Recently, I spent a weekend in Melbourne with our Censor in Chief, Dr Philip Morreau, and around 20 assessors from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Our goal was to work through the backlog of Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG) assessments from January 2021 to July 2024, a period when our standards did not fully align with those of the Medical Board of Australia.

During that period, RACS assessed SIMGs at the level of a surgeon with five years’ specialist practice, without routinely considering their scope of practice. Since then, we’ve offered new assessments taking into account the original application, intended scope of practice, recent specialist experience, performance assessments, and any continuing professional development completed. In total, 215 SIMGs were offered reassessment. An important step in providing certainty and making it right by them.

More broadly, SIMGs are a vital part of our health systems. They bring valuable skills and experience that benefit our patients and our profession. We are committed to making SIMG assessments as efficient as possible while ensuring they remain appropriately robust for the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand contexts. Our responsibility is to balance workforce needs with patient safety, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. With governments on both sides of the Tasman exploring expedited pathways for SIMGs, we see ourselves as integral to achieving that balance and upholding the standards our patients and the public expect.

We are aiming to reduce the turnaround time for SIMG assessments to just six weeks in Australia. We believe that is achievable without compromising on safety. In Aotearoa New Zealand, the aim is to consistently provide timely advice to the Medical Council of New Zealand even while demand for assessments continues to grow. Ultimately, this is about doing right by SIMGs and by the communities we serve.

Opportunities to connect and grow
Another way we strengthen our profession is by coming together, connecting and collaborating and the next few months offer many chances to do just that. We have upcoming Annual Scientific Meetings in most states, territories, and in Aotearoa New Zealand. There is also the Annual Research Conference in Melbourne from 13–15 November, incorporating the Developing a Career and Skills in Academic Surgery (DCAS) Course, and we’re hosting the Trauma Week Symposium in Adelaide on 21–22 November.

These events offer CPD hours and feature world-class speakers covering issues that matter to surgeons. They’re great opportunities to connect with peers, build your professional skills, and support the surgical community while shaping the future of surgery.

As always, I welcome your thoughts, insights, and feedback. Please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected].

I appreciate your engagement and ongoing commitment to our profession.

Warm regards,
Professor Ray Sacks