What is the duration of the Basic Training Program?

Basic Training consists of 36 months full time training or its equivalent. Evidence of satisfactory performance throughout the 36 months is necessary along with success in the Written and Clinical Examinations for completion of Basic Training.

What are the entry requirements into Basic Training?

Please see the Adult Internal Medicine or Paediatrics & Child Health handbooks.

How do I apply to join the Basic Training Program?

Please see the Adult Internal Medicine and/or Paediatrics & Child Health handbook.

Who approves my training?

The Director of Physician Education (DPE) in your employing  hospital (primary training site) is required to approve all rotations for Basic Training. Sometimes you will be rotated out to other accredited hospitals (eg. L2TH, L1TH), and the DPE at that site may approve your training for those rotations.

See the list of current DPEs.

If there is no DPE at your employing hospital, it's likely that this hospital is not accredited for Basic Training.

Is there an exam for entry into the physician training program?

Currently 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?

International Medical Graduates (IMGs) who are planning to apply for College registration as a ​basic ​trainee are required to hold General Medical Registration with the Medical Board of  Australia if undertaking training in Australia, or medical registration with general scope of practice with the Medical Council of New Zealand if undertaking training in New Zealand. ​

For more information please refer to the following page of the AMC website.

How much does physician training cost?

Go to Membership Fees for all Basic Training related fees.

What does the Basic Training Program involve?

Will I be in the PREP or Pre-PREP training program?

As of 1 January 2013, under the Progression Through Training Policy, all ​basic ​trainees are part of the PREP (Physician Readiness for Expert Practice) Program. This means that, until both the Written and Clinical Examinations are complete, all ​basic ​trainees must complete PREP Tools unless on a period of prospectively approved interruption.

Which hospital do I need to be working at to join the Basic Training Program?

See the list of hospitals accredited for Basic Training in Adult Medicine or Paediatrics & Child Health.

How do I find a registrar position in Australia or New Zealand?

You will need to enquire directly with hospitals or area health services. Some states have a centralised selection process. The College is not involved with the recruitment of ​basic ​trainees.

Which terms count as core and which as non-core?

You should refer to ​your Adult Internal Medicine or Paediatrics & Child Health handbook for more information.

You should also discuss the above guidelines with your DPE if you aren’t sure if you will be able to meet the core requirements for basic training.

Who supervises my training?

Each Basic Trainee is supervised by:

A Director of Physician Education (DPE)* who:

• Approves their ​basic ​trainee's training program each year
• Oversees the Basic Training program in their hospital

An Educational Supervisor who:

• Helps trainees to plan their learning pathways and facilitates opportunities for teaching and learning
• Oversees a small number of ​basic ​trainees at their training site

A Ward/Service consultant who:

• Is a term supervisor
• Supervises and supports a ​basic ​trainee during their Physician Training day to day

A Professional Development Advisor who:

• Acts as a mentor and facilitates a ​basic ​trainee’s personal and professional development, guided by the Professional Qualities Curriculum

Find out more about supervision of Basic Training and the roles of Basic Training supervisors.

*Some states have additional Network Directors who oversee the program across a network and may undertake some of the duties listed under the Director of Physician Education.

How will my supervisor be assigned?

Directors of Physician Education (DPEs) are appointed by the accredited site and approved by the Divisional Basic Training committee. See a list of DPEs.

Educational Supervisors (ES) and Professional Development Advisors (PDAs) are assigned by your DPE or hospital. You may approach the FRACP consultant at your hospital and request them to be you ES/PDA. Please speak with your DPE for more information.

Who can be a Supervisor?

See Becoming a Supervisor.

How will my training be assessed?

Trainees are required to complete both formative and summative assessments throughout training. Formative assessments include work-based assessments to assess a trainee’s day-to-day performance in their workplace, e.g., Mini CEXs, LNAs, PQRs. These can be completed via the Basic Training Portal.

Summative assessments focus on judgements about trainee progression, resulting in a pass or fail decision on a trainee’s performance, e.g. Progress Reports, Written and Clinical Examinations.

What is the Basic Training Portal?

The Basic Training Portal is the RACP’s online training gateway, which provides trainees with:

• The approval status of the rotations applied for
• The certification status of training at the end of the year
• A platform for completing, submitting and viewing tools and annual assessments, including progress reports
• Exam attempts and results

A login to access the portal is emailed to the trainee after the College has approved their application to start Basic Training.

Access the Basic Training portal.

When are the assessments due and how do I know which ones to complete?

A list of required annual PREP Tools is published in the Handbooks and on the Portal. Trainees are expected to complete these tools through the year and in each of their rotations/ every quarter. Your training year can only be certified once you have satisfactorily completed and submitted all the required annual PREP tools. The absolute deadline to submit these is 31 January each year.

How do I complete an assessment?

For more information on how to complete an assessment, please log in to your portal which has information sheets, workflow guides and video tutorials on each of the assessments.

Do I have to be a permanent resident of Australia OR New Zealand to join the training program?

Currently the College doesn't have any requirements in regard to residency status.

How do I apply to have previous training counted towards Basic Training?

See Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Only first year ​basic ​trainees may apply for RPL, and only within ​three months of starting the program.

Late applications for RPL will not be accepted.

How much training time can be accepted?

In most circumstances, RPL will be granted for no more than 12 months of training time. Trainees coming from overseas must complete at least two of the three years of Basic Training in Australia or New Zealand. Please see the RPL Policy for more details.

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?

No, trainees must register with the RACP training program as a Basic Trainee initially. It is not possible to enter directly into a Divisional Advanced Training program.

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. Please email OTP@racp.edu.au for further information.

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 Training in Australia?

It is possible that you may not have to go back to Basic Training. If you are successful in gaining admission to Fellowship of the RACP through the Overseas Trained Physician/Paediatrician (OTP) pathway you may be eligible to enter Advanced Training as a post-Fellowship trainee. For more information about post-Fellowship training please contact AdvancedTraining@racp.edu.au or AdvancedTraining@racp.org.nz.

What about local training? Can I apply for RPL for experience gained within Australia or New Zealand?

You can apply for RPL for local training completed and certified as part of an RACP training program, or for training completed or partially completed under the supervision of another specialist medical college in Australia or New Zealand.

I've finished 24 months of Basic Training time, can I sit the October 2022 DWE?

If you were eligible for the February 2022 Divisional Written Exam (DWE) you'll continue to be eligible for the October 2022 DWE.

Current eligibility criteria for the DWE requires you to complete 24 months of certified training before the beginning of the clinical year in which the exam is held.

Progression decisions are only made at the end of the year (except for 3rd year BPTs who may be ready to move into an Advanced Training position mid-year after having passed their DCE).

Any changes to the eligibility criteria need to be proposed during the biennial PREP Program Requirements review process. The next review process will commence in late 2022, to determine the 2025-26 PREP Program Requirements.

Can I have exemption from part or all of the RACP Exams if I have passed the MRCP or MRCPCH Exams?

It's not possible to have exemption from the RACP Examinations. If you've passed the MRCP or MRCPCH Exams you still need to pass the RACP Written and Clinical Examinations.

When will I be eligible to sit for the RACP Written Exam?

Basic trainees are eligible to apply to sit for the Written Examination if:

• they are currently registered with the College Basic Training Program;
• they will have satisfactorily completed the equivalent of at least 24 months of full time Basic Training by the end of the clinical year prior to the year the Written Examination is held;
• their training was completed in accordance with the requirements for Basic Training as determined by the relevant Divisional Basic Training Committee. The core requirements of  Basic Training do not necessarily have to be completed before applying for the examination.

When are the RACP Exams held?

The Written Examination is held annually in February and the Clinical Examinations are held in May (Paediatrics & Child Health program) and July (Adult Internal Medicine program). See the examination dates page for more information.

How much leave can I take throughout the Basic Training program?

Basic ​trainees may take up to 8 weeks of leave per full-time year of training. If you intend taking more than two months of leave during the year you must submit an “Annual Application of Interruption of Training” to the College to maintain your registration. Find out more about interrupting your training.

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. Find out more about interrupting your training.

If you interrupt your training for more than two years, you may be required to undertake additional training time. Please see the Flexible Training Policy for more information.