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Cardiology Training Pathway

How to become a cardiologist in Australia — RACP Basic Physician Training, the Divisional exams, the competitive jump onto Advanced Training in Cardiology run with CSANZ, and what the published ATO data shows cardiologists earn.

Two bottlenecks, not one: getting onto Basic Physician Training, then — after both Divisional exams — winning an accredited Advanced Training post, one of the most competitive physician subspecialties. Selection is run by hospitals/networks/states, not the RACP, with no published national rubric to optimise against.

Cardiology
RACP / CSANZ · Royal Australasian College of Physicians / Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand
Training length
7+ (intern + 3 BPT + 3 Advanced)
Competitiveness
High
Exams
RACP Divisional Written + Clinical (end of BPT)
Lifestyle
Procedure-heavy with real acute on-call (STEMI, arrhythmia)
Fellowship
FRACP (Cardiology)
Time to qualify
8–11 years

Why cardiology

Cardiologists diagnose and treat disease of the heart and circulation — coronary disease, heart failure, arrhythmias and valvular disease — across clinic, the coronary care unit and the cath lab. The work runs from non-invasive imaging (echocardiography) to procedures (angiography, PCI, devices, ablation) and time-critical emergencies like primary PCI for STEMI.

✓ Draws
  • Procedurally rich — angiography, PCI, devices, EP, echocardiography
  • Strong earnings — its own ATO code sits well above the physician blend
  • Real acute, high-impact work (primary PCI for STEMI)
  • Broad subspecialty choice from interventional to imaging to EP
⚖ Trade-offs
  • Two competitive bottlenecks (BPT, then Advanced Training)
  • No published national selection rubric to optimise against
  • Research output effectively expected to be competitive
  • Long pathway (minimum ~7 years from internship) and heavy on-call

Subspecialties

Interventional cardiology (coronary / PCI)Electrophysiology & devicesHeart failure & transplantCardiac imaging (echo, CT, MRI)Structural & congenital heart diseasePreventive & general cardiology

The training pathway

The same fellowship, two very different timelines. The fast route assumes everything goes right; most people land on the realistic one.

Fastest route
~7 years
The structural floor: intern year, 3 years of Basic Physician Training with both Divisional exams passed first time, then 3 years of Advanced Training on time. In practice it usually takes longer.
Internship
PGY1
General registration after an AMC-accredited degree. At least an intern year is required before commencing Basic Training.
Basic Physician Training (BPT)
PGY2–4 · 3 years
A minimum 3 years FTE, twelve rotations over three years, employed at an RACP-accredited hospital/network. RACP registration is compulsory from BPT1.
Divisional Examinations
end of BPT
The Divisional Written and Divisional Clinical Examinations, both sat at the end of BPT. Passing both is required to progress to Advanced Training.
Advanced Training selection (Cardiology)
competitive entry
A separate, competitive, employment-based application to an accredited cardiology post after the Divisional exams. Run by hospitals/networks/states, not the RACP.
Advanced Training in Cardiology
3 years (36 months)
36 months FTE of core training conducted to RACP/CSANZ guidelines, with required EP, cardiothoracic-surgical and cardiac-imaging rotations, a procedural logbook, a research project and work-based assessments.
Fellowship — FRACP (Cardiology)
Qualified · ~PGY7+
Specialist registration on satisfactory completion of Advanced Training. There is no separate cardiology exit examination.
Realistic route
8–11 years
Typical: intern, residency, BPT and the Divisional exams, then the competitive jump onto Advanced Training — usually after extra unaccredited cardiology/registrar time and research. The RACP publishes no typical pre-Advanced-Training figure.
Internship & residency
PGY1–2
General registration plus general medical experience; many secure a BPT network post during this time.
Basic Physician Training + Divisional exams
3+ years
Three years of BPT culminating in the Divisional Written and Clinical Examinations. The Written pass rate (Adult Medicine, all candidates) has run roughly mid-40s to high-80s per cent depending on the sitting; passing both exams is the gate to Advanced Training.
Building a competitive CV
often 1–2+ years
Cardiology Advanced Training is highly competitive; selection criteria emphasise research, publications and higher degrees, so many do additional unaccredited cardiology/registrar time and research before a successful application. No required number of years is published.
Advanced Training selection (Cardiology)
the hardest step
Competitive, employment-based application to accredited posts — a PMCV computer match in Victoria/Tasmania, a centralised statewide process in Queensland, network/hospital processes elsewhere. No national applicant-to-offer ratio is published.
Advanced Training in Cardiology
3 years
36 months FTE of core training (RACP/CSANZ), assessed by logbook, research project, work-based assessments and supervisor reports. Many add a further 1–2 year subspecialty/interventional fellowship.
Fellowship — FRACP (Cardiology)
~PGY8–11
Specialist registration on completion; commonly followed by an interventional, EP or imaging fellowship before consultant practice.

How competitive is it?

No national applicant-to-offer ratio is published for cardiology Advanced Training — the RACP doesn't recruit, and no body publishes a success rate. The hard figures are state-level: the PMCV (Victoria/Tasmania) match advertised about 17 first-year positions across ten hospitals for the 2026 intake, and NSW Health counted about 67 cardiology advanced trainees (2019). Workforce scale was about 1,199 cardiologists, ~59% in private practice (Department of Health, 2016 data).

Unaccredited time: No formal 'unaccredited' tier as in surgery, but many do extra cardiology/registrar time and research after the Divisional exams to build a competitive CV. No required number of years is published.

Sources: RACP — Cardiology Advanced Training, PMCV — 2026–2027 Cardiology Match Rules (positions & process), Department of Health — Cardiology 2016 Factsheet (NHWDS), NSW Health — Physician (Cardiology) workforce modelling (2019 data).

Selection criteria & how to apply

Cardiology has two competitive entry points, neither a national scored round with published weightings. First you compete for a Basic Physician Training post (you apply to a hospital or BPT network — the RACP sets standards but doesn't recruit); after the Divisional exams you compete again for an accredited Advanced Training post. Selection is state/network-run and none publishes numeric weightings, so the components below are qualities assessed, not percentages (state specifics are in the accordion):

Curriculum vitae & academic recordAssessed
Experience, publications, presentations, awards, higher degrees and academic performance. Cardiology selection places heavy weight on research output and publications, but no published percentage weighting exists.
InterviewAssessed
A formal panel interview (in Queensland, including a cardiologist from each accredited hospital). Each interview is scored at the time, but no published percentage split between interview and CV is available.
Referee reportsAssessed
Strength of referees' reports is a ranking factor in the PMCV (Vic/Tas) match — which explicitly assigns 'no special weight' to cardiology-specific references — and a documented Queensland criterion. No numeric weighting is published.
Eligibility — completed BPT & Divisional examsEligibility
Applicants must be registered with the RACP, have completed Basic Training including a pass in both the Divisional Written and Divisional Clinical Examinations, and hold current medical registration and an appointment to an accredited Advanced Training position.

Key documents: RACP — Cardiology Advanced Training, RACP — Entry into Basic Training, PMCV — 2026–2027 Cardiology Match Rules, RACP — Accredited Sites for Advanced Training (Cardiology).

How it works, state by state

Selection is run by states, networks and hospitals — not the RACP — and it differs by jurisdiction. Victoria and Tasmania use a PMCV computer match; Queensland runs a centralised statewide process; other states recruit through hospital/network processes. None publishes numeric scoring weightings for cardiology, and a clean per-state trainee count isn't published, so the notes below describe how selection is organised rather than quoting position numbers.
NSW NSW: about 67 cardiology advanced trainees (headcount, 2019)

Who runs selection: BPT is via centralised NSW recruitment into BPT networks; cardiology Advanced Training posts are then recruited through hospitals/networks. Selection is not run by the RACP.

Where to apply: HETI / NSW Health BPT recruitment; hospital/network Advanced Training posts — application portal.

Positions: NSW: about 67 cardiology advanced trainees (headcount, 2019)

Worth knowing: The largest cardiology training footprint; NSW Health modelling (2019) projected a need for about 3–7 new fellows a year.

Links: HETI — Basic Physician Training in NSW, NSW Health — Physician (Cardiology) workforce modelling.

VIC VIC/TAS: about 17 first-year positions across ten hospitals (2026 intake, combined match)

Who runs selection: Cardiology Advanced Training entry is via the PMCV computer match (shared with Tasmania), which ranks applicants on CV, referee reports and interview — without published percentage weightings.

Where to apply: PMCV cardiology match (Victoria/Tasmania) — application portal.

Positions: VIC/TAS: about 17 first-year positions across ten hospitals (2026 intake, combined match)

Worth knowing: A formal computer match: candidates and health services submit ranked preferences and an algorithm matches them; the rules assign 'no special weight' to cardiology references.

Links: PMCV — 2026–2027 Cardiology Match Rules.

QLD

Who runs selection: Cardiology Advanced Training entry is via a centralised statewide recruitment process, supported by senior cardiologists from each tertiary hospital with accredited positions.

Where to apply: Queensland Health statewide cardiology recruitment — application portal.

Positions: QLD: per-state trainee count not published as a verified figure

Worth knowing: Shortlisting then a formal panel interview; selection criteria include cardiology exposure, referee reports, teamwork, research and higher-degree attainment. No published percentage weighting.

Links: Queensland Health — Cardiology (Advanced Training).

SA

Who runs selection: BPT and cardiology Advanced Training are recruited through the Adelaide teaching hospitals/networks. Selection is not run by the RACP.

Where to apply: SA Health / network recruitment — application portal.

Positions: SA: per-state trainee count not published

Worth knowing: A compact statewide training footprint anchored by the major Adelaide hospitals.

Links: RACP — Cardiology Advanced Training.

WA

Who runs selection: BPT requires securing an RMO/registrar post at a network hospital first; cardiology Advanced Training is recruited through the Perth teaching hospitals/networks.

Where to apply: WA Health / network recruitment — application portal.

Positions: WA: per-state trainee count not published

Worth knowing: Entry to BPT networks generally requires first securing employment at a network hospital.

Links: RACP — Cardiology Advanced Training.

TAS TAS: counted within the Victoria/Tasmania combined match

Who runs selection: Cardiology Advanced Training entry is via the PMCV computer match shared with Victoria, so applicants can be matched to interstate posts.

Where to apply: PMCV cardiology match (Victoria/Tasmania) — application portal.

Positions: TAS: counted within the Victoria/Tasmania combined match

Worth knowing: Tasmania participates in the PMCV match, so rotations and matching can involve Victorian posts.

Links: PMCV — 2026–2027 Cardiology Match Rules.

ACT

Who runs selection: BPT and cardiology Advanced Training in Canberra are recruited through hospital/network processes; the ACT sits within broader NSW/ACT arrangements for some training.

Where to apply: ACT Health / network recruitment — application portal.

Positions: ACT: per-state trainee count not published

Worth knowing: A small training footprint centred on Canberra Hospital.

Links: RACP — Cardiology Advanced Training.

NT

Who runs selection: The Northern Territory has a very small cardiology training footprint; advanced training is commonly delivered with interstate rotations.

Where to apply: NT Health / network recruitment — application portal.

Positions: NT: per-state trainee count not published

Worth knowing: Limited local capacity; trainees often rotate interstate for core cardiology training.

Links: RACP — Cardiology Advanced Training.

How to optimise your application

The honest read: The decisive bottleneck is winning an accredited Advanced Training post after the Divisional exams. With no published rubric, the levers are the documented criteria — research and publications, sustained cardiology exposure, strong referees and a polished interview.
  • Pass the Divisional exams cleanly (tied to Eligibility gate, start during BPT) — Both the Divisional Written and Clinical Examinations must be passed to be eligible for Advanced Training — a first-time pass keeps you on timeline and frees time for research.
  • Build a research and publications record (tied to CV / academic record, start PGY2 onwards) — Cardiology selection weights research output, publications and higher degrees heavily — start early, aim for first-author papers and consider a higher degree.
  • Get sustained cardiology exposure & strong referees (tied to CV & referee reports, start BPT / post-exam) — Cardiology rotations and, often, unaccredited cardiology/registrar time build the experience and consultant referees that selection panels value.
  • Prepare thoroughly for interview (tied to Interview, start pre-application) — Panel interviews are scored on the day (in Queensland by cardiologists from each accredited hospital); practise structured answers and have your research and clinical experience ready to discuss.

Key documents & official links

FAQ

Is cardiology hard to get into?
Yes — see biggest_catch above. No national applicant-to-offer ratio is published, but the heavy emphasis on research and publications in selection reflects how competitive it is.
How long does training take?
A structural minimum of about seven years from internship: 1 year intern + 3 years Basic Physician Training + 3 years Advanced Training in Cardiology, leading to FRACP. In practice it's commonly 8–11 years, because many do extra unaccredited cardiology/registrar time and research to be competitive for Advanced Training, and many add a further 1–2 year subspecialty fellowship.
Is selection national or state-based?
State/network-based, not national. The RACP sets standards but does not recruit or select trainees. For Advanced Training, Victoria and Tasmania use a PMCV computer match (ranking on CV, referees and interview), Queensland runs a centralised statewide process, and other states recruit through hospital/network processes. No state or the College publishes numeric weightings.
What are the exams?
The barrier exams are the RACP Divisional Written and Divisional Clinical Examinations, both sat at the end of Basic Physician Training; passing both is required to progress to Advanced Training. There is no separate cardiology exit examination — Advanced Training is assessed by a procedural logbook, a research project, work-based assessments and supervisor reports. The RACP publishes pass rates only by Division (Adult Medicine), not for cardiology specifically.
How much do cardiologists earn?
Cardiology has its own ATO code (253312), and in 2023–24 cardiologists averaged about $552,812 taxable income with a median of about $490,520 — well above the blended four-digit "internal medicine specialist" group (about $362,120 average), which mixes all physician subtypes. The driver is a large fee-for-service procedural and imaging component (angiography, PCI, devices, EP, echocardiography). These are taxable-income proxies for gross earnings, not salaries.

Trained overseas? (IMG pathway)

How overseas-trained cardiology doctors get recognised

Overseas-trained cardiologists are assessed by the RACP under the Standard Specialist Assessment Pathway for comparability to an Australian-trained cardiologist. Substantially comparable applicants do up to 12 months of supervised practice with an interview and no further exam; partially comparable applicants do up to 24 months (top-up training then peer review); not-comparable applicants aren't offered this route. An Accelerated Specialist Pathway is a faster route for substantially-comparable consultants from the UK, Ireland, India, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

See the RACP — Standard Specialist Assessment Pathway and our IMG internship guide.

General & Internal Medicine RACPIntensive Care Medicine CICMRadiology RANZCR

Last reviewed 2026-06-09.

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