Member-FAQs

Being a Fellow of RACS provides many direct benefits to you as well as the surgical profession, specialty societies, the broader healthcare profession, patients and communities.

The FRACS post-nominal sends an internationally recognised message to your patients and peers that you have attained the highest standards of training in surgery and are committed to lifelong learning assisted by the training and professional development provided by the College. It signals active membership and maintenance of a professional standard; one that is recognised globally for its excellence and associated with quality education and training, innovation, surgical competence, and ethical conduct. The designation "FRACS" is protected and can only be used by individuals who are members in good standing with RACS as the professional organisation.

Other benefits include:

• CPD program
  RACS has the only accredited CPD programs in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand to be tailored specifically for surgeons. It offers you lifelong support for each stage of your career and has been developed to align with the Medical Board of Australia (MBA) CPD registration standard and recertification requirements set by Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa – Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ). You must be a financial member of RACS to be complaint with your CPD.
• Scholarships and grants 
  Financial support for members involved in informing, learning, educating, facilitating change and improving the quality of surgical care and practice.
• Advocacy
  The surgical profession’s significant lobbying muscle comes from RACS’ ability to effectively speak to governments in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand with one voice on issues informed by and affecting nine separate specialities. 
• Library resources 
  Access to research databases, publications and full text articles 24/7 with support from an experienced team.
• Professional development 
  Support for professional growth and workplace performance including day-long workshops and elearning courses. 
• Leadership opportunities 
  Get involved with RACS activities and make an impact on the surgical profession as a trainer, mentor, examiner, join an interest group/ section, donate to the Foundation for Surgery or get involved in RACS Global Health.
• Safety and quality programs 
  Support in maintaining the highest possible levels of patient safety through standards, guidelines, position papers, mortality audits and the RACS Trauma Verification Program.
• Preparation for practice
  Help for Younger Fellows (those in the first 10 years of their Fellowship) to navigate the early days of their career from setting up a practice to easing the transition to consultant surgeon. There is also a mentoring program, international leadership exchanges and an annual Younger Fellows Forum.
• Cross-discipline collaboration and connection
  Events, workshops, courses and webinars, including the Annual Scientific Congress – the largest multidisciplinary English-language surgical gathering in the southern hemisphere.
• Support on the ground, where you are
  Our states, territories and Aotearoa New Zealand offices are your local touchpoint for support, education and advocacy.
• Access to the latest surgical research, news and information
  Including the ANZ Journal of Surgery, the leading publication for surgical research in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand with an international readership. Also, Fax Mentis, a fortnightly e-newsletter, and the bimonthly online magazine Surgical News.
• Wellbeing support 
  The RACS Support Program offers access to confidential support to surgeons and their immediate family members through our partnership with Converge International. We also have an Executive Director of Surgical Affairs (EDSA) in Australia and a Surgical Advisor in Aotearoa New Zealand. These RACS Fellows are also members of staff and are available to provide guidance to members on wellbeing, re-skilling, re-entry to practice and surgical standards-related concerns.
  
   

RACS has come a long way since its financial deficit in 2022.

The College established a Recovery Committee in June 2023 and has implemented a range of austerity measures. The Recovery Committee instituted a Financial Sustainability Plan which featured a range of initiatives to restore the College’s financial position.

This included a review of governance including the structure of Council, staffing levels, membership fees, digital transformation through program expenditure, procurement savings through travel, accommodation, catering, venue hire, licenses and security. The College also increased its bank funding facility which has been fully repaid as of mid-January 2024.

These actions have ensured that RACS has averted significant financial issues. While the 31 December 2023 financial result was an overall deficit, it is a significant improvement on the 2022 deficit and our 2024 budget indicates a moderate surplus.

Although the College has sustained previous operating losses that eroded general reserves, it has never traded while insolvent. Our balance sheet remains strong and our financial management has been completely overhauled.

The 2023 Annual Report and Financial Statements of RACS were presented at the Annual General Meeting in May 2024 and demonstrated the improved financial position and solvency of the College.

If you would like to see the report from the independent review into the College’s finances, you can request a copy via [email protected].

There are a number of reasons the College made the difficult decision to increase membership fees for 2024.

Over the previous five years, the College deliberately kept membership increases at or below the rate of inflation. This decision was taken in the best interests of members, particularly during the pandemic when the surgical workforce was under intense and prolonged pressure.

In the past, the surgical education and training (SET) fees, exam fees and course fees have not been adjusted to accurately reflect the true increased costs of running those programs.

However, the cost of delivering training and member services has risen very significantly, particularly post COVID-19, to the point where the College can no longer absorb the difference. Our staffing numbers grew to meet demand for our services and we’ve had to invest in an upgraded digital system to enhance efficiency. We also maintain quality and standards uniformly across all Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand training sites. With this comes a necessary requirement in staffing, infrastructure and ongoing program development.

The current economic climate necessitates a significant reset to reflect the true cost of running College operations, particularly in surgical education and training and the Council determined a 25 per cent increase in the annual subscription for 2024 was necessary.

To mitigate this, we are rationalising the number of services we provide to ensure we are focusing on core business and the activities that matter most to our members. We are making the delivery surgical education more efficient to ensure it is as cost efficient as possible while continuing to deliver at the highest possible standards.

Despite the increase, we believe our training fees remain highly competitive compared with other postgraduate training fees in both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. In fact, there are some surgical courses provided by universities which have an annual fee which is substantially above RACS training fees.

The Australian Medical Council (AMC) and Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa - Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ) provide the necessary accreditation for our training programs. 

As part of their routine assessment, concerns about the structural aspects of our program were raised. It is important to emphasise that these concerns were around the governance of the program and not the quality of the training delivered. Our surgical education and training program consistently produces world-class surgeons with internationally-recognised qualifications.

We have now made our submission addressing the regulators’ concerns - the result of strong collaboration and cooperation between RACS and the 13 specialty societies across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand - and can confirm there is no threat of RACS losing accreditation.

The SET program will continue, without disruption and at the same high quality as ever. 

The College is continuing to consult with members and societies on potential changes to our governance structure. 

Proposed governance changes would put in place a new standalone skills-based, profession-led Board with strong financial and risk management abilities. This was a key recommendation that came out of two independent reviews commissioned as part of the College’s financial recovery program.

This approach would leave Council to focus on its core business of continuing to lead the development of professional standards, research, education and training and its critical role in advocating on behalf of the profession to government.

The next step in the process will be the release of an updated proposed Constitution to bring about governance change. This will be put to a ballot and will require a two-thirds majority vote of the Fellows to proceed.

You can visit the dedicated web page here to learn more.