Retiring from practice

If you are ready to fully retire from practice, there are two primary steps you need to take: cease your practising registration with the medical regulator and notify the College of your retirement.

1. Cease your practising registration with the medical regulator

Once your practicing medical registration has ceased, you can no longer practice as a medical specialist.

Australia and New Zealand have different registration policies and procedures. Refer to your national medical regulator to understand what it means to cancel your registration and any other options available to you.

Australia - Medical Board of Australia (MBA)
Aotearoa New Zealand – Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ)

Note: Australian medical practitioners have the option of transitioning their registration with the Medical Board of Australia to ‘non practising’. Non-practising registration removes the requirement to meet CPD obligations.

2. Notify the College of your retirement from practice

After you’ve ceased your practicing registration with the medical regulator, you need to formally notify the College. Once your retirement has been officially recognised by the RANZCP Board, you will become a Retired Fellow.

How to notify the College of your retirement

Read the RANZCP’s Policy: Application for Retired Fellow Status (PDF; 137 kb)

Complete the FRANZCP Declaration of Retirement Form

Retired Fellow status

Retired Fellows have the same powers, privileges and obligations as Fellows, but no CPD obligations.

The College encourages you to stay involved and engaged in College life post-retirement.

CPD obligations as a Retired Fellow

Once you have ceased your practising medical registration, you don’t need to meet Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements.

However, if you still hold practising registration with the medical regulator, you must continue to meet your CPD obligations, even if you are working reduced hours.

Email cpdhelp@ranzcp.org to clarify if you are unsure of your obligations.

College fees as a Retired Fellow

Retired Fellows are exempt from further membership fees.

If you notify the College of your retirement by 31 March, you will not be charged fees for that year. If you have outstanding fees from previous years, you still owe them to the College as a Retired Fellow.

What you can and can’t do once retired

Once your practising registration has ceased, you’re not allowed to engage in medical practice.

For the purposes of retirement, RANZCP defines ‘practice as a specialist psychiatrist’ to include all forms of:

medicine
psychiatry

medico-legal work

medical administration

academia

involvement in panels, tribunals and boards

other specialist non-clinical work.

You must be a practising Fellow and meet CPD requirements to participate in any of the activities above, whether you’re paid or not.

For specific guidance on what you can and can’t do refer to the resources below:

Policy: Application for Retired Fellow Status (PDF; 137 kb)

the Medical Board of Australia’s statement ‘Medical Registration – What does it mean? Who should be registered’ (PDF; 1MB)

Medical Council of New Zealand’s Definition of Practice of Medicine (PDF; 129kb)

Contact the CPD team to clarify which activities you can undertake as a Retired Fellow. Email cpdhelp@ranzcp.org.