A group of rebel doctors has taken over the board of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, in an election that has been marred by allegations of online abuse and claims of potential breaches of the law.

An independent investigator will be called in to probe the allegations, which also include claims of improper access of people's contact details.

The dispute is yet another sign of dysfunction within the college that was recently slammed for its handling of a high-stakes exam for 1200 trainees, which was abruptly cancelled in the middle of the February test due to a technical fault. No back-up paper exams were provided.

The board election delivered a landslide win to a dissenting group of doctors that had been highly critical of the college’s handling of the botched exam and their response to earlier whistleblower and bullying allegations.

Head of the “reform team", Melbourne respiratory physician Professor John Wilson, was announced as the new president-elect on Wednesday evening. He will serve two years in this role from May, before taking over as college president in 2020.