RACP Index

FAQs about Basic Physician Training in Australia

Frequently Asked Questions about Basic Training

How long is the physician training program?
The training program of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians is of 6 years duration, which consists of 3 years basic, the College Written and Clinical Examinations and a minimum of 3 years advanced training. Advanced training of the College commences upon completion of 3 years of basic training and the FRACP Examination requirements. It is only after completion of the entire 6 years training program that Fellowship of the College is awarded.

How do I apply to join the training program?
You need to be employed by a College-accredited teaching hospital in order to be able to join the training program. You must discuss the suitability of your position for basic physician training with the Director of Physician Training (DPT) or Director of Paediatric Physician Training (DPPT) within the accredited hospital before completing the online application.

Which hospital do I need to be working at to join the program?
Lists of hospitals accredited for basic training can be found at:
Adult Medicine
Paediatrics & Child Health

How do I find a registrar position in Australia?
You will need to enquire directly with hospitals or area health services. The College is not involved with the recruitment of basic trainees.

Which Director of Physician Training (DPT) or Director of Paediatric Physician Training (DPPT) should approve my training?
The DPT or DPPT within your employing (primary) hospital is the most appropriate to approve your training. If you are being seconded to another hospital, it is still the DPT or DPPT at the primary (or seconding) hospital that should approve your training.
Lists of DPTs and DPPTs can be found at:
Adult Medicine
Paediatrics & Child Health
If there isn’t a DPT or DPPT at your employing hospital, it’s likely that this hospital is not accredited for basic physician training.

How do I apply to have previous overseas training counted towards basic training?
You must first be a registered trainee of the College to apply to have your overseas training assessed. Once registered, you should send two copies of the following documentation, together with a copy of your completed online registration form, to the address below:

a covering letter requesting assessment of overseas training addressed to the Adult Medicine Division Education Committee (AMDEC) or the Paediatrics & Child Health Division Education Committee (PDEC);
evidence that you have secured employment at an accredited hospital in Australia (original or certified copy);
a copy of your curriculum vitae;
original or certified copies of original letters from each overseas hospital at which you worked, confirming the type of position, if it was a supervised training position, if it was satisfactorily completed, dates and nature (i.e. subspecialty) of the terms and if the hospitals are accredited for physician training by the appropriate institution in that particular country; and
copies of your qualification(s) certified by a Justice of the Peace in Australia as being a true copy of the original.

Mailing address:
Basic Training Co-ordinator
Education Deanery
Royal Australasian College of Physicians
145 Macquarie Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are hoping to be considered eligible to attempt the FRACP Examinations, you need to lodge your application (complete with all required documentation) with the College before 1 September in the year prior to the year you would like to attempt the Examinations. If it is submitted after this date, it will not be assessed until the following year.

How much overseas training time can be accepted?
Up to two years overseas training can be accepted towards basic training, if approved by the relevant education committee (AMDEC or PDEC). Trainees need to do at least one of the three years of basic training in Australia or New Zealand.

I have already done several years of physician training overseas, but I am not yet recognised as a specialist in my home country. Can I join the RACP training program as an advanced trainee?
Trainees must register with the RACP training program as a basic trainee initially. It is not possible to enter directly into advanced training.

I am a recognised specialist in my home country and I want to work as a specialist in Australia. Is there another option besides joining the RACP training program?
If you are already recognised as a specialist overseas you may be eligible to apply for assessment as an Overseas Trained Physician/Paediatrician (OTP) to gain specialist registration in Australia and admission to Fellowship of the College.

I am a recognised specialist in my home country and I want to come to Australia to obtain further postgraduate training in subspecialty other than the one in which I qualified. Do I have to go back to basic physician training in Australia?
It is possible that you may not have to go back to basic training. If you seek assessment as an Overseas Trained Physician/Paediatrician (OTP) and are successful in gaining admission to Fellowship of the College, you may be eligible to enter advanced physician training in Australia as a post-Fellowship trainee. For more information about post-Fellowship training please see the following web pages:
Adult Medicine
Paediatrics & Child Health

Do I have to be a permanent resident of Australia to join the training program?
Currently the College doesn’t have any requirements in regard to trainees’ residency status.

Is there an exam for entry into the physician training program?
There is no entry exam for the RACP training program.

Do I have to pass the Australian Medical Council (AMC) Exams before joining the training program?
Whilst the College does not require trainees to have passed the Australian Medical Council (AMC) examination, it is strongly recommended. Passing the AMC exam may be a requirement of the state or territory medical board or an employing hospital. You should check with these institutions about their requirements.

As of 1 January 2009, the College will be implementing the AMC’s International Medical Graduate policy. There are three pathways to join the Australian health system and hence be a trainee of the College. These are:
1) Competent Authority (CA) Pathway, for graduates from New Zealand, USA, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland.
2) Standard Pathway, requiring non CA graduates to sit the AMC MCQ and clinical exam.
3) Specialist Training Pathway. This is quite restrictive; we have put a case to the AMC and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing that pathway should cover Advanced Training.

For more information please refer to the following page of the AMC website
Passing the AMC Exams may be a requirement of the state medical boards or an employing hospital. You should check with these institutions and the AMC about their requirements.

How much does physician training cost?
A list of current training fees is available on our website.

Which terms count as core and which as non-core?
You should refer to the College Handbook that was in place at the time you started your first year of physician training.

Can I count terms like radiation oncology, surgery, ophthalmology, obstetrics towards basic training?
You can if your DPT or DPPT approves it as suitable training, but only for a maximum of 3 months non-core training.

How do I know whether I am in the ‘new’ or the ‘old’ training program?
Trainees who began their first year of basic training from 1 January 2008 (in Australia) are in the ‘new’ training program, known as the PREP Program (PREP stands for Physician Readiness for Expert Practice). Trainees who started basic training in Australia before this date are in the old training program. The date you registered with the College does not affect which training program you are in.

I'm taking a break from physician training for more than two months. How do I tell the College and what will happen to my registration?
You need to submit an Annual Application for Interruption of Training form that can be downloaded from the members’ section of the College website. You can choose between active interruption (for a small fee) which means you will continue to receive College publications, or inactive interruption, which is free of charge and you will cease to receive publications.
If you interrupt your training for more than two years, you may be required to undertake additional training time. Please see the College Handbook for more information.

Can I have exemption from part or all of the FRACP Exams if I have passed the MRCP or MRCPCH Exams?
It is not possible to have exemption from the FRACP Examinations. Trainees who have passed the MRCP or MRCPCH Exams still need to pass the FRACP Written and Clinical Examinations.

When will I be eligible to sit for the FRACP Written Exam?
Basic trainees are eligible to apply to sit for the Written Examination if:

they have registered with the College;
they will have completed at least the equivalent of 24 months of satisfactory full time basic training before the beginning of the clinical year in which the Written Examination is held;
their training was completed in accordance with the requirements for basic training as determined by the relevant supervising committee either the Adult Medicine Division Education Committee (AMDEC) or the Paediatrics & Child Health Division Education Committee (PDEC). The core requirements of basic training do not necessarily have to be completed before applying to sit for the examination.

When will the next FRACP Written Exam be held?
The Written Exam is held annually at the beginning of March.

Who should I contact for more information about basic physician training?
The staff in the Education Deanery are happy to help you:

Phone	+61 2 8247 6289	+61 2 8247 6297	+61 2 8247 6283
Email	basic_training@racp.edu.au
Fax	+61 2 9247 0288
Postal address	Education Deanery Royal Australasian College of Physicians 145 Macquarie Street SYDNEY NSW 2000

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