New RACP Accelerated Pathway and summary

 

This blog is about the major changes the Royal Australasian College of Physicians have made to their assessment process following the introduction of the Expedited Specialist Pathway for General Medicine and General Paediatrics.

 

It is important to note the following.

 

RACP - is the medical college which controls the application and process for an overseas trained specialist’s journey towards Fellowship in Australia (FRACP). Once you get assessed by the college, you then move to the medical registration process, governed by Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) also known as the Medical Board of Australia (MBA). 

 

It is AHPRA who have created the expedited specialist pathway (ESP) for medical registration. 

 

In other medical specialties where an ESP has been created (Psychiatry, GP, Obs & Gyn, Anaesthesia),some of the respective medical colleges responded in kind by creating new “accelerated” pathways to Fellowship for specialists trained in certain countries. Remember, AHPRA acted unilaterally and controversially when creating their new process. The colleges have been playing catch up when an ESP has been announced.

 

The RACP has now responded with their Accelerated Pathway. What caught my eye about the RACP’s version is that their accepted list of countries of training for this is far broader than other Australian medical colleges.

 

Below is a summary of all pathways (at time of writing in March 18 2026) available for overseas trained Physicians and Paediatricians. 

 

Accelerated Pathway 

This provides a pathway to FRACP if you secure a position which can provide the supervision and WBA program.

The assessment does not include an interview with RACP which means a quicker outcome (and cheaper fee). You may also require less supervision on this pathway - for example 6 months instead of 12.

 

Country of Training	Qualifications
UK	CCT or CCST
Republic of Ireland	CSCST
India	Both: MD in either General Medicine or General Paediatrics and a DM in the specialty you are applying in.
Hong Kong	Both : FHKAM and FHKCP
Sri Lanka	Both: MD and an Adult Medicine qualification from PGIM at University of Colombo.

Please note:
Applicants in Paediatric Emergency Medicine aren’t eligible for the Accelerated Specialist Pathway; they may be eligible for the Standard Specialist Assessment Pathway instead.
A Diploma in Child Health (DCH) from India is not considered an acceptable specialist qualification because it is only 2 years of training

 

If you don’t meet the above criteria then you must apply to the traditional Standard Specialist Assessment Pathway. 

 

2. Standard Specialist Assessment Pathway. 

 

This would include an interview and would be more expensive, sadly. This also provides a pathway to FRACP, assuming you are able to secure employment which can provide the supervision and WBA program.

 

3. Expedited Specialist Pathway

This is only for General Medicine and General Paediatrics. The ESP only relates to medical registration as a specialist and does not provide a pathway to FRACP. Physicians in General Medicine and Paediatrics who meet the following criteria are eligible to apply.

 

General Paediatrics ESP
Country of Training	Qualifications
UK	MRCPH and CCT from 2007.
Republic of Ireland	MRCPI and CSCST from 2019

Please note:
All general paediatric applicants will be required to demonstrate recent and relevant clinical experience in general paediatrics. Completion of an Australian child protection course and Advanced Paediatric Life Support (APLS), or equivalent, is a requirement for registration.

General Medicine ESP
Country of Training	Qualifications
UK	MRCP (UK) with CCT in General Internal Medicine from 2007. Or approved dual-training CCT pathway , specifically, this includes applicants with   General Internal Medicine (stand-alone training) from August 2007 onwards Dual General Internal Medicine and Acute Internal Medicine from August 2009 onwards General Internal Medicine training in an approved dual CCT pairing from August 2019 onwards.

Please note: 
Applicants will be required to demonstrate recent and relevant clinical experience in general medicine.

 

For the General Medicine ESP, UK CCT is the only country/qualification combination approved for this pathway.

The introduction of the Expedited Specialist Pathways (ESP) has accelerated access to specialist registration in Australia for Physicians with certain training - but it’s also created a more complex and, at times, confusing landscape. I’m still unsure if the ESP in itself will lead to workforce gaps being filled . However , what I do know is that it has forced the colleges to create these Accelerated Pathways which is a positive for both physician and employer. In particular, the RACP’s response with the introduction of their Accelerated Pathway is really positive. Not only does it streamline the assessment process, but it has also opened the door to a broader range of international specialists compared to other colleges. 

 

To summarise, the ESP provides faster registration (BUT is limited to General Medicine & Paediatrics, and very specific criteria).

 

RACP pathways provide a route to FRACP (essential for easier career progression or if you just want the letters after your name).

 

It’s been a dynamic 18 months with these changes so it's more important than ever for candidates (and clinical directors and workforce) to get up-to-date advice.

 

At Spinner Medical Recruitment, we support candidates through every stage. Our service is free, friendly and confidential.

 

If you’d like to explore our current opportunities or upcoming roles, or have any questions about the above feel free to get in touch for a confidential discussion.