RACS courses coronavirus (COVID-19) FAQs

We are aiming to deliver as many courses as possible although some venues have fewer places available due to ongoing government physical distancing guidelines. Priority has been given to mandatory courses for Trainees and Fellows. Please see our Professional Development and Skills Training course pages for more information.

We acknowledge that COVID-19 has changed the way we work and how we will be able to deliver courses. We continue to explore alternative course formats, and development is near completion for several offerings.

Most courses have resumed in a classroom and/or laboratory environment. Please be reassured that RACS will comply with local guidelines and regulations including screening, masks, physical distancing and hygiene.

Yes. Priority will be given to RACS Fellows, SET Trainees and SIMGs.

Fellows who need to complete Operating with Respect (OWR) and Foundation Skills for Surgical Educators (FSSE) will be contacted to register prior to the course being made available to other Fellows.

The Skills Training Department opened registrations for 2022 courses in November 2021, please contact skills.registration@surgeons.org to express your interest in Skills courses.

We are making every effort to run courses safely. The planning process is complex, and some courses may not proceed. If you are currently registered on a course, please wait for advice from the College regarding the status of your course.

We are making every effort to run courses safely. The planning process is complex, and should pandemic conditions escalate in a region some courses may not proceed. Please wait for confirmation from the course coordinator before you book flights and accommodation, you can expect to receive this confirmation four weeks prior to course commencement. 

RACS is not responsible for any costs incurred by event participants including, but not limited to, flights, transportation, accommodation, and any other fees and charges.

Access information about Australian travel restrictions.

Travel within New Zealand | Ministry of Health NZ

We ask that you follow current government guidelines if you are not feeling well or exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 including coughing etc. If you are feeling unwell, please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your attendance. Refunds will be considered on a case by case basis.

Cancellation and withdrawal policies will apply as per the relevant policy for that event. These can be found on the RACS policies webpage.

If the course is cancelled or postponed due to COVID-19, RACS will refund participants the course registration fee. If an attendee is not able to attend the course for compassionate reasons (e.g. sickness or bereavement) the registration fee will be refunded. This will be determined on a case by case basis, please contact us as soon as possible if you are not able to attend the course. 

Please note there may be administration costs that are non-refundable. 

RACS is not responsible for any costs incurred by participants including, but not limited to, flights, transportation, accommodation, and any other fees and charges. 

Yes, you can register for our courses. However please bear in mind the complex evolving nature of COVID-19 laws and restrictions which may mean you are unable to attend some courses.

We strongly recommend all participants register for a local course to reduce unnecessary travel. RACS is not responsible for any costs incurred by the participant due to cancellation, changes to, disruption of or inability to conduct the course. This includes, but is not limited to, flights, transportation, accommodation, mandatory quarantine costs and any other fees and charges. 

Course registration closes once the course is full or three weeks prior to course commencement. This is to allow adequate revision and preparation time. In some instances, when courses have not filled, we will leave the registration open for a bit longer. 

The safety of our stakeholders is our highest priority, we are communicating with the appropriate health department in each region (Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) to engage them in RACS plans for safe course delivery. Each region will have regulations for screening, physical distancing and hygiene. We will operate within the local government guidelines.

Our courses rely on many factors which include travel by our volunteer faculty, venue availability and capacity to meet government regulations. We have a wide range of courses across many regions although it is not always possible to deliver in every region. We will keep our mailing list informed with updates about additional courses.

Yes, please view the RACS COVID-19 Event Safe Strategy (PDF 126.78KB). Note this document will be updated regularly as required.