The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) trains and accredits emergency medicine specialists in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Its purpose is to promote excellence in emergency care for all communities.
Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) are emergency physicians who trained overseas and want to practice as specialists in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand. ACEM assesses whether their training and experience are comparable to those of an Australian or New Zealand-trained Fellow (FACEM). An interview with an assessment panel is a key part of this process.
The assessment protects patients and the community. It also gives SIMG candidates a fair, transparent and consistent process. Its outcomes have significant consequences for candidates' careers, medical registration and lives.
The community member is required to participate in regular SIMG interviews alongside a panel of FACEMs. Their role is to make sure SIMG assessment decisions reflect what patients and the community expect from an emergency physician. During interviews, the community member focuses on communication, health advocacy, cultural safety and the fairness of the process. They are not required to have a medical background or to judge clinical knowledge of the applicants.
1. Prepare for interviews. Read candidate documents before each interview day.
2. Take part in structured interviews. Ask agreed questions, specifically on communication and health advocacy topics.
3. Contribute to panel decisions. Take part in discussion and help reach and document a clear, defensible rationale for the outcome.
4. Maintain confidentiality and integrity. Keep all candidate information confidential and declare any conflict of interest before each interview.
5. Take part in training and quality improvement. Complete induction and refresher training. Give feedback on the interview process to the SIMG Assessment Committee.
1. Patient and community perspective on emergency care. Lived experience as an emergency department patient, carer or consumer advocate. Can explain what the community expects from an emergency physician, including clear communication, respect, shared decision-making and safe care under pressure.
2. Ability to assess non-technical attributes. Can judge evidence of communication, professionalism, insight, ethical reasoning and patient-centredness from a candidate's answers.
3. Cultural awareness and fairness across diverse backgrounds. Recognises that SIMG candidates come from many cultural, linguistic and training backgrounds. Can judge whether communication is effective, separate from accent or style. Is aware of unconscious bias and can manage it.
4. Commitment to cultural safety and health equity. Understands why cultural safety matters for people of all cultures. Recognises its particular importance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Māori. Can assess whether a candidate is ready to provide culturally safe care.
5. Understanding of procedural fairness and evidence-based judgement. Can follow a structured process, base views on what the candidate said, and help document a clear rationale.
• Experience on selection, interview, assessment or tribunal panels
• Previous consumer or community representative roles in health
• Experience working with migrant or culturally and linguistically diverse communities, or personal experience of having overseas qualifications recognised
To be eligible, applicants must:
• Live in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand
• Be available for scheduled interview rounds, including preparation time
Applicants are not eligible if they:
• Are, or have been, a registered medical practitioner
• Are an ACEM employee, trainee or Fellow
• Have a current or recent relationship with SIMG candidates or their employers that would create a conflict of interest
How to apply
To apply, please submit the following documentation via by 5pm AEDT on 9 November 2026 via a completed expression of interest form; and a current Curriculum Vitae.
It is the responsibility of applicants to ensure that all eligibility and application requirements are met at the time of application. While applications will be checked to ensure validity, applicants will only be advised where requirements are not met if there is adequate time to do so in the context of normal administrative processes. No extensions will be granted to the closing date and time for applications where requirements are not met.
To apply, please submit the following documentation via by 5pm AEDT on 9 November 2026 via a completed expression of interest form; and a current Curriculum Vitae.