Key Dates for Moving to Australia as a UK Junior Doctor in 2023
If you’re starting to plan a move to Australia as a UK junior doctor, a key part of your research is understanding when jobs might be available. More jobs are available during certain parts of the year compared to other times, and so, this will greatly determine your moving plans.
In this article, we will explain:
👉 How the Australian medical year is structured
👉 When jobs for UK doctors tend to start throughout the year
👉 Working back from this, understand a timeline for when to start planning / applying for jobs
📅 When does the Australian medical year start?
The training ‘year’ in the UK runs from August to August. It runs from February to February in Australia, beginning on the first Monday of February each year. Like with the seasons, the Australian calendar is an exactly inverted version of the UK, so this is easy to remember.
The Australian medical year consists of various terms. In most cases, this is 4 x 3 monthly terms. However, there can be some variation in this.
For an example of how the clinical year is structured, see how New South Wales structures its Junior Medical Officer clinical year.
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🏥 When are jobs in Australia for UK doctors likely to start?
There are plenty of jobs starting all year round with Australia very keen to recruit British doctors with open arms. There are many different jobs on offer, and many hospitals will be glad to have you regardless of when in the year you want to start, often with generous relocation packages and other incentives.
However, there are certain times of the year when there are more vacancies on offer to choose from:
February
As in the UK, most training jobs and many other jobs are timed to start in line with the annual calendar. This is true for many of the jobs you’ll be looking to apply for as a UK doctor, so many available jobs will be for February start dates.
August
With the 4 term model that many places apply, there are 4 natural starting points for doctors to join at the beginning of a term and join a larger-scale induction. The most common of these is August, with many UK doctors starting then as it allows for a smooth transition from the end of a training block or fellowship job in the UK in August.
Other
As explained above, many hospitals will be glad to have you regardless of when in the year you want to start, so if neither February nor August works for you, then this should be fine.
🤝 Can I negotiate my start date?
Yes, you can negotiate your start date. As we explained above, many hospitals will be glad to have you regardless of when you want to start.
It’s best to explain your preferences for start dates when you first apply. This is perfect for your cover letter and is included in our template cover letter which you can read here. You can also negotiate this at the offer stage.
It is also important to bear in mind any settling-in time you would like to allocate for yourself. The move halfway across the world is a daunting and challenging one, so some time to settle in and organise everyday life before starting a new job may be helpful for you.
🤔 Does my start date affect how I find jobs and apply?
Yes, it certainly does! The states in Australia run state-wide recruitment campaigns for jobs starting in February. These are annual, centralised processes (similar to Oriel) that are organised by each state to manage applications for their open positions. The applications run through a portal, with a set process, to a particular timeline and schedule, each of which is slightly different.
So, if you want to start in February, you will most likely be applying through this state-wide method. Jobs that are unfilled through this process are then filled by hospitals themselves, taking direct applications and working with recruitment agencies to fill them. But bear in mind that you are likely getting the unfilled jobs in the state recruitment campaign. These may not be as attractive rotations or locations as other jobs advertised prior to or in the recruitment cycle.
If you’re looking outside of a February start date, there will be no state-wide recruitment campaigns running, and so most likely, you will be applying directly to hospitals or using a recruitment agency to support you.
To read more about applying for jobs, we recommend reading these guides:
👉 Four Ways to Find a Job in Australia
👉 How to Use State Applications to Get a Job in Australia as a UK Junior Doctor
🩺 When are jobs released?
Jobs will be released at different times depending on when the job starts.
February start
Jobs are released to the state recruitment campaigns around September or October. Each state has their own timeline. You keep an eye out for the specific dates when that opens. For a deep dive into the process and dates in Victoria, check out this article.
August start
August start dates are much more fluid. You might start looking for jobs in January or February and then can expect interviews in the spring. Bear in mind the time needed to sort registrations and visas as this is a long, laborious process that is time-consuming.
👍 Are there any advantages or disadvantages to starting work at a particular time of the year?
There are some differences which we explain below, but these are minor. The most important question is your personal and professional circumstances to determine what is right for you. Let’s break down the factors:
Application method
Likely to be different for February vs August, as explained above. If you have a strong preference, this might impact your decision. Since both have an even amount of pros and cons, it’s recommended that you don’t put too much weight on the application method.
Choice of jobs
In February, you will have access to more jobs overall, as all hospitals are hiring for the start of the year. Applying later in the year (e.g. August) potentially disadvantages you as a smaller number of hospitals will be hiring if they filled their rosters fully in February.
However, there is still a lot of choice for those applying outside of February, especially later in the year as February starters start to drop out and leave gaps. So, don’t feel like you will get limited options outside of February. There are still many jobs available, and if you are well-organised and invest time in creating a great CV and cover letter you will be fine. Whilst there are more jobs in February, there are also more applicants so it will be more competitive!
Other doctors starting with you
As February is the typical induction time for Australian grads, lots of people will start at the same time as you. This is ideal for making friends, and you are in the same boat as the Australians starting in a new hospital. It is, therefore, much easier to integrate more with the local Aussie crowd.
August starts make integrating harder as people will naturally already have their friendship/support/study groups etc. set up by the middle of their year. Brits notoriously do find it trickier to mingle with local Aussie doctors and, as a result, they tend to hang out mainly with other expats. That said, there are loads of British and Irish doctors in Australia so this won’t hold you back too much. You will likely bump into many familiar faces from university/previous jobs out in Australia.
☀️ For F3s, what are the advantages or disadvantages of starting straight after F2 in August vs a 6-month gap before starting in February?
This is a very personal choice based on your own personal and professional goals and ambitions. Here are some general pointers for you to consider:
February
👍 Experience - If you start in February, you can locum in the UK for 6 months to get more experience before moving out. Try to work in different settings, and build up your confidence and skills. For example, locuming for 6 months in ED will make you a far more attractive candidate than someone with no prior ED experience or just a 4-month rotation during foundation years. The contacts you make during this time could also prove to be invaluable referees for getting your jobs in Australia in the first place.
👍 You will save money - The application and relocation process is expensive. You have to pay registration fees, health checks and police checks. All of these costs have to be paid upfront. This could be hard to fund out of an F2 salary. For a rough idea, you will probably need to invest around, at a bare minimum, £3,500 on fixed costs, before flights and initial accommodation. Whilst this is very daunting, don’t be afraid to ask the hospitals what support they will offer. Some offer generous relocation budgets to help with the costs of actually moving over (but not things like visas and registrations), and there may also be state-sponsored packages to help. For example, you can check out this financial support initiative that is run by the Victorian government. Whilst it’s great that this support is there, do bear in mind you will most likely still need to front the initial costs, as the hospitals reimburse you in your first paycheck a couple of weeks after you commence work.
👍 Travel opportunities - You will also have the opportunity to do a bit of travelling beforehand if you choose to. You could enter Australia on a tourist visa, for example, and see some of Oz before beginning work. This will also give you time to acclimatise, find your feet, and sort accommodations before starting work.
👍 More time for applications - Starting in February can give you more time to focus on applications during the post-F2 period when, if locuming, you have more free time.
👍 Better integration - If you start in February, it will provide you with better integration into the Aussie academic year which gives you a better chance of making friends with local doctors and embedding into those social circles.
August
👍 Earlier move - If you are keen to move to Australia, the sooner the better! You might feel like 6 months of doing some locums in the NHS is time wasted if you know that you want to get out to Australia ASAP.
👍 F4 Commitment - If you only want to have 12 months out of training in the UK, moving from August to August allows you to do this. If you start in February and take a 12-month contract, you’ll be committing to an F4 as well as an F3.
👍 Structure - If you prefer the structure of being in a permanent job, and don’t want the uncertainty of locum work or a short fellowship between the end of your NHS job and starting work in Australia, this might be better for you.
👎 Difficulty settling in - If you favour an August start, bear in mind that it can take a while to get set up with life in general. Aiming to start a job in Australia immediately after completing your F2, with very little time in between, can be challenging. Most people take several weeks to find their feet before truly starting to enjoy the Aussie lifestyle.
👎 Weather - Bear in mind that August is mid-winter in Australia, so things may seem a bit bleak and dreary especially if you are further down south, such as near Melbourne.
☁️ When should I start planning and applying if I want an August start date?
If you are applying directly, there is no fixed timeline so you can easily leave it too late. Generally, the earlier, the better. The registration and visa process is lengthy and core parts can only start once you have your job offer confirmed. Other doctors will have applied for jobs too, so if you leave it too late, you only get what is left. Therefore, if you are serious about getting out to Australia, it is very important to be organised and start early.
🗓 November, December - Start Planning
This is when you should start doing your early research. Some questions to ask yourself:
👉 Is Aus right for me?
👉 Am I eligible?
👉 When should I move out?
👉 Which cities or states might I be interested in?
👉 How will I apply?
👉 What grade of jobs should I apply for?
You can also go on Facebook groups to ask questions of other doctors and see what others are discussing. We highly recommend this group.
🗓 January, February - Applications
Most people will start applying in the new year, but you can apply earlier if you are extra keen. This time of the year is the time for directly applying to hospitals.
Here are some tips for perfecting the application stage:
✅ Invest in your CV and cover letter so you stand out from other applicants. Don’t forget to personalise for each hospital you are applying to!
✅ Be persistent and patient. It may take many messages to get a reply. Don’t get discouraged; just keep being persistent. Hustle hard!
✅ Stay organised. Keep track of which hospitals you’ve contacted so you can plan follow-ups.
🗓 March - Interviews & Offers
You will get responses within a few weeks of applying then, hopefully, some interviews will be scheduled! After the interview, you will hopefully receive an offer or two. A verbal offer can be made as soon as during the interview itself or up to a few weeks after. The formal offer letter will then follow after that once you’ve completed some paperwork such as references. You can read about the process between your interview and getting your formal offer letter here.
🗓 April to July - Registration & Visas
You then have around 3-5 months to work through AHPRA registration and secure your visa. Both of these are contingent on having a job offer in place, so it’s difficult to make much progress before you have your offer.
Look out for detailed guides which break down this process and explain what you need to do at this stage. You can see the differences between the two types of AHPRA registrations here.
🗓 July, August - Moving time
At this time, you’ll be ready to move out for an August start date!
🌤 When should I start planning and applying if I want a February start date?
If you want a February start date, you will be working with the timeline of the state recruitment campaigns, so there is less flexibility over the dates. It’s very important that you don’t miss the dates, as these are fixed! Get them in your diary whilst planning so you don’t miss them. If you miss any dates, this could delay your start date in Australia significantly.
🗓 July, August - Start planning
These recruitment campaigns open in September and October, so working back from then, you will want to start doing your research a few months beforehand. At this time of year, the most important question is which states you want to apply for so you know which campaigns are relevant and what dates to look out for. Check out this article if you are thinking of working in Victoria.
🗓 September, October - Applications
The process of making an account, submitting documents and preferencing varies from state to state. Check out this guide for an overview. You might want to arrange a few days of annual leave around this time to give you time to get everything in place and make sure that you don’t miss any deadlines.
🗓 October - Interviews & Offers
Interviews will likely start in late October. These will come quickly, so try to make sure you have some free time around this time to prepare. You might want to arrange a few days of annual leave here, too, to prepare for interviews.
🗓 November to January - Registration & Visas
You then have around 3-5 months to work through AHPRA registration and secure your visa. Both of these are contingent on having a job offer in place, so it’s difficult to make much progress before you have your offer.
Look out for detailed guides which break down this process and explain what you need to do at this stage. You can see the differences between the two types of AHPRA registrations here.
🗓 February - Moving time
At this time, you’ll be ready to move out for a February start time!
📚 Continue Reading
🚀 This article is part of Messly's Ultimate Guide to Working in Australia. The guide covers all you need to know as a UK doctor to understand your options, research your move, find work, get registered and move out to Australia.
❓ If you are still weighing up whether a move to Australia is right for you, our article To Aus or not to Aus breaks down the pros and cons, so you can make an informed decision. Read this with Common Questions on Moving to Australia as a UK Junior Doctor.
🖥 Applying through state application rounds is a common way of getting a job in Australia, especially for February starters. Here we explain how they work, who they are suitable for and typical timelines so you’re clued up on how to make them work for you.
✈️ There are four routes to finding a job in Australia. In this detailed guide, we explain how each works and the pros and cons of each, so you can kick-start your search for your dream job Down Under
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