General surgery

^{Disclaimer: Training pathway information is current as at June 2021 and is subject to change. Please check and confirm specific details with relevant colleges and health authorities directly.}

To become a General Surgeon, you will need to apply for fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Fellowship is a 5-year (full time) Surgical Education and Training (SET) pathway and consists of:

SET 1, 12 months full time): Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 2 x 6 month terms.
SET 2-5, 48 months full time: Satisfactory completion of 8 x 6 month rotations at accredited posts.

For trainees commencing 2022 onwards, a revised General Surgery Education and Training (GSET) pathway is being implemented, consisting of two stages:

Core Training (36 months), GSET 1-3 focuses on foundation skills relating to general surgery.
Principal Training (24 months), GSET 4-5 provides increased trainee involvement and clinical complexity.

Entry requirements/pre-requisites

General Medical Registration with the Medical Board of Australia.
Be a citizen of Australia or New Zealand or a permanent resident of Australia.
Completion of PGY2 (earliest year of entry is PGY3), including a minimum of 26 weeks in General Surgery rotations and a minimum of 8 weeks in a critical care rotation. Each rotation must be a minimum of 8 continuous weeks.
Completion of the RACS Hand Hygiene Learning Module and the RACS Operating with Respect eLearning module.
Successful completion of the Generic Surgical Sciences exam.

Application and selection process

Applicants must first register their intention to apply with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). Responsibility for the administration of the GSET program of RACS has been delegated to General Surgeons Australia, therefore applications are to be submitted via the General Surgeons Australia Online Application form.

Queensland Health offers a central allocations program for SET 1 Principal House Officer (PHO) applications in General Surgery. Applicants will need to complete their Queensland Health preferencing via the RMO Campaign.

SET 2-5 allocations for General Surgery are conducted by RACS, and selection to the SET Program occurs annually. Applicants need to apply directly to RACS for a training position in General Surgery. In Queensland, for an employment contract to be issued by your allocated training facility, applicants must also submit an application via the RMO Campaign.

Program requirements

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To speak with a Career Champion, please contact your local Regional Training Hub Team.

General surgery

Entry requirements/pre-requisites

Application and selection process

Program requirements

Career Champions and Useful Links

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