a medical practitioner from starting medical school to completing specialist training typically takes between 9 years to 16 years (or more) assuming full-time study and work, and dependent on the specialty choice and satisfying in-training requirements. In Australia, medical practitioners typically pursue a career pathway to become a Specialist Medical Practitioner with the endpoint of working as either a General Practitioner or Consultant. There is a small subset of medical practitioners who decide not to formally complete registrarship nor attain fellowship qualification, and instead opt for a career as non-specialist Hospitalist clinicians (also known as Career Hospital Doctors or Career Medical Officers); non-specialist Hospitalists can typically work with a reasonable level of autonomy and independence dependent on their experience and skill, but nonetheless under the auspicies of a Specialist Medical Practitioner. Most of the specialist fellowship qualifications and medical school degrees awarded to Australian-trained clinicians are internationally recognised. Reciprocally, Australia accepts most recognised university and specialty qualifications of international medical graduates from countries with well-established medical education programs and health systems; that is, pending verification of the person's identity (including visa and immigration requirements), qualifications, practice history and experience, English language competency, a probationary period of supervised practice, and any necessary examinations and assessments to abridge any gaps in knowledge to ensure clinicians are aligned to the current standard of medical practice in Australia as dictated by the relevant Medical Specialty College, Australian Medical Council and Medical Board of Australia. Medical School Entry into medical school and its successful completion allows the graduate to become recognised as a medical practitioner (doctor) and commence their post-graduate pre-vocational training. The aim of medical school is to teach basic medical knowledge and clinical skills to prepare the prospective junior doctor for safe and competent practice upon commencement of their internship. It remains one of the most highly competitive university programs to apply for. Nomenclature Historically, Australian medical schools have followed the United Kingdom by conferring the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) to its medical graduates, whilst reserving the degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) to be issued to those who have completed higher research studies or given honorarily to those who have contributed significantly to the medical professional community (analogous to the PhD or honorary doctorates). While a significant proportion of Australian medical schools as of the early 1990s have shifted from undergraduate to graduate entry programs (that