Orthopaedic 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 an Orthopaedic Surgeon, you will need to apply for fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

The responsibility of the administration of the Orthopaedic Surgery Surgical Education Training (SET) program of RACS has been delegated to the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA). AOA is responsible for the delivery of the AOA 21 Training Program in partnership with RACS. The AOA 21 Training Program is competency-based rather than time-based; however, the average time to complete the program is 5 years. The Surgical Education and Training (SET) pathway consists of three stages:

SET 1 Introduction to Orthopaedics (12 months)

SET 2-4 Core Orthopaedics (36 months)

SET 5 Transition to Practice (12 months)

Note: Approximate time frame indicates anticipated progression for the majority of trainees.

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).
Completion of the RACS Operating with Respect eLearning module (retired 2023) or Introduction to Operating with Respect.
Successful completion of the Generic Surgical Sciences exam.

AOA Specific Eligibility Criteria:

Completion of at least 26 working weeks of orthopaedic surgical experience within the last two (2) years, at PGY 3 or higher.
Completion of the Generic Surgical Sciences exam (GSSE).
Successful completion of a state-licenced Radiation Safety Course.

Application and selection process

Applicants wishing to apply to the Australian Orthopaedic Association AOA 21 Training Program must first register with Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and fulfil all of the RACS generic eligibility criteria. In addition to RACS generic eligibility criteria, applicants must fulfil the AOA special criteria.

Selection to the AOA 21 Training Program in Orthopaedic Surgery in Queensland is managed by the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).

For further information on the Selection and Application process, please consult the AOA Regulations for Selection to the AOA 21 Training Program in Orthopaedic Surgery for 2026.

Note: Queensland Health does not offer central allocations or preferencing for the Orthopaedic Surgery specialty; however, Orthopaedic Surgery trainees must submit an application through the RMO Campaign for an employment contract to be issued by the allocated facility.

Rural exposure and experience is valued in the selection process and additional points are awarded for:

Rural education – 12 months or more at a Rural Clinical School,
Rural Origin – living in an MM2-7 area for 5 years consecutively or 10 years cumulatively
Rural and remote surgical experience – Minimum of 6 months working in a surgical position in a rural or remote hospital.

Program requirements

Regional training opportunities

When you apply to the program, you will be asked to nominate the region(s) in which you would like to train. You will only be offered a training post in one of the regions of your preference. During your training, you will rotate between hospitals each term, and you will spend some time working in hospitals that are located outside of the metropolitan centres in each region. In most of these cases, the hospital will support you with accommodation, relocation and information about the local area.

Orthopaedic Surgery Training is offered at Toowoomba and Rockhampton hospitals. Rotations to other hospitals will be required through the training journey.

Applicants who select Queensland as their primary or secondary preference will have the opportunity to indicate an interest in being considered for the Far North Queensland (FNQ) rural training rotation pathway. The FNQ training rotation will involve a QLD trainee spending up to 80% of their training time in rural Queensland. The rural training under the FNQ training pathway will be spread across regional or rural accredited training sites including Townsville, Mackay, Cairns and Rockhampton hospitals. For more information regarding the Far North Queensland (FNQ) rural training rotation pathway, please visit: https://aoa.org.au/docs/default-source/aoa-21/information-about-fnq-rotation.pdf?Status=Temp&sfvrsn=8467d504_2

Career Champions and Useful Links

Medical Colleges and Training

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube

Peak Bodies and Clinical Networks

Fact Sheets and Guides

Research and Journals

RACS Research and Evaluation Repository
Journal of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS) Global Research and Reviews (Access via UQ Library Online)
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) (Access via UQ Library Online)
The Bone and Joint Journal (BJJ) (Access via UQ Library Online)
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research (CORR) (Access via UQ Library Online)

Social

onthewards - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube
IncisionUQ - Facebook

Career Opportunities and Promotion

Queensland Health RMO and Registrar Recruitment Campaign

Career Champion

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