How to Specialise as a Doctor in Australia: Breaking Down the Pathway
- asperharry
- Jan 5
- 3 min read
Alrighty, let's talk about this. Spoiler alert—it’s not as straightforward as people might think. A lot of people assume that after medical school, you just become a GP and casually choose a specialty later on. But nope, that’s not how it works here. Australia has a pretty unique system compared to other countries, and the pathway to specializing is specific, detailed, and sometimes a little overwhelming. So, let’s break it all down step by step.
Step 1: Getting Into Medical School
The journey starts with getting into medical school, which can happen in one of two ways:
1. Undergraduate Pathway
This is the direct route straight from high school. To get in, you’ll need:
A high ATAR or equivalent score (depending on your state).
A solid result in an aptitude test, i.e. the UCAT (or whatever name they’ve decided to call it this year).
An interview, usually an MMI (multiple mini-interviews). These interviews are like interview speed dating—several stations with timed questions that cover everything from why you want to do medicine to broader healthcare-related scenarios.
If you tick all these boxes, you can go straight into medical school after high school, which is typically a 5-6 year degree.
2. Postgraduate Pathway
If you don’t go straight into medicine, there’s always the postgraduate pathway. For this, you need to complete a degree first—usually something in biomedicine or science, but honestly, it could be anything (some people come in after degrees in arts, engineering, or even nursing).
The key steps here are:
Maintaining a high GPA (your weighted average mark, or WAM, needs to be competitive).
Sitting the GAMSAT, which is another aptitude test but slightly different from the other one for undergrad medicine.
Doing an MMI-style interview, similar to the undergraduate pathway.
Once you’ve nailed those, you can secure a place in a postgraduate medical degree, which is usually 4 years long.
Step 2: Internship and Residency
Congratulations, you’ve survived medical school! Now, you’re officially a doctor. But hold up—you’re not fully registered just yet.
Internship (Provisional Registration)
Your first year (now two years) as a doctor is called internship, where you’re essentially a doctor on training wheels. Everything you do is supervised, and you rotate through different specialties like medicine, surgery, and ED (emergency). It’s your chance to get a taste of everything while learning the ropes.Once you pass this, you get your general registration, meaning you’re no longer an “L-plater” doctor.
Resident Years
After internship, you become a resident. This phase is where you work across different specialties, building your skills and figuring out what you actually enjoy—or don’t enjoy. Some people spend a year or two here; others take longer, depending on what specialty they’re aiming for.
Step 3: Applying to a Specialty Program
Here’s where it gets real. Once you’ve got your general registration, you can apply to a specialty training program. But don’t think it’s as simple as sending in a CV and saying, “I want to be a surgeon!” Each specialty has its own application process, requirements, and, yes, hurdles.
How Specialty Training Works
Exams: Many specialties require entrance exams.
Interviews: These are often competitive, and you’re up against some seriously sharp people.
Research & CV: Having research publications, audits, or quality improvement projects on your CV can make a huge difference.
References: You’ll need glowing recommendations from senior doctors in the field.
Other Extras: Some specialties might look at community work, leadership roles, or teaching experience.
The Tough Part
Here’s the kicker: some specialties, like surgery or dermatology, are very competitive. And to make things even harder, many specialties have limits on how many times you can apply. For example, you might only get three or four attempts to get into a training program. If you’re unsuccessful after that, it’s game over for that specialty. No pressure, right...
How It’s Different From Other Countries
In countries like the US, your specialty is often decided during medical school. You apply to a “match program” and know what you’ll be doing after graduation—whether it’s internal medicine, surgery, or something else.
Australia’s system is different. Here, you finish med school, work as a doctor, and then apply for specialty training while you’re already in the workforce. This means you have time to explore different areas before locking in your decision, but it also means more uncertainty—and competition.
Specialising as a doctor in Australia is definitely not easy. It’s a long road filled with exams, applications, and lots of hard work. But it’s also incredibly rewarding if you’re passionate about the field you’re pursuing.
The key is to plan early. Research the specialty you’re interested in, figure out the requirements, and start building your CV as soon as possible.
Find your Specialty website
Watch me break it down in video for more
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