Media release

17 Oct 2013

Final-year students can go online now to apply for provisional or general registration as a medical radiation practitioner before they graduate.

Final-year students urged to apply for registration now

Students of an approved program of study who are eligible for registration as a medical radiation practitioner can go online now to apply for registration before they graduate.

The online graduate application service at the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) website enables final-year students to apply for provisional or general registration four to six weeks before completing their course.

It aims to smooth the path from study to work in five simple steps and online applications are being called for now. All applicants are required to return some supporting documents to AHPRA by mail to complete the application.

Medical Radiation Practice Board of Australia Chair Neil Hicks said students must make an application for provisional or general registration, depending on which course they graduated from.

‘Graduates of approved programs of study who are eligible for provisional registration are also required to undertake a period of supervised practice,’ Mr Hicks said.

‘Before applying online, students can confirm which registration type they must apply for by visiting the National Board’s website to review the list of approved programs of study.’

When making an application for registration, graduates must select the division of the profession in which they intend to practise. Divisions of registration are: diagnostic radiographers, nuclear medicine technologists and radiation therapists.

Mr Hicks said a graduate of an approved program of study must also meet the National Board’s registration requirements to become a registered health practitioner.

Registration standards that relate to the new graduate are:

• criminal history 
• English language skills, and
• professional indemnity insurance.

‘Graduates need to be a registered health practitioner before they can start practising, including those undertaking supervised practice. Students are urged to go online and apply for registration four to six weeks before completing their course,’ Mr Hicks said.

‘It is important that graduates read all the information about what documents must be sent to AHPRA in support of their application.’

Graduates applying for provisional registration should read the National Board’s supervised practice program web page and note the requirements upon gaining employment.

The Board expects that students who apply for provisional registration will enrol soon after in one of the Board-approved supervised practice programs.

There are five simple steps to graduate registration:

1. Students apply for registration four to six weeks before completing their program at Graduate applications on the AHPRA website. 
2. Applicants fill out an online application (if eligible) or download an application form. All applications require some documents to be sent to AHPRA by mail to complete the application.
3. Education providers advise AHPRA when applicants are eligible to graduate.
4. AHPRA finalises assessment, confirms registration, publishes new graduates’ names on the national register of practitioners and sends out registration certificates.
5. New graduates registered with the National Board are eligible to start work as soon as their name is published on the national register.

For more information

• Go to Graduate applications on the AHPRA website for FAQ and links to more information
• For registration enquiries: 1300 419 495 (within Australia) +61 3 8708 9001 (overseas callers)
• For media enquiries: (03) 8708 9200

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