Haematology
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (joint haematology training with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia)
Competition
High
Qualification
FRACP (or dual FRACP/FRCPA)
Training duration
Basic Physician Training (3 years) plus Advanced Training: 3 years for the clinical-only pathway (about 6 years total to FRACP) or 4 years for the joint RACP/RCPA pathway (about 7 years to dual FRACP and FRCPA)
Applications
Entry is after Basic Physician Training — there is no single national scored round. You must SECURE an accredited Advanced Training position at a hospital or network first, then register it with RACP by the twice-yearly deadlines (28 February and 31 August). Selection is run locally and varies by state: the Victorian centralised PMCV physician match does not include haematology, and Queensland runs its own dedicated haematology network process. Check your target state and department.
Selection format
There is no single national scored CV matrix for haematology (unlike the surgical specialties). The national gateway is completing Basic Physician Training and passing both FRACP Divisional Examinations; Advanced Training positions are then filled at the hospital or network level, and the format varies by state. One well-documented example (Queensland Health) screens applicants against selection criteria, then runs a roughly 25-minute interview before three independent panels (clinical, laboratory, and an RCPA representative) scoring academic achievement, clinical competence, communication, teaching and research, and ethics alongside the CV and referee reports, with offers made in preference-rank order.
When to apply
Entry is after completing Basic Physician Training (about 3 years) and passing both FRACP Divisional Examinations, typically PGY4–PGY5 or later, and only once you have secured an accredited haematology Advanced Training position (clinical-only or joint).
Competition
National application-to-position ratios are not published by RACP or RCPA. The clearest published figures are state-level — Queensland fills roughly 8 to 10 new positions a year across a 41-position network — and its policy of not re-interviewing twice-unsuccessful applicants signals real, sustained competition.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
- Clinical pathway — the clinical-only stream is 3 years (36 months): at least 24 months core clinical plus 6 months core laboratory training
- Joint pathway — the dual RACP/RCPA stream is 4 years (48 months): at least 24 months clinical plus 24 months laboratory, leading to dual FRACP and FRCPA
- Work-based assessments — case-based discussions, mini-CEX, a learning-needs analysis, and a supervisor report each rotation run throughout Advanced Training
Rural & regional
Rural, regional, and remote experience
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP / RCPA.
First Nations
Selection points and pathways for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori applicants
- First Nations — the RACP Fee Reimbursement Initiative waives training and exam fees, and the Indigenous Health Scholarship funds up to 4 years, for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pasifika trainees
Academic
Exams, qualifications, courses, and teaching
- Gateway — pass both FRACP Divisional Examinations (Written and Clinical) and complete Basic Physician Training before starting Advanced Training in haematology
- Laboratory exams (joint trainees) — pass the RCPA Basic Pathological Sciences, Haematology Part I, and Part II examinations for the dual pathway
Publications & research
Papers, impact factor, audits, and QI
- Research — an Advanced Training Research Project is required; joint trainees may instead satisfy it through the RCPA Haematology Part II dissertation
Extracurricular
Leadership and roles beyond clinical work
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP / RCPA.
Distinction
Prizes, awards, and academic standing
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP / RCPA.
Eligibility & application
Prerequisites, referees, interviews, and fees
- Secure a position first — you must obtain an accredited Advanced Training position at a hospital or network before registering it with RACP; the college does not allocate positions
- Eligibility — at least 24 months of training must be in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand; a maximum of 24 to 36 months is allowed at any single accredited setting
- Registration deadlines — register or re-register each Advanced Training period with RACP by 28 February or 31 August; late applications are accepted up to a month later, possibly for a fee
- Fees — the 2026 RACP Advanced Training annual fee is AUD $4,230 (a 50% reduction is available for approved research); RCPA Part I and Part II exam fees are AUD $3,700 each
Entry tips
Sourced from Australian medical community discussion. Always verify with RACP / RCPA.
Recent updates
RACP is renewing its Advanced Training curricula (Wave 3): new competency-based haematology curricula are scheduled for trainees starting in 2027, with new assessment tools, progression criteria, and a training management platform; trainees who started in 2026 or earlier continue on the existing curriculum.
RACP applied a 4% fee increase for the 2026 training year; the Advanced Training annual fee is AUD $4,230 including GST.
Indicative only. Check the RACP / RCPA website for current information.
Official resources
RACP Advanced Training in Clinical Haematology
Curriculum and requirements for the clinical-only (3-year) haematology pathway
RACP Advanced Training in Joint Haematology
The dual RACP/RCPA (4-year) pathway leading to FRACP and FRCPA
RACP Application Dates
Registration deadlines — 28 February and 31 August each year
RCPA Haematology Trainee Handbook
Laboratory training detail, Part I/II exam structure, and joint-training rules
Medical Board — Specialist Registration
MBA specialist registration pathways
State workforce data
- Specialists in QLD
- 112 / 640 AU
- Trainees in QLD
- 34
- New fellows in QLD
- 9 / 48 AU
- Average week
- 42.3 hrs
How you reach a post
- A centrally coordinated Queensland Health pathway or network
Queensland Haematology Advanced Training Pathway
A centralised state-wide recruitment process covering laboratory haematology, clinical haematology and combined clinical and laboratory haematology positions in accredited Queensland facilities.
- No selection ratio is shown above because the Queensland Health source contradicts itself for haematology: the clinical haematology page headlines its 2023 round as 11 eligible and 11 selected, while the chart description on the same page reads 43 eligible and 9 selected. Rather than present either as fact, both are recorded here — confirm the current round directly with the pathway
- The separate laboratory haematology page publishes its own 2025 figures under the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia; those belong to the pathology training programs and are not reproduced here, because this entry describes the RACP clinical pathway
- The joint RACP/RCPA haematology program runs seven years full-time and is evaluated biennially by the Committee for Joint College Training in Haematology, leading to both FRACP and FRCPA
- Flexibility — minimum 0.2 full-time equivalent; clinical training must be completed within eight years and joint training within 10
- Eligibility — completed RACP Basic Training including the Written and Clinical Examinations, and appointment to an advanced training position
- Interrupted training — allowed, but interruptions of more than 12 continuous months may require a Return to Training Plan agreed with a supervisor and approved by the relevant training committee
Queensland figures published by Queensland Health (medi-nav). Selection numbers are for first-year entry and vary year to year — confirm the current round with the college and with Queensland Health before relying on them.
Community discussions
Recent discussion about Haematology training from Australian doctors.
Search r/ausdocs and r/doctorsofaustraliaRequirements, windows, and criteria change annually. Verify with Royal Australasian College of Physicians (joint haematology training with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia) (RACP / RCPA) before making career decisions. Report an error on this page.