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Court of Examiners - FEX

The Court of Examiners is appointed by the Council of the College.

Its purpose is to conduct the Fellowship Examination and to assess the knowledge, clinical skills, judgement, decision making and professional competencies of candidates, in order to ensure that they are safe and competent to practise as surgeons.

Overview

The Court is composed of surgeons representing the nine different specialties in which the College conducts the examination.

The number of Examiners varies in each specialty in line with the number of trainees and examination candidates.

Clinical/viva examinations

The clinical/viva examinations are generally conducted during May and September each year in venues across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and alternate between the following locations:

  • Australia- Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney
  • Aotearoa New Zealand- Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington

Written examinations

The written exams are normally conducted in April and August each year in the following locations:

  • Australia- Adelaide, Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney
  • Aotearoa New Zealand- Auckland and Wellington

Court of Examiners Membership List

You can download the document below to find a list of current examiners.

List of Examiners (PDF 127.82KB)


Court of Examiners Executives

Chair:

Dr Gregory Keogh

Deputy Chairs:

Professor Susan Stott

Dr Glen Wood

Dr Siraj Rajaratnam

Vacant Role

Members:

Dr Siven Seevanayagam<, Senior Examiner for Cardiothoracic Surgery

Dr Stephen Jancewicz, Senior Examiner for General Surgery (Australia)

Dr Adrian Secker, Senior Examiner for General Surgery (Aotearoa New Zealand)

Dr James King, Senior Examiner for Neurosurgery

Dr Stephen Rodrigues, Senior Examiner for Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery

Dr Leo Zeller, Senior Examiner for Orthopaedic Surgery (Australia)

Dr John Mckie, Senior Examiner for Orthopaedic Surgery (Aotearoa New Zealand)

Dr Naeem Samnakay, Senior Examiner for Paediatric Surgery

Dr Susan O'Mahony, Senior Examiner for Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Dr Andrew Williams, Senior Examiner for Urology

Dr Raffi Qasabian, Senior Examiner for Vascular Surgery

Notification of vacancies

Deputy Chair, Court of Examiners

Expressions of Interest for the Deputy Chair, Court of Examiners have now closed.

Thank you to all Senior Examiners who submitted an application. Applicants will be advised of the outcome following completion of the review and appointment process.

Applications Now Open: Examiner Intake

The Court of Examiners is seeking applications from Fellows interested in joining the examiner cohort and contributing to the delivery of the Fellowship Examination.

Serving as an examiner provides an opportunity to support the next generation of surgeons, uphold the standards of the surgical profession, and contribute to the ongoing quality and integrity of the examination process.

We welcome applications from Fellows who are committed to surgical education, assessment excellence, and the development of future specialists.

Applications are now open.

For information on eligibility requirements, the role of an examiner, and how to apply, please refer to the application information below.

Applications close on 30 November 2026.

We encourage interested Fellows to consider this rewarding opportunity to contribute to the work of the Court of Examiners and the future of surgical training.

 

Eligibility

Before applying to the Court of Examiners, Fellows are asked to read the following policies and regulations, paying particular attention to the selection guidelines:

Court of Examiners Terms of Reference (PDF 39.17KB) (PDF 121.05KB)
Appointments to the Court of Examiners (PDF 57.58KB) (PDF 142.7KB)
Fellowship Examination (PDF 92.07KB) (Regulation)

Interested in becoming an examiner?

Contributing to the RACS examinations is a valuable accomplishment for Fellows.

Examiners receive CPD hours for accredited examiner activities while also experiencing a high level of collegiality and professional pride.

Applications period for the 2027 examiner intake is from 1 October to 30 November 2026.

  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • General Surgery
  • Neurosurgery
  • Orthopaedic Surgery 
  • Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery
  • Paediatric Surgery
  • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • Urology
  • Vascular Surgery 

New examiner intake 2027

Applications open: 1 October to 30 November 2026

Eligibility/Governance verification and referee checks completed:
December 2026 - January 2027

Applications considered by Specialty Courts:
February 2027

Applicants notified; appointments confirmed:
Mid-March 2027

Examiner induction and training, including observation of the Fellowship examination:
March - May 2027

All new examiners must attend training to be eligible to become an examiner.

Appointment to the Court (tenure) commences:
1 June 2027

Note: The number of vacancies for each of the Specialty Courts will be confirmed at the February Examiners' Workshops. Applicants will be notified of the outcome via email in March. Please note that applications will only be accepted during the designated application period; submissions outside this timeframe will not be processed.

Application process

All applications undergo a structured assessment process to ensure candidates meet the requirements for appointment to the Court of Examiners.

The process includes:

  1. Application Submission
    Applicants submit a completed application form and supporting documentation during the application period.

  2. Eligibility and Governance Review
    Applications are assessed against eligibility requirements, including governance, professional standing, financial and policy compliance requirements.

  3. Referee Checks
    Nominated referees may be contacted to support the assessment of applicants' suitability for appointment.

  4. Specialty Court Consideration
    Eligible applications are reviewed by the relevant Specialty Court, which considers the applicant's experience, expertise and capacity to contribute to the Fellowship Examination process.

  5. Recommendation and Appointment
    Recommendations are submitted for approval to RACS Education Committee and successful applicants are notified of their appointment outcome.

Examiner Training Requirements

New examiners must:

  • Attend mandatory examiner induction and training sessions.
  • Observe a Fellowship Examination as part of their orientation and development.

Only applicants who successfully complete the required training program will be eligible to commence as examiners.

Policies and Terms of Reference

Application Form for Appointment to Court of Examiners (PDF 142.7KB) (PDF 142.7KB)
Appointments to the Court of Examiners (PDF 57.58KB) (Policy) (PDF 57.58KB)
Court of Examiners Terms of Reference (PDF 39.17KB) (PDF 121.05KB)
Fellowship Examination (PDF 92.07KB) (Regulation) (PDF 202.5KB)

(PDF 202.5KB)Conduct of the Fellowship Examinations -EDA-EXA-010 (PDF 149.53KB)

Position Description: Senior Examiners and Deputies -EDA-EXA-019 (PDF 76.94KB)

Position Description (PDF 87.37KB): Deputy Chair of the Court of Examiners (PDF 87.37KB)
Position Description: Chair of the Court of Examiners - EDA-EXA-022 

Contact

Please contact the Examinations Department for further information.

Examinations Department
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
250-290 Spring Street
East Melbourne VIC 3002 Australia

Telephone: +61 3 9249 1280
Email: [email protected]