Immunology and Allergy
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (optional joint clinical immunology and immunopathology 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 (36 months FTE) for the clinical-only pathway (about 6 years total to FRACP) or 4 years (48 months) for the joint RACP/RCPA immunopathology pathway (about 7 years to dual FRACP and FRCPA)
Applications
Entry is after Basic Physician Training — there is no single national scored round, and no state runs a centralised match for this specialty (unlike ten other RACP subspecialties in the Victoria/Tasmania PMCV process). RACP registration by the twice-yearly deadlines (28 February and 31 August) is administrative; you must secure an accredited Advanced Training position through ordinary hospital or health-service recruitment, and posts are few. Check hospital job boards directly.
Selection format
There is no single national scored CV matrix for clinical immunology and allergy, and no state publishes a documented scored process for it. The gateway is completing Basic Physician Training and passing both FRACP Divisional Examinations (Written then Clinical), after which trainees are appointed individually to an accredited position through standard hospital recruitment. Victoria and Tasmania run a scored PMCV match for ten other RACP subspecialties but not this one, so applicants everywhere self-source scarce hospital-level posts.
When to apply
Entry is typically PGY4–PGY5 or later: after the 3-year Basic Physician Training program, having passed both FRACP Divisional Examinations, holding general (unconditional) AHPRA registration, and having secured an accredited Advanced Training (or joint) position.
Competition
A very small subspecialty with few accredited positions and no centralised match anywhere, so trainees must self-source scarce hospital-level posts. ASCIA reports only about 78 trainee members across Australia and New Zealand (June 2026) against roughly 300 specialists, and state job boards show only single-digit positions advertised at a time; no national applicant-to-position ratio is published.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
- Core content — allergic disorders, immune deficiency disorders, and autoimmune disease, across adult and/or paediatric practice
- Training settings — at least 12 months of core Advanced Training in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand, across a minimum of 2 accredited settings (for trainees from 2022)
- Joint pathway — an optional 4-year (48-month) joint RACP/RCPA program (24 months laboratory, 18 months core clinical, 6 months non-core) leads to dual FRACP and FRCPA
- Work-based assessments — each year: 2 learning-needs analyses, 4 case-based discussions, 2 direct observations of procedural skills, plus supervisor reports and a logbook per rotation
Rural & regional
Rural, regional, and remote experience
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP.
First Nations
Selection points and pathways for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori applicants
- First Nations — the RACP Fee Reimbursement Initiative waives training and first-attempt exam fees for eligible Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pasifika trainees
Academic
Exams, qualifications, courses, and teaching
- Gateway — complete RACP Basic Physician Training and pass both FRACP Divisional Examinations (Written and Clinical) before starting Advanced Training in clinical immunology and allergy
- Laboratory exams (joint trainees) — the joint pathway adds the RCPA Basic Pathological Sciences and Immunopathology Part I and Part II examinations
Publications & research
Papers, impact factor, audits, and QI
- Research — trainees from 2019 complete an Advanced Training Research Project plus a specialty Immunology and Allergy Research Project (5,000 to 10,000 words)
Extracurricular
Leadership and roles beyond clinical work
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP.
Distinction
Prizes, awards, and academic standing
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP.
Eligibility & application
Prerequisites, referees, interviews, and fees
- Advanced Training length (clinical pathway) — 36 months FTE: at least 24 months core plus up to 12 months non-core, leading to FRACP
- Registration deadlines — register or re-register each Advanced Training period with RACP by 28 February or 31 August; late applications may incur a fee
- Fees — the 2026 RACP Advanced Training annual fee is AUD $4,230, with a 50% reduction for trainees doing full-time research
Entry tips
Sourced from Australian medical community discussion. Always verify with RACP.
Recent updates
Advance notice: a new (Wave 3) competency-based Advanced Training curriculum for clinical immunology and allergy takes effect for trainees starting from 2027; trainees who started in 2026 or earlier continue on the existing program.
RACP applied a 4% fee increase for the 2026 training year; the Advanced Training annual fee is AUD $4,230 (up from $4,067 in 2025).
Indicative only. Check the RACP website for current information.
Official resources
RACP Advanced Training in Clinical Immunology and Allergy
Program page — structure, duration, entry requirements, research, and assessments
RACP Joint Immunology and Allergy (with RCPA)
The optional joint FRACP/FRCPA immunopathology pathway and its laboratory component
RACP Application Dates
Registration deadlines — 28 February and 31 August each year
Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
Peak body — trainee and specialist membership numbers and career-pathway guidance
Medical Board — Specialist Registration
MBA specialist registration pathways
State workforce data
2026 first-year selection
0 of 4
eligible applicants selected
- Specialists in QLD
- 11 / 106 AU
- Trainees in QLD
- 4
- New fellows in QLD
- 4 / 13 AU
- Average week
- 37.5 hrs
How you reach a post
- An individual Queensland Health facility accredited for training
- No applicants were selected in the published 2026 Queensland round — four were eligible and none appointed. This is the starkest figure in the Queensland Health data and reflects how few posts exist, not the calibre of the applicants
- With 11 specialists and four trainees in the state, entry depends heavily on a post existing at all in a given year
- Allocated by an individual Queensland Health facility accredited for training — there is no centralised state-wide pathway
- A joint immunology and allergy program with immunopathology runs seven years full-time, leading to both FRACP and FRCPA; joint trainees must register with both colleges and complete clinical and laboratory training in more than one setting
- 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 Immunology and Allergy training from Australian doctors.
Search r/ausdocs and r/doctorsofaustraliaRequirements, windows, and criteria change annually. Verify with Royal Australasian College of Physicians (optional joint clinical immunology and immunopathology training with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia) (RACP) before making career decisions. Report an error on this page.