Urogynaecology
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Competition
Very high
Qualification
CU (with FRANZCOG)
Training duration
FRANZCOG first (about 6 years), then the CU subspecialty: 3 years (138 weeks FTE) of clinical training across at least 2 accredited units, followed by a Post-Year-3 period until assessments and research are complete. Entry opens late in FRANZCOG training, so the phases overlap; RANZCOG publishes no single total-years figure.
Applications
An annual RANZCOG subspecialty selection round (the 2026 cycle ran applications 12 January to 12 February, interviews 8 May). The CU gateway is HIGHER than most subspecialties since December 2025: you need all 184 weeks of Basic Training completed and eligibility to commence Advanced Training to apply (CGO, CMFM, and COGU need only 138 weeks). A maximum of 3 CU applications is allowed. Check ranzcog.edu.au for the current round.
Selection format
The written application is scored by the CU Selection Panel 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 a 25-minute Zoom panel interview scored on a seventh, CU-specific criterion (surgical skill, resilience, ethics, conflict management, teamwork) plus the written criteria. Three referees are contacted by the College, and none may sit on the Selection Panel.
When to apply
Entry is defined by FRANZCOG progress, not PGY. To apply you need all 184 weeks of Basic Training and eligibility to commence Advanced Training; to actually commence CU training you also need the FRANZCOG research component and 46 weeks of Advanced Training — realistically late FRANZCOG training, before Fellowship is conferred.
Competition
One of the smallest RANZCOG subspecialties — the College lists only 63 certified urogynaecology subspecialists across Australia and New Zealand (March 2026) — and since December 2025 it carries the highest Basic Training entry bar of the five subspecialties. RANZCOG publishes no applicant-to-position ratio.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
- Clinical training — 138 weeks FTE (3 years) across at least 2 accredited units and supervisors, including at least 2 years in vaginal and laparoscopic training units; a Post-Year-3 period follows
- Surgical logbook — minimum 100 anti-incontinence and 220 reconstructive procedures over the 3 years, plus at least 10 advanced laparoscopic procedures a year (8 or more urogynaecological)
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 urogynaecology-specific selection provision
Academic
Exams, qualifications, courses, and teaching
- Exit examination — a written examination only (3 hours 15 minutes, 10 short-answer questions, sittable after 46 weeks); CU is the only RANZCOG subspecialty with no oral examination
Publications & research
Papers, impact factor, audits, and QI
- Research — only the research-stream scholarly elective is permitted (original research as principal author, or a Cochrane review), with at least 20% of clinical training time devoted to it
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 — all 184 weeks of FRANZCOG Basic Training completed plus Advanced Training eligibility to apply (a higher bar than the 138 weeks for CGO/CMFM/COGU); to commence you also need the FRANZCOG research component and 46 weeks of Advanced Training
- Written application — scored against 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 CU Selection Panel; a minimum of 3 across the criteria is required to be shortlisted for interview
- Referees — three are required (your current or most recent training supervisor plus two colleagues from the last 2 years); none may sit on the Selection Panel
- Interview — a 25-minute Zoom panel interview scored on a seventh, CU-specific criterion (surgical skill, resilience, ethics, conflict management, teamwork) plus the written criteria
- Fees and attempts — the RANZCOG subspecialty selection fee schedule applies (2026: application AUD $519, interview $2,013); a maximum of 3 applications to CU
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 2026 selection cycle ran applications 12 January to 12 February 2026 with interviews on 8 May 2026; information for the next cycle is marked "2027 TBC" on the live page.
RANZCOG revised Section C: the CU (and CREI) Basic Training eligibility threshold rose to all 184 weeks plus Advanced Training eligibility — diverging from CGO, CMFM, and COGU, which stay at 138 weeks plus the FRANZCOG Written Examination.
The CU Training Program Handbook was updated to Version 4 (June 2025).
Indicative only. Check the RANZCOG website for current information.
Official resources
RANZCOG Certification in Urogynaecology (CU)
Subspecialty training, selection, key dates, and handbook
CU Training Program Handbook
Logbook numbers, exam format, and the Post-Year-3 process
RANZCOG Regulations — Section C (Subspecialty Training)
Authoritative eligibility, entry, and commencement rules (including the December 2025 revision)
UroGynaecological Society of Australasia (UGSA)
The Australasian specialty society for urogynaecology
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 Urogynaecology 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.