Ophthalmology

An ophthalmologist is a specialist who handles all the medical aspects of eye care, including treatment, surgery, and the prescription of contact lenses and glasses, as well as medicines for eye problems.

Minimum Time to Completion: 7 years from graduation

Details

How to Apply

Eligibility Requirements

Prospective trainees must:

Hold a medical degree with full registration to practice medicine in either Australia or New Zealand at the time of application.
Hold citizenship or permanent resident status of Australia or New Zealand by 1 April.
Have completed a minimum of two years (including the intern year) full-time postgraduate pre-vocational experience at the commencement of ophthalmology training, including a minimum of 18 months of broad experience in non-ophthalmic medical, clinical and surgical settings within such posts.

RANZCO’s selection criteria are the seven key roles which underpin the work of a specialist ophthalmologist: medical expert, scholar, communicator, collaborator, manager, health advocate and professional.

Application Process

The RANZCO selection website publishes a timeline of selection.

Selection is a two-step process: the first step comprises CV review, referee reports, situational judgement test and mini multiple interviews, while the second step involves individual training networks in Australia and New Zealand assessing and selecting the best trainees for their network from this shortlist and make them an offer of employment in a training post.

RANZCO’s centralised weightings comprise:

Curriculum vitae (32 pts)
- Scholar (8 pts)
- Ophthalmic expert (4 pts)
- Indigeneity (4 pts)
- Rural exposure (4 pts)
- Other attributes (4 pts)
References (13 pts)
- Medical expert (11 pts)
- Professional attributes (2 pts)
Situational Judgement Test (20 pts)
Multiple Mini Interview (35 pts)

Individual training networks can and often apply their own weightings.

Example registration forms and referee reports have been published.

Program Structure

Training consists of 60 months of certified training time, and is taken in three stages:

Basic Training (2 years)

Trainees learn/demonstrate integrated clinical skills and knowledge in the Ophthalmic Sciences (OS) and the Ophthalmic Basic Competencies and Knowledge (OBCK)

Advanced Training (2 years)

Trainees learn/demonstrate integrated knowledge, clinical and surgical skills as documented in the clinical standards.

Final Year Training

Trainees develop their specialist experience in preparation for specialist qualification and to function in the community as an independent general ophthalmologist.

Fees

Annual Fee:

Training Fee: AUD $4,950
Overseas Training Fee: AUD $825

Exam Fee:

Basic exams

Anatomy: AUD $2,198
OBCK: AUD $2,198
COPEM Module 1: AUD $644
COPEM Module 2: AUD $644
Optics: AUD $644
Physiology: AUD $644

Advanced exams

RACE Clinical: AUD $3,023
RACE Written: AUD $966
RACE Written and Clinical: AUD $3,989
Ophthalmic Pathology: AUD $966

Registration Fee:

AUD $1,660

Other Fee(s):

Selection: AUD $1,800 plus GST.
Eye Camp: AUD $4,250 (2022)

Useful Resources / Courses / Conferences

The University of Melbourne Masters of Surgery
The University of Sydney Masters in Ophthalmic Science
Research/Audits/PhD
RANZCO Annual Congress
RANZCO Victorian State Branch meeting
RVEEH Ophthalmic Alumni meeting

Key Information

PGY Intake Year (earliest)

PGY3

Training Duration (minimum)

5 years FTE

General Progression

Note that this represents one of the quickest routes to specialty training, and may not reflect additional HMO or unaccredited years of training.

Year 1

Internship

Year 2

PGY2 year (some hospitals offer ophthalmology rotations)

Year 3

Commence Ophthalmology Training (PGY3+)

Part Time Option: Yes

Last Updated: January 30, 2023

The information found in this portal has been painstakingly collated by JMOs for JMOs, and is intended as a career progression guide for every aspiring JMO. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and currency of the information presented on this website, but recent changes made by Specialist Medical Colleges may not be reflected in real time; please consult with the respective Specialist Medical College websites for the latest information. PMCV and JMO Victoria accepts no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. Please feel free to contact our team with suggestions or comments via the feedback form.