted to indicate the number of unfilled posts from last year where known.
2. Consistent with the move to a 2-year Prevocational Training framework we understand that all jurisdictions are now offering a minimum 2-year contract for Internship.

(Disclaimer: All information here has been sourced in good faith but things do change so you should always do your own due diligence in such matters, we are providing this information to aid you in your application but take no responsibility for any outcomes)

As has been the case in past years the main Intern application and allocation dates are aligned across Australia so that every State and Territory opens and closes their systems at the same time and makes offers at the same times. There are some variations to this in relation to special priority categories in some States and Territories. The key things that all medical graduates should consider in preparing their medical internship application in 2026 year for the 2027 clinical year are as follows:

• Applications open on 5th May 2026.
• Applications close on 4th June 2026.
• Make sure that you have an Intern Placement Number; otherwise, you won’t be able to apply.
• You should research the application requirements now as there may be some “surprises”. As soon as the application system opens, register or log in and ensure that you have everything you need to complete your application.
• Understand where you sit on the priority list for any State or Territory you are applying to.
• If you are required to attend an interview. Ensure you have obtained leave from your medical school requirements to attend.
• Also, consider whether the interview will be in-person, via phone, or video.
• Give yourself time to request referees, assemble a Resume, if required, and find other documents you may need.
• The first National Intern Offer Period commences 13th July 2026.
• Offers for Rural and other Special Pathways will come out starting from 13th July 2026.
• The first offers for all other main pathways will come out from 15th July 2026.
• Generally, you only have 48 hours to accept. So make sure that you have regular access to your email.
• The National Close Date for 2026 Intern Recruitment is [not known at this point] 2026. After which all remaining vacant intern positions move into the Late Vacancy Management Process.
• The National Late Vacancy Management Process closes on … 2027.
• Stay in touch with your medical school. you may be worried about completing your degree on time but they are all working very hard with the other institutions to give you the best chance of completion.

Number of Intern Positions Available Across Australia for 2027

last updated 11lth April 2026

Jurisdiction	Intern Numbers 2027	Intern Numbers 2026	Intern Numbers 2025	Intern Numbers 2024	Population (Sep 2025)*	Interns per 100K Person***	Unfilled Posts 2026	Unfilled Posts 2025	Unfilled Posts 2024	Annual Salary
New South Wales	1,200	1,200	1,162	1,135.5	8,624,534	13.9	67	42	not available	$76,009
Victoria	978	973	971	960.5	7,104,349	13.8	not available	not available	16	$85,414
Queensland	927	921	885	862	5,692,642	16.3	not available	not available	not available	$97,036
Western Australia	440	430	401	401	3,061,672	14.4	not available	not available	not available	$93,590**
South Australia	353#	353	353	320	1,908,182	18.5	not available	40	35	$85,560
Tasmania	106#	106	106	105	576,659	18.4	not available	not available	not available	$89,610
Australian Capital Territory	96#	96	96	95	486,231	19.7	not available	not available	not available	$88,485
Northern Territory	89	88	88	65	265,457	33.5	not available	not available	not available	$90,150
Junior Doctor Training Program (Commonwealth)	115#	115	115	115			not available	not available	not available	varies
TOTAL	4,304#	4,258	4,177	4,050	27,724,744	15.4

**If allocated to WA Country Health you will receive a higher payment
#2027 numbers not yet released

Key Dates for Internship Applications in 2026 and 2027

Applications Open	Tuesday 5th May 2026
Applications Close	Thursday 4th June 2026
National Offer Period 1 Opens (Rural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathways)	Monday 13th July 2026
National Offer Period 1 – Main Offers	Wednesday 15th July 2026
National Offer Period 1 Closes	Friday 31st July 2026
1st National Audit of Acceptances and Unplaced Applicants	Tuesday 4th August 2026
National Offer Period 2 Opens	Thursday 13th August 2026
National Offer Period 2 Closes	Friday 4th September 2026
2nd National Audit of Acceptances and Unplaced Applicants	Tuesday 8th September 2026
National Offer Period 3 Opens	Thursday 17th September 2026
National Offer Period 3 Closes	Friday 16th October 2026
3rd National Audit of Acceptances and Unplaced Applicants	Tuesday 20th October 2026
National Late Vacancy Management Process Starts	Monday 9th November 2026
National Late Vacancy Management Process Closes	Friday 19 March 2027

Tip #1. Your Medical Intern Placement Number.

The IPN is a unique nine-digit number that has been generated by AHPRA and has been provided to medical schools for distribution to all 2025 final-year medical students. The number is used as part of the national audit process (which ensures that intern positions across the country are made available to as many applicants as possible) as well as to streamline registration.

This number is not the same number as your AHPRA registration number or student number. If you have not received your IPN you should check with your school.

If you are not an Australian medical student you won’t be issued an IPN. If you are applying as a non-Australian medical student you do not require an IPN. However, please note that unless you are a New Zealand medical student your chances of gaining an internship are very slim.

Tip #2. Other Things You Will Likely Need to Become an Intern in Australia. 

The majority of States and Territories require you to upload an academic transcript as proof that you are indeed a medical student. 

They will also request evidence that you satisfactorily meet the AHPRA English Language requirements. This may seem a bit ridiculous given that you have been attending medical school in English for the last 4 or 5 years. But it is the law. So check whether you may need to submit an up-to-date English test result or some other form of documentary evidence such as a high school certificate.

Most States and Territories will also request a CV or Resume. For tips on your CV or Resume see our ultimate guide to CVs or watch a video series about this.

Some States and Territories have a CV template that they suggest that you use to fill in your information. In the case of Victoria, you are no longer required to use the suggested template (change from last year). It’s probably fairly harmless to use the template for the other States and Territories. But if you are thinking about your future career, then now is a good time to be designing your own CV. The risk of using the template is that you don’t stand out from other candidates.

You will need to also provide proof of your identity, citizenship, residency, or visa. And if you have had a name change along the way you will probably also need to provide some documentation in relation to this.

Why All This Information?

The State and Territory bodies who administer the Intern application process have a responsibility to ensure that you are eligible to apply for provisional registration at the end of the year in order to work as an Intern.  They collect this information to check that everything is in order so that you are indeed eligible to apply. Employers can get rightly annoyed when told that someone who has been allocated to work with them as an Intern will have a several-month delay whilst they resit an English language test.

However, it’s your responsibility to ensure that you are eligible for registration. So you should also be checking these things yourself. 

It’s hard to fathom given the amount of communication from health departments, medical schools and student colleagues. But every year there are a handful of medical students who forget to apply for their internship. This means having to wait another year. Don’t let that be you.

Dr Anthony Llewellyn | Career Doctor

Tip #3. Research and Apply Early.

It’s hard to fathom given the amount of communication from health departments, medical schools, and student colleagues. But every year there are a handful of medical students who forget to apply for their internship. This means having to wait another year. Don’t let that be you.

There are even more students who leave their applications to the last minute. Only to find that they are missing a vital document. For example, this could be evidence you need to substantiate that English is your first language, such as a high school certificate. Or perhaps your last name has changed whilst you have been in medical school? Or maybe you need to submit a CV with your application?

As soon as the application page opens for each State and Territory you are going to apply to make sure you register. And then go as far through the process of applying as possible so you can see if there is some sort of document you need to obtain.

Tip #4. Practice Your Interview Technique, Including Video Interview Technique.

As part of your application to become and Intern in Australia you may need to undertake an interview. This could take the form of a faced to face interview or a video interview. The COVID pandemic resulted in a shift to a preference for video interviewing job applicants in Medicine in Australia. Many employers now see an inherent advantage to this. So you should still be prepared for the fact that this year your interview may be conducted on video.

There’s a lot more than you think to video interviewing. For a rundown on this check out this post.

Tip #5. Know Where You Sit In The Priority List.

Its important to know where you sit on the priority list. Each State and Territory has a slightly different order but in essence, it goes something like this:

1. If you are an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident and went to Medical School in that State or Territory you are top of the list.
2. If you are an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident and went to Medical School in another State or Territory or New Zealand you are probably second.
3. If you are an international student who studied Medicine in Australia you are probably next.

Tip #6. Know the Key Dates, including Offer Dates.

As noted above it’s crucial that you know the key dates. If you miss your application submission date (and it does happen) there is no allowance for a last-minute submission. You also need to make sure you are available to accept your offer. Generally, the window for offer acceptances is quite narrow (often 48 hours).

For this year the day on which the first round of offers can be made nationally is 14th July 2025 for the rural and other special pathways. The first date that offers can be made to the main group of applicants is 16th July 2025 and most offers will come out on that day. Thereafter there is a series of offer windows for 2nd and 3rd round. In between which there is a mandated pause, which allows the National Intern Audit process to run. This is a system that works to ensure that vacancies are being freed up as soon as possible by highlighting medical students who may have an offer in more than one jurisdiction and ensuring that they accept one offer and decline others.

The nationally coordinated offer system concludes on 17th October 2025. Technically this is the last date that the Medical Board can guarantee that they will be able to process your registration application in order for you to commence your internship on time the following year in 2026.

However, there are generally still vacancies after this point and so the National Intern Audit Office switches over to an ad hoc coordinated late vacancy management process from 10th November 2025. This runs up until 20th March 2026, which is around the 1st term to 2nd term changeover for most interns. So it is still possible to commence your internship in 2026 but you might have to finish one or many terms in the following year.

The National Intern Audit.

States and territories share intern applicant information at pre-agreed dates. This data is then used to identify applicants who have applied for and/or accepted intern positions in more than one state/territory. Applicants who have accepted more than one intern position will be contacted by the National Audit Data Manager by phone or email and given 48 hours to withdraw from all intern positions, except the one where they intend to undertake their intern year.

If you don’t respond to the National Audit Data Manager and/or do not withdraw from all positions except one, the relevant states/territories where you have accepted an offer will be advised and all offers, except for the first offer you received may be withdrawn.

The Late Vacancy Management Process.

The Late Vacancy Management (LVM) Process runs from Monday 9th November 2026 to Friday 19 March 2027. The process ensures any late vacancies are offered to eligible intern applicants who have not yet accepted an internship position.

The Late Vacancy Management Process is coordinated by the National Audit Data Manager on behalf of states and territories. So you should ensure you have updated your contact details if you are going overseas during the Late Vacancy Management Process period.

The National Audit Data Manager will send out emails to participants who will need to opt into the Late Vacancy Management Process if they still wish to receive an offer to be an Intern in Australia.

If an applicant does not respond to this email, they will no longer be eligible to receive an internship offer, and their application will no longer be considered in any Australian jurisdictions.

The process is open to medical graduates of AMC-accredited medical schools who have applied for and are not holding a 2026 intern position through the Commonwealth or states and territories at the National Close Date for Intern Recruitment. Participation in the LVM is an opt in process – you must confirm that you want to participate in the LVM by responding to the National Audit Data Manager by e-mail.

Priorities Within Priorities.

Some States and Territories also have priority pathways to ensure that groups such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and doctors who wish to work rurally or regionally can obtain their preferred placement early.

So if you are an International student and like the idea of working rurally, it’s probably a good idea to consider a rural pathway as it will likely boost your chances of gaining an Intern position earlier in the process.

Further Information on Each Jurisdiction

New South Wales

Intern Positions = 1,200 (including 252 rural preferential) across 15 Networks
Unfilled posts in 2026 = 67
Annual Salary = $76,009
Length of Contract = 2 years
Professional Development Allowance = nil

NSW Health Priority Categories

To be eligible for an intern position in NSW through the Medical Intern Recruitment campaign, you must fall into one of six NSW Health Priority Categories. Your category determines both your eligibility and, importantly, when you receive offers.

Category	Who is included	Guaranteed offer?
1	Medical graduates of NSW universities who are Australian/New Zealand citizens or Australian permanent residents (Commonwealth Supported Place or Domestic Full Fee paying)	Yes — guaranteed a position in NSW
2	Medical graduates of interstate or New Zealand universities who completed Year 12 in NSW and are Australian/NZ citizens or Australian permanent residents	No
3	Medical graduates of interstate or New Zealand universities who completed Year 12 outside NSW and are Australian/NZ citizens or Australian permanent residents	No
4	Medical graduates of NSW universities who are not Australian/NZ citizens or permanent residents but hold a visa allowing them to work in Australia	No
5	Medical graduates of interstate or New Zealand universities who are not Australian/NZ citizens or permanent residents but hold a visa allowing them to work in Australia	No
6	Medical graduates of AMC-accredited universities with campuses outside Australia or New Zealand (University of Queensland Ochsner or Monash Malaysia) who are not Australian/NZ citizens or permanent residents but hold a visa allowing them to work in Australia	No

Important note for Category 2 applicants: While Category 1 applicants receive their Direct Regional Allocation (DRA) and Optimised pathway offers from Wednesday 15 July 2026, Category 2 applicants do not receive these offers until Monday 20 July 2026. This is a lesser-known distinction that can catch people off guard.

The 4 Pathways in NSW

There are four pathways to obtain an intern position in NSW. All applicants are automatically included in the Optimised Allocation pathway regardless of any other pathways they choose.

• Aboriginal Medical Workforce (AMW) Pathway — for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander medical graduates. This pathway prioritises recruitment to their first-preference prevocational training network or RPR hospital of their choice.
• Rural Preferential Recruitment (RPR) Pathway — a merit-based process facilitating recruitment to rural hospitals in NSW. Requires a separate application to each RPR hospital, addressing selection criteria, and attending an interview (face-to-face or virtual). A resume and referees are required for this pathway only — no other NSW pathway requires these. Note that RPR applicants must submit a minimum of two applications: their general intern application plus at least one RPR hospital application.
• Direct Regional Allocation (DRA) Pathway — facilitates allocation to regional and outer metropolitan Sydney prevocational training networks. To be considered, applicants must put a regional network as their first preference. Important: this pathway is only available to NSW Health Priority Categories 1–4. Categories 5 and 6 are not eligible for the DRA pathway, though they can still receive positions in regional networks via the Optimised pathway.
• Optimised Allocation Pathway — the main pathway, primarily filling metropolitan Sydney networks. All NSW Health Priority Category applicants are eligible and all applicants are included in this pathway regardless of other pathway choices.

A key advantage of the AMW, RPR, and DRA pathways is that applicants are far more likely to receive their preferred hospital network. Late applications are not accepted in NSW — HETI is firm on this, so make sure you submit by 11:59pm on 4 June 2026.

Application Requirements — NSW

For most applicants, the NSW application is remarkably straightforward compared to other jurisdictions:

• No CV required for the standard Optimised, Direct Regional Allocation (DRA), or Aboriginal Medical Workforce (AMW) pathways.
• No selection criteria statement required for standard pathways.
• No referees required for standard pathways.
• The main requirement is ranking your preferred prevocational training networks (up to 15).
• You will need your Intern Placement Number (IPN) and university completion documentation.

Rural Preferential Recruitment (RPR) pathway only: Requires a separate application to each RPR hospital, a resume/CV, a statement addressing the selection criteria, referees, and may involve an interview (face-to-face or virtual).

NSW-Specific Key Dates

In addition to the national offer period dates shown in the table above, NSW has several additional dates that are particularly important — especially for RPR applicants and for understanding exactly when your offer will arrive.

Tuesday 5 May 2026	Medical Intern Recruitment applications open (including RPR applications)
Thursday 4 June 2026 (11:59pm)	All applications close (general intern and RPR). No late applications accepted.
Monday 15 – Thursday 25 June 2026	RPR interview period (face-to-face or virtual)
Friday 26 June 2026 (11:59pm)	Deadline to re-order or change RPR preferences
Monday 13 July 2026	AMW and RPR pathway offers commence
Wednesday 15 July 2026	DRA and Optimised Allocation pathway offers commence (Category 1 applicants)
Monday 20 July 2026	DRA and Optimised Allocation pathway offers commence (Category 2 applicants)
Monday 7 September 2026 (9:00am)	Closing date for intern position swap requests

Note: The HETI Applicant Guide Quick List contains a date of “26 April 2026” for updating RPR preferences after interview. This appears to be a typographical error in that document — applications do not even open until 5 May 2026. The definitive date from the main Applicant Guide (Table 1) is Friday 26 June 2026. Always refer to the full Applicant Guide as the primary source.

Term Dates for the 2027 Clinical Year

NSW internship runs as a 5-term year over 55 weeks, beginning with an orientation week in mid-January. The term structure for 2027 is:

Term	Start	End	Weeks
Intern Orientation	18 January 2027	24 January 2027	1
Term 1	25 January 2027	11 April 2027	11
Term 2	12 April 2027	20 June 2027	10
Term 3	21 June 2027	12 September 2027	12
Term 4	13 September 2027	21 November 2027	10
Term 5	22 November 2027	6 February 2028	11
Full Year	18 January 2027	6 February 2028	55

Can You Stack or Hack the HETI Optimised Pathway?

Each year the question comes up. Is it possible to hack or game the HETI Optimised pathway? If you search enough you will find various Reddit threads or blog posts covering this topic by authors purporting to have much greater understanding of mathematics than this author.

The posts give an outline of how the HETI allocation algorithm works. The algorithm incorporates an annealing component with the purpose of optimising the outcomes for as many applicants as possible. Hence the name “Optimised Pathway”. It does this not necessarily by allocating everyone to their most preferred network, but by attempting to allocate as many people as possible to a higher preference network — guaranteeing that more applicants get a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd preference overall.

The general gist of the blogs written about hacking the HETI algorithm is that if you are super keen on a certain NSW network — let’s call it Network A — you should put it as your highest preference and then load your next preferences with networks that are not as popular.

You can probably already see how this tactic can backfire massively. A couple of things can go wrong:

1. The algorithm is more likely to identify you as one of the few applicants who prefer an unpopular network and allocate you there, thereby satisfying the aims of the algorithm.
2. You will be stacking your preferences based on historical data that does not reflect the desires of the current applicant cohort.
3. If a large number of applicants do the same thing, you are probably all going to advantage those applicants who simply listed networks in their genuine order of preference.

Take home message: Don’t try to stack or hack the HETI algorithm. List your genuine preferences in genuine order.

Intern Placement Priorities in NSW

The six priority categories listed above determine the order in which applicants receive offers and their overall likelihood of securing a NSW position. Category 1 applicants — NSW university graduates who are Australian/NZ citizens or permanent residents — are guaranteed a position. All other categories are not guaranteed and may miss out if positions are exhausted at their priority level.

HETI is one of the most transparent intern recruitment bodies in Australia. Each year following the completion of the recruitment campaign, they publish a detailed annual allocation report on their website. This report includes statistics on positions filled and unfilled by network, a breakdown of allocations by pathway and priority category, and trends over time. If you want to understand how competitive NSW is for your particular category, I strongly recommend reading it — it is genuinely useful intelligence when deciding whether and where to apply. You can download the HETI Annual Report on Medical Intern Recruitment here.

c/- HETI

Contacting HETI

If you have questions about your eligibility, the application process, or your priority category, the HETI Prevocational Training Support Unit (PTSU) is responsive and helpful:

• Email: HE*************@************ov.au
• Phone: (02) 9844 6562 (8:30am–4:00pm AEST, Monday to Friday)
• For technical difficulties with the portal: HealthShare Customer Experience Team — 1300 443 966

Victoria

Intern Numbers = 978 (includes rural VRGP posts within the VRPA pathway)
Unfilled Positions in 2025 = 0 for VIA Groups 1–3; VIA Group 4 had 110 applicants and 34 allocations
Annual Salary = $85,414
Length of Contract = 2 years
Professional Development Allowance = $3,888 per annum

c/- PMCV

Internship in Victoria is managed through a computer matching system administered by the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria (PMCV).

The Allocation & Placement Service (APS) is a mathematical process that matches the preferences of both candidates and Health Services and is designed to be impartial and transparent. Candidates create an account, register with the Intern Match, and select their preferred health services. Health services simultaneously rank candidates. The algorithm then matches successful candidates to positions.

For Victoria, you will need to submit two clinical referees as well as a CV. In past years this had to be on the PMCV Standardised CV Template. The status of this template has now been downgraded to a “guide” — you are not required to use it. You don’t need to include a photo on your CV. I would recommend using your own professional CV template.

Application Requirements — Victoria

• CV required — PMCV provides a standardised CV template (available on the intern match page); its use is recommended but no longer mandatory. Do not include a photo.
• Two clinical referees required (PGY4 or above, must have directly supervised your clinical practice; within the last 12 months preferred, last 2 years acceptable).
• Cover letter — Required only for VRPA (rural) applicants applying directly to health services. Not required for standard VIA applicants.
• Pre-recorded video interview — Required for all VRPA applicants and VIA Group 4 applicants only. Three scenario-based questions (VRPA applicants answer four), each with 1 minute to prepare and 2 minutes to record.
• No written selection criteria statement required.
• Applications are submitted via the PMCV Allocation and Placement Service (APS).

2026 Key Dates (for 2027 Clinical Year)

Date	Activity
Tuesday 5 May 2026, 10am AEST	Match applications open
Thursday 4 June 2026, 5pm AEST	Match applications close. No new referees or preferences can be added after this point.
Friday 5 June – Sunday 7 June 2026, 5pm AEST	Pre-recorded video interviews (VRPA and VIA Group 4 candidates)
Sunday 8 June 2026, 5pm AEST	Referee report deadline
Wednesday 1 July 2026, 5pm AEST	Last day to withdraw from match, reorder/delete preferences, or submit deferral (Group 1 only)
Monday 13 July 2026, 12pm AEST	VRPA results published
Wednesday 15 July 2026, 12pm AEST	VIA first round offers commence

Pre-Recorded Video Interviews

In 2020, Victorian Health Services began using pre-recorded video interviews. This continues for the 2026 Match. The system allows health services to review applications efficiently without arranging in-person interview panels.

All VRPA applicants and all VIA Group 4 applicants are required to complete a video interview. The interview window is Friday 5 June to Sunday 7 June 2026 — you can complete your recording at any point during this period.

The format is three pre-recorded questions, with VRPA candidates answering one additional question (four total). There is an unrecorded practice question at the start. Once an actual interview question is revealed, reading time commences automatically — you cannot restart or re-record your answer, except in cases of genuine verified technical issues. Questions are presented on-screen; there is no live interviewer.

You have a short reading time to view each question and then a set recording time to give your answer. Historically this has been one minute to read and two minutes to respond, though you should confirm the exact timing via the APS system when you log in. All health services that you preference will have access to your video recording, your CV, and your referee reports.

It is vital that you practice before completing your interview and optimise your video environment — good lighting, quiet surroundings, and a stable internet connection. Some metropolitan hospitals may also contact shortlisted candidates for further assessment at their discretion, ahead of the preference deadline on 1 July.

Interns can be allocated to one of the health services listed in the PMCV Health Service Directory, spanning over 20 metropolitan, regional, and rural networks across Victoria. You can also elect to enter the Victorian Rural Preferential Allocation (VRPA) pathway, which covers six rurally-based VRGP networks: Barwon South West, Gippsland, Grampians, Hume M2M Albury Wodonga, Hume M2M Wangaratta, and Loddon Mallee (Echuca Regional Health).

Referee Requirements

You must nominate two clinical referees who are PGY4 or above and have directly supervised your clinical practice. Referees who have supervised you within the last 12 months are preferred; those within the last two years are acceptable. You cannot nominate someone who cannot comment on your clinical skills.

Confirm with each referee before nominating them that they are willing and available to complete the online form. Referee reports must be submitted by Sunday 8 June 2026, 5pm AEST — this is four days after the application close date. New referees cannot be added after the match closes on 4 June. If you change a referee after their report has been completed, the report is deleted and cannot be recovered.

Accepting or Declining an Offer

Once you receive an offer you have 48 hours to accept or decline via your PMCV login. If you do not respond within 48 hours, your offer is automatically withdrawn. If you decline or fail to respond, you will not receive any further offers of internship in Victoria. This applies to both VRPA and VIA offers. Each candidate receives a maximum of one offer.

Intern Placement Priorities in Victoria

Intern placement priorities operate through two separate pathways: the Victorian Rural Preferential Allocation (VRPA) and the Victorian Intern Allocation (VIA). Each pathway has its own priority groups that determine the order in which candidates receive offers.

VRPA Priority Group 1 — Graduates from an Australian University identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Australian citizens or permanent residents and New Zealand citizens graduating from a Victorian Medical School (Monash University Melbourne, Deakin University, University of Melbourne, University of Notre Dame Melbourne Campus, University of Notre Dame Ballarat Campus, Charles Sturt University Swan Hill Campus, Charles Sturt University Albury Wodonga Campus).

VRPA Priority Group 2 — Australian temporary residents graduating from a Victorian University or Victorian Medical School Campus. Australian citizens or permanent residents and New Zealand citizens graduating from an interstate Medical School who completed Year 12 in Victoria. Graduates of the University of New South Wales who have undertaken their last two years of clinical placement at Albury Wodonga Clinical School.

VRPA Priority Group 3 — Australian citizens or permanent residents or New Zealand citizens graduating from an interstate or New Zealand University. Australian temporary residents graduating from an interstate University.

VRPA candidates must preference a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8 health services. If you are unplaced in the VRPA, PMCV will contact you within 24 hours to submit preferences for the VIA. If VRPA Group 1 candidates are not allocated via the VRPA algorithm, they are automatically included in VIA Group 1. VRPA Groups 2 and 3 candidates move to their corresponding VIA group.

VIA Group 1 — Graduates from an Australian University identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Australian citizens or permanent residents and New Zealand citizens graduating from a Victorian Medical School.

VIA Group 2 — Australian temporary residents graduating from a Victorian University or Victorian Medical School Campus. Australian citizens or permanent residents and New Zealand citizens graduating from an interstate University who completed their Year 12 schooling in Victoria.

VIA Group 3 — Australian citizens or permanent residents and New Zealand citizens graduating from an interstate or New Zealand University. Australian temporary residents graduating from an interstate University. New Zealand temporary residents graduating from a New Zealand University.

VIA Group 4 — Graduates from an overseas campus of an Australian or New Zealand University accredited by the Australian Medical Council (i.e. Monash University Malaysia or Ochsner). VIA Group 4 candidates are not guaranteed an offer of internship in Victoria — in 2025, 110 Group 4 candidates applied and 34 received an allocation.

For VIA Groups 1–3, candidates are allocated via an optimised ballot algorithm. Health services do not rank or review VIA Group 1–3 candidates. All candidates in VIA Groups 1–3 received a Victorian internship offer in 2025. Group 1 candidates had a 94% chance of matching to one of their top 3 preferences.

Indigenous Internships

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates are placed in VRPA Group 1 and VIA Group 1, giving them highest priority in the Victorian match. In addition to this prioritisation, several hospitals offer dedicated First Nations internship programs with extra support:

South West Health (Warrnambool) and The Royal Melbourne Hospital each have positions set aside for Indigenous graduates.

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne offers a dedicated First Nations Internship Program with two reserved positions. The program includes financial assistance to attend the annual Australian Indigenous Doctors Association (AIDA) conference, local mentorship through the Aboriginal Health Unit and First Nations Educators, and individualised career development conversations. Contact: SV********************@******rg.au

The Victorian Rural Medical Scholarship Scheme

The Victorian Rural Medical Scholarship (VRMS) supports career pathways to rural medical practice and assists rural and regional health services to attract, employ and retain medical graduates. The VRMS supports medical students with a commitment to working in rural and regional Victoria by providing financial assistance towards living and tertiary expenses in the final year of their medical degree and into their rural intern year.

The VRMS is administered by PMCV on behalf of the Victorian Department of Health. Scholarships valued at $20,000 each are available to final year medical students in Victoria. Scholarship recipients are required to commit to a two-year return of service in rural or regional Victoria (within three years of graduating from medical school).

c/- PMCV

Contacting PMCV

If you have questions about your eligibility, the application process, your priority group, or any technical issues with the APS, the PMCV allocations team is your first point of contact:

• Email: al*********@******om.au
• Website: pmcv.com.au/2026-intern-match

For cover letter contact details for individual health services, refer to the PMCV Health Service Directory published on the intern match page.

Queensland

Intern Numbers = 921 (including 68 rural generalist intern positions)
Annual Salary = $97,036 (MOCA 6 — verify against current agreement)
Length of Contract = 1 year
Professional Development Allowance = nil for Interns, $2,640 for RMOs

Queensland has possibly the most complex intern allocation system of all jurisdictions, with multiple pathways and a combination of automatic allocation for certain priority groups and merit selection for others.

The Queensland Department of Health coordinates the annual campaign to recruit interns for positions across Hospital and Health Services (HHS) statewide. There is one method of application — lodgement of an online form via a central application portal. Graduates rank all participating hospitals from highest to lowest preference, and are then either directly allocated to a position based on their preferences (Group A) or enter a suitability assessment process conducted by hospitals with remaining vacancies (Groups B–D).

The online portal is used for both the General Intern Campaign and the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway (QRGP). QRGP applications open first in early March, several weeks before the General Campaign opens in May.

2026 Key Dates (for 2027 Clinical Year)

Date	Activity
Monday 2 March 2026	Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway (QRGP) applications open
Monday 16 March 2026	QRGP applications close
Tuesday 5 May 2026	General Intern Campaign applications open
Thursday 4 June 2026	General Intern Campaign applications close
Wednesday 15 July 2026	Offers to successful ATSI Initiative applicants sent by email
Friday 17 July – Sunday 19 July 2026, 5pm	Window to change preferences to remaining vacancies (Groups B–D)
Monday 18 January 2027	Intern program commences (runs 53 weeks to 23 January 2028)

Important note for QRGP applicants: QRGP applications close in mid-March — well before the General Campaign opens in May. If you are interested in the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway, this is the pathway to prioritise first. Once QRGP closes you cannot enter that pathway for the 2027 clinical year.

A Unique Queensland Feature: Live Position Status

Queensland is the only Australian jurisdiction that publishes a live positions report showing which intern positions across the state are filled and which remain available. This is updated in real time during the campaign and is an invaluable tool for Group B–D applicants deciding where to direct their preferences. Bookmark it.

Applicant Categories

In Queensland, intern applicants are classified into two categories:

Guaranteed offer graduates (Group A) — Medical graduates of a Queensland university who are Australian or New Zealand citizens or Australian permanent residents, seeking an internship in the year of or immediately following graduation, or who hold Review Committee approval from a previous campaign to defer their internship start. Group A applicants are guaranteed an offer of an intern position in Queensland. Allocation is automatic (for undersubscribed hospitals) or via random ballot (for oversubscribed hospitals), based on hospital preferences nominated in the application.

Not guaranteed offer graduates (Groups B–D) — Medical graduates who are not guaranteed an intern offer. This includes graduates of Australian interstate or New Zealand universities who are Australian or New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, and Queensland university graduates who do not meet the Group A criteria. A suitability assessment process is undertaken by each hospital to determine if an offer will be made. There is no inherent prioritisation across Groups B, C and D — each Hospital and Health Service establishes its own assessment process and is not obligated to sequentially select through groups. Applicants who do not meet the criteria for Groups A–D may be considered at the discretion of individual hospitals.

Note: Queensland is one of the few jurisdictions that offer an opportunity for IMG doctors to complete an internship in Australia. The number of doctors who are successful in doing so each year is rarely more than a handful.

Internship Pathways

There are four pathways for intern allocation in Queensland:

1. Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway (QRGP) — A dedicated pathway for graduates committed to rural medicine, leading toward a career as a Rural GP. Applications open 2 March and close 16 March 2026 — far earlier than the General Campaign. You will need to submit an 800-word written statement explaining why you want to join the QRGP, along with a signed CV confirming its accuracy. For enquiries: ru**************@************ov.au or 1800 680 291.
2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Intern Allocation Initiative — Designed to promote the success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical graduates in the Queensland Health workforce. Eligible applicants (Group A or B) who are confirmed by a review panel (which includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation) are exempt from the ballot process and allocated directly to their first-preference hospital. Offers are sent by email on Wednesday 15 July 2026.
3. The General Intern Campaign — A ballot process for all Group A applicants. Applications open 5 May and close 4 June 2026. Group A applicants who nominate an undersubscribed hospital as their first preference are automatically allocated. Those who nominate an oversubscribed hospital may be allocated to another facility via the ballot process.
4. Suitability Assessment for Groups B–D — Following first-round Group A offers, a Position Status Report (PSR) is updated showing remaining vacancies. Groups B–D applicants have 48 hours to adjust their preferences. Hospitals then conduct their own merit selection processes — typically shortlisting, interviews, and referee checks. Contact each Hospital and Health Service directly to find out what they look for in an intern.

The General Intern Campaign Allocation Process

After the application period closes, applications are sorted according to applicant groups, preferences, and available positions at each facility.

Prior to the ballot, a Review Committee considers applications for:

• Requests for special consideration
• Exemption requests
• Joint ticket applications
• Deferral requests

After this the ballot commences. Group A candidates who nominate an undersubscribed hospital as first preference are automatically allocated to that facility. Group A candidates who nominate an oversubscribed hospital may be allocated to another facility via the ballot process.

Merit Selection for Groups B–D

There is no inherent prioritisation across Groups B, C and D. Each participating Hospital and Health Service establishes individual assessment processes to select from their available applicant pool and is not obligated to sequentially select through the groups. Applicants who do not meet the criteria for Groups A–D may still be considered at the discretion of individual hospitals.

Following first-round offers, the Position Status Report (PSR) is updated with remaining vacancies. Group B–D candidates have 48 hours to change their preferences if they wish to. Queensland Health hospitals then assess applications and conduct their own merit selection processes. Contact each Hospital and Health Service directly to find out what they look for in an intern.

If vacancies remain after the first and second round offers, individual hospitals will merit-select from remaining applicants for available vacancies. Recruitment continues until the national closing date for intern recruitment. After that date, any further vacancies are filled via the Late Vacancy Management Process (LVMP).

Application Requirements — Queensland

• CV required — Queensland Health provides an optional RMO CV template (see below). Two referees must be included in the application.
• Two referees required for all applicants.
• No written selection criteria statement required for the standard General Campaign.
• Group A applicants (QLD university graduates meeting criteria) are directly allocated based on CV, referees and hospital preferences — no interview required.
• Groups B–D applicants participate in individual hospital suitability assessments which typically include shortlisting, interviews, and referee checks.
• Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway (QRGP): Also requires an 800-word written statement of commitment to rural medicine (applications open significantly earlier — March).
• Applications submitted via the Queensland Health Careers portal.

Queensland CV Template

Queensland Health provides an RMO CV template that you can download and use. Like the old PMCV template in Victoria, it is functional but not the most attractive document. I’d recommend using it as a guide for the content that hospitals expect to see, while formatting your own CV in a way that presents you professionally. Some hospitals may expect you to use it — check the specific hospital requirements before submitting.

c/- Qld Health

Contacting Queensland Health Intern Recruitment

For general intern campaign enquiries:

• Email: In****************@************ov.au
• Phone: 1800 680 291
• For individual hospital enquiries, contact the relevant Hospital and Health Service medical workforce team directly.

For the Rural Generalist Pathway specifically:

• Email: ru**************@************ov.au

Western Australia

For 2027, PMCWA has published the number of positions available across each Primary Employing Health Service (PEHS):

Primary Employing Health Service	2027 Positions
Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group	135
Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group	105
Royal Perth Bentley Group	94
Joondalup Health Campus	42
WA Country Health Service	40
St John of God Midland Hospital	24
Total	440

Annual Salary = $93,590 ($122,740 if working for Country Health north of the 26th parallel)
Length of Contract = 3 years (in most cases, St John of God Midland = 2 years) with the ability to transfer to a different PEHS if all internship requirements are met (IMGs may have shorter contracts tied to their visa status)
Professional Development Allowance = $6,503

Western Australia Intern Eligibility and Priorities

In Western Australia applications that meet all eligibility criteria, and all essential criteria are included in the suitable recruitment pool. Once in the suitable pool, selection and recruitment decisions are made by the primary employing hospitals. 

As with all other Australian jurisdictions, priority is given to Commonwealth funded medical students graduating from Western Australia. This is then followed by Western Australians graduating from interstate universities who want to return to WA; international medical students graduating from WA medical schools; then graduates from other jurisdictions (other than WA). The priority then shifts to international medical graduates from outside of Australia.

Most notably, Western Australia has a Category 9 specifically for graduates of universities in Competent Authority countries (New Zealand, USA, Canada, Ireland or the UK as defined by Ahpra) who are Australian citizens or permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens who are eligible for limited registration. This is explicitly confirmed in the 2027 eligibility criteria — permitting Australian students who chose to study in these countries to return and commence internship in Australia. Practically, without prior overseas registration or clinical experience, these graduates would likely need to sit and pass the AMC Part 1 to obtain Ahpra registration, which can only be sat after graduation — so this pathway involves significant planning and potentially sitting out internship for 6–12 months.

Application Requirements — Western Australia

• CV required — Maximum 3 pages.
• Statement addressing the selection criteria required.
• Two referees required — At least one must be a previous clinical supervisor. Referee reports are requested directly from referees by the employing health service; you do not attach written references.
• Cover letter — Optional for most applicants. Recommended for WACHS rural applicants to highlight rural experience, motivation and preferred rural location.
• No interview as part of the centralised application process. Individual PEHSs make selection decisions based on application documents.
• Applications submitted via MedCareersWA. One application covers all PEHSs — you rank them by preference.

• Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group (Fiona Stanley Hospital). Contact: DS**************@***********ov.au
• Joondalup Health Campus. Contact: pg******@**************om.au
• Royal Perth Bentley Group (Royal Perth Hospital). Contact: rp******@***********ov.au
• Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group (Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital). Contact: sc***************************@***********ov.au
• St John of God Health Care (St John of God Midland Public Hospital). Contact: MI*****@******rg.au
• WA Country Health Service. Contact: me*@***********ov.au

All six WA Health PEHS recruit through the Centralised Intern Application Process. Each PEHS holds an information session during the application period, with presentations from the Medical Education teams, current interns and more.

Following the close of applications in the centralised application process, PMCWA reviews all applications and creates a pool for all suitable applications. Applications appointed to the pool are grouped and managed according to the applicable priority category. As positions become available and selection processes are completed, applicants will be offered positions according to category.

Each PEHS is a major tertiary hospital in WA that has been accredited to directly employ interns and provide an intern training program.

Employing Health Service	Metro Placements	Rural Placements
Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group (Fiona Stanley Hospital)	Fiona Stanley Hospital Fremantle Hospital Rockingham General Hospital	Albany Health Service Broome Regional Hospital Northam Health Service
Joondalup Health Campus	Joondalup Health Campus	Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital
Royal Perth Bentley Group (Royal Perth Hospital)	Royal Perth Hospital Armadale Health Service Bentley Hospital Osborne Park (Women and Newborn Service) Perth Children’s Hospital	Bunbury Hospital Hedland Health Campus Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital
Sir Charles Gairdner Osborne Park Health Care Group (Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital)	Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Graylands Hospital Hollywood Private Hospital Joondalup Health Campus Osborne Park (Women and Newborn Service) Perth Children’s Hospital	Geraldton Regional Hospital Hedland Health Campus Karratha Health Campus
St John of God Health Care (St John of God Midland Public Hospital)	St John of God Midland Public Hospital St John of God Subiaco Hospital St John of God Murdoch Hospital
WA Country Health Service		Albany Health Campus Broome Regional Hospital Bunbury Hospital Geraldton Regional Hospital

Each PEHS hosts an information night. You can also choose to work as a rural intern by applying to work through Western Australia Country Health Service.

The intern application process is coordinated by the Postgraduate Medical Council of Western Australia through the MedCareersWA platform (medcareerswa.health.wa.gov.au). You submit one application and rank each PEHS from most to least preferred. As part of your application you need to provide a CV (maximum 3 pages), a statement addressing the selection criteria, supporting documents, and two referees. If successful you will normally receive a 3-year contract.

2027 Application Dates

Milestone	Date
Applications open	Tuesday 5 May 2026, 12:00 noon AWST
Applications close	Thursday 4 June 2026, 12:00 noon AWST
Rural (WACHS) offers commence	Monday 13 July 2026
Metro offers commence	Wednesday 15 July 2026
National close of offers	Friday 16 October 2026
Late Vacancy Process opens	Monday 9 November 2026
Late Vacancy Process closes	Thursday 19 March 2027

Late applications will not be accepted.

c/- PMCWA

Contacting PMCWA

The Postgraduate Medical Council of Western Australia (PMCWA) coordinates intern recruitment across WA. For general enquiries:

• Email: PM***@***********ov.au
• Phone: (08) 9222 4010
• Address: 189 Royal Street, East Perth WA 6004
• Applications must be submitted through MedCareersWA — not via email.

South Australia

Annual Salary = $85,560
Length of Contract = 3 years in most cases (IMGs may have shorter contracts tied to their visa status)
Professional Development Allowance = $4,500 per annum

SA MET publishes a detailed annual allocation report — one of the most transparent in the country. The table below shows the growth in SA intern positions over recent years:

Clinical Year	Total Intern Positions	Unfilled Before LVM	Notes
2027	Not yet published	—	—
2026	Not yet published	—	—
2025	353	40	Includes 47 rural intern posts
2024	320	35	9 LHNs participated
2023	311	—	8 LHNs (Eyre & Far North and Barossa Hills Fleurieu newly accredited for 2024)
2022	291	—	—
2021	275	2	5 LHNs participated

SA MET (South Australia Medical Education and Training) conducts the annual Intern application process in South Australia. There are 3 Adelaide-based Local Health Networks and 3 smaller country-based networks to which you can apply for the priority Rural Intern pathway. It should be noted that whatever network you are allocated to you may request or be required to undertake one or more rotations in other networks.

The Rural Intern Pathway is a strength-based recruitment process for applicants who are interested in undertaking their internship (and potentially subsequent years) in rural hospitals within Country Health SA (CHSA). Rural intern positions provide broad opportunities in unique settings and are best suited for medical graduates with a history of living or working in rural areas or a desire to commence a career in the country. 

To apply for internship in South Australia, you must comply with the following criteria:

• Have graduated from a medical school in the last two years (i.e. to start an internship in 2026, you are / were a final year medical student in the 2025 or 2024 cohort).
• Applicants who completed their medical degree at an overseas university NOT accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) must have completed both Part 1 and 2 of the Australian Medical Council exams.
• Can demonstrate that you meet the English Language Skills Registration Standard.
• Be able to commence on the January start date, which includes compulsory orientation, and fulfil the minimum 12-month contract.
• Have completed electronic medical record (Sunrise EMR and PAS) medical student training.
• Be able to demonstrate that you will meet the requirements for registration with Ahpra.
• Have NOT commenced or completed an internship or worked as a doctor before.
• Be an Australian Citizen, Australian Permanent Resident, Australian Temporary Resident, New Zealand Citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident.
• Have a visa that allows you to work unrestricted in Australia for the duration of your internship.
• Applicants completing their medical degrees in Australia who are on a student visa will need to obtain an appropriate Australian work visa before commencing their intern year (refer to page 33).
• Have completed and submitted an online application, including the provision of valid supporting documentation, by the application closing date.

SA Health LHNS

Barossa Hills Fleurieu Local Health Network (BHFLHN)

Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN)

Eyre and Far North Local Health Network (EFNLHN)

Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network (FUNLHN)

Limestone Coast Local Health Network (LCLHN)

Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN)

Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN)

Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN)

Yorke and Northern Local Health Network (YNLHN)

Application Requirements — South Australia

CV required — use the SA MET CV template (available on the SA MET website under “Doctors in Training”). Metro LHNs use your CV for familiarity; Rural LHNs use it as part of their selection process.

• 3 referees required — provide contact details for three referees (to ensure at least two completed reports). Referees should be experienced doctors or supervisors who have observed you clinically. Reports must be completed online via the official SA Health online form before the referee deadline — pre-completed PDF reports are not accepted.
• No written selection criteria for the standard metro pathway. Rural Intern Pathway applicants must answer three short-answer questions within the application form (questions are published on the SA MET website in advance).
• Sunrise EMR & PAS training certificate required — upload a certificate confirming you have completed the SA Health online electronic medical record training before applying.
• One application covers all 9 LHNs — you rank all nine Local Health Networks in order of preference. You cannot preference any LHN more than once. To be considered for the Rural Intern Pathway, a rural LHN must be your first preference.
• Apply via SA Health Careers website — applications typically open in early May and close in early June. A link is also provided on the SA MET website homepage during the application period.

SA Intern Priorities:

Like most other jurisdictions, South Australia prioritises its medical graduates first, then graduates from other States and Territories. International Students are given lower priority than Australian Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents and New Zealand Citizens.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are given priority preference by being placed in the first subcategory for categories 1 and 2.

International Medical Graduates from non-Australian medical schools can apply for the rural intern pathway so long as they have only graduated in the last 2 years and have completed the AMC Part 1, and can meet the other requirements (which are extensive) and include meeting the Medical Board English language requirements, completing electronic medical record training and have residency status or a visa that allows you to work unrestricted. They must also not have commenced or completed an internship.

International Medical Graduates from non-Australian medical schools can also apply for the main round but in this case must have completed both AMC Part 1 and Part 2.

Rural Intern Pathway

Applications for the Rural Intern Pathway are included in the standard South Australian application for internship.

All applicants are asked to preference all eight rural networks as well as the three metropolitan health networks.

Eligible applicants wishing to apply for the Rural Intern Pathway must preference a rural site as their FIRST preference. Rural Intern Pathway applicants who preference a rural LHN as their first preference are asked additional questions within their application form. And must participate in interviews conducted by a selection panel from the rural LHNs.

SA Health determines which applicants will receive rural internship offers using a preference matching process and the ranked list provided by the LHNs.

The placement of applicants into rural intern positions will occur prior to the placement of applicants into metropolitan intern positions. SA Health will match applicants to specific rural LHNs as instructed.

Internship Categories

Within the respective South Australian category groups, applicants are randomly allocated to their highest possible Local Health Network preference.
If an offer is made, applicants must respond via the electronic application system within the specified timeframe. Where an applicant has been made an offer and no response received, the offer will be automatically declined. Applicants are only eligible to receive one offer for an internship in South Australia.

South Australia is one of few States that specifically permits medical graduates from other countries to apply for internship positions. But they are at the very bottom of the priority list. Please see the above information about the rural internship.

In addition to a CV and referees, in order to apply for an internship in South Australia, you will need to provide a certificate confirming that you have completed the SA Health online electronic medical record (Sunrise EMR & PAS) training.

c/- SAMET

Contacting SA MET

• Email: he*********@****ov.au
• Phone: (08) 8226 7231
• Address: 11 Hindmarsh Square, Adelaide SA 5000
• Apply via the SA Health Careers website when applications open (typically early May)

Tasmania

Estimated Number  = 106
Annual Salary = $89,610
Length of Contract = 1 year (attempting to confirm if this has become 2 years)
Professional Development Allowance = nil for Interns but RMOs get an allowance of $2040 per annum

Internships are coordinated in Tasmania via the Department of Health and Human Services.

All applicants are required to apply online. As part of your application, you are asked to preference all of the 3 available sites:

Site	Number of Positions
North (Launceston General Hospital)	39
South (Royal Hobart Hospital)	48
North-West (North-West Regional Hospital Burnies and Mersey Community Hospital, Latrobe)	19

Rural Option

You can also preferentially apply for one of 5 places on the Tasmanian Rural Generalist Program. You will be allocated to one of the above sites based on your preference but also undertake a 13-week rural GP placement as part of your internship.

Application Requirements — Tasmania

• CV required — a current curriculum vitae is required as part of the application.
• No referees required at application stage — referee details are not collected during the initial application; referees may be contacted later in the process by the health service.
• No written selection criteria — there is no requirement to address selection criteria for the standard intern pathway in Tasmania.
• Site preferences — applicants nominate their preferred hospital sites. Nominating at least three sites is recommended to maximise allocation chances.
• Apply via Tasmanian Health Service — applications are managed centrally and linked to the national offer timetable. See the THS Medical Intern Applications page for current information when positions open.

Applying

Applicants must be graduates of or graduating from an Australian Medical Council-accredited University.  

All applicants are required to apply online. Only one application is required; you will be asked to indicate your preferred place of employment (Hobart, Launceston, North West Region) via the application form.  Applicants must list each site in order of preference.

The online application form ensures all the information required to assess your application is provided. The form includes information on eligibility to work in Australia and details on how to submit electronic reference requests.

The online application form requires you to include your University Student Number and your Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Intern Placement Number.

Candidates are required to attach a CV/Resume and any other relevant information to their application.

A written statement addressing the selection criteria is NOT required. 

Intern Placement Priorities:

The Tasmanian Department of Health currently gives priority, in order, to:

1. Australian permanent resident Tasmanian-trained Australian Government supported and full-fee paying medical graduates.
2. Australian temporary resident Tasmanian-trained full-fee paying medical graduates.
3. Australian permanent resident interstate-trained Australian Government supported and full-fee paying medical graduates.
4. Australian temporary resident interstate-trained full-fee paying medical graduates.
5. Medical graduates of an Australian Medical Council-accredited overseas University.

Selection

The Tasmanian Department of Health will conduct a ballot-based allocation system for placing Priority 1 (Australian permanent resident Tasmanian-trained Australian Government supported and full-fee paying medical graduates) and Priority 2 (Australian temporary resident Tasmanian-trained full-fee paying medical graduates) applicants.

It is not clear at this stage how further positions are filled according to the remaining priorities.

Contact — Tasmania

Phone: 1300 135 513
Website: THS Medical Intern Applications

Site preferences: When applying, you will be asked to nominate a preference from the three regional sites — Hobart (Royal Hobart Hospital), Launceston (Launceston General Hospital), and North West Region (North West Regional Hospital, Burnie). Allocation follows priority category and ballot where applicable.

Northern Territory

Intern Numbers = 89
Annual Salary = $90,150
Length of Contract = 1 year
Professional Development Allowance = $3,601 per annum with the option to apply for an additional $3,000 or $3,000 for HELP relief.

The NT Prevocational Medical Assurance Services (PMAS) conducts a central review of eligible applicants and all intern positions are allocated within the two NT Health Services:

• Top End Regional Health Service (TERHS) – based upon Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) (65 posts)
• Central Australia Regional Health Service (CARHS) – based upon Alice Springs Hospital (ASH) (24 posts)

Each Health Service has a primary employing health service as well as additional placement hospitals as per below:

Placement Hospitals

Top End Regional Health Service (TERHS) — 65 intern posts
Primary employing hospital: Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH). Interns may also rotate to Gove District Hospital (East Arnhem) and Katherine Hospital (Big River Region) for community-based rural rotations. On-site accommodation is available at Royal Darwin, Katherine, and Gove hospitals for interns relocating from interstate.

Central Australia Regional Health Service (CARHS) — 24 intern posts
Primary employing hospital: Alice Springs Hospital (ASH). Interns may also rotate to Tennant Creek Hospital (Barkly Region) as part of their community-based rural rotations.

Eligible applicants are allocated intern positions in line with the Northern Territory category groups. Within the relevant category groups, applicants are allocated to their highest possible Health Service preference, pending the availability of a position.

Application Requirements — Northern Territory

• CV required — maximum 2 A4 pages.
• Selection criteria must be addressed — unlike most other jurisdictions, the NT requires applicants to respond to the selection criteria as part of the application.
• Health Service preference — nominate your preferred health service (Top End Regional or Central Australia Regional), subject to category priority and position availability.
• Apply via the NT Government employment portal — applications are submitted online through the NT Government recruitment system. Contact NT Prevocational Medical Assurance Services (PMAS) for current details.

Intern Priority Categories:

According to the NTMETC the applicant eligibility categories in order of selection for Internship in the Northern Territory are:

• Category A — Australian/New Zealand citizens or permanent residents graduating from an NT-based medical school (CSP or domestic full-fee). Highest priority; allocated first.
• Category B — Australian/NZ citizens or permanent residents graduating from an interstate or NZ medical school who completed clinical training in the NT.
• Category C — Other Australian/NZ citizens or permanent residents graduating from interstate or NZ medical schools (no NT clinical training requirement).
• Category D — International students (non-Australian/NZ citizens or PRs) graduating from an NT medical school on a full-fee-paying basis.
• Category E — International students graduating from other Australian medical schools on a full-fee-paying basis.
• Category F/G — International Medical Graduate pathways (traditionally IMGs from Competent Authority countries and other overseas graduates). These categories previously existed but their current status should be confirmed directly with NT PMAS — contact In***********@****ov.au before applying.

Note: The NT eligibility categories apply to both PEHS (Top End Regional Health Service and Central Australia Regional Health Service). All applicants must not have commenced or completed an internship previously in Australia or overseas.

As part of your application, you are required to submit a curriculum vitae of no more than 2 A4 pages and address the selection criteria. Applications are submitted to the NT Government employment portal.

Overall the intern allocation process is based on an applicant’s category group, Health Service preference, and the number of positions available in each health service.

The two NT Health Services are responsible for selecting applicants and making their offers of employment, applicants are advised via email.  The Health Service responsible for making the offer of employment will after receiving an acceptance from an applicant arrange an employment contract for an Internship position within their health service to be provided prior to commencing their internship.

c/- NT Health

Contacting NT PMAS

• Email: In***********@****ov.au
• Phone: (08) 8999 2834
• Apply via the NT Health Jobs portal — search “Intern” when applications are open

Australian Capital Territory

Intern Numbers = 96
(6 of these positions are normally guaranteed to NSW medical students)
Annual Salary = $88,485
Length of Contract = 2 years
Professional Development Allowance = $1,150 per annum + $900 Mobile Allowance + $4,000 Relocation Allowance.

If you want to apply for an internship position in the Australian Capital Territory you do so via the ACT Health Recruitment page.

Most of your time is spent at the Canberra Hospital. But ACT is interesting as it is one of the few chances you may have as an Intern to work in 2 separate States and Territories. Rotations may include secondments to Calvary Public Hospital, Goulburn Base Hospital, and South East Regional Hospital (SERH) at Bega. Because the ACT utilises some positions in NSW for intern posts there is a reciprocal arrangement whereby a number of NSW graduates are guaranteed an intern post in the ACT.

Priority is given to (2027 Intake):
– Category 1a: Guaranteed – CSP Graduates of the ANU Medical School
– Category 1b: Guaranteed (capped at 6) – Domestic CSP Graduates of NSW Universities
– Category 1c: Guaranteed – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Graduates of other Australian Universities
– Category 2: Not Guaranteed – Graduates of other Australian Universities who completed Year 12 in the ACT
– Category 3: Not Guaranteed – IFF Graduates of the ANU Medical School
– Category 4: Not Guaranteed – Graduates of other Australian Universities
– Category 5: Not Guaranteed – Graduates of Australian University campuses outside Australia accredited by the AMC

Application Requirements — Australian Capital Territory

Canberra Health Services does not publicly list specific application requirements (e.g. CV format, referee numbers) ahead of the recruitment round opening. Positions are advertised as vacancies on the ACT Government jobs portal when applications open. The ACT follows the national offer timetable.

• Apply via the ACT Government jobs portal — intern vacancies are advertised there when applications open. Monitor the Canberra Health Services JMO Careers page for links and updates.
• For pre-application enquiries, contact the Medical Officer Support Unit: phone (02) 5124 2779 or email CH********@*****ov.au.
• Priority list applies — see ACT Intern Priority List below. Category 1a (ANU CSP graduates) receive a guaranteed first-round offer; other categories compete for remaining positions.

ACT Intern Priority List:

• Category 1a — Guaranteed: CSP Graduates of the ANU Medical School
• Category 1b — Guaranteed (capped at 6): Domestic CSP Graduates of NSW Universities
• Category 1c — Guaranteed: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Graduates of other Australian Universities
• Category 2 — Not Guaranteed: Graduates of other Australian Universities who completed Year 12 in the ACT
• Category 3 — Not Guaranteed: International Full-Fee-Paying (IFF) Graduates of the ANU Medical School
• Category 4 — Not Guaranteed: Graduates of other Australian Universities
• Category 5 — Not Guaranteed: Graduates of Australian University campuses outside Australia accredited by the AMC

Contacting ACT — Canberra Health Services

• Phone: (02) 5124 2779
• Email: CH********@*****ov.au (Medical Officer Support Unit)
• Monitor the CHS JMO Careers page for vacancy listings when applications open

Junior Doctor Training Program (JDTP) — Private Hospital Stream

The Junior Doctor Training Program (JDTP) consolidates several older Commonwealth programs including the Rural Junior Doctor Training Innovation Fund, the Junior Medical Officer Program, and the Commonwealth Medical Internships initiative. It now operates as two distinct streams:

• Private Hospital Stream (PHS) — funds private hospitals to deliver PGY1 internships (and PGY2/3 placements). This is the stream relevant to interns and is covered in detail below.
• Rural Primary Care Stream — supports junior doctors (post-internship) in rural general practice settings via the Pre-Fellowship Program. This is a PGY3+ pathway and is not relevant to the intern year. It is not covered further here.

About the Private Hospital Stream

The PHS funds private hospitals to deliver medical internships and support junior doctors to work in expanded settings across Australia. It has a strong focus on rural, regional and remote areas (Modified Monash MM2–7 locations), fostering partnerships between private hospital providers, rural public hospitals, and other training settings such as Aboriginal Medical Services.

Annual salary and conditions reflect the award for an intern in the State or Territory where you are working.

The PHS currently supports up to 115 PGY1 internships and up to 80 PGY2/3 placements each training year.

Application Requirements — Private Hospital Stream

• EOI process only — not a standard application round. The PHS runs an annual Expression of Interest process after state and territory governments have completed their offer rounds. For 2026, EOIs opened 15 September 2025 and closed 26 September 2025. Expect a similar window (mid-to-late September) each year.
• Apply via the Department of Health and Aged Care — the EOI form is available on the PHS page of the department’s website. Contact: PH*****@********ov.au.
• No standardised CV or selection criteria format — the department forwards applications to participating hospitals, which then conduct their own eligibility checks and recruitment. You should not contact hospitals directly. If a hospital wishes to interview you, they will reach out.
• PGY1 EOI is for eligible applicants only — see the Priority One and Priority Two eligibility criteria below. Accepted state/territory offers disqualify you from applying.

Contacting the JDTP Private Hospital Stream

• Email: PH*****@********ov.au (update year as appropriate, e.g. PH*****@********ov.au for the 2027 intake)
• Website: JDTP Private Hospital Stream — Department of Health and Aged Care
• Contact page: JDTP PHS Contact Details

2026 PHS Key Dates

PHS 2026 EOI applications open	9am AEDT, Monday 15 September 2025
PHS 2026 EOI applications close	5pm AEDT, Friday 26 September 2025
Hospital offer period — Priority One candidates	Monday 20 October 2025 to Friday 31 October 2025 (48-hour response window)

Internships and places

Expression of Interest (EOI) internships

An annual EOI internship process is run for junior doctors to express interest in a PHS-funded medical internship place.

This process is only for PGY1-funded places. It opens each year after state and territory governments have offered and filled their internship positions. Applying does not guarantee a placement — the participating hospital makes the final recruitment decision.

Eligibility

The program divides applicants into 2 categories – Priority One and Priority Two.

Priority One eligibility criteria

The Priority One category is for final year medical students who meet all eligibility criteria for an internship under the PHS.

You are Priority One if you:

• are a full-fee-paying international student completing your medical degree during the current calendar year from a medical school in Australia, having completed all of your medical degree in Australia (university-approved, short-term elective rotations completed overseas are allowed)
• have met the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) English language proficiency requirements for registration purposes
• are not an Australian Citizen
• commit to getting a visa to work in Australia during your internship year.

Priority Two eligibility criteria

You are Priority Two if you:

• have MBA provisional registration as a medical practitioner
• have met the MBA English language proficiency requirements for registration purposes
• commit to getting a visa to work in Australia during your internship year.

Who is not eligible

You are not eligible to apply for the PHS if you:

• do not meet the Priority One or Priority Two eligibility criteria
• have accepted an internship position from a state or territory government.

Important: Australian citizens and permanent residents are not eligible for Priority One (which requires a work visa commitment and non-citizen status) and are generally ineligible for Priority Two for the same reason. The PHS is specifically designed for international students completing degrees in Australia and internationally-trained doctors holding provisional Ahpra registration who require a work visa.

Recruitment process

The recruitment process aligns with the state and territory government recruitment processes and the national audit process.

Suitable applications are forwarded to the PHS participating private hospitals by the due dates each year.

The PHS participating private hospitals do eligibility checks. They will contact eligible applicants they want to interview.

You should not make direct contact with the hospitals.

Category prioritisation

PHS participating private hospitals must fill PGY1 places with Priority One applicants first.

If there are still places available after the Priority One list is finished, the hospitals can then recruit Priority Two applicants.

PGY 2 and 3 funded places

PHS-participating private hospitals make their own recruitment and employment arrangements for PGY2 and PGY3 junior doctors. If you are a PGY2 or PGY3 doctor funded under the PHS, you must complete at least one rural rotation each year.

PHS-funded hospitals

The following private hospitals participated in the PHS for the 2026 training year:

• Mater Misericordiae Limited — Central Queensland (Bundaberg & Mackay hospitals) — PGY1, PGY2, PGY3
• Mater Misericordiae Limited — North Queensland (Townsville) — PGY1
• Greenslopes Private Hospital, Queensland — PGY1, PGY2, PGY3
• Calvary Health Care Riverina, New South Wales — PGY2 only
• Mater Hospital Sydney, New South Wales — PGY1
• St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney, New South Wales — PGY1
• MQ Health (Macquarie University Hospital), New South Wales — PGY1
• St John of God Ballarat Hospital, Victoria — Grampians Intern Training Program — PGY1
• Ramsay Health Care (Joondalup), Western Australia — PGY1, PGY2, PGY3

c/- DOHA

International Medical Graduates: Which Jurisdictions Can You Apply To?

One of the most common questions we receive at AdvanceMed is whether an International Medical Graduate (IMG) can complete their internship in Australia. The answer is: it depends — both on your specific situation and on the jurisdiction. “IMG” covers several quite different groups, and the rules vary significantly between states.

Critical eligibility rule: In almost every jurisdiction, the IMG and international student pathways described in this section are only available to graduates who have not previously commenced or completed a medical internship — whether in Australia or overseas. If you have already completed an internship in another country, you are generally not eligible for an Australian internship under these pathways. If your home country does not require an internship (for example, some countries grant full registration directly after graduation), you also will not generally need one in Australia and should seek Ahpra assessment through the standard pathway instead.

A note on PGY2/RMO opportunities: Australia has experienced a growing number of unfilled intern posts across most jurisdictions over the past several years. This is creating a secondary benefit for eligible IMGs and international students: an increasing number of PGY2 and RMO (Resident Medical Officer) positions are available through hospitals recruiting directly, particularly in regional, rural, and private settings. For applicants who are unable to secure a standard internship position, or who already hold full registration from an overseas Competent Authority country, this can be a more accessible entry point into the Australian medical workforce.

Understanding the Different IMG Categories

Before looking at the jurisdictions, it helps to understand which category you fall into, as this determines your options:

• Category A — Australian citizen or PR who studied medicine at an overseas medical school (Competent Authority country): You graduated from a medical school in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, or New Zealand — countries recognised as “Competent Authorities” by Ahpra. You may be eligible for limited registration without sitting AMC exams. This is the most favourable IMG position.
• Category B — Australian citizen or PR who studied medicine at an overseas medical school (other country): You graduated from a medical school not on the Competent Authority list. You will generally need to pass AMC Part 1 and Part 2 exams to be eligible for registration and internship.
• Category C — International student who completed a full medical degree at an Australian university: You are not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, but you studied medicine entirely within Australia at a full-fee-paying place. You are eligible for the Commonwealth (JDTP) Priority One pathway and can also apply to most state rounds in lower-priority categories.
• Category D — Graduate of an overseas campus of an Australian university: You studied at Monash University Malaysia, Ochsner Clinical School (USA), or a similar AMC-accredited offshore campus. Most jurisdictions recognise you as a lower-priority domestic-style applicant. Victoria’s VIA Group 4 is the specific pathway here.
• Category E — Traditional IMG (graduated overseas, not an Australian citizen or PR): You graduated from a medical school in a country where you are not a citizen or PR, and you are not an Australian or NZ citizen or PR. This is the most restrictive category — options are very limited.

IMG Eligibility by Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction	Category A (Aus citizen/PR, Competent Authority country)	Category B (Aus citizen/PR, other overseas school)	Category C (Intl student, Aus uni full-fee)	Category D (Overseas campus Aus uni)	Category E (Traditional IMG)
New South Wales	Low priority category; can apply	Generally not eligible through HETI standard round	Low priority category; can apply	Low priority; limited pathway	Effectively closed — Late Vacancy Management only
Victoria	Low priority; can apply	Generally not eligible through PMCV standard round	Low priority; can apply	VIA Group 4 — can apply, not guaranteed	No pathway through PMCV
Queensland	Can apply; Group C/D priority	AMC Part 1 + 2 required; Group D	Can apply; Group B/C	Group D — very limited (handful per year)	Group D — extremely limited; handful per year
Western Australia	Category 9 — explicitly permitted for Aus citizens/PRs and NZ citizens	AMC Part 1 + 2 required; lowest priority	Lower priority categories	Lower priority	Very limited; bottom of priority list
South Australia	Can apply; lower priority categories	Rural: AMC Part 1 only. Metro: AMC Part 1 + 2. Lower categories.	Rural: AMC Part 1 only. Metro: AMC Part 1 + 2.	Rural: AMC Part 1. Metro: AMC Part 1 + 2.	Rural: AMC Part 1. Metro: AMC Part 1 + 2. Most accessible state for IMGs.
Tasmania	Can apply; lower priority	Generally very limited	Lower priority; can apply	Lower priority	Not accessible through standard round
Northern Territory	Can apply; lower priority	Can apply with AMC exams; lower priority	Lower priority; can apply	Lower priority	Previously had specific IMG categories (F & G) — confirm with NT PMAS as current status unclear
ACT	Can apply; Category 4	Generally not eligible through standard round	Category 3 (IFF ANU graduates)	Category 5 (AMC-accredited campus outside Aus)	No standard pathway
JDTP — Private Hospital Stream	Not eligible — Australian citizens/PRs don’t require a work visa and cannot meet the PHS visa commitment requirement	Not eligible — same reason	Priority One — the primary pathway for this group (must have completed full degree at an Australian medical school, not be an Australian citizen)	Not eligible for Priority One (degree not completed in Australia). Priority Two possible if holding Ahpra provisional registration and requiring a work visa.	Priority Two — if holding Ahpra provisional registration and requiring a work visa

Key Takeaways for IMGs

• South Australia is the most IMG-accessible jurisdiction. It explicitly permits IMGs to apply for both the rural and metro pathways, provided AMC exams are completed. SA MET publishes transparent data on applicant categories and outcomes each year.
• Queensland offers a named Group D pathway for IMGs, but the number placed each year is a handful at most. It is worth applying, but do not rely on it.
• The JDTP Private Hospital Stream is the primary pathway for international students at Australian universities (Category C). If you are a non-Australian-citizen who has completed your entire degree at an Australian medical school on a full-fee-paying basis, you qualify for Priority One. Note: Australian citizens and PRs are not eligible for the PHS, even if they are overseas-trained.
• Western Australia explicitly recognises Category A graduates (Competent Authority countries) through Category 9. If you are an Australian citizen or PR who studied in the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, or NZ, WA is a viable option.
• AMC exams are typically the gateway. For Categories B, D, and E, completing AMC Part 1 (and often Part 2) is usually the minimum requirement before any jurisdiction will consider your application. Some jurisdictions (SA rural, NT) only require Part 1 for initial eligibility.
• Apply broadly and consider rural pathways. IMGs who apply to rural pathways (SA rural, QLD rural) generally have better odds than applying for metropolitan positions. Rural intern positions in SA and QLD specifically reserve places for lower-priority applicants.
• Late Vacancy Management (LVM) — after all three national offer rounds are complete, remaining unfilled positions are advertised nationally. IMGs who have not secured a position through the main rounds can apply through LVM. This is the main pathway for traditional IMGs in NSW and VIC where the standard round is effectively closed to them.

Note: IMG eligibility rules change annually. Always verify current requirements directly with the relevant jurisdiction’s postgraduate medical council or health department before applying.

Special Considerations

Every state and territory has a process for applying for special consideration (also called special circumstances or exceptional circumstances). It allows you to request a specific jurisdiction, hospital network, or metro/rural placement when genuine exceptional circumstances mean you cannot reasonably be allocated elsewhere.

What sort of circumstances might qualify?

• Serious medical condition — where you require access to specialist treatment only available at certain hospitals. This needs to be substantial and documented — a preference for a particular hospital’s reputation does not qualify.
• Primary carer responsibilities — caring for a young child, elderly parent, or seriously ill family member who cannot relocate. You’ll need to demonstrate why relocation is genuinely not possible.
• Couples applying for internship — many jurisdictions handle this through a formal joint application process. The practical outcome is typically that the couple is allocated to the preference of the lower-ranked of the two applicants — meaning if one partner lists Network A first and the other lists Network B first, you will likely both end up at the less competitive of the two options. It is never guaranteed and you may need to compromise on your preferred network. Flag this during the application — don’t wait until after allocation to raise it.
• Exceptional personal hardship — documented circumstances that make working in a particular location genuinely untenable. The bar is high.

What generally won’t qualify?

• Lifestyle or preference reasons (“I want to live in the city”)
• Your partner’s work location — unless combined with documented hardship
• School-aged children’s schooling (on its own)
• Transport difficulties within a metropolitan region (SA explicitly excludes these)
• Financial preference for a higher-paying hospital or location

How to apply

Special consideration is applied for as part of your standard intern application — not after the fact. You’ll be asked whether you wish to apply, asked to describe your circumstances, and required to provide supporting evidence. Applications are assessed case-by-case by a review panel.

Important: being approved for special consideration does not guarantee you will be placed at your requested location. It means your request will be factored into the allocation process — but positions are limited and the outcome depends on availability and other applicants in the same situation.

Swapping Internship Positions

As a general rule, the jurisdictions either do not permit swaps or make them very difficult. Medical student groups regularly lobby for more flexibility here, and it remains one of the more frustrating aspects of the national system. The jurisdictions don’t deliberately make this hard — they simply know from experience that the underlying problem is almost impossible to solve fairly.

The core practical problem is this: there is generally a large number of interns wanting to swap out of a particular location, and very few wanting to swap in. If you find yourself allocated somewhere you didn’t want to be, the odds are that few others are eager to go there either. The mismatch between supply and demand of swap partners makes a workable swap system almost impossible to run at scale.

There have been known instances of interns making financial offers or other incentives to secure a swap. This is an extremely serious mistake. Offering or accepting money or other benefits in exchange for swapping an intern position can constitute fraud and could result in a referral to the authorities — a potentially career-ending way to begin your medical career before it has started.

Where swaps are possible

South Australia has the most formal swap process. Two Category 1 applicants can apply to swap their allocated Local Health Networks after all Category 1 offers are finalised. Both applicants must agree, both LHNs must approve, and there is a 48-hour cooling-off period once a swap is confirmed. Rural Intern Pathway applicants may be required to interview again before a swap is approved. Swap requests must be finalised before employment contracts are issued.

Other jurisdictions have limited or no formal swap mechanisms. Informal negotiations with LHNs or hospitals sometimes occur, but should not be relied upon.

What about couples?

This is the most commonly raised scenario, and most jurisdictions do try to accommodate genuine partners who want to work in the same city or network. The key is to raise this during your application as a joint application or via the special consideration process — not after allocation. If you wait until after you’ve both been placed, your options are much more limited.

Even when accommodated, you may need to compromise on your preferred network. The system will try to place you in the same city, but not necessarily the same hospital or even your top-ranked network.

Mid-Year Commencement

The vast majority of Australian medical graduates start their internship in January. Mid-year commencement — starting in Term 3 (approximately June/July) — is only available to graduates from universities that offer a mid-year completion of study.

In practice, this primarily applies to Bond University in Queensland, which offers a mid-year graduation. If you are graduating from a standard Australian medical school in November/December, this section does not apply to you.

There is one important practical exception. The Late Vacancy Management (LVM) process, which runs from November through to March each year, now effectively creates a de facto mid-year commencement stream for some interns. As LVM positions are filled progressively through late summer and autumn, some successful applicants end up starting their internship at the beginning of Term 2 or Term 3 rather than January. For a small number of graduates each year, the LVM pathway has become the primary route into their internship — and a mid-year start is the result.

How it works

• You apply during the normal national application period and indicate that you are eligible for mid-year commencement.
• If offered a mid-year position, stay in regular contact with your matched LHN — let them know immediately if anything changes that might affect your ability to start.
• LHNs may withdraw your offer if you cannot start at the beginning of Term 3 — for example due to a failure to complete university requirements, registration delays with Ahpra, or other significant reasons.

What if I accepted a January position but can’t start in January?

Contact your LHN directly as soon as you know. Some will accommodate a slightly later start — particularly if it helps fill roster gaps — but this is entirely at the LHN’s discretion and they may withdraw the offer. Do not assume flexibility; communicate early.

Part-Time Internship

Yes — it is possible to complete your internship part-time. The Medical Board of Australia explicitly permits it. In practice, it is rare: most health networks prefer that part-time interns pair up as job-share partners, and the total numbers doing this nationally each year are very small (SA reported two part-time interns in 2021 and none in 2023).

What you need to know

• Must be completed within 3 years once started — the Medical Board of Australia requires this regardless of how many days per week you are working.
• Apply during your standard intern application — you will be asked to explain why you are seeking a part-time arrangement. You can also nominate a job-share partner at this stage if you have one in mind.
• Requesting part-time does not reduce your chances of receiving an offer — your allocation priority is determined by the same category system as full-time applicants.
• Approval is not guaranteed — health networks consider part-time requests on a case-by-case basis and may decline depending on rostering needs. Some networks are more accommodating than others.
• Job-share is the preferred model — most networks want two part-time interns to share a single full-time role. If you don’t have a job-share partner in mind, the network may try to pair you with another applicant who has also requested part-time — but this is not always possible.

If you are considering a part-time internship for medical, caring, or other reasons, it is worth contacting the Medical Officer Support team at your preferred jurisdiction before applying to understand how that particular network handles part-time requests.

Both Victoria (via PMCV) and New South Wales (via HETI) have been known to advertise 0.5 FTE (half-time) intern positions as part of their standard recruitment. These are specifically designed as job-share arrangements. Check the current applicant guides when applications open to confirm whether 0.5 FTE positions are available in your preferred network for the relevant clinical year.

How To Decide Where to Apply for Your Internship?

There are lots of considerations when it comes to putting in your Intern application. Everyone is a bit different. Some graduates feel like they would like to be close to home and family whilst going through their transition to Intern. Others see it as a chance to get away and explore a new place and location. And then others focus on the long-term career prospects of certain locations.

I think this last consideration is a little overrated for most. You can generally experience a wide range of medicine in your first couple of years of medicine after graduation and there is scant evidence that this affects your prospects of applying for specialty training posts.

That being said if you have an interest in anything other than Medicine, Surgery or Emergency Medicine as a future career you should probably investigate whether this particular specialty is offered at the hospitals or networks to which you apply. In most cases it will be.

The structure of Australian intern terms has historically been dominated by three mandated core terms — Medicine, Surgery, and Emergency Medicine. This model has been criticised for squeezing out other specialties and contributing to recruitment problems in areas like psychiatry, general practice, obstetrics, and paediatrics. Whether mandated terms were ever the right approach is debatable, but the model is changing. The Australian Medical Council has now introduced a new national framework for prevocational training that moves away from mandatory named specialty rotations and toward a content-based categorisation system:

• Category A — Undifferentiated illness care: At least 10 weeks required. Covers general medicine, general practice, and other settings where the presenting problem is not yet categorised.
• Category B — Chronic illness care: Long-term condition management across a variety of settings.
• Category C — Acute and critical illness care: Emergency, intensive care, and acute unplanned presentations.
• Category D — Peri-operative and procedural care: Surgery and procedure-based specialties.

Under the new framework, PGY1 programs must include a minimum of 4 terms over at least 47 weeks, with at least 50% of the year embedded in clinical teams. No single specialty can account for more than 50% of the year. This provides more flexibility for health services to design intern programs that include a broader range of specialties — though implementation is still in transition across jurisdictions. You can read the AMC framework document here.

So the basic message is this. If you are really dead set keen on doing radiology as a career you should try to track down the very few locations that might offer this rotation to either interns or existing residents.

Each year the Australian Medical Students’ Association produces a very useful Intern Guide with lots of information about the composition of intern training networks across the country. The 2023 version is not available but here’s a link to the 2022 version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There Any Restriction On Where I Can Complete My Internship?

To meet the Medical Board of Australia’s requirements for general registration, an internship can be completed in any state or territory of Australia.

Can I Apply to More Than One State or Territory for an Intern Position?

Yes, you will need to apply separately to each state and territory where you would like to work. You will need to complete a separate application for each position, submit the documents, provide the information required and meet the selection requirements. As part of the application process, each state and territory requires you to include your intern Placement Number (IPN).

What is an Intern Placement Number?

The Intern Placement Number is a unique nine-digit number that has been generated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and has been provided to medical schools for distribution to all final-year medical students. If you do not have an Intern Placement Number issued or you have misplaced it, you must contact your medical school to have the number issued or reissued. Do not contact AHPRA. Note: The Intern Placement Number is not your University Student Identification

I Am Not an Australian Medical Student. How Do I Obtain an Intern Placement Number?

In this situation, you do not require an IPN and will not be issued one. You can still apply for internships. But unless you are a New Zealand medical student your chances of gaining a place are very very limited.

What If I Have Special Circumstances Which Make It Hard For Me To Work In Certain Places?

All States and Territories Have processes for considering special circumstances. Some of the types of circumstances that are generally approved are: where you may have certain health conditions that mean you need to be close to certain hospitals or specialists; where you have dependents, such as young children, and are unable to relocate due to care arrangements; and where you and your partner want to work as doctors in the same location. Generally, requests to stay in certain locations, for reasons such as work commitments of partners or needs of school-aged children are not granted.

I Have Received My Intern Offer. But I Would Like to Defer It. Is This Possible?

This will partly depend on how long you wish to defer. If you just wish to defer for a few months. Once you have your offer and are in discussions with your new employer make inquiries. It may be possible to negotiate a later start with your employer. Most employers will generally prefer that you start on time so that you are not out of sync with your colleagues. But there might be some advantage for the employer in you attending orientation but then starting a bit later as it will probably help them to fill out roster gaps. On the other hand. If you wish to defer for a complete year. Then you will need to check the policy of the State or Territory that has provided you with an Intern offer. In some cases (for example Victoria) you will be permitted to defer and your place will be held for you the following year. In most other cases you will need to reapply the following year and check whether your priority status has altered. In most cases, you have the same priority status. But, for example, the ACT no longer guarantees you an internship and you start off at a minimum of Category 4. Also, bear in mind that it is unclear how long you can defer commencing your internship. However, the Medical Board of Australia expects that once you have commenced your internship you will have completed this process within 3 years.

I am a Doctor With a Medical Degree From Outside Of Australia. Can I Apply For an Internship?

The answer depends significantly on your specific situation — your citizenship/residency status, where you trained, and which jurisdiction you’re applying to. The landscape has more nuance than a simple yes or no. We’ve covered this in full in our International Medical Graduates section above, which breaks down eligibility by jurisdiction across five different applicant categories.

As a brief summary: Australian citizens and permanent residents who trained at overseas medical schools have more pathways than people often assume, particularly in WA (Category 9 for Competent Authority country graduates) and SA. South Australia and Queensland have the most accessible pathways for traditional IMGs. The JDTP Private Hospital Stream is the primary route for international (non-Australian-citizen) students who completed their full degree at an Australian university. In all cases, competition is fierce and positions are limited — but the opportunities do exist.

I Have Heard That Some Graduates Miss Out On Internships. Is This True?

Whilst it is theoretically a possibility that some medical graduates miss out on Internships according to annual reports provided by organisations like HETI and the PMCV at the end of intern applications no one is actually left at the end of the process without an offer. In fact, in some circumstances, there are vacant intern positions that are not able to be filled. Only Australian citizens and permanent residents are guaranteed an intern position under the COAG agreement. However, there are generally enough intern positions available for those students who have come to Australia to study medicine and the Commonwealth Private Hospital program offers additional spaces for those that may miss out. That being said. It is also clear that many graduates choose to drop out of the application process themselves. So not everyone who applies gets an offer. The assumption is that some graduates take up similar intern opportunities in other countries upon graduation.

Can I Submit a Late Application?

Acceptance of late applications is at the discretion of each state and territory.

When Will Offers Be Made in 2026?

All states and territories will commence making offers for Rural Pathways on Monday 13 July 2026 and will commence making offers for all other pathways on Wednesday 15 July 2026.

What if I Receive More Than One Offer?

You need to decide where you would like to undertake your internship and accept this position and decline all other positions. You should not hold onto more than one offer as this negatively impacts both the hospital that will have a vacancy if you fail to start work because you have started in another position in another state, and other applicants who would like to work at that hospital who do cannot receive an offer for that vacant position.

What is the National Audit?

States and territories share intern applicant information at pre-agreed dates. This data is then used to identify applicants who have applied for and/or accepted intern positions in more than one state/territory. Applicants who have accepted more than one intern position will be contacted by the National Audit Data Manager by phone or email and given 48 hours to withdraw from all intern positions, except the one where they intend to undertake their intern year.

What if I Don’t Respond to the National Audit Data Manager?

If you don’t respond to the National Audit Data Manager and/or do not withdraw from all positions except one, the relevant states/territories where you have accepted an offer will be advised and all offers, except for the first offer you received may be withdrawn.

What is the Late Vacancy Management Process?

The Late Vacancy Management (LVM) Process runs from Monday 9 November 2026 to Friday 20 March 2027. The process ensures any late vacancies are offered to eligible intern applicants who have not yet accepted an internship position. The Late Vacancy Management Process will be coordinated by the National Audit Data Manager on behalf of states and territories. Please ensure you have updated your contact details if you are going overseas during the Late Vacancy Management Process period. The National Audit Data Manager will send out emails to participants who will need to opt into the Late Vacancy Management Process if they still wish to receive an internship position offer in Australia. Note: if an applicant does not respond to this email, they will no longer be eligible to receive an internship offer and their application will no longer be considered in any Australian jurisdictions.

Who can participate in the Late Vacancy Management Process?

The process is open to medical graduates of AMC-accredited medical schools who have applied for and are not holding a 2026 intern position through the Commonwealth or states and territories at the National Close Date for Intern Recruitment. Participation in the LVM is an opt-in process -you must confirm that you want to participate in the LVM by responding to the National Audit Data Manager by e-mail.

Can International Medical Graduates Apply to Become an Intern in Australia?

It depends on your circumstances. Please see our dedicated International Medical Graduates section above for a full breakdown by jurisdiction. In brief: some states — particularly South Australia and Queensland — do have pathways for IMGs, and Western Australia has an explicit Category 9 for Australian citizens/PRs who trained in Competent Authority countries (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, NZ). Chances are slim and competition is intense, but dismissing the option entirely is no longer accurate. Note this is distinct from international students who completed their degree at an Australian university — that group has better options, including the JDTP Private Hospital Stream Priority One pathway.

Can International Students Apply to Become an Intern in Australia?

International Students who undertake an Australian medical degree are eligible to apply to become an Intern in Australia.

Can I Swap Intern Posts?

As a general rule the jurisdictions either do not permit or strongly discourage the swapping of Internship posts. Medical Student bodies regularly lobby for there to be a swap process. Swaps are problematic for a number of reasons. Firstly the jurisdictions have set up processes to try to ensure that the outcome of allocations is as fair as possible to the most number of graduates. So it is generally the case at the end of this process that there are very few legitimate swap arrangements available, i.e. if you find yourself with an Intern post that you are not happy with it is unlikely that there is anyone who will be willing to swap with you as they will probably be happy with their allocation. Secondly, the whole process of swaps causes additional bureaucratic headaches when the jurisdictions are attempting to focus on getting through all of the allocations and providing as many applicants as possible an offer. Thirdly, the ability to swap could place certain applicants in a situation of duress, where they are put under pressure to swap. Fourthly, it is very likely that more than one applicant might want to swap. So it may be seen as unfair to allow swaps when not everyone who wants to swap can.

Can I Defer my Intern Offer?

If you are considering taking a year off between graduating and commencing medical school then you will be wanting to explore your options for deferral. The process varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Jurisdictions will not hold onto your internship post for you. You will be expected to reapply the following year. And you will generally be in the same priority category again. For Victoria, you need to apply for a deferral in order to be able to enter the PMCV Match in the following year. You should also be aware that the Medical Board of Australia has specific requirements for registration that limit the time that an individual may defer undertaking their internship in order to obtain registration to 3 years from commencement. After which you may need to seek special approval from the Medical Board of Australia.

Can I Be Allocated to the Same Spot as My Partner?

Yes. It does happen. Medical Students do meet and fall in love during their medical school days. Jurisdictions do allow for genuine partners to work in the same facility or network. You may, however, have to compromise a bit in terms of your network preferences as in order to accommodate your request you may need to be matched to a less popular network. Depending on your jurisdiction you will either have to make a joint couple application or apply under special consideration.

Can I Do My Intern Part Time or Job Share?

Yes. It is possible to do your Intern in Australia part-time. In general, the hospital networks prefer you do this as part of a job-share arrangement with another part-time Intern. Job share and part-time employment are defined as a person or persons voluntarily seeking to work less than full-time hours. Medical graduates may request to complete their internship on a part-time or job share arrangement through the annual centralised applications. To avoid discrimination you are first allocated your position and then your hospital or network is informed of your request to work part-time. Hospitals and networks are then required to negotiate with you the terms of your employment. Interns must work a minimum of 0.5FTE so that the internship may be completed within a two-year period.

What If I Have Special Circumstances?

Every State and Territory has a Special Circumstances or Special Consideration policy. These policies are generally quite strict and generally only cover: – needing to be close to immediate partners and dependents – caring for young or elderly persons – access to specialised medical care. If you are approved for special circumstances you will not necessarily be placed in the hospital or network of your choice. For example, if you are applying in NSW and you have young children and your partner works in Sydney and it is not possible for your partner to relocate, then you will be approved to be allocated to one of the Sydney-based networks.

(Disclaimer: All information here has been sourced in good faith but things do change so you should always do your own due diligence in such matters, we are providing this information to aid you in your application but take no responsibility for any outcomes.) We’d welcome feedback from any Intern programs in relation to the accuracy of the above information.

This post was researched and drafted with the assistance of Claude, an AI assistant by Anthropic. All content has been reviewed and is published under the authority of Anthony Llewellyn, AdvanceMed.