In This Section

Assessment

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery trainees complete a variety of assessments. Australian trainees should refer to the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons Handbook. Aotearoa New Zealand trainees should refer to the New Zealand Training Handbook.

Trainee evaluation & logbook

Trainees are required to submit a Trainee Evaluation Form and a Logbook Summary every six months.

Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand trainees and SIMGs use MALT for their Logbooks.

Trainees are strongly advised to keep a copy of their logbook summary for their personal records.

Professional Performance Assessment

Professional Performance Assessments (PPA) are the main summative assessment for the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery SET program.  Two PPAs are completed per term.

The PPA relates to the Trainee's overall performance during each six months of training and takes into account all aspects of performance including:

  • attitude (rapport with patients, peers and supervisors)
  • clinical skills (medical recording, judgement interpretation and management)
  • technical skills (diagnostic interpretation, aseptic technique, therapeutic procedures and operative technique)
  • teaching/continuing professional development (CPD) (participation at education and audit meetings, etc., and instructor/teacher to interns and students)
  • research/CPD (presentations, publications and patient management review)
  • logbook statistics.

Trainees are required to meet with their supervisor of surgical training on a six-monthly basis to discuss progress in the areas above and complete the Professional Performance Assessment Form. The form should be signed by the Trainee and their supervisor and submitted to the Executive Officer of the relevant Board. 

Trainees identified as deficient in any area of the professional training may be required, on the advice of the Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, to meet with their supervisor of surgical training and submit the Professional Performance Assessment Form on a more frequent basis.

Examinations

All Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery trainees are required to successfully complete by the end of SET 4, the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgical Science and Principles (PRSSP) Examination. 

Successful completion of this examination is a pre-requisite to present for the Fellowship Examination in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery.