Anthonysb

I was undertaking a masters in MRI here but my Dad got lymphoma and I had to bail a short way into it. They no longer offer the course, but I'll have a look around where I can obtain a PGcert in the mean time. Reassuring about the plain film side of things. Our route is a 491 regional visa with family sponsorship (small shot at a 190 but less likely) so Brisbane isn't a likely option for me sadly. Family live in Buderim so it's not just about 'the dream'; we're keen to be near them. I am however also forced to find regional work.

Hey Duke, Thanks again for taking the time to reply. No worries for the time taken - always just glad to have a dialogue open with anyone out there. Somewhat disheartening and a bit of a culture shock coming from the UK where every job has to be listed for equal opportunities employment etc to a place where it's often a case of who you know. I was lucky enough to have a chat with a lovely radiographer who lives on the Sunny Coast who said exactly the same to be honest. I think the best way I can position myself before leaving at this stage is to either stay with my current employer or move and do 18 months or so of CT so I'm fully cross-sectionally trained for when I get out there. Disheartening to hear about a post grad requirement for MRI at the Sunshine Coast, however I'm happy for this to be a long term goal and work towards that when I'm out there, perhaps finding some work in the private sector prior. Bit of a concern about needing some plain film skills having not taken an X-Ray in nearly 4 years, but also something I was by the lady I spoke to the other day. I'm unsure how to handle this one really without abandoning MRI altogether for a while. Unlikely to find MRI/CT/Plain film anywhere really. CT is often paired with a band 6 role which I may struggle to get anyway as it's primarily plain film and I'm somewhat deskilled by now. A tricky one this. I didn't contact any of the people you provided me with just yet as we intend to land 2 years from now all being well, so I thought it perhaps too early to bother them just yet. I certainly will so so thanks again. As far as ASMIRT is concerned, it was brought to my attention by my agent. Unsure if this has been changed since you applied. Details below: https://www.asmirt.org/careers-and-employment/overseas-assessments/#a2 Note: If an applicant is an Australian citizen or a passport holder from : United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America (USA) or Republic of Ireland, they are not required to provide evidence of understanding and fluency in English.

So, got my IELTS results back as 9, 9, 8, 9 so pleased to have that front all sorted. I was wrong in assuming I'd need Academic IELTS for ASMIRT as UK passport holders don't need to worry. A bif relief to not have to sit another test. Dukeninja, do you mind if I pester you for a bit further information? One of the biggest worries I have is getting out there and for some reason struggling to find work. When I search on websites such as Indeed/Seek, there doesn't seem to be any/much work specific to just cross-sectional radiography or anywhere that is purely MR (aside from a locum job) in the Sunshine Coast area. It seems to be combined with other modalities like plain film/fluoro etc. This is in contrast to the areas reputation as a huge medical hub. (https://www.seek.com.au/radiographer-jobs-in-healthcare-medical/in-Sunshine-Coast) Are there any other/better places I can keep an eye on to get a feel for the frequency of vacancies popping up out there? As it looks right now I think I am likely to need to go back to the NHS and some CT experience and maybe do a bit of plain film again. Do you know if the Sunshine Coast is generally considered an easy place for us to get work in general?

Thanks again for taking the time to reply. I spotted your post this morning actually! Really helpful and something I'll be coming back to over and over. We're about a month into this process now and finding it to be a real roller-coaster. Had a chat with a migration agent yesterday who seemed very optimistic about our chances which put us on a real high, then today when taking a close look into getting ready for ASMIRT noticed they want level 7 in Academic IELTS, when I had just sat a General Training IELTS. Will have to go and do another one now I presume unless I go down the Pearson route. So frustrating. We'll get there. Also under no illusion re costs. Just keen to make sure everything is in good shape before we put in the application.

Thanks a lot for the detailed replies and the welcome Duke! Once we (hopefully) get our invitation to apply for a visa, I will likely leave my job to join somewhere where I will train in CT for 18 months or so before we were to migrate. I want to give myself the best possible chance of employment soon after arrival. Therefore I will likely send off for my AHRPA application closer to when the time comes to move to hopefully address this. My issues right now really are in the short term with the ASMIRT paperwork. In order to apply for this we're looking at over £500, in addition to the costs of instructing out agent to begin work as this is the first thing they will assist in managing. I am nervous about sending off the paperwork and spending £1,500 for them to say they have an issue with my lack of CT and/or plain film. It's reassuring to hear you had no issues Duke, but you were significantly more 'well-rounded' than I am at this stage. I did general and some CT for 8 months, before heading into MRI. Do you think that this may cause me issues? Do you mind me asking further questions while I've got you here? Were there any post graduate level studies you had to complete in order to be an MRi radiographer or are our skills and experience transferable? Whereabouts do you work there now? Do you happen to know any good recruitment agents out there for our area of employment? Thanks again for taking the time to reply. Connecting with others who have moved from here to do the same job over there is incredibly reassuring.

Hi there, We are looking to enter an EOI for a 491 visa application soon, but first I need to have a skills assessment with the ASMIRT. I qualified back in 2016 and did around 8 months as a general band 5 radiographer. My job did comprise performing CT scans as the sole radiographer on night shifts (heads and spines). I also would complete a shift in CT once every 2 weeks during the day, performing other contrast based scans. Since I left around April 2017, I have worked solely as an MRI radiographer in the private sector, where I perform a variety of different scans. My worry is whether or not this history will cause any issues with the skills assessment, because it does not contain enough experience either in plain film and/or CT. the FAQ on the ASMIRT website says "Diagnostic Radiographers/Medical Imaging Technologists should have some experience of basic CT scanning." I feel I satisfy this, but I was wondering if anyone could offer any further advice on this. Are there any other radiographers who have performed exclusively MRI for a period of time and had a skills assessment that was fine? Alternatively is anyone else able to shed any sort of advice and light on this matter at all? Many thanks, Anthony.