• Home
  • About
  • Advocacy
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign In
RACS logo

  • Become a surgeon
  • Trainees
  • Fellows
  • SIMGs
  • Research & audit

Key Information

  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection process and requirements
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • International surgical training
  • View all

Resources

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Scholarships and grants

Key Information

  • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
  • The surgical training program
  • Surgical specialties
  • Examinations
  • Training post accreditation
  • View all

Education for Trainees

  • Skills training courses
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Specialist training program
  • Library
  • View all

Resources

  • Training standards for surgeons
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • View all

Key Information and resources

  • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Reports, guidelines & publications
  • Fellowship
  • Interest groups and sections
  • View all

Fellowship Education and Training

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • Professional development courses
  • Library
  • View all

For supervisors, educators and trainers

  • Academy of Surgical Educators
  • Supervisor Support Hub
  • RACS skills & education centre
  • Become a mentor
  • Post-fellowship training
  • View all

Key Information

  • Pathways
  • SET as a SIMG
  • SIMG overview
  • Application process
  • SIMG assessments
  • View all

Education for SIMGs

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional development courses
  • Library

Resources

  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • Maintenance of Professional Standards
  • Contacts, guidelines and forms
  • Member benefits & services
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)

Key Information

  • Surgical mortality audits
  • Morbidity audits
  • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
  • Laparoscopic skills training
  • Trauma Verification program
  • View all

Resources

  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • My audits
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Books & merchandise
  • View all
RACS logo
  • RACS login
    Sign In
  • Become a surgeon
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • About specialist surgeons
      • How do I become a surgeon?
      • Selection process and requirements
      • Admission to Fellowship
      • International surgical training
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Scholarships and grants
  • Trainees
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
      • The surgical training program
      • Surgical specialties
      • Examinations
      • Training post accreditation
      • View all
    • Education for Trainees

      Education for Trainees

      • Skills training courses
      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Specialist training program
      • Library
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Training standards for surgeons
      • Surgeon wellbeing
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • View all
  • Fellows
    • Key Information

      Key Information and resources

      • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
      • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
      • Reports, guidelines & publications
      • Fellowship
      • Interest groups and sections
      • View all
    • Fellowship Education and Training

      Fellowship Education and Training

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Skills training courses
      • Surgeon wellbeing
      • Professional development courses
      • Library
      • View all
    • For Educators and Trainers

      For supervisors, educators and trainers

      • Academy of Surgical Educators
      • Supervisor Support Hub
      • RACS skills & education centre
      • Become a mentor
      • Post-fellowship training
      • View all
  • SIMGs
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Pathways
      • SET as a SIMG
      • SIMG overview
      • Application process
      • SIMG assessments
      • View all
    • Education for IMGs

    • Resources

      Resources

      • Surgeon wellbeing
      • Maintenance of Professional Standards
      • Contacts, guidelines and forms
      • Member benefits & services
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • Research & audit
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Surgical mortality audits
      • Morbidity audits
      • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
      • Laparoscopic skills training
      • Trauma Verification program
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • My audits
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Books & merchandise
      • View all
  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
In This Section
  • ATLASS II Program
  • East Timor Eye Program
  • RACS Global Health Timor-Leste Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2022 - 2027
  • Strengthening Primary and Secondary Eye Care Services in Timor-Leste and COVID-19 Pivot Project
  1. HOME
  2. About RACS
  3. Global Health
  4. Global Health programs
  5. Timor-Leste programs
  6. ATLASS II Program

ATLASS II Program

Information about the Australia Timor-Leste Program of Assistance for Secondary Services – Phase II program.

On this page

  • Program overview
  • Program objectives
  • Program activities
  • Impact
  • Program duration
  • Supporters

Program overview

The Australia Timor-Leste Program of Assistance for Secondary Services-Phase II (ATLASS II) is a postgraduate medical education program aimed at increasing the number of skilled doctors in Timor Leste. 

The program is delivered at the Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares (HNGV), in partnership with the Ministry of Health, HNGV, Timor-Leste National University and Maluk Timor.

Program objectives

The primary objective of ATLASS II is to support the Government of Timor-Leste to develop a highly skilled national medical workforce, while developing a senior medical faculty that is capable of taking on clinical leadership and teaching roles, as the teaching program is transitioned to national ownership.

The in-country training program equips national doctors with the skills to provide relevant and high-quality care in six specialities. The specific objectives are to:

  • develop national doctors’ core clinical skills and capacity to provide quality care in surgery, anaesthesia, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, family medicine and internal medicine;
  • develop national specialists’ capacity to take on teaching and supervisory roles to contribute to a sustainable, local teaching program; and
  • support the national hospital to strengthen its clinical governance and capacity as a teaching hospital.

Program activities

Some of the key program activities and outputs:

Using a health-systems strengthening approach, the program engages International Specialist Clinicians to provide hospital-based postgraduate medical education and training to Timorese doctors with daily mentoring and support.  The ATLASS II clinicians also work with HNGV senior management to strengthen clinical governance, research and audit activities to improve the overall functioning of the hospital. ATLASS II also partners with local training providers including Maluk Timor to deliver community-based training for doctors undertaking postgraduate training in Family Medicine.

Since 2012, ATLASS II has trained:

  • 114 junior doctors in the Foundation Year Program; 
  • 101 Timorese doctors with a Postgraduate Diploma in Surgery, Anaesthesia, Family Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Internal Medicine;
  • 10 Timorese doctors with a Masters of Medicine (Paediatrics); and
  • 24 doctors who will complete the Diploma in Family Medicine in 2021.

Impact

ATLASS II is the only postgraduate medical education and training provider in Timor-Leste.  Delivered in Dili, the training programs enable doctors-in-training to remain within the Timorese health system for the duration of their training, whilst increasing HNGV’s capacity as a teaching hospital through the engagement of national doctors as mentors and teachers of the doctors in training. Training doctors in-country also ensures that what they learn is contextually relevant and appropriate to the unique healthcare challenges of Timor-Leste. 

Graduate doctors are posted to health facilities across Timor-Leste, increasing access to quality medical care for rural and remote populations. Some of the top performing candidates are selected by the Ministry of Health for further specialisation abroad.

Program duration

Since 2001, RACS has worked with the Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste and National Hospital, HNGV to provide essential clinical support and health education in Timor-Leste, with the support of the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 

Following the successful ATLASS Phase I program, ATLASS Phase II commenced in July 2012 and is due to finish in June 2021.

Supporters

Supported by:

The Australian Government through the ATLASS Program

In partnership with: 

  • Timor-Leste Ministry of Health
  • Hospital Nacional Guido Valadares
  • Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosae
  • Maluk Timor
 

AusAid logo

Back to Timor-Leste programs
  • ATLASS II Program
  • East Timor Eye Program
  • RACS Global Health Timor-Leste Country Strategic Plan (CSP) 2022 - 2027
  • Strengthening Primary and Secondary Eye Care Services in Timor-Leste and COVID-19 Pivot Project
Back To Top

  • For Patients
  • Find a surgeon

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign in

  • About RACS
  • About the College of Surgeons
  • About RACS offices
  • Global Health
  • Specialty societies & affiliated organisations
  • Surgeon wellbeing
  • Building Respect
  • College fees
  • Position papers
  • Policies
  • College events

  • Education
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional Development
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Specialist Training Program

  • Become a Surgeon
  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection requirements
  • International surgical training
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • Fellowship
See all News

  • Surgical training in crisis: "We're at the tipping point"
  • NSW road users put at risk in pre-election promises
  • Precision health
Indigenous motifs
Logo

  • Disclaimer and privacy