Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine

Providing the highest levels of population health for Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (AFPHM) is a Faculty of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP).

In its work, the AFPHM is driven to achieve a high standard of population health in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The AFPHM:

  • provides postgraduate advanced training in public health medicine
  • supports public health medicine research and development
  • advocates for the highest standard of population health
  • promotes public debate on matters that affect the health of the community
  • supports continuing professional development of Fellows as required to maintain specialist qualifications recognised by the Medical Board of Australia and the Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ).

The AFPHM recognises the unique position of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Māori in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand's culture and history. We're committed to seeking equity in the partnership with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia and Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand in ways that recognise their distinctive cultural and legal rights and the different social and administrative contexts within which they live, including in Aotearoa New Zealand the specific guarantees of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi).

Learn more about our mission and vision by reading the Statement of Purpose (PDF).

The AFPHM is governed by the AFPHM Council. The current President of the AFPHM is Professor Jeanette Ward.


Program overview

Duration
3 years (36 months) of full-time equivalent (FTE) training.

Entry requirements
Medical registration
Postgraduate clinical experience
Master of Public Health or equivalent
Approved training position

Exam
AFPHM Oral Examination

Fellowship
Fellowship of the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine (FAFPHM).

Apply now

Why study Public Health Medicine?

Public health physicians are medical specialists with a duty of care for populations rather than individuals. To explain the scope of practice of specialists in public health medicine, the AFPHM released a publication entitled Public Health Physicians: Protecting, Promoting and Improving Health for the Whole Community (PDF) in 2020.

The publication articulates the value of public health physicians, credentialled as Fellows of the AFPHM, to the contemporary public health workforce and their capacity to contribute to the broader health system. It's useful to health system decision makers in their strategic and workforce planning.

Other key insights include, public health physicians:

  • solve complex health problems and are assessed for their ability to make sound evidence-based decisions at a systems-level
  • lead complex change management including health promotion and disease prevention, systems reform, strategic planning, and performance monitoring required to meet heath needs
  • lead policy reforms and interventions to transform population health in ways that are evidence-based and cost-effective
  • can sub-specialise in specific components and/or issues within health systems, remaining focussed on population gain rather than individual perspectives
  • work across government portfolios.

It also summarises the broad range of training, expertise and impact of public health physicians, including their unique skills in: 

  • leading, collaborating and finding solutions for complex population health challenges
  • supporting populations and health systems
  • integrating medical and public health expertise
  • creating and leading evidence-based health systems and public health interventions
  • ensuring equity in health policies
  • statutory health protection and disease prevention.

Watch this video to learn from Fellows and trainees about the experience, expertise, and qualities required for work in public health medicine.

See the Public Health Medicine Advanced Training Program for detailed information about the program, entry requirements, how to apply, and more.

What If I'm an overseas trained public health physician?

We undertake specialist assessment for overseas trained public health physicians. We don’t assist in finding employment, immigration and visa requirements, or medical registration. You can contact us for more information before applying if you don’t meet all the eligibility criteria.

Prospective trainees FAQs

Is public health medicine right for me?

Do you find yourself frustrated by the ways your patients are affected by social and commercial determinants of health that are difficult to change from the bedside?

Public health physicians are interested in how health systems affect their work as clinicians, advocates, and community members

They are curious about research and contributing to the evidence base for health improvement. They're eager for their careers to contribute to the health of entire populations, not just the patients encountered through clinical practice.

These interests may have taken you to postgraduate studies of public health. Also, many of the advocacy, policy, research, and management activities you may have undertaken during your medical studies and junior doctor career may be relevant to public health practice. AFPHM training builds on these prerequisites through a structured curriculum. This training consolidates vocational and theory-based learning experiences and helps you become a public health practitioner capable of working independently and with multidisciplinary colleagues across government, clinical settings and academia.

There are also lifestyle attractors to a career in public health medicine. Some public health roles operate on a Monday to Friday schedule and keep general office hours. Many employment contracts support flexible work hours, which may be especially beneficial for parents and carers. In a pandemic context requiring surge capacity, public health roles involved in the response may however require extended hours and weekend work.


Can I work part-time as a trainee?

Yes! AFPHM training lends itself to part-time and flexible training options and it’s supported by the Faculty. You must independently negotiate this with your employer, and clearly document your full-time equivalent (FTE) on your learning contract.

There’s also a maximum number of years to complete the program, whether you’re completing training full-time or part-time. The training limits and more information can be found in flexible training options.


Does this mean giving up a clinical career?

Not necessarily, this decision is up to you. Most FAFPHM don’t work clinically as they focus on population-level issues. Other public health physicians hold dual fellowships in clinical specialties and continue their clinical practice alongside their public health practice. They must maintain standards and meet annual continuing professional development requirements for both specialties. The most common combination is public health medicine and general practice.

There’s no formal dual training pathway for public health medicine. It’s a flexible training pathway and there are ways to independently manage the different requirements of 2 specialty pathways. One approach is starting public health medicine training after attaining another Fellowship, where it may be possible to apply to the College for Recognition of Prior Learning where earlier vocational experiences in other specialties relate to AFPHM competencies.


What are the AFPHM entry and training requirements?

The Public Health Medicine Advanced Training Handbook has information about:

  • entry eligibility
  • application into training
  • approval of training
  • training requirements
  • all forms, reports and resources

Where can I do my training?

AFPHM training must be undertaken in AFPHM accredited training positions. See accredited settings for more information. 


Ready to kick start your career in Public Health Medicine? Enquire now.

Resources

Indigenous health and public health medicine

Australian Indigenous HealthBulletin | Significant dates for cultural events 2022

Wise Practice collection | ANZSOG

NAIDOC Week 2021 Reading List (PDF) | Lowitja Institute

Amplifying Indigenous voice and curriculum within the public health academy – the emergence of Indigenous sovereign leadership in public health education (PDF) | Higher Education Research & Development

Cultural Safety in Vocational Medical Training | Te Ohu Rata O Aotearoa (Māori Medical Practitioners Association)

First Nations Cultural Safety Framework (PDF) | Australian Evaluation Society

Readings | Working With Indigenous Australians

Public Health Action to Address Whiteness: A Curated List (PDF) | National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health


Training resources

The AFPHM offers a number of additional training resources for trainees. While some are also available to the public, most recordings and presentation slides are only available to Fellows and trainees via Medflix, our educational video library. Members will need to log in to gain access.

Check AFPHM resources for an overview of available recordings.

Monthly Webinar Series

AFPHM conducts eight educational public health webinars per year from February to November. The webinars cover a wide range of topics and speakers across Public Health Medicine and are intended for trainees as an additional source of information and further learning opportunities. Interested Fellows and the public are welcome to attend this series.

Upcoming webinars can be found on the RACP events page. Registration is required to attend but trainees can register for the entire series in advance to not miss any sessions.

Bi-National Training Program (BNTP)

AFPHM holds bi-weekly webinars from March to October for trainees sitting their final Faculty exam. The BNTP is in its second year and has an updated program for 2024. Trainees are provided registration details and all training years are encouraged to attend.

Contact your jurisdictional trainee representative if you haven’t received your registration information.

Bi-National Training Days 

The AFPHM conducts Bi-National Training Days each year. Relevant and engaging public health medicine topics are identified by trainees that help support the cultivation of sound knowledge.

All AFPHM trainees are invited, and registration is required. Confirmed dates are published on our events page.

Examination Preparation Series

About 2 to 3 months prior to the Oral Examination, AFPHM’s Education, Learning and Assessment Team hold the Examination Preparation Series. The series consists of several sessions, with the first usually offering an opportunity to meet the Lead Examiner and ask questions about the exam process. Subsequent sessions will have defined topics from the curriculum and allow trainees to practice for the exam.

The series is intended for trainees who meet all training requirements to sit the exam and trainees will be invited by the Faculty based on their eligibility.

Recordings (audio only), will be made available online after each session on AFPHM resources.

Information about the exam and current exam dates can be found on the AFPHM Oral Examination page.

AFPHM awards and prizes

AFPHM recognises the work and achievements of its Fellows and trainees with a number of awards and prizes. These include:

Click on each award for detailed information on the prize, its eligibility criteria and application deadline.

AFPHM newsletters

February 2025

 

Get involved

You can get involved in the Faculty and connect with other AFPHM Fellows and trainees in a number of ways. 

For news across the College check the RACP news page.

AFPHM committees | Check the Expressions of Interest page for vacant committee positions and apply.

AFPHM advocacy activities | Contribute to the RACP's policy and advocacy work on a variety of topics.

AFPHM events | Attend events and connect with AFPHM Fellows and trainees.

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