The Medical Board of Australia is considering scrapping its formal re-entry plan for doctors who have been away from practice for more than three years, replacing it with a case-by-case assessment. The proposed change has emerged from the first review of the recency of practice standard since 2016.
The draft standard published on the board’s website [link here] proposes asking returning doctors to provide their practice history, any CPD completed during their absence, their intended scope of practice, the risk level of their proposed role, and whether supervision is available. The board would then potentially require further education or training, a period of supervised practice, or a competency assessment.
Doctors absent between 12 and 36 months would face a clearer but lighter requirement: they would have to complete at least 50 hours of CPD educational activities relevant to their intended scope before recommencing practice.
The draft plan would also formalise requirements for doctors changing scope of practice. Those narrowing their practice would face no additional requirements. Those expanding their practice would need to complete additional training. Moving to an entirely different area would require consultation with the relevant specialist college or professional association and a Board-approved development plan.
The minimum practice hours requirement would fall slightly, from 152 to 150 hours per year and from 456 to 450 hours over three years, bringing medicine into line with most other regulated health professions. A new proposed cap limits countable hours to 37.5 per week. The Board said the 450-hour threshold over three years equates to roughly 12 weeks of full-time work, spreadable across any combination of blocks, and is not onerous enough to warrant exemptions.
It said the review was partly prompted by a 2023 report into overseas health practitioner regulatory settings, which found the health workforce was under significant pressure from COVID-19, chronic disease and growing demand in aged care, disability and mental health. That review recommended the medical board and other health regulators allow greater flexibility for overseas practitioners to demonstrate recency of practice.
The board’s own research found the evidence base for minimum hours was thin. It noted systematic review conducted by Ahpra had concluded recency of practice was “an under-researched area” with “not good evidence about the amount of practice required to maintain competence.”
By international standards, Australia’s proposed bar remains low. British Columbia requires 960 hours over three years; Ontario requires practice within the previous two years. The Board acknowledged its requirements are substantially lower than comparable international regulators but said annual registration renewal, CPD obligations and other mechanisms maintain public protection.
A revised standard must be approved by health ministers before taking effect. Submissions closed 2 March 2026.