AussieClinicians Pay and Finance for Australian Doctors & Nurses
Doctors Nurses
Salary guide Compare states NSW VIC QLD SA WA TAS NT ACT
Home › Specialties › Medical Oncology

Medical Oncology Training Pathway

How to become a medical oncologist in Australia — RACP Basic Physician Training, the Divisional exams, the competitive jump onto Advanced Training in Medical Oncology, the clinical-trials and systemic-therapy requirements, how it differs from radiation oncology and haematology, and what the published ATO data shows medical oncologists earn.

Two bottlenecks, not one: getting onto Basic Physician Training, then — after both Divisional exams — winning an accredited Advanced Training post. Selection is run by hospitals, networks and states, not the RACP, with no published national scored rubric. Medical oncology is a separate pathway from radiation oncology (a different college, RANZCR) and haematology, and it's largely cognitive and clinical-trials-rich rather than procedural.

Medical Oncology
RACP / MOGA · Royal Australasian College of Physicians / Medical Oncology Group of Australia
Training length
6+ (3 BPT + 3 Advanced)
Competitiveness
Moderate
Exams
RACP Divisional Written + Clinical (end of BPT)
Lifestyle
Largely cognitive and outpatient; clinical-trials-rich; moderate acute on-call
Fellowship
FRACP (Medical Oncology)
Time to qualify
8–11 years

Why medical oncology

You diagnose and manage cancer with systemic therapy — chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted and hormonal therapy — across solid-tumour streams. The work is largely cognitive and outpatient: complex decision-making, long-term and end-of-life care, and heavy multidisciplinary work. Clinical trials are central and a curriculum requirement. Acute work (febrile neutropenia, oncologic emergencies, inpatient care of unwell cancer patients) exists, but the procedural load is light.

✓ Draws
  • Intellectually rich, evidence- and clinical-trials-driven practice
  • Largely cognitive and outpatient, with a light procedural load
  • Rapidly evolving field (immunotherapy, targeted and precision oncology)
  • Earnings around or slightly above the physician average (ATO data)
⚖ Trade-offs
  • Two competitive bottlenecks (BPT, then Advanced Training)
  • No national selection rubric to optimise against
  • Emotionally demanding — serious illness, end-of-life care
  • Long pathway (~6 years college training) with research expected to compete

Subspecialties

Breast, lung, GI, GU, melanoma & other tumour streamsEarly-phase / Phase I clinical trials & drug developmentPrecision oncology & molecular tumour boardsAdolescent & young-adult oncologyCancer survivorship & supportive careDual training in clinical haematology (separate program)

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
~6 years (college training)
The published portion of the pathway — three years of Basic Physician Training with both Divisional exams passed first time, then three years of Advanced Training completed on time. The RACP doesn't publish a single internship-to-Fellowship total; adding internship and residency, the real-world minimum is longer.
Internship
PGY1
General registration after an AMC-accredited degree. At least an intern year is required before commencing Basic Training; the RACP does not publish a fixed PGY for BPT entry.
Basic Physician Training (BPT)
PGY2–4 · 3 years
A minimum 36 months FTE of Basic Training (minimum 24 months completed before sitting the Divisional Written Examination), plus an Advanced Life Support course, employed at an RACP-accredited hospital/network. RACP registration is compulsory from BPT1.
Divisional Examinations
end of BPT
The Divisional Written (February/October) and Divisional Clinical Examinations in Adult Internal Medicine, sat during/at the end of BPT. Passing both is required to progress to Advanced Training.
Advanced Training selection (Medical Oncology)
competitive entry
A separate, competitive, employment-based application to an accredited medical oncology post after the Divisional exams. Run by hospitals/networks/states, not the RACP.
Advanced Training in Medical Oncology
3 years (36 months)
36 months FTE — minimum 24 months core in accredited clinical oncology posts (across at least 2 settings, maximum 24 months at one), maximum 12 months non-core (research, laboratory, overseas or related cancer specialties), with throughput minimums (≥3 clinics and ≥3 new patients per week) and an Advanced Training Research Project.
Fellowship — FRACP (Medical Oncology)
Qualified · ~PGY7+
Specialist registration on satisfactory completion of Advanced Training. There is no separate medical oncology exit examination.
Realistic route
8–11 years
Typical — internship, residency, a competitive entry to BPT, the Divisional exams, then a competitive jump onto Advanced Training (often after extra unaccredited oncology/registrar time and research). The RACP doesn't publish a typical number of pre-Advanced-Training years.
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 from the mid-40s to low-80s per cent depending on the sitting; passing both exams is the gate to Advanced Training.
Building a competitive CV
often 1–2+ years
Medical oncology Advanced Training is competitive; selection weighs CV, research, references and interview, so many do additional unaccredited oncology/registrar time and research before a successful application. No required number of years is published.
Advanced Training selection (Medical Oncology)
the hardest step
Competitive, employment-based application to accredited posts — a PMCV two-sided preference match in Victoria/Tasmania, network/statewide processes in NSW and Queensland, hospital processes in the western states. No national applicant-to-offer ratio is published.
Advanced Training in Medical Oncology
3 years
36 months FTE of core (and non-core) training in systemic anti-cancer therapy and multidisciplinary cancer care, with clinical-trials competence, throughput minimums, an Advanced Training Research Project, work-based assessments and supervisor reports.
Fellowship — FRACP (Medical Oncology)
~PGY8–11
Specialist registration on completion; many add a post-Fellowship tumour-stream or early-phase-trials fellowship, or pursue separate clinical-haematology training, before consultant practice.

How competitive is it?

No national applicant-to-offer ratio is published — selection is employment-based and run by hospitals, networks and states. The workforce figures are dated: the 2016 NHWDS factsheet counted 568 medical oncologists (about 29.8% in the private sector), a ratio of about 2.1 per 100,000; NSW 2019 data put the state at 236 specialists (186 clinical) with 68 advanced trainees. NSW modelling concluded the state would have enough new fellows to meet need by 2035 without increasing trainee numbers — a different picture from older national MOGA modelling (2009/2014) describing a shortfall.

Unaccredited time: There's no formal 'unaccredited' tier as in surgery, but medical oncology Advanced Training is competitive enough that many do extra unaccredited oncology/registrar time and research after the Divisional exams to build a competitive CV before a successful application. No required or typical number of years is published.

Sources: RACP — Medical Oncology Advanced Training, MOGA — Medical Oncology Group of Australia, Department of Health — Medical Oncology Workforce factsheet (NHWDS 2016), NSW Health — Medical Oncology workforce modelling (2019 data).

Selection criteria & how to apply

Medical oncology has two competitive entry points with no national scored round — unlike neurology, the one physician subspecialty that publishes a national rubric. First you compete for a Basic Physician Training post; after three years of BPT you must pass both Divisional exams; then comes the harder step, a separate employment-based application for an accredited Advanced Training post. Selection is by hospitals, networks and states, none publishing numeric weightings, so the components below are qualities assessed, not percentages. State specifics are in the accordion:

Curriculum vitae & clinical experienceAssessed
Assessed across every state process — oncology and general-medical experience, academic record and clinical competence. The PMCV (Vic/Tas) match takes the CV/application into the health-service ranking but publishes no percentage weighting.
Research & other achievementsAssessed
Publications, presentations, higher degrees and clinical-trials involvement strengthen an application — research output is a core differentiator in a trials-heavy specialty — but no published weighting exists.
References & interviewAssessed
Referees are required (the PMCV match asks for three — two consultants plus a nurse-unit manager for new applicants, or two medical oncologists for current trainees), and shortlisted applicants attend an interview. No published split between CV, references and interview is available.
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 — Medical Oncology Advanced Training, RACP — Entry into Basic Training, PMCV — Medical Oncology Match (Vic/Tas), MOGA — Trainees.

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 two-sided preference match; NSW and Queensland run network/statewide recruitment; the western states recruit through their teaching hospitals. None publishes numeric scoring weightings for medical oncology, so the notes below describe how selection is organised rather than quoting a weighting.
NSW NSW: 68 medical oncology advanced trainees and 236 specialists (186 clinical) in 2019 modelling

Who runs selection: BPT is via centralised NSW recruitment into BPT networks; medical oncology Advanced Training is then recruited through a statewide oncology training network coordinated by HETI. Selection is not run by the RACP.

Where to apply: HETI / NSW Health BPT recruitment; statewide medical oncology training network — application portal.

Positions: NSW: 68 medical oncology advanced trainees and 236 specialists (186 clinical) in 2019 modelling

Worth knowing: The largest oncology training footprint; NSW modelling (2019 data) projected the state would have enough new fellows to meet need by 2035 without increasing trainee numbers. Selection runs through the HETI-coordinated statewide network.

Links: HETI — Basic Physician Training in NSW, NSW Health — Medical Oncology workforce modelling.

VIC VIC/TAS: rotation lines across many health services (Austin, Alfred, Monash, Peter MacCallum, Eastern, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Goulburn Valley, Launceston, Royal Hobart, St Vincent's and others); an exact current first-year count isn't published as a verified figure

Who runs selection: Medical oncology Advanced Training entry is via the PMCV two-sided preference match (shared with Tasmania), in which candidates and health services rank each other; the CV/application, three referees and an interview feed the match, without published percentage weightings.

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

Positions: VIC/TAS: rotation lines across many health services (Austin, Alfred, Monash, Peter MacCallum, Eastern, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Goulburn Valley, Launceston, Royal Hobart, St Vincent's and others); an exact current first-year count isn't published as a verified figure

Worth knowing: A formal two-sided preference match run on behalf of the RACP and the Victoria/Tasmania medical oncology coordinator: candidates and health services rank each other, a shortlist is interviewed, and overall rankings aren't released to candidates. Positions span metropolitan, regional Victorian and Tasmanian services.

Links: PMCV — Medical Oncology New Trainees Match.

QLD

Who runs selection: Medical oncology Advanced Training entry is via a Queensland statewide medical oncology training network; applicants apply through the Queensland Health RMO Campaign portal and preference individual facilities.

Where to apply: Queensland Health RMO Campaign (medical oncology network) — application portal.

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

Worth knowing: A statewide network oversees recruitment and allocation; the exact number of positions and any scoring weightings aren't published as verifiable figures.

Links: Queensland Health — Medical Oncology (Advanced Training).

SA

Who runs selection: BPT and medical oncology 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 and their cancer services; detailed published selection rubrics aren't available.

Links: RACP — Medical Oncology Advanced Training.

WA

Who runs selection: Medical oncology core Advanced Training posts are offered at the major Perth teaching hospitals (Fiona Stanley, Sir Charles Gairdner and Royal Perth), with entry after RACP Basic Physician Training.

Where to apply: WA Health / network recruitment (PMCWA careers) — application portal.

Positions: WA: per-state trainee count not published

Worth knowing: Core positions are concentrated at Fiona Stanley, Sir Charles Gairdner and Royal Perth Hospitals; no published scoring weightings.

Links: PMCWA — Medical Oncology careers.

TAS TAS: counted within the Victoria/Tasmania combined match (Launceston and Royal Hobart participate)

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

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

Positions: TAS: counted within the Victoria/Tasmania combined match (Launceston and Royal Hobart participate)

Worth knowing: Launceston General and Royal Hobart Hospitals participate in the PMCV match, so rotations and matching can involve Victorian posts.

Links: PMCV — Medical Oncology New Trainees Match.

ACT

Who runs selection: BPT and medical oncology Advanced Training in Canberra are recruited through hospital/network processes. Selection is not run by the RACP.

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 the Canberra Region Cancer Centre at Canberra Hospital.

Links: RACP — Medical Oncology Advanced Training.

NT

Who runs selection: The Northern Territory has a small medical oncology training footprint; advanced training may involve interstate rotations.

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

Positions: NT: per-state trainee count not published

Worth knowing: A small training footprint with significant access challenges and a high cancer burden in remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; advanced training may involve interstate rotations.

Links: RACP — Medical Oncology Advanced Training.

How to optimise your application

The honest read: Two bottlenecks, but the decisive one is winning an accredited Advanced Training post after the Divisional exams. With no published rubric, the levers are the documented inputs — oncology experience, research and clinical-trials involvement, strong (ideally oncology) referees and a polished interview — not a weighting you can game.
  • 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 and oncology terms.
  • Build research and clinical-trials exposure (tied to Research & other achievements, start PGY2 onwards) — Research and trials involvement are core differentiators in a trials-heavy specialty — aim for oncology rotations, publications, presentations and trials experience early.
  • Line up strong (ideally oncology) referees (tied to References, start BPT / post-exam) — The PMCV match requires three referees (including a nurse-unit manager for new applicants) and other states require referee reports — sustained oncology terms let you field strong, relevant referees.
  • Prepare for the interview (tied to Interview, start pre-application) — Shortlisted applicants attend an interview — practise structured, case-based answers and be ready to discuss research, clinical-trials experience and motivation.

Key documents & official links

FAQ

Is medical oncology hard to get into?
It's a competitive physician subspecialty with two bottlenecks (see biggest_catch). No national applicant-to-offer ratio is published — selection is run by hospitals, networks and states (see Competitiveness). A 2018 MOGA survey found most advanced trainees were concerned about future job prospects — that's about post-Fellowship jobs, not entry competition, so we don't present it as a selection ratio.
How long does training take?
The published portion is about six years of college training: 3 years of Basic Physician Training + 3 years of Advanced Training, leading to FRACP. Adding internship and residency, the real-world pathway is commonly 8–11 years, because many do extra unaccredited oncology/registrar time and research to be competitive. The RACP doesn't publish a single internship-to-Fellowship total.
How is medical oncology different from radiation oncology and haematology?
They're separate specialties and separate pathways. Medical oncology treats cancer with systemic therapy (chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy) and is trained through the RACP. Radiation oncology — treating cancer with radiotherapy — is a wholly separate college (RANZCR), not an RACP pathway. Clinical (or joint) haematology is another separate RACP/RCPA Advanced Training program (the joint program runs four years). Some doctors dual-train in medical oncology and haematology, but that means completing both programs, not a single combined qualification.
Does medical oncology involve procedures, and are there logbook minimums?
Medical oncology is a largely cognitive, outpatient specialty with a light procedural load (see Day-to-day). The Advanced Training program is competency-based with no procedure logbook minimums. Published numeric requirements are clinical-throughput minimums (≥3 clinics and ≥3 new patients per week, averaged over six months), minimum 24 months core across at least two settings, and an Advanced Training Research Project. There is no separate medical oncology exit examination; RACP pass rates are by Division (Adult Medicine) only.
How much do medical oncologists earn?
Medical oncology has its own ATO code (253314), and in 2023–24 medical oncologists (600 individuals) averaged about $366,096 taxable income with a median of about $335,811 — slightly above the blended four-digit "internal medicine specialist" average (about $362,120) and above its median (about $316,410), which is notable for a largely cognitive specialty. Income leans on consultant attendances plus the administration and supervision of systemic therapy and clinical-trials work; the anti-cancer drugs themselves are funded through the PBS, not MBS. The ATO data also shows a substantial gender gap in average taxable income. These are taxable-income proxies for gross earnings, not salaries.

Trained overseas? (IMG pathway)

How overseas-trained medical oncology doctors get recognised

Overseas-trained medical oncologists are assessed by the RACP under the Standard Specialist Assessment Pathway for comparability to an Australian-trained medical oncologist, within the Medical Board's specialist pathway. Substantially comparable applicants complete up to 12 months of peer review (supervised practice at the level of a first-year consultant); partially comparable applicants complete up to 24 months total of supervised practice including any further training and assessments. An Accelerated Specialist Pathway offers a faster, paper-based route for applicants with an eligible qualification and consultant experience from the United Kingdom (CCT/CCST), Ireland (CSCST), Hong Kong (FHKAM and FHKCP), India (MD plus DM) and Sri Lanka (PGIM Adult Medicine). The RACP does not credit overseas-based training toward the Australian medical oncology Advanced Training program — IMGs complete designated supervised practice, not Advanced Training credit.

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

General & Internal Medicine RACPRespiratory & Sleep Medicine RACP / TSANZRheumatology RACP / ARA

Last reviewed 2026-06-09.

Free · straight to your inbox Know the moment your pay changes We track every Australian nursing & medical award and EBA — get an email when your rates update, plus the occasional pay & career guide. No spam.

AussieClinicians is an independent pay, finance and careers resource for Australian doctors and nurses, built by Jacob Stretton (RN; final-year medical student). Estimates only — verify with your payslip, payroll, and the linked award/EBA + ATO sources. Not financial or tax advice.