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.

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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

Score your portfolio against this rubric

Entry tips

01Clear both FRACP Divisional exams before you need them — Advanced Training entry is blocked until you pass the Written and then the Clinical exam, so front-load exam prep during Basic Training.

02Get immunology and allergy exposure and a research project going as a Basic Trainee — the research requirement is much easier to start early.

03Decide clinical-only versus joint early — the joint immunopathology route adds a year plus three RCPA pathology exams (Basic Pathological Sciences and Immunopathology Part I and II).

04Do not expect a computer match — no state, including Victoria and Tasmania, runs a centralised scored process for this specialty, so track hospital job boards directly and apply broadly.

05Positions are genuinely scarce — snapshots show only single digits of training posts advertised per state at a time, so network and apply early rather than banking on one hospital.

06Build both adult and paediatric exposure — casework spans allergic, immunodeficiency, and autoimmune disease across the whole lifespan.

07Consider the laboratory side — even on the clinical-only track, immunopathology understanding underpins much of the specialty.

Sourced from Australian medical community discussion. Always verify with RACP.

Recent updates

2026-07

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.

2026-01

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

QLD NSW VIC WA SA TAS ACT NT

Queensland Health’s medi-nav is the only state health department currently publishing the workforce and selection figures this section shows. We have not verified equivalent data for Western Australia yet — the selection criteria and requirements above apply Australia-wide regardless of state. See the Queensland figures.

Community discussions

Recent discussion about Immunology and Allergy training from Australian doctors.

Search r/ausdocs and r/doctorsofaustralia

Requirements, 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.