• A medical degree with full registration to practice medicine in either Australia or New Zealand at the time of applying; and
• citizenship or permanent resident status in Australia or New Zealand (an applicant’s citizenship or residency status must be confirmed by 1 April of the year/s they apply to enter the VTP); and
• completed a minimum of two years full-time equivalent (with a minimum of 47 weeks full-time equivalent (FTE) per year) post graduate pre-vocational experience (including the intern year) when you enter the VTP, which must include a minimum of 18 months of broad experience in medical, clinical, and surgical settings other than ophthalmology.

Each year, the College carries out a two-step process to select trainees to commence the RANZCO Vocational Training Program (VTP) for the following year. The VTP develops specialist ophthalmologists who, upon completion of training, are equipped to undertake safe, autonomous and comprehensive general ophthalmology practice.

What is provided below is general information about RANZCO’s selection process based on previous years. Examples of the most recent Selection Process forms and requirements can be found in the side menu under the ‘Selection’ heading.

Successful applicants will normally commence training in February and will be required to attend Eye Camp prior to start of training.

The current cost of selection is $1,890* plus GST, non-refundable.

We also offer a combined FRANZCO – PhD/MD pathway that can be undertaken concurrently with the VTP. You do not need to already have a masters or PhD to be selected or the VTP.

RANZCO is committed to fostering places of work and training where people feel included and valued. We welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Māori and Pacific peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse background, mature-age people, and people with disability regardless of sex, sexuality or gender identity.

*First Nations, Māori and Pacific applicants in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand are eligible for reimbursement of this fee, courtesy of the Australian and New Zealand Eye Foundation (ANZEF). Funding available is for one attempt per applicant. For more information, contact anzef@ranzcodev.dev.nucleoserver.com.

In Step 1, applicants apply to RANZCO and through a rigorous selection process, suitability to join the training program is confirmed.

The selection process uses CV review, referee reports, and mini multiple interviews in Part 1. Example forms are available, and you are strongly encouraged to review these prior to applying. Please also familiarise yourself with the Scoring Criteria, Selection Policy and Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), also available via the lefthand menu.

In Step 2, individual Training Networks in Australia and New Zealand then assess and select the best trainees for their network from this shortlist and make them an offer of employment in a training post.

Summary of changes for the 2025 selection process and following years:

• A 5% audit of applications will be undertaken
• Family members cannot witness your declaration or certify your documents
• Regional attributes:
  • have been reduced to a maximum of 7 points, accordingly the threshold to gain any points has been changed to 2.5
  • regional areas for New Zealand have been redefined to any area outside of U1 using the Geographical Classification for Health
  • a minimum of 12-months continuous experience in a regional area need to be spent to gain any points
  • overseas regional experience (outside of Australia/New Zealand) is no longer counted
• “Other attributes” have been discontinued
• Scholar grading will be updated, the new point allocation will be available on 6 January 2025
• Ophthalmic Work Experience Form has been updated
• Referees will now be randomly selected by RANZCO, please see the registration form in section 5 for more information
• Multiple Mini Interview points have been allocated 30 points in total

Therefore, the point allocation for the centralised selection process for 2025 and following years is:

The Australian and New Zealand Eye Foundation (ANZEF), RANZCO’s philanthropic arm, provides a range of scholarships throughout the year for RANZCO VTP trainees as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Māori and Pacific medical students and junior doctors in eye health.

Read about A Career in Sight for Māori and Pacific Doctors and RANZCO Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Doctors.

Please visit the ANZEF website for more information on scholarships available.