Infectious Diseases
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (optional joint infectious diseases and microbiology training with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia)
Competition
Moderate
Qualification
FRACP (or dual FRACP/FRCPA)
Training duration
Basic Physician Training (3 years) plus Advanced Training: 3 years for the clinical-only pathway (24 months core infectious diseases + 6 months core microbiology; about 6 years total to FRACP) or 5 years for the joint RACP/RCPA pathway (about 8 years to dual FRACP and FRCPA)
Applications
Entry is after Basic Physician Training — there is no single national scored round. RACP registration by the twice-yearly deadlines (28 February and 31 August) is administrative; Advanced Training positions are secured at hospital or network level. Victoria runs a centralised PMCV infectious diseases match (2026 cycle: applications 6–30 July), but Tasmania is not part of it and Tasmanian applicants apply directly. No equivalent centralised match was found in the other states. Check your target state and department.
Selection format
There is no single national scored CV matrix for infectious diseases; RACP requires each accredited setting to run its own or a coordinated selection. The gateway is completing Basic Physician Training and passing both FRACP Divisional Examinations. One documented example is the Victorian PMCV match: applicants are shortlisted to about 20, then interviewed by a single group panel of all participating heads of department (each ranks candidates, with consensus required), and the top-ranked (around 8 new positions in a recent cohort) are appointed. Its stated criteria are the CV, referee reports, and interview, with no fixed weighting.
When to apply
Entry is typically PGY4–PGY6 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 position.
Competition
RACP publishes no national applicant-to-position ratio for infectious diseases Advanced Training. The only sourced figures are Victoria PMCV (around 8 new positions a year from a shortlist of up to 20 interviewees), which points to real but not extreme competition; competitiveness in other states is not published.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
- Clinical scope — the curriculum spans inpatient and outpatient consultation, HIV and tuberculosis, immunocompromised-host infection, antimicrobial stewardship, and infection prevention and control
- In-country rule — trainees from 2022 must complete at least 12 months of core infectious diseases training in Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand
- Joint pathway — an optional 5-year joint RACP/RCPA program (24 months core clinical infectious diseases plus 36 months core microbiology) leads to dual FRACP and FRCPA
- Work-based assessments — each core year: 4 case-based discussions, 2 learning-needs analyses, 2 professional-qualities reflections, a supervisor report per rotation, and a logbook (Australian trainees)
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 covers training and first-attempt exam fees, and the Indigenous Health Scholarship supports a Basic-to-Advanced pathway, 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 infectious diseases
- Laboratory exams (joint trainees) — the joint pathway adds the RCPA Basic Pathological Sciences and Microbiology 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 an Infectious Diseases Research Project (earlier trainees completed 3 research projects)
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
- Secure a position first — accredited Advanced Training positions are appointed at hospital, network, or state-match level, not by RACP directly; RACP registration only formalises one already secured
- Core structure — 3 years (36 months FTE): at least 24 months core infectious diseases, at least 6 months core microbiology, and up to 6 months non-core
- Registration and fees — register with RACP by 28 February or 31 August; the 2026 Advanced Training annual fee is AUD $4,230, with a 50% reduction for approved research
Entry tips
Sourced from Australian medical community discussion. Always verify with RACP.
Recent updates
RACP applied a 4% fee increase for the 2026 training year; the Advanced Training annual fee is AUD $4,230.
A new (Wave 3) competency-based Advanced Training curriculum for infectious diseases takes effect for first-year advanced trainees starting from 2026; trainees who started in 2025 or earlier continue on the previous curriculum.
Indicative only. Check the RACP website for current information.
Official resources
RACP Advanced Training in Infectious Diseases
Program page — duration, core/non-core structure, curriculum, and assessments
RACP Advanced Training in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (joint)
The optional joint RACP/RCPA dual-fellowship (FRACP + FRCPA) pathway
RACP Application Dates
Registration deadlines — 28 February and 31 August each year
Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID)
Professional body for infectious diseases and clinical microbiology — trainee group and education
Medical Board — Specialist Registration
MBA specialist registration pathways
State workforce data
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 Victoria yet — the selection criteria and requirements above apply Australia-wide regardless of state. See the Queensland figures.
Community discussions
Recent discussion about Infectious Diseases training from Australian doctors.
Search r/ausdocs and r/doctorsofaustraliaRequirements, windows, and criteria change annually. Verify with Royal Australasian College of Physicians (optional joint infectious diseases and microbiology training with the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia) (RACP) before making career decisions. Report an error on this page.