Public Health Medicine
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine)
Competition
Moderate
Qualification
FAFPHM
Training duration
3 years (36 months) FTE Advanced Training — the MPH is a prerequisite completed before entry, not part of the 36 months
Applications
Entry eligibility assessment must be submitted at least 3 months before commencing training; the Learning Contract is due within 4 weeks of starting the position. No centralised annual selection round — trainees find approved positions at accredited settings.
Selection format
No interview. Entry is eligibility-based: full general medical registration, 3 years of postgraduate clinical experience (including internship), an approved training position, and an MPH covering the five core discipline areas. Assessment during training is by oral examination, workplace reports, oral presentations, and professional-qualities reflections — there is no traditional written/clinical exam.
When to apply
Minimum 3 years of postgraduate clinical experience including internship, plus a completed MPH (or equivalent assessed course) covering epidemiology, biostatistics, health protection, health promotion, and health policy/planning/management. From 2027, only an MPH is accepted.
Competition
Less competitive than clinical specialties. Strong appeal for doctors interested in health systems, policy, and population health.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP / AFPHM.
Rural & regional
Rural, regional, and remote experience
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP / AFPHM.
First Nations
Selection points and pathways for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori applicants
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP / AFPHM.
Academic
Exams, qualifications, courses, and teaching
- MPH — mandatory at entry, covering the five compulsory core discipline areas (epidemiology, biostatistics, health protection, health promotion, health policy/planning/management); from 2027 only an MPH is accepted
- Epidemiology and biostatistics
Publications & research
Papers, impact factor, audits, and QI
- Health policy or health service research
- Population health audit or research
Extracurricular
Leadership and roles beyond clinical work
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP / AFPHM.
Distinction
Prizes, awards, and academic standing
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACP / AFPHM.
Eligibility & application
Prerequisites, referees, interviews, and fees
- Eligibility — full general medical registration and 3 years of postgraduate clinical experience including internship
- Approved training position at an accredited setting (entry eligibility assessment submitted 3+ months before commencing)
Entry tips
Sourced from Australian medical community discussion. Always verify with RACP / AFPHM.
Recent updates
Entry fully re-verified against racp.edu.au (replacing the previous "contact the chapter" placeholder and correcting the duration): Advanced Training is 3 years (36 months) FTE with the MPH as a pre-entry prerequisite — the previous "4 years including MPH" framing was wrong. No interview and no written/clinical exam; assessment is 1 oral examination, 2 workplace reports, 2 oral presentations, and 3 professional-qualities reflections. Trainees starting 2026 or earlier stay on the current curriculum; new entry criteria from 2027.
Indicative only. Check the RACP / AFPHM website for current information.
Official resources
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 Western Australia yet — the selection criteria and requirements above apply Australia-wide regardless of state. See the Queensland figures.
Community discussions
Recent discussion about Public Health Medicine training from Australian doctors.
Search r/ausdocs and r/doctorsofaustraliaRequirements, windows, and criteria change annually. Verify with Royal Australasian College of Physicians (Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine) (RACP / AFPHM) before making career decisions. Report an error on this page.