Overview
O&G spans the whole arc of women's health: pregnancy and birth (with its unique mix of joy and 3am adrenaline), gynaecological surgery from laparoscopy to oncology, fertility medicine, urogynaecology and maternal-fetal medicine. It is one of the few fields that is simultaneously surgical, medical, procedural and longitudinal.
Selection runs nationally through RANZCOG at roughly 3:1 odds, and the process was overhauled recently: from the 2026 selection cycle, referee reports and institutional ranking were removed entirely (verified), concentrating weight on the scored CV and interview performance. Old advice about cultivating referee networks for O&G is now literally obsolete; check everything against the current-year process.
The pathway
- PGY1–2Internship + residency with O&G terms; many complete the (optional) DRANZCOG as exposure. Women's-health research helps the CV score.
- Apply via RANZCOG national selection (PGY2+)Annual national cycle: eligibility screen → scored CV (published criteria) → multi-station interviews → national ranking and state allocation. Referee reports and institutional ranking no longer used (verified, from 2026).
- Core training years 1–4Obstetrics, gynae surgery, ultrasound; Written + OSCE exams during core; procedural logbooks.
- Advanced training years 5–6Generalist consolidation or subspecialty entry (MFM, gynae-onc, REI, urogynae, each its own competitive fellowship).
- FRANZCOG → consultantPublic appointments, private obstetrics ± gynae, or subspecialty practice.
Formal requirements
- General registration; completion of PGY1 (PGY2-certificate requirement withdrawn for 2027+ applications, verified).
- AU/NZ citizenship or PR; English standards.
- Application through the annual national RANZCOG selection cycle (strict documentation windows).
- Note the (optional but common) DRANZCOG for GP/shared-care, distinct from FRANZCOG specialist training.
Selection and points
How selection works
| Component | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Scored CV against published criteria | RANZCOG publishes CV scoring guidelines (research, presentations, O&G experience, rural, higher degrees, procedural skills), score yourself against the current-year matrix before applying. |
| Multi-station structured interview | Scenario-based national interviews; from 2026 this carries decisive weight following removal of referee reports (verified). |
Points & scoring
- The CV matrix is public; treat it as a checklist: publications, presentations, DRANZCOG, ultrasound experience, rural terms and higher degrees all carry defined points.
- With referees gone (verified change), the CV score + interview ARE the game, every point on the published matrix matters more than before.
The unofficial view
- O&G terms remain essential experience-wise even though referee reports are gone; you cannot interview convincingly about a specialty you haven't lived at 2am.
- The interview rewards emotionally intelligent, systems-aware candidates: practise stations on consent, fetal distress escalation, cultural safety and team conflict.
- Rural training positions and genuine rural intent improve both selection odds and long-term options (maternity workforce crisis = leverage).
- Be honest about the on-call decade ahead: attrition mid-training is real, usually roster-shaped, and part-time training, while formally supported, depends heavily on unit culture. Ask trainees, not brochures.
Competition & demographics
Competitiveness
- ≥3 applicants per place for several years running (RANZCOG, verified).
- ≈ 100–120 Australian places annually; national ranking with state preferencing.
Who's in the program
- ≈ 85% of trainees are women, the most female-majority procedural specialty; consultant workforce transitioning the same way.
Exams
| Exam | When | Format | Cost | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRANZCOG Written Examination | Core years | MCQ/SAQ across obstetrics + gynaecology | ≈ $3,000–3,600 | ≈ 60–80% (indicative) |
| FRANZCOG Oral/OSCE Examination | Core years (after written) | Structured clinical stations | ≈ $3,500–4,200 | ≈ 65–85% (indicative) |
| DRANZCOG / DRANZCOG Advanced (optional, GP-shared-care) The GP-obstetrics credential, also a common pre-application CV item. | Any time | Workplace + exam components | ≈ $2,000–4,000 | High |
Fees and pass rates are indicative; check the college's current fee schedule and exam reports.
What training costs
- RANZCOG training fees ≈ $4,000–5,500/yr; exams as above; ultrasound and CTG courses additional.
- Budget the indemnity reality of private obstetrics later: premiums ≈ $60,000–120,000+/yr shape career decisions.
How to improve your chances at each stage
StageMedical student
- Deliver babies, literally: extra birth-suite time and a rural O&G elective give you the stories that carry interviews.
- Start a women's-health research project (audit of PPH management, CTG outcomes, achievable and on-matrix).
StageIntern (PGY1)
- Secure an O&G term; get procedurally useful (perineal repair, instrumental assists as accredited).
- Score yourself against the current published CV matrix and build the gaps deliberately.
StageResident (PGY2–3)
- O&G SRMO years at units with strong birth volumes; consider DRANZCOG (Advanced), points, skills and a fallback credential in one.
- Practise multi-station interviews seriously, post-2026 they carry the weight referees used to.
StageRegistrar years & applications
- On program: bank the written early; log procedures aggressively (case-mix disputes late in training are miserable).
- Choose advanced years strategically: generalist-with-rural-scope and urogynae/MFM subspecialty routes have the strongest job maps.
StageIf you don't get on (or change your mind)
- Adjacent: GP-obstetrics via DRANZCOG Advanced (rural shared care + deliveries, deeply needed), rural generalist obstetrics AST, sexual & reproductive health, or midwifery-adjacent MFM sonography interests via radiology/genetics.
See also the general strategy guide: universal CV, referee and interview advice that applies across specialties.
Job market & workforce outlook
Outlook: Regional/rural shortage severe (maternity unit closures are a national issue); metro gynae-subspecialty markets competitive
- Regional maternity is in crisis-level shortage, units close for lack of obstetricians; rural FRANZCOGs and GP-obstetricians name their terms.
- Metro generalist consultant posts competitive; subspecialties (MFM, gynae-onc, REI, urogynae) run their own tight fellowship markets.
- Private obstetrics economics are bimodal: strong earnings against heavy indemnity + lifestyle costs; many fellows now build gynae-weighted or public-private hybrid careers.
Income
- Public packages $300,000–460,000; private obstetric practices $350,000–700,000+ gross of ~$60,000–120,000 indemnity (indicative).
- Gynae-only and fertility-sector (REI) careers offer high income with controllable hours, the internal lifestyle arbitrage of the specialty.
Pre-tax, indicative, and highly variable with hours, setting and billing model. ATO figures are averages of taxable income by reported occupation.
Subspecialties & special interests
| Area | Notes |
|---|---|
| Maternal-fetal medicine | 3-yr subspecialty fellowship |
| Gynaecological oncology | Surgical, tertiary, competitive |
| Reproductive endocrinology & infertility (REI) | IVF sector, strong economics |
| Urogynaecology | Pelvic floor surgery |
| Obstetric ultrasound (COGU) | Imaging subspecialty |
International medical graduates
- O&G is on the expedited specialist pathway (Ireland & UK qualifications, verified 2025).
- Standard RANZCOG SIMG assessment otherwise; rural obstetric positions actively sponsor.
Official links
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