Maternal–Fetal Medicine
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Competition
High
Qualification
CMFM (with FRANZCOG)
Training duration
FRANZCOG first (about 6 years), then the CMFM subspecialty: a minimum 3 years (138 weeks FTE) of full-time clinical training across at least 2 accredited units, followed by a Post-Year-3 research phase — realistically 9 or more years from the start of Basic Training to Certification.
Applications
An annual RANZCOG subspecialty selection round (the 2026 cycle, for 2027 entry, ran applications 12 January to 12 February, interview 8 May). You do not need full FRANZCOG to apply — eligibility is pegged to at least 138 weeks of Basic Training, passing the FRANZCOG Written Examination, and sitting the Oral in the first half of the application year. A maximum of 3 CMFM applications is allowed. Check ranzcog.edu.au for the current round.
Selection format
The written application is scored by the CMFM Selection Committee against six criteria — educational history, employment history, professional development and commitment, teaching and leadership, research and publications, and references — each on a 0-to-5 scale, and you need at least 3 across the criteria to be shortlisted. Shortlisted applicants attend an online panel interview (the committee chair or deputy plus at least two CMFM subspecialists) that adds a seventh, CMFM-specific criterion (conflict management, teamwork, grief counselling, self-awareness). Three referees are contacted by the College.
When to apply
There is no PGY number — entry is defined by FRANZCOG progress. Eligibility opens around 138 of 184 weeks of Basic Training, with a FRANZCOG Written Examination pass and sitting the Oral, which typically lands around PGY5 to PGY6 rather than after full Fellowship.
Competition
A genuinely small subspecialty — RANZCOG lists only about 98 certified maternal-fetal-medicine subspecialists across Australia and New Zealand, in a handful of accredited units. RANZCOG does not publish applicant numbers or an applicant-to-position ratio, but the size of the field and the number of training units make entry limited.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
- Clinical training — a minimum 3 years (138 weeks FTE) across at least 2 accredited CMFM units, with at least 2 years combined in high-risk obstetrics and ultrasound
- Procedural logbook — minimum 1,200 ultrasound scans, 100 amniocenteses, and 50 chorionic villus sampling procedures personally performed over the 3-year clinical period
Rural & regional
Rural, regional, and remote experience
Nothing captured yet — verify with RANZCOG.
First Nations
Selection points and pathways for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori applicants
- First Nations — RANZCOG runs College-wide Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori support and scholarships, but publishes no CMFM-specific selection provision
Academic
Exams, qualifications, courses, and teaching
- Gateway — you must be a FRANZCOG trainee with at least 138 weeks of Basic Training and a FRANZCOG Written Examination pass (sitting the Oral in the first half of the year); full Fellowship is not required to apply
- Exit assessments — subspecialty Written and Oral Examinations, plus DDU Part 1 and an In-Hospital Clinical Examination, are required before Certification
Publications & research
Papers, impact factor, audits, and QI
- Research — a prospectively approved research project (as first author or principal investigator), or an approved diploma-level course, submitted within a year of finishing clinical training
Extracurricular
Leadership and roles beyond clinical work
Nothing captured yet — verify with RANZCOG.
Distinction
Prizes, awards, and academic standing
Nothing captured yet — verify with RANZCOG.
Eligibility & application
Prerequisites, referees, interviews, and fees
- Written application — addresses six criteria: educational history, employment history, professional development and commitment, teaching and leadership, research and publications, and references
- Panel scale — each of the six criteria is scored from 0 to 5 by the CMFM Selection Committee; a minimum of 3 across the criteria is required to be shortlisted for interview
- Referees — three are required: one senior FRANZCOG colleague from the last 2 years (your training supervisor if still a trainee) plus two further colleagues from the last 2 years
- Interview — an online panel interview (the committee chair or deputy plus at least 2 CMFM subspecialists) adds a seventh, CMFM-specific criterion (conflict management, teamwork, grief counselling)
- Fees and attempts — 2026 selection application fee AUD $519 (plus a $2,013 interview fee); annual clinical training fee about $5,756; a maximum of 3 applications to CMFM
Entry tips
Sourced from Australian medical community discussion. Always verify with RANZCOG.
Recent updates
Re-checked 2026-08-05: the selection-criteria document is still not published. The earlier "2027 information TBC" holding text has also been removed from the College subspecialty pages, which now carry programme descriptions, deadlines, fees and ten general training policy documents but no selection-criteria document for any of the five subspecialties — so the College no longer publishes any statement about when one will return.
The current 2026 selection cycle (for 2027 entry) ran applications 12 January to 12 February 2026, with interviews on 8 May 2026.
RANZCOG updated its Training and Associated Fees Policy to Version 7 (adding payment-plan options); the 2026 CMFM selection application fee is AUD $519 and the interview fee is AUD $2,013.
The RANZCOG Education Standards Committee revised the subspecialty entry regulation (Section C) — application eligibility is 138 weeks of Basic Training plus the FRANZCOG Written Examination and sitting the Oral, not full Fellowship.
Indicative only. Check the RANZCOG website for current information.
Official resources
RANZCOG Certification in Maternal Fetal Medicine (CMFM)
Subspecialty training, selection, current key dates, and handbook
CMFM Training Program Handbook
Full training requirements, assessments, exams, and fees
CMFM Subspecialty Curriculum
Procedural and logbook numbers and year-by-year requirements
RANZCOG Regulations — Section C (Subspecialty Training)
Authoritative eligibility, entry, and commencement rules
Medical Board — Specialist Registration
MBA specialist registration pathways
State workforce data
Queensland Health’s medi-nav publishes selection and workforce figures for primary specialty training programmes. It does not publish them for this subspecialty certification, in any state — that is an absence in the source, not a gap in what we hold.
There is no state-based selection round to enter. Applications go to RANZCOG, and are made from within FRANZCOG training rather than after fellowship — the eligibility and timing set out above are the ones that apply.
Community discussions
Recent discussion about Maternal–Fetal Medicine training from Australian doctors.
Search r/ausdocs and r/doctorsofaustraliaRequirements, windows, and criteria change annually. Verify with Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) before making career decisions. Report an error on this page.