Introduction

The following is an excerpt from the college website.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) is dedicated to maintaining the highest possible standards in obstetrics and gynaecology in Australia and New Zealand. The primary role of the RANZCOG is to train and accredit doctors throughout Australia and New Zealand in the specialties of obstetrics and gynaecology so that they are capable - professionally and psychologically - of providing the highest quality health care for women.

The RANZCOG offers postgraduate training to any medical graduate who has undertaken a further two years of general hospital training. Membership/Fellowship training involves six years of postgraduate hospital-based training and assessment. Subspecialty certification in one of the five-subspecialty areas offered requires a further three years training. Diploma training is a six-month program for general practitioners (GPs) wishing to gain additional experience and knowledge in the areas of obstetrics and basic gynaecology.

Overseas Trained Doctors who have been granted partial recognition of their Obstetrics and Gynaecology qualifications and experience have to sit and pass the Membership Written and Oral Examinations, and undertake a minimum of 12 months of prospectively approved, supervised training whereby the applicant is certified as possessing the competencies expected of an Australian trained specialist in O&G.

Governance Structure of the College & Trainee Representation

The College is governed by a 24-member Council, who are Fellows of the College and represent all states and regions in Australia and New Zealand. The RANZCOG Trainees' Subcommittee is the official forum for trainees and gives them a formal active voice in decision-making. This Subcommittee is an official College body and comprises a trainee representative from each Australian state and also from New Zealand, as well as one representative each for Subspecialty, Diploma and overseas trainees. The Chair of the Trainees' Subcommittee is a member of the College Examination Committee and the Training and Accreditation Committee, and has full voting rights on those committees. He/she also attends all Council meetings as an observer. Trainee representatives are also involved in all College Working Groups.

Training

To achieve a College Fellowship a six-year training program (on a full time basis) needs to be completed. This program is divided into a four-year general O&G program (Integrated Training Program [ITP]), as well as a two-year program in which trainees can pursue any particular areas of interest, which may include a subspecialty or a research year.

Rotations

The four years of the Integrated Training Program (ITP) are based on a rotation system. The College training program comprises a number of ITPs, which are consortiums of accredited hospitals. Each ITP has a home or base hospital, in which the trainee will spend their first year, and usually their second year. After that, they do six-month rotations in outer metropolitan and rural hospitals within their ITP. It is a College regulation that all trainees must do at least 6 months in a rural rotation and all rotations cannot be less than 6 months.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Generally, all elective or ITP training must be prospectively approved. However, as from 2007 the College has had an RPL policy for specified categories of trainees who have undertaken previous training in O&G or a related area. Recognition of prior learning applications are only considered from candidates who have been selected for entry to the training program. Details of the policy are available on the College's website (in the Prospective Trainees and Membership-Fellowship Trainees sections).

Flexibility in Training

For FRANZCOG training: Part-time available at minimum 50% commitment. 1st year must be full-time. Interrupted training allowed for up to two years without loss of credit. Trainees have a maximum of 11 years in which to complete their training.

Assessment

Written Examination: may be attempted in Year 3 of training. Two components: one three-hour multiple-choice paper (120 items) and one three-hour short answer question paper (12 questions). Structured Oral Examination: eight stations (20 minutes each) may be attempted in the second half of Year 4 of training, with a period of at least six months between passing the Written and first attempting the Oral examination.

Costs

Contact details

The College is based in Melbourne.

Address:
254-260 Albert Street
East Melbourne Vic 3002
Phone: (03) 9417 1699
Fax: (03) 9419 0672
Email: ranzcog@ranzcog.edu.au
Website: www.ranzcog.edu.au