Medical oncology

^{Disclaimer: Training pathway information is current as at July 2020 and is subject to change. Please check and confirm specific details with relevant colleges and health authorities directly.}

To become a Medical Oncologist, you will need to apply for fellowship with The Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Fellowship is a 6 year (full time equivalent) training pathway consisting of 3 years (full time equivalent) Adult Internal Medicine – Basic Training followed by 3 years (full time equivalent) Advanced Training in Medical Oncology.

Basic Years 1-3

Adult Internal Medicine - Basic Training: 36 months (full time) consisting of:

24 months (full time) core training (including 3 months general and acute care medicine & 12 months in medical specialties)
Maximum 12 months non-core training, which can be replaced by additional core training. which can be replaced by additional core training.
At least 12 months at a Level 3 Teaching Hospital and at least 3 months outside of a Level 3 Teaching Hospital.

Advanced Years 4-6

Advanced Training in Medical Oncology: 36 months (full time) consisting of:

24 months (full time) core training
12 months (full time) non-core training

Entry requirements/pre-requisites

Basic Training:

General Medical Registration with the Medical Board of Australia.
Eligible for registration with the RACP as a basic physician trainee.
Qualify as postgraduate year three (PGY3) or above.
Secured a Basic Training position at an accredited training hospital or health service.
Discussed your application and received approval to apply for Basic Training from the hospital (or network) Director of Physician Education (DPE). Please note that DPE approval is limited to trainees that have been formally selected onto the network.

Advanced Training:

Completion of RACP Basic Training (including written and clinical examinations) is a pre-requisite to commencing Advanced Training.
Secured employment in an appropriate Advanced Training position.

Application and selection process

Applicants will first need to apply and complete Basic Physician Training (BPT) through Queensland Basic Physician Training Network. The network provides centralised recruitment, selection and allocation of RACP registered Basic Physician Trainees (BPT) intending to commence basic physician training in Queensland. Applicants must apply through the RMO campaign to secure an employment contract for a position in an accredited facility.

Once you have secured an Basic Training position, you must prospectively apply for approval as per the RACP Progression through Training Policy.

To proceed to Advanced Training, applicants can secure an Advanced Training position at an accredited training site by applying through the RMO Campaign to the Queensland Medical Oncology Advanced Training Network. The network manages the recruitment, selection and allocation of new and continuing trainees to accredited training sites.

Once you have secured a training position, you must prospectively apply for approval with RACP as per the Progression through Training Policy.

Program requirements

Regional training opportunities

In Queensland, the accredited training sites for the Medical Oncology Advanced Training Program include: Cairns Hospital, Gold Coast University Hospital, Ipswich Hospital, Mater Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Redcliffe Hospital, Rockhampton Hospital, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, The Prince Charles Hospital, Toowoomba Hospital and Townsville University Hospital. You’ll be required to rotate through both regional and metro training sites in order to gain a broad exposure to medical oncology and clinical supervisors.

The following table outlines the Medical Oncology training pathway and stages accredited in the Southern Queensland, Central Queensland and Wide Bay regions:

Medical Oncology Advanced Training	6 years total vocational training
	Prevocational		Basic Training			Advanced Training
	PGY1	PGY2+	3 Years			3 Years
Toowoomba Level 2 Teaching Hospital - allows up to 24 months of Basic Physician Training. Trainees must spend the additional 12 months at a Level 3 Teaching Hospital Advanced training accredited for 6 months training.	*	*	*	*	Level 3 hospital within the network (eg. Greenslopes, Princess Alexandra, Mater hospitals)	*

Career Champions and Useful Links

Medical Colleges and Training

Peak Bodies and Clinical Networks

Fact Sheets and Guides

Research and Journals

Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube
Cancer Council NSW - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
Cure Cancer - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube
European Medical Journal Oncology
Medical Oncology (Access via UQ Library Online)
JCO Oncology Practice (Access via UQ Library Online)
Therapeutic Advances in Medical Oncology (Access via UQ Library Online)

Social

Career Opportunities and Promotion

Queensland Health RMO and Registrar Recruitment Campaign

Career Champion

To speak with a Career Champion, please contact your local Regional Training Hub Team.