In This Section

Women in Surgery

The College is committed to expanding the number of women in surgical training and to ensuring the training programs do not disadvantage them. Since half the medical graduates are now female, there is a need to attract the best graduates to surgery, and the College is actively pursuing that goal.

On this page

Overview

The Women in Surgery Section aims to:

  • encourage and support all Fellow and Trainees, but females in particular;
  • be a source of advice and guidance for Council in relation to gender and Trainee issues;
  • develop guidelines and policies to combat the numerous issues faced by all individuals in the surgical field, and
  • remove any barriers Trainees or medical graduates face through the development of a mentoring program within the College to assist medical students, Trainees and Younger Fellows.

Activities

  • Developing the Women in Surgery Strategic plan (PDF 263.71KB). 
  • Advocating for flexible training and assisting in the development of resources and toolkits to support trainees and hospitals.
  • Assisting in the development of some of the College's key policies and related documents. It has been fundamental in establishing guidelines on issues such as discrimination and harassment, and safe working hours, and plans to continue this work with a mentoring scheme
  • Scientific and education programs, including the Women in Surgery Breakfast, are run at the Annual Scientific Congress (ASC) 

Women in leadership webinar series

A series of interactive webinars to develop leadership skills in women were held throughout 2023. Become a member of the WIS Section and you will receive notification when the next one is scheduled.
Catch up on these webinars by viewing the recordings.

Women in Surgery microlearning activity

Opportunity to gain CPD points in "Professionalism" by completing this microlearning activity which explores a session from the 2023 RACS ASC, in which Associate Professor Susan Neuhaus presents the topic, 'No Profession for a Lady: The pioneering women surgeons of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand'.

RACS Women in Surgery essay competition - 2025 competition

Thank you to all of those who entered. The Women in Surgery section committee congratulate Jennifer Keller from the University of Queensland for her essay Gender segregation in the surgical workforce: addressing economic equity. (PDF 200.3KB)

Thanks to our partner, Frais Capital, the author of the winning essay chosen by the committee will receive complimentary registration to the 2025 RACS Annual Scientific Congress in Sydney, Australia (03 to 06 May 2025). A winner outside greater Sydney will receive complimentary flights and accommodation. All other costs will be at the winner's expense. 

Frais Capital

Since 2019, the Women in Surgery section has run a medical student essay competition for female medical students. The author of the winning essay receives complimentary registration to the RACS Annual Scientific Congress. A winner outside the congress city will receive complimentary travel and accommodation to attend the Congress.

Previous winners:

International Women's Day

RACS and the Women in Surgery Section celebrate International Women's Day each year. Events can be found on the regions' events pages.

Medical student/Women in Medicine events

The Women in Surgery Section welcome enquiries from medical student organisations and societies about events they may be organising. The Section is keen to work with these organisations and can provide some assistance such as providing speakers, panel members and presenters. Email the contact below for further information.

Newsletters

To receive the WIS newsletter, please feel free to join the Section by emailing the secretariat.

Membership enquiries

Membership to the Women in Surgery Section is optional and open to Fellows, Trainees, SIMGs, junior doctors and medical students. If you are interested in becoming a member, please forward your details to the Secretariat.

Fellows, Trainees and SIMGs are welcome to discuss issues with an Executive Committee member via email.

Governance

The Section is governed by a Committee as per the Sections Terms of Reference (PDF 177.86KB) reporting to the RACS Fellowship Services Committee:

Committee Chair - Dr Pecky De Silva (FRACS)
Deputy Chair - Dr Nadya York (AoNZ)
Committee member - Dr Tracey Barnes (AoNZ)
Committee member - Dr Suellyn Centauri FRACS (VIC)
Committee member - Dr Anita Jacombs FRACS (NSW)
Committee member - Dr Wendy Liu (NSW)
Committee member -Dr Railya Mousina FRACS (NSW)
Dr Samantha Khoo (Co-opted member - ACT representative)
Dr Gausihi Sivarajan (Co-opted member - Tasmania representative)
Dr Amanda Foster FRACS (Co-opted member - WA representative)
Dr Tara Luck FRACS (Co-opted member - NT representative)
Dr Sharon English FRACS (Co-opted member - 2024 ASC Convener)
Dr Hoang Ha (AoNZ) (Co-opted member - RACSTA representative)

Contact

Women in Surgery Section Secretariat
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
250-290 Spring Street
East Melbourne VIC 3002 Australia

Telephone: +61 3 9249 1290
Email: [email protected]