Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

This depends on which surgical specialty you would like to apply to. Some specialties have limits on the number of applications that can be made. We recommend you check the specialty-specific selection regulations for the most up-to-date information.

Although the ability to apply is not linked to postgraduate year (PGY) level, it is expected that the earliest point at which you may be able to apply to enter the RACS SET program is during your third postgraduate year (PGY3) after university so that you are able to achieve the prerequisites for the individual surgical specialty you apply to.

There is no limit - you may apply to all nine surgical specialties if you wish.

Some specialties have a restriction regarding the currency of your clinical experiences; usually, this is within the last two to five years. We advise checking the specialty-specific selection requirements for the specialty or specialties that you are interested in. 

Application dates are the same each year for all surgical specialties in Australia and New Zealand.

Stage 1: Registration of intent to apply (opens in January and closes in February)
Stage 2: Application (opens in February/March and closes in March/April)

Dates vary according to which specialty you are applying to. Selection will be completed by mid-July for all specialties. Successful applicants must accept offers within 10 days of the offer.

The early SET exams include a Specialty Specific Exam (SSE)* and a Clinical Exam (CE). These exams are held in February and June each year. Please refer to the Exams and specialty webpages for details of requirements for each specialty.

Clinical Exam results do not have a 'lifetime'. If you have passed this exam, you will not be required to re-sit if you change specialties, but you may need to pass an additional specialty-specific exam.

*The Specialty Specific Exam is not the same the Generic Surgical Sciences Exam (GSSE) which is a part of the generic eligibility criteria (see question below What are the eligibility criteria for applying to SET?)

There are two types of eligibility criteria (generic and specialty-specific) which applicants must satisfy.

Generic eligibility criteria apply to all surgical specialties. Further information can be found on the generic eligibility requirements for selection page.

Specialty-specific criteria are published on the College website under each specialty on the specialty specific eligibility criteria and selection processes page.

Any person registering to apply for the SET program must: 

1. Fulfil all of the generic eligibility criteria at the time of registration, and 
2. If successful, be prepared to meet the eligibility criteria for the specific specialty (or specialties) during the next stage of selection.

 

The following generic eligibility requirements must be met at the time of registration for all surgical specialties:

• You must have permanent residency or citizenship of Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand at the time of registration
• You must have medical registration
  • In Australia: General (unconditional) registration, or
  • In Aotearoa New Zealand: General scope or restricted general scope registration in the relevant specialty2
• You must have completed RACS specified Hand Hygiene Learning Module from the National Hand Hygiene Initiative3 (NZ registrants must also complete the Hand Hygiene Australia Learning Module.)
• You must have completed the RACS Operating with Respect eModule
• You must have passed the RACS Generic Surgical Sciences Exam (GSSE). All specialties require SET applicants to have passed the RACS Generic Surgical Sciences Exam (GSSE) either at the time of registration or by the close of SET applications. Refer to the relevant specialty selection regulations for confirmation of the deadline to meet this requirement. Refer to the Registration for Selection into SET Policy available on the RACS website for more details.

 

Criminal checks are conducted at the time of registration. Applicants must consent to a full criminal history check and submit the necessary documentation on request to enable this to be undertaken.

 

The generic eligibility requirements must be completed before you register to apply  (see question above When will selection occur?).

The specialty specific eligibility requirements are dependent on the specialty. We recommend checking your interested specialties page for further information.

Some specialties allow applicants to complete some eligibility requirements before the start of the next training year, however if a selected applicant does not fulfil these requirements by this time their offer will be withdrawn.

Unless stated otherwise, an acceptable clinical rotation is a post-graduate experience with a minimum duration of eight weeks which has been under the supervision of an appropriately qualified clinician (surgeon, physician, anaesthetist or intensivist, depending on the type of term). 

Critical care experience is defined as ICU, HDU, or similar high-intensity clinical area training environments, including, by way of example, cardiothoracic; burns units; spinal units; vascular units; and busy acute general surgery units.

There is no limit to the number of specialties that you may apply to. If you intend to apply to more than one specialty, you must indicate the specialties on the registration form and ensure you meet all relevant specialty-specific eligibility requirements.

Note: The following specialties  have separate selection processes in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. You can only apply for selection in one country. You must choose which country you wish to apply for, and you must nominate this at the time of registration. Please check your selection is correct - you will not be able to change your selection.

Australia	New Zealand
General Surgery Australia	General Surgery New Zealand
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Australia	Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery New Zealand
Orthopaedic Surgery Australia	Orthopaedic Surgery New Zealand
Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery Australia	Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery New Zealand

Please refer to the What are the eligibility criteria for applying to SET? answer.

We recommend checking the eligibility requirements of the specialty to which you are applying.

Yes. There is no limit to the number of specialties that you can apply to in SET. Please note that if you intend to apply to other specialties you will need to register for each one separately during the registration period. You will also be required to meet all relevant specialty specific eligibility requirements for each specialty.

If you have completed a medical degree overseas, you may apply to RACS for the Surgical Education and Training (SET) program. You must have:

• permanent residency or citizenship of Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand at the time of registration, 
• general (unconditional) registration in Australia or general scope or restricted general scope registration in the relevant specialty in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• meet all of the generic and specialty specific eligibility criteria

To register as a doctor in Australia please visit the Australian Medical Council (AMC) website. 

To register as a doctor in Aotearoa New Zealand please visit the Medical Council of New Zealand website. 

If you are a specialist that has trained overseas, visit the Specialist International Medical Graduate webpage. We recommend using the Self-Assessment Tool to indicate which entry pathway you may be eligible for.

Yes.

No.

No. The fees are levied to cover the cost of the registration and application process. There are no refunds available.

You must pay the registration fee when you submit your registration for SET selection.

The two fees support administrative aspects of the selection process.

The registration fee covers the costs of verifying applicants' registration details (medical registration, residency status).

The application fee covers the application assessment procedures including processing and scoring applications, collecting referee reports and conducting interviews.

Please note: You need to pay an application fee for each application you make to a surgical specialty.