Applying for FRANZCOG Training

Selection to the FRANZCOG Training Program occurs annually in Australia and New Zealand.

Each stage of the FRANZCOG Training Selection Process is highly competitive. Applicants are advised that for every training post available the College averages approximately three applicants. The potential success rate is approximately 30%. 

 

Fees

All applicants will be required to pay a non-refundable application fee in order to apply for a training position. Access to the online form will only be granted after payment is confirmed.

Applicants shortlisted for interview will be required to pay a non-refundable interview fee. Payment details and process will be notified to applicant at the time of offer of interview.

Please see Annual Training Fees on Fees page for current pricing.

 

Available Posts

In New Zealand, there were 21 first year training posts available for commencement in December 2019:

• Northern ITP (14)

• Central ITP (3)

• Southern ITP (4)

In Australia, there were 82 first year training posts available for commencement in February 2020:

• Phase 1: PITP Orange (1), ACT (2), ITP Newcastle (2), Tasmania (2)

• Phase 2: NSW (22), QLD (15), SA/NT (6), VIC (24), and WA (8). 

Numbers for the 2020 cycle will be updated when available.

 

Selection Components

The RANZCOG Selection process consists of the following components:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)

• Applicant-nominated referee

• Institutional Reference*

• Situational Judgement Test^ (SJT)

• Interview
  * does not apply to Selection process in NZ
  ^ scored component in AU, completed as a pilot in New Zealand

Selection components are combined for shortlisting and selection at the following weights:

 

From 2016 onwards, applicants cannot apply for the FRANZCOG Training Program more than three times. This cap will not be retrospectively applied.

Applying for the program in Australia as well as in New Zealand will count as two application attempts, even if applications are submitted in the same selection cycle.

An ‘application’ is considered official and will count towards the number of attempts when:

• The online application form is successfully submitted; and
• Eligibility requirements are verified by the College as having been met.

For the purposes of capping an application can be withdrawn within ten days of the closing date without counting towards the applicant’s number of attempts.

This matter was raised at a recent forum. The College reiterates that, in the absence of an approved application for Exceptional Circumstance, the 2020 FRANZCOG selection will count toward the cap. The College apologises for any misunderstanding.

 

Applicants will have access to the application form once the application fee has been processed.

Application can be completed over one or more sessions.  Applicants are advised to save the application as they progress.

Documentary evidence in PDF format is required in some questions.  Failure to attach documentary evidence will automatically invalidate selection points for that question.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all attachments are checked and confirmed to be accessible files.

Changes to the application form are not accepted after submission.

The College will not tolerate false declarations. Information found to be misleading will result in immediate disqualification of the application, and a lifelong ban from making future applications.

CV/Application scoring will be in accordance with the following approved guidelines.
 

New Zealand

Applicants may preference all or some ITPs. It is mandatory to preference a minimum of one ITP.

Applicants will only be considered for training posts in ITPs for which they have indicated a preference.

Australia
 

• Phase 1: applicants can preference up to two of the available posts: Provincial Integrated Training Program (PITP) Dubbo or Orange, Mackay and/or Bendigo; Integrated Training Program (ITP) Newcastle; ACT and TAS.
• Phase 2 – Applicants preference their top three remaining Australian states/territories, ie NSW, QLD, SA/NT, VIC and WA.

Applicants are not required to preference both Phase 1 and Phase 2. However, it is mandatory to preference a minimum of one state in Phase 2.

Applicants will only be considered for training posts in the location(s) for which they have indicated a preference.

Conditions that apply to Preferencing
 

1. If an applicant accepts an offer of a training position in New Zealand, they are automatically ineligible for selection in Australia.
2. If an applicant accepts or declines an offer of a position in Australia – Phase 1, they are automatically ineligible for selection in Australia – Phase 2.
3. If an applicant is not successful in being offered a position in New Zealand, they can apply for selection in Australia.
4. If an applicant is not successful in Australia - Phase 1, they are still eligible for selection in Australia - Phase 2. This would not require a further interview. Phase 1 scoring will also count for Phase 2 selection.
5. Transfers from Phase 1 to Phase 2 training posts in Australia during Core Training will not be considered.
6. Upon commencement of the training program, the training /assessment requirements for all posts are identical, irrespective of whether the applicant entered via New Zealand, Australia: Phase 1, or Australia: Phase 2.

A position in the Provincial Integrated Training Program (PITP) may appeal to candidates who are currently based in rural and regional areas, who have worked in these areas recently or who have expressed a desire to pursue a career in rural and regional areas.

The following PITP positions may be available each year:
 

• Bendigo PITP
• Dubbo PITP
• Orange PITP
• Mackay PITP

Applicants interested in rural practice, who satisfy at least one of the PITP eligibility criteria below, need to complete a supplementary application form.
 

• Have lived at least five years in an approved regional/rural location* in Australia or New Zealand since the start of primary school education.
• Awarded a Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship (MRBS).
• Studied at medical school through the Bonded Medical Places (BMP) Scheme.
• Have worked a minimum of one year as a General Practitioner (GP) in a single approved regional /rural location* in Australia or New Zealand.
• Have undertaken a minimum of 12 months of clinical training in an approved regional/rural location* either as a medical student, intern, resident or registrar.

Those who do not meet any of the above criteria, but are interested in rural practice, are required to complete an Expression of Interest (EOI) form.  Applicants in these circumstances may be required to undertake a phone interview or complete a paper-based assessment, to ascertain genuine interest in rural practice.

Once selected into a state training program, it will be the applicant’s responsibility to secure employment at an accredited hospital. In the event that an applicant is unable to secure employment, the offer of a training position will lapse.

It is essential that applicants familiarise themselves with requirements in ALL regions preferenced. Some regions have independent recruitment cycles and online paperwork that must be completed in order to be employed.

The regional recruitment timelines can overlap with the College selection cycle and should be strictly adhered to. In most cases late applications will not be accepted by the regions. It is the responsibility of all applicants to ensure that employment can be secured in the allocated region of training (if successful in being offered a position).

Failure to meet local requirements and secure employment will result in an offer from the College being considered void.
 

Referee requirements

Applicants are required to provide up to four referees as part of the online application. Referees provided should include:
 

• two who are Fellows of the RANZCOG or holders of the NZ Postgraduate Diploma in Obstetrics and Medical Gynaecology (PGDipOMG), or a combination of both;
• should an applicant be unable to cite such practitioners as their referees, it is acceptable to list other consultants who are fellows of Australian or New Zealand medical colleges with whom they have worked closely.
• RANZCOG Trainees who have completed Core training and are in Advanced Training or above are eligible to be referees.

Applicants are advised to use the most appropriate referees possible to support their application.

Reference Process

Referees will be contacted automatically upon submission of the application form. Referees must be available to complete the referee report by the due date. Referee reports will not be requested or accepted after this date.

Referees will be sent a link to an electronic online report to complete regarding applicant performance and suitability to be a trainee in obstetrics and gynaecology. Referee reports are strictly confidential. Applicants are not provided with copies of submitted references.

Referees have the option to opt-out of providing a report. In the event that a referee chooses to opt-out the applicant will automatically be notified and given the opportunity to nominate a replacement referee. The name of the referee who chose to opt-out will remain confidential.  Newly nominated referees will not have an extension of time to complete the report. They will have until the official closing date.
 
Report Content

The following categories may be covered in the online form:
 

Clinical Expertise & Technical Skills	Communication and Interactional Skills	Scholar and Teacher
Clinical Expertise Technical Ability Emergency Management Skills Problem Solving Prioritisation	Communication with Patients Communication with Colleagues and Team Members Written Communication Leadership Professional Integrity Responsibility and Initiative Response to Constructive Criticism Insight and Limitations	Experiential Learning Teaching Suitability for Training Suitability for Future Employment

The College will contact sites where applicants have indicated that they have spent a minimum of 6 months (20 clinical weeks) in a prevocational O&G position between February of the year before application and August in the year of application.

Note: Institutional references are used in the Australian selection cycle only, not in New Zealand.

Scores for CV/Application form, Applicant-nominated referee and Institutional References will be combined to produce the shortlisting score.

Applicants with highest combined score will be selected for interview.

Applicants will have 48 hours to confirm their acceptance of the offer of an interview and to process payment of the non-refundable interview fee. Payment details will be provided along with the interview offer. Failure to confirm acceptance of offer and process payment of interview fee within the 48-hour window will be regarded as a rejection of the offer.

For information on FRANZCOG Selection fees, visit Annual Training Fees.
 

Applicants will not be required to undertake the SJT in 2020

The College endeavours to interview successful applicants in their state of first preference (for Phase 2) except where an applicant has preferenced Phase 1.

Interviews for Phase 1: ITP – Newcastle, PITP - Dubbo, and PITP – Orange will be held in NSW. Interviews for ACT may be held in ACT or NSW.

Interviews for Phase 1: PITP Mackay will be held in QLD.

Interviews for Phase 1: Tasmania will be held in Tasmania.

Interviews for Phase 1: PITP Bendigo will be held in VIC.

All interviews need to be conducted in person; phone interviews are not permissible unless exceptional circumstances apply (eg candidate is overseas with Medecins Sans Frontieres).

Refer to the selection timeline for dates of interviews.
 

A ranking of applicants will be generated from the combination of scores obtained in all components of the selection process.

All applicants will be notified of the selection results via email.

Applicants will receive one offer only and will have 48 hours to confirm their acceptance of the offer of a post.  Failure to confirm acceptance of the offer of a post within the 48-hour window will be regarded as a rejection of the offer.

Offers for Phase 1 will be made prior to Phase 2 offers. Applicants who preference Phase 1 but are not offered a position will not receive notification as they are automatically considered for Phase 2.

Notes: 

• Only ONE offer will be made to each successful applicant.  Applicants who decline that one offer will NOT be offered any other position.
• Applicants must secure employment with the hospital/health jurisdiction they have been matched to.  Failure to secure employment will result in an offer from the College being considered void.

Once all the training places have been accepted, those states with more than one Integrated Training Program (ITP) will undertake a matching process in which the selected applicants will be allocated a specific ITP and/or hospital.  

Where appropriate, applicants will be contacted by the relevant regional office regarding preferencing.
 

From the 2021 selection cycle, points for non-O&G experience (Category 1.2 of  the CV scoring guidelines) will only be awarded for experience that precedes at least 12 months of O&G experience.

From the 2020 selection cycle, professional development courses (Category 4.3 of the CV scoring guidelines) completed prior to "1 January two years prior to the year of application" will not be accepted, eg in 2020, courses completed prior to 1 January 2018 will not be eligible for points under Category 4.3. 

The CV/Application Scoring Guidelines will be updated to reflect these changes.
 

Steps for completing the online application:

Step 1 – Registration

1. Access the application page traineeselection.ranzcog.edu.au/candidate.
2. Click ‘Register’ and fill in your details. 
3. Once registration is complete, you will be redirected to the login screen.
4. You will also receive a confirmation email.

Step 2 – Login

1. Use your new details to log in.
2. You will see a page with two sections: Existing applications and Available cycles.

Step 3 – Payment of non-refundable Application fee

1. Click ‘Apply’ next to the relevant cycle ie RANZCOG Training Program Selection (AU).
2. Agree to the terms and conditions.
3. The payment form will be pre-entered for you with the non-refundable application fee.
4. Click ‘Next’.
5. Complete payment using your credit card details. If you require a receipt, please print the completed payment page.
6. Select ‘Click here to return to the RANZCOG TRMS Page’.

Step 4 – Access to Application form

1. Login with your registered details.
2. You will be at the dashboard again, only this time there will be a cycle listed under ‘Existing Applications’.
3. Click ‘Open’.
4. This will take you to the application form. You can see there are five tabs. Work your way through at your own pace. Be sure to save as you go. You can save, log out and log back in at any time. Be conscious though that if you leave the form ‘dormant’ for any length of time, you will be automatically logged out and any unsaved information will be lost.
5. When you’re ready, submit the application form. Note: Once submitted you will not be able to edit any information. Changes to submitted applications will not be accepted. 

 
Trainees who have been selected for the FRANZCOG Training Program and have obtained an accredited first year training position may be eligible to apply to have some previous experience or training to be recognised toward the specialist training program – subject to the approval of the RANZCOG RPL Assessment Subcommittee.

Note: Only trainees who fit one of the four categories specified are eligible for RPL.

RPL applications must be made in writing and submitted as soon as possible after the trainee has accepted a place in the FRANZCOG Training Program, and before commencement of training.

Search for Recognition of Prior Learning (or select it from the drop-down menu) using our Policies & Procedures search tool to view full details of the RPL conditions, and what supporting documentation to include in your application.

More information

For information on how to apply for RPL and relevant deadlines, contact Education Programs Support: 
Email:​ [email protected]
 

Applicants who are offered and accept a place in the FRANZCOG Training Program may apply, in exceptional circumstances, to defer commencement of training.

If you wish to apply for deferment under the terms of this policy, you must notify the Executive Officer at the relevant RANZCOG Regional Office in writing as soon as possible after you have been offered, and confirmed acceptance of, a place on the Training Program. 

Search for Deferral of Training (or select it from the drop-down menu) using our Policies & Procedures search tool to view full details of the policy.