The next step.... Aussie Licensing Board Exams

So you've made the decision....you want to live and practice chiropractic in Australia! Yay!

But, before you buy your first surf board you need to pass the Australian Chiropractic Licensing Exams, which allow you to practice as a chiro down under......more information below.

Check this website out - THOROUGHLY:
www.ccea.com.au/

I highly recommend that you research the above website completely at least a few months before the big move overseas. There are many little intricacies of the application process and some deadlines to remember - so right these down and get your application and $$ in on time! There is a Candidate Guide to download and read as well.

I've summarized some information below.

All chiropractors, who have trained outside of OZ are required to do a two step evaluation process which will then qualify them to seek registration from respective state boards. (Keep in mind however that just because you passed the exam doesn't mean you will necessary be granted registration!)

The competency evaluation is a two step process:

Step 1: Desktop Audit (approx $310 AU)
Step 2: Comp Based Assessment (approx $3440 AU - although we are exempt from a portion of this so subtract $810 AU) * see below for exemption details*

The Desktop Audit - no big deal application. Just need a few references, transcripts, passport pics, application fee, etc. * remember there is a deadline on this*

Competency Based Assessment - this is the nitty gritty exam. Components include: written basic (again this is the section we are exempt from ie save yourself $810), written clinical and practical clinical sections.

There are three locations for this assessment: Perth, Sydney and Melbourne.

As an aside, some students ask if one of these locations administers an easier/harder exam than others...the answer to that is - "I honestly have no idea". I wrote my exam in Sydney and found it quite challenging, but obviously passed. Many friends and fellow CMCCers have mentioned that the Melbourne exam was harder. Just study your butt off and treat it like a CMCC exam and you should be fine!

The exam is broken down into 3 days:

Day 1: Written Basic Competency
*As for the exemptions, if you hold a degree from a CCE accredited school (eg CMCC), you are exempt from writing sections of this Written Basic Competency*
Day 2: Written Clinical Competency
This includes things like orthopedics, neurodiagnosis, radiology - basically the "major stuff"
Day 3: Practical Clinical Competency
This includes a) your technique and b) a case study you must review and then discuss with a panel of three chiro clinicians/profs

Let's break this down:

Technique
This portion is very straightforward. Basic CMCC adjusting. However, they do throw some minor curveballs - for instance, they will ask you how you would modify your adjustment for a pregnant woman, a small boy, an elderly patient, someone who was very kyphotic, etc. Don't let the examiners throw you off - be confident! Just answer the question with common sense.

Case Study
This is the portion that tended to through a lot of us off our game. The practical part is more of an oral dialogue with a panel of chiropractors. We were given 5 minutes to read a case and then asked to go over some questions we would ask in a history, what orthopedic tests we would perform in a physical exam, the diagnosis and the treatment you would recommend. The good thing about this kind of exam is there is a lot of dialogue so you can think out your responses and if you do so logically you will be fine. Again, be confident in your responses! You are CMCC graduates - there is a reason we are a highly respected chiropractic college.

As an aside, after the Sydney Exam (July 07), the head exam administrator (Dr Peter Bull) advised one of our classmates that the CMCC students ranked amongst the highest of those who had written the CCEA exam.

There is more information on "how to study" and some tips from other CMCCers in another post.