Obstetrics and Gynaecological Ultrasound
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Competition
High
Qualification
COGU (with FRANZCOG)
Training duration
FRANZCOG progress first (the 138-week gateway), then the COGU subspecialty: 3 years (138 weeks FTE) of clinical training in 6-month blocks, followed by a Post-Year-3 phase; all requirements must be completed within 9 years of commencing. Once certified, subspecialists spend at least 66% of clinical time in obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound.
Applications
An annual RANZCOG subspecialty selection round (the 2026 cycle, for 2027 entry, ran applications 12 January to 12 February, interview 6 May) — though the detailed applicant-information document is currently withdrawn college-wide, with no replacement and no date for one published as at August 2026. The gateway is the 138-week pathway shared with CGO and CMFM: at least 138 weeks of Basic Training, a FRANZCOG Written pass, and sitting the Oral in the first half of the application year. A maximum of 3 COGU applications is allowed. Check ranzcog.edu.au for the current round.
Selection format
Per the most recent published document (2025, for 2026 entry — now archived; no later version has been published, and the "2027 TBC" note the College once carried has itself been removed): the written application is scored against six criteria — educational history, employment history, professional development and commitment, teaching and leadership, research and publications, and references — each 0 to 5, with a minimum of 3 to be shortlisted. Shortlisted applicants attend a Zoom interview before a 4-member COGU subspecialist panel, scored on a seventh COGU-specific criterion (resilience, ethics, grief and counselling, teamwork) plus the written criteria. Note the scale has changed over time (an older edition used 0 to 3), so verify the current version with the College.
When to apply
Entry is defined by FRANZCOG progress, not PGY: at least 138 weeks of Basic Training, a FRANZCOG Written pass, and sitting the Oral in the first half of the application year to apply; Advanced Training eligibility plus the FRANZCOG research component (or full FRANZCOG) to commence.
Competition
A very small credentialed field — RANZCOG lists only 46 certified COGU subspecialists across Australia and New Zealand (April 2026) — reached through a capped, formally scored process. RANZCOG publishes no applicant-to-place ratio, so the rating rests on workforce size and process rigour rather than a published number.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
- Clinical training — 3 years (138 weeks FTE) in consecutive 6-month blocks, followed by a Post-Year-3 phase until all requirements are met; everything must be completed within 9 years
- Scan logbook — a minimum 2,000 combined obstetric and gynaecological scans a year in Years 1 and 2 (including 400+ mid-trimester obstetric and 500+ gynaecological a year)
- Procedural logbook — 100 amniocenteses, 100 chorionic villus sampling procedures, and 100 tubal or gynaecological procedures across training
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 COGU-specific selection provision
Academic
Exams, qualifications, courses, and teaching
- Courses — the ASUM Diploma of Diagnostic Ultrasound Module 1 (physics) is mandatory in Year 1; Modules 2 and 3 are encouraged but not compulsory
- Exit examinations — a Theory Examination and a Clinical Imaging Examination (first attempt after 46 weeks), plus a practical skills assessment (renamed APSS from late 2025)
Publications & research
Papers, impact factor, audits, and QI
- Research — a scholarly elective is required and may run into the Post-Year-3 phase; the written application also scores research, publications, and presentations directly
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
- Gateway — at least 138 weeks of FRANZCOG Basic Training completed plus a Written Examination pass and sitting the Oral in the first half of the year; to commence you also need Advanced Training eligibility and the FRANZCOG research component (or full FRANZCOG)
- Written application — six criteria (educational history, employment, professional development and commitment, teaching and leadership, research and publications, references), each scored 0 to 5 with a minimum of 3 to shortlist (most recent published document)
- Referees — three are required: one senior FRANZCOG colleague from the last 2 years plus two other recent colleagues; reports are confidential and referees may not sit on the panel
- Interview — a Zoom interview before a 4-member COGU subspecialist panel, scored on a seventh COGU-specific criterion (resilience, ethics, grief and counselling, teamwork) plus the written criteria
- Fees and attempts — the College-wide subspecialty fee schedule applies (2026: application AUD $519, interview $2,013, training about $5,756 a year); a maximum of 3 applications to COGU
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 COGU applicant-information document remains withdrawn ("2027 information TBC") — part of the college-wide withdrawal across all five subspecialties.
The RANZCOG Education Standards Committee revision confirmed COGU on the 138-week entry pathway (with CGO and CMFM), distinct from the 184-week gate for urogynaecology and CREI.
The COGU practical assessment was renamed from In-Hospital Clinical Assessment (IHCA) to Assessment of Procedural and Surgical Skills (APSS) from semester 2 of 2025; the fee schedule still lists the old name — a naming lag between College documents.
Indicative only. Check the RANZCOG website for current information.
Official resources
RANZCOG Certification in Obstetrical and Gynaecological Ultrasound (COGU)
Subspecialty training, selection status, key dates, and handbook
COGU Training Program Handbook
Training requirements, assessments, and the Post-Year-3 process
RANZCOG Regulations — Section C (Subspecialty Training)
Authoritative eligibility, entry, and commencement rules (including the December 2025 revision)
ASUM — Diploma of Diagnostic Ultrasound (DDU)
DDU Module 1 (physics) is mandatory in COGU Year 1
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 Obstetrics and Gynaecological Ultrasound 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.