Certificate and Procedural Training
The RANZCOG Certificate and Procedural vocational training programs equip medical practitioners to deliver high-quality women’s health services across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Introduction
The Certificate and Procedural training program is a three-tier structure of qualifications that includes the Certificate of Women’s Health (CWH), Associate Training Program (Procedural) (PTP), and Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) (APTP).*
Fundamental to these qualifications is flexibility — these three qualifications can be undertaken separately or concurrently, and the College encourages you to select the pathway that best suits your development and personal circumstances.
As you progress from CWH to PTP to APTP, your training will reflect a progressive increase in knowledge and skills, and a shift to independent practice.
*Please be advised that the previous Certificate and Diploma qualifications have undertaken a name change from February 2024. Curriculum, program requirements and program outcomes remain the same; applications approved after 10 October 2023 will be affected by this change.
Learning primarily occurs in the workplace with the support of a collaborative community of clinical educators, supervisors and peers. Training is also supported by targeted face-to-face workshops and a selection of eLearning resources, spread across the three qualifications.
Please note that the PTP and APTP offered by RANZCOG are vocational training for graduate medical practitioners and are not higher education awards in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework.
Application checklist
Prospective approval
Applications must be submitted four weeks before commencing training. Procedure/training dates prior to your training start date cannot be entered into the logbook and will not count towards your procedure numbers.
Evidence of qualification
Applications require a copy of your primary medical degree (in, or translated to English) certified by a licensed or registered official:
medical practitioner/pharmacist
justice of the peace/magistrate
police officer
Evidence of medical registration
Applications require the entry of your Medical Board of Australia (MBA) or Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) registration rumber.
Training site/hospital
The hospital must be accredited by the College for the training program that you are applying for. CWH can also be completed in an appropriate established GP practice.
Training mentor/supervisor
Applications require the RANZCOG ID and surname of your RANZCOG-approved training mentor/supervisor(s).
Evidence of employment
Evidence of your employment is required to complete your application:
employment contract; or
letter of offer
Fees
Completion of the program(s) incurs the following fees:
training fee (per program, payable at the time of application)
examination fee (payable when exam application is confirmed)
Please see the Fees section below for a full list of applicable fees for the CWH, PTP and APTP.
Training time
Irrespective of whether training is on a part-time or full-time basis, all training and assessment requirements must be completed within two years of the commencement of training, or four years if completing two or more programs concurrently.
RANZCOG membership
On completion of your training, you will be eligible to apply for membership of the College.
Membership fees are payable pro rata on completion of training and then annually
Please see the Fees section below for a full list of applicable fees for the CWH, PTP and APTP.
Certificate of Women’s Health
The Certificate of Women’s Health (CWH) is intended for medical professionals with a special interest in office-based obstetrics and gynaecology. This qualification can be undertaken on its own, or in combination with the PTP and/or APTP.
Following successful completion of the Certificate, you will be qualified to deliver shared antenatal and postnatal care, office gynaecology and family planning.
Timeframe
While there is no minimum period of training for the CWH, it’s generally expected that trainees complete a minimum of three months of pre-approved hospital-based and/or practice-based training.
Eligibility
To undertake the CWH, you must:
hold a primary degree in Medicine and Surgery issued by a medical school listed in the WHO Publication World Directory of Medical Schools
be registered with the Medical Board of Australia
be in your first or subsequent postgraduate year
AND you must also satisfy any one of the following eligibility requirements:
currently providing shared antenatal care with a recognised facility or practising in an established GP practice in an arrangement approved for training by the College
currently an RACGP and/or ACRRM registrar in a GP placement where a suitable training mentor is available
commencing or currently undertaking a hospital appointment in an obstetric RMO rotation at PGY1 and above, generally for a minimum of three months
Approved training sites
CWH training can take place in:
a hospital accredited by the College for the purposes of CWH training; or
an appropriate established GP practice with approved training supervision; or
an approved combination of the above
Training mentors
Trainees must nominate an appropriate training mentor who will:
provide the trainee with guidance and support
meet regularly with the trainee to review case records, discuss cases, follow up appropriate cases, and review cases referred to consultants
review and sign off on the trainee’s logbook
act as an assessor for Workplace-Based Assessments (WBAs)
Nominated training mentors must be pre-approved by the College and hold at least one of the following:
RANZCOG Associate Member (Procedural)
RANZCOG Associate Member (Advanced Procedural)
DipRACOG members of RACGP/ACRRM
FRANZCOG
Course content
In-Training Skills Log
CWH1 Basic Skills: ethics, medico-legal matters, cultural matters, communication
CWH2 Introduction to Antenatal and Postnatal Care: preconception and early pregnancy counselling, antenatal visits and examinations, normal pregnancy and puerperium
CWH3 Special Topics in Antenatal and Postnatal Care: teratogenesis, complications of pregnancy, pregnancy-induced disorders
CWH4 Introduction to Gynaecology: gynaecological examinations, family planning and contraception counselling, domestic violence, sexual abuse, sexual and reproductive health
CWH5 Special Topics in Gynaecology: gynaecological cancers, endometriosis, subfertility, incontinence, abnormal bleeding, menopause
Workplace-Based Assessments (WBAs)
Communication skills
Antenatal examinations
Cervical screening
Training Experience Log
≥ 70 antenatal consultations
≥ 70 gynaecological consultations
≥ 12 family planning consultations
.
Workshop
Online Medical Termination of Pregnancy (mTOP) training course
Completion requirements
To be awarded the CWH, trainees must complete:
logbook requirements (outlined above), signed off by your training mentor
written examination
Associate Training Program (Procedural)
The RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Procedural) (PTP) is intended for medical professionals with a special interest in hospital-based obstetrics and gynaecology. It builds on the skills developed through the Certificate of Women’s Health.
This qualification can be undertaken on its own, or in combination with the Certificate of Women’s Health and/or RANZCOG Training Program (Advanced Procedural) (APTP).
Following successful completion of the PTP, you will be qualified to safely undertake non-complex deliveries, and perform basic gynaecological procedures.
Timeframe
Completion of the PTP generally involves a minimum of six months of hospital-based training or a combination of accredited hospital and practice-based training.
Eligibility
To undertake the PTP, you must:
have completed (and maintained membership status) or be enrolled in the CWH
hold a primary degree in Medicine and Surgery issued by a medical school listed in the WHO Publication World Directory of Medical Schools
be registered with the Medical Board of Australia
be in your second (PGY2) or subsequent postgraduate year
be commencing or currently employed at a hospital accredited by the College for the purposes of PTP training
be commencing or currently employed at a combination of appropriate practice-based and PTP accredited hospital-based training sites
be commencing or currently employed at an approved training site(s)
Approved training sites
PTP training can take place in:
a hospital accredited by the College for the purposes of the PTP
a combination of accredited hospital and practice-based training
a combination of an accredited hospital and a remote non-accredited site if approved by RANZCOG
Training supervisors
Trainees must nominate an appropriate training supervisor (currently in active obstetric practice in the approved training site) who will:
provide the trainee ongoing mentoring and support
meet regularly with the trainee to review case records, discuss cases and provide feedback on performance and progress
prepare with the trainee, a remedial plan to assist them in the event they are experiencing difficulties in meeting any aspect of PTP training and/or assessment requirements
act as an assessor and/or approve additional appropriate medical practitioners to act as assessors for logbook requirements
review and sign off on all requirements in the trainee’s logbook
Nominated training supervisors must be pre-approved by the College and hold at least one of the following:
RANZCOG Associate Member (Procedural)
RANZCOG Associate Member (Advanced Procedural)
FRANZCOG
Course content
In-Training Skills Log
PTP1 Basic Skills: quality assurance methodology and practice, documentation and coding practices
PTP2 Antenatal Care: management of complications in pregnancy, management of pregnancy induced disorders, management of pregnancy in women with pre-existing medical conditions
PTP3 Labour: management of normal labour and delivery, complications in labour, episiotomy and tear repair
PTP4 Postnatal and Neonatal Care: examination of a neonate, neonatal resuscitation, postnatal care
PTP5 Procedural gynaecology: abortion, miscarriage, IUD insertion and removal
Workplace-Based Assessments (WBAs)
Low instrumental delivery (vacuum or forceps)
Episiotomy/vaginal/perineal tear repair
Examination of a neonate
Normal labour and delivery
Dilatation and curettage
Training Experience Log
≥ 70 antenatal consultations
≥ 70 gynaecological consultations
Clinical Procedures Log
≥ 25 personally conduct management of labour and vaginal deliveries, which must include:
≥ 5 instrumental vaginal deliveries
≥ 10 personally conduct management of post-partum haemorrhage
≥ 10 personally conduct management of first-trimester miscarriage
≥ 3 personally conduct management of retained placenta
≥ 10 performance of dilatation and curettage
≥ 5 personally conduct episiotomies
≥ 7 personally insert and remove an intra-uterine device, which must include:
≥ 4 in outpatients without general anaesthetic
≥ 25 personally conduct repair of vulval, vaginal and first and second-degree perineal tears
Workshops
Management of obstetric emergencies
CPR of a pregnant woman
Neonatal resuscitation
Fetal Surveillance Education Program (FSEP)
Completion requirements
To be awarded the RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Procedural), you must complete:
logbook requirements (outlined above), signed off by your training supervisor
written examination
Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural)
The RANZCOG Associate Training Program (Advanced Procedural) (APTP) is intended for medical professionals who wish to further develop their knowledge and skills in hospital-based obstetrics and gynaecology. It builds on the skills developed through the PTP.
This qualification can be undertaken on its own, or in combination with the Certificate of Women’s Health and/or PTP.
Following successful completion of the APTP, you will be qualified to undertake complex deliveries and advanced gynaecological procedures, and to perform basic early and late pregnancy ultrasound scanning.
Timeframe
Completion of the APTP generally involves a minimum of 6-12 months of hospital-based training, under the supervision of two training supervisors.
Eligibility
To undertake the APTP, you must:
have completed (and maintained membership status) or be enrolled in the CWH and PTP
hold a primary degree in Medicine and Surgery issued by a medical school listed in the WHO Publication World Directory of Medical Schools
be registered with the Medical Board of Australia
be in your second (PGY2) or subsequent postgraduate year
be commencing or currently employed at an approved training site(s)
Approved training sites
APTP training can take place in:
a hospital accredited by the College for the purposes of APTP training
two or more hospitals accredited by the College for the purposes of the APTP, if approved by RANZCOG
a combination of appropriate accredited APTP or non-accredited remote hospitals, if approved by RANZCOG
Training supervisors
Trainees must nominate two appropriate training supervisors (currently in active obstetric practice in the approved training site) who will:
provide the trainee ongoing mentoring and support
meet regularly with the trainee to review case records, discuss cases and provide feedback on performance and progress
prepare with the trainee, a remedial plan to assist them in the event they are experiencing difficulties in meeting any aspect of APTP training and/or assessment requirements
act as an assessor and/or approve additional appropriate medical practitioners to act as assessors for logbook requirements
review and sign off on all requirements in the trainee’s logbook, including APTP summative assessment and case syntheses.
Nominated training supervisors must be pre-approved by the College and hold at least one of the following:
RANZCOG Associate Member (Advanced Procedural)
FRANZCOG
Course content
In-Training Skills Log
APTP1 Advanced Obstetrics: caesarean delivery, management of obstetric complications
APTP2 Advanced Gynaecology: basic pelvic laparotomy, hysteroscopy
APTP3 Ultrasound: first-trimester scanning, late pregnancy scanning
APTP4 Postnatal and Neonatal Care: examination of a neonate, management of a sick neonate, grief counselling
Workplace-Based Assessments (WBAs)
Caesarean delivery
Instrumental vaginal delivery — vacuum
Instrumental vaginal delivery — forceps
Personal management of first-trimester (surgical) abortion OR miscarriage
First-trimester ultrasound scanning — transvaginal
First-trimester ultrasound scanning — transabdominal
Third-trimester ultrasound scanning
Clinical Procedures Log
≥ 40 personally perform Caesarean sections, which must include:
≥ 10 elective Caesareans
≥ 3 repeat Caesareans
≥ 10 emergency Caesareans
≥ 20 personally perform instrumental vaginal deliveries
≥ 5 personally conduct management of post-partum haemorrhage
≥ 10 personally conduct management of first-trimester surgical abortion or missed miscarriage
≥ 15 personally conduct repair of second and third-degree perineal and vaginal tears, which must include:
≥ 5 third-degree tears
≥ 15 personally conduct first-trimester ultrasound scanning (transvaginal and transabdominal)
≥ 15 personally conduct third-trimester ultrasound scanning
additional procedures performed/assisted/observed (e.g. pelvic laparotomy, hysterectomy, etc.)
Workshops
Obstetrical Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIS)
Basic Obstetric Skills (BOS)
Online Medical Termination of Pregnancy (mTOP)
Additional requirements
APTP summative assessment
Five case syntheses
Completion requirements
To be awarded the Associate (Advanced Procedural), trainees must complete:
logbook requirements (outlined above), signed off by your training supervisor
oral examination
Fees
*Please note the training program fee is payable at the time of application and is non-refundable.
Contact
For more information, please contact Certificate and Procedural Training Programs at: cptp@ranzcog.edu.au
Application processing
The College processes training applications in the order in which they are received. Once your application has been processed, you will receive your supporting training documentation, including a logbook and essential information letter.
Please allow four weeks from the time of submission for processing to occur.
If you haven’t received your documentation prior to your nominated start date, you can begin a record of your procedures and then transcribe them into your logbook, once you receive it.
If you haven’t received your training documentation, and four weeks has passed from the time of submission, please contact: cptp@ranzcog.edu.au.