Risks of complaints and adverse disciplinary findings against international medical graduates in Victoria and Western Australia

Studdert, David M; Spittal, Matthew J; Elkin, Katie

doi:10.5694/mja12.11624

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In reply: Nguyen and Nguyen question our finding that international medical graduates (IMGs) are at higher risk of attracting complaints than Australian-trained doctors (ATDs),1 based on recalculations using the descriptive statistics we reported. They infer, from the fact that IMGs accounted for 37% of doctors and 30% of total complaints, that IMGs were at lower risk of complaints.

1 Melbourne School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
2 Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.

Correspondence: d.studdert@unimelb.edu.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

1. Elkin K, Spittal MJ, Studdert DM. Risks of complaints and adverse disciplinary findings against international medical graduates in Victoria and Western Australia. Med J Aust 2012; 197: 448-452. <MJA full text>
2. House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing. Lost in the labyrinth: report on the inquiry into registration processes and support for overseas trained doctors. Canberra: Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, 2012. http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House_ of_Representatives_Committees?url=haa/overseasdoctors/report.htm (accessed Feb 2013).

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