Plastic Surgery
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (selection administered by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons)
Competition
Very high
Qualification
FRACS (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery)
Training duration
5 years SET (two surgical terms per year; trainees start in February or August)
Applications
Single NATIONAL round run by ASPS and the Australian Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ABPRS) on behalf of RACS — not regional sub-rounds. Recurring annual pattern: RACS registration 6–30 January → ASPS application mid-February to mid-March (12 noon AEDT close) → referee reporting May → interviews June/July (recently virtual) → first-round offers by 24 July, final offers by 7 November. Check plasticsurgery.org.au for the current cycle.
Selection format
ASPS/ABPRS publishes an exact matrix (composite max 1,000 points, 65% minimum to pass): semi-structured interview 45% (3 panels of 2–3 plastic surgeons, common opening questions), referee reports 35% (the Board selects 8 referees from your nominees — 6 surgical, 2 nursing), and structured CV 20%. Interview shortlisting is capped at the lesser of 48 places or 3 per available post. IMPORTANT: from the 2027 selection round (2028 intake) the CV becomes a minimum-eligibility gate only and no longer earns points.
When to apply
No single PGY floor — eligibility is gated by rotations completed within the last 5 years: a GSSE pass by application close, at least 10 weeks (5 continuous) in plastic and reconstructive surgery (PGY1+), at least 8 weeks in emergency or intensive care (PGY1+), and at least 26 continuous weeks of surgery (PGY2+). The stacked requirements plus a research criterion mean most successful applicants are well past PGY3.
Competition
One of the most competitive specialties in Australia. ASPS-published 2020–2024 data show 283 applications with a 31.45% cumulative success rate and only 15.19% selected on a first attempt, against roughly 15–20 posts per year; interviews are rationed to about 3 per available place.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
- Plastics rotation — at least 10 working weeks (5 continuous) in plastic and reconstructive surgery at PGY1+ within the last 5 years
- Emergency or critical care — at least 8 working weeks in emergency or intensive care at PGY1+ (trauma, burns, cardiothoracic, and vascular do not count)
- General surgery — at least 26 continuous weeks in any surgical specialty at PGY2+ within the last 5 years
Rural & regional
Rural, regional, and remote experience
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACS / ASPS.
First Nations
Selection points and pathways for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori applicants
- First Nations — the RACS/ABPRS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiative reserves at least 1 post (up to 10% of posts) for eligible applicants meeting the minimum standard
Academic
Exams, qualifications, courses, and teaching
- Examinations — a RACS Clinical Examination pass is a prerequisite for the 2026 round (2027 intake); it is being removed from the 2027 round (2028 intake)
Publications & research
Papers, impact factor, audits, and QI
- Research — one publication (accepted-journal list or impact factor above 2.5) plus one presentation, or a research higher degree; a formal minimum-eligibility item
Extracurricular
Leadership and roles beyond clinical work
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACS / ASPS.
Distinction
Prizes, awards, and academic standing
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACS / ASPS.
Eligibility & application
Prerequisites, referees, interviews, and fees
- Eligibility — pass the Generic Surgical Sciences Examination (GSSE) by application close; general (unconditional) AHPRA or MCNZ registration; Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency; RACS Operating with Respect course
- Semi-structured interview — 45% of the score (3 panels of 2–3 plastic surgeons); the single largest component
- Referee reports — 35% of the score; nominate at least 6 consultant and 2 nursing contacts, from whom the Board selects 8 (minimum 3 surgical + 1 nursing valid report)
- Structured CV — 20% of the score (surgical experience, publications and presentations, rural origin, qualifications, special skills); becomes an eligibility-only gate from the 2028 intake
- Fees and attempts — AUD $1,320 application fee (2026, non-refundable); maximum 3 eligible attempts
Entry tips
Sourced from Australian medical community discussion. Always verify with RACS / ASPS.
Recent updates
From the 2026 application round, ASPS introduced a Reservist Pathway — up to 4 reservist positions that give high-ranking unsuccessful applicants a guaranteed post the following year.
ASPS gave formal notice (confirmed March 2026) that the structured CV will become a minimum-eligibility requirement only, with no scoring points, from the 2027 selection round (2028 intake); it is still scored at 20% in the current round.
RACS/ABPRS notified that the RACS Clinical Examination will be removed as a SET prerequisite from the 2027 application round (2028 intake); it remains a prerequisite for the current 2026 round.
Indicative only. Check the RACS / ASPS website for current information.
Official resources
RACS Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (SET)
RACS specialty eligibility page — delegates detailed selection to ASPS
RACS Generic Eligibility for Selection
RACS-wide prerequisites — registration, GSSE, citizenship, Operating with Respect
ASPS Selection for Training
ASPS selection hub — key dates, fee, success-rate data, and the Selection Regulations
Medical Board — Specialist Registration
MBA specialist registration pathways
State workforce data
2026 first-year selection
0 of 3
eligible applicants selected
- Specialists in QLD
- 74 / 499 AU
- Trainees in QLD
- 14
- New fellows in QLD
- 8 / 19 AU
- Average week
- 48 hrs
How you reach a post
- The college itself
- No applicants were selected in the published 2026 Queensland round — three were eligible and none appointed. Stated as published; it reflects how few training posts existed that year, not the calibre of the applicants
- Queensland nonetheless recorded eight new fellows against 19 nationally, so the fellowship is growing even in a year with no local intake
- SET runs five years full-time
- Allocated by the college through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons SET selection process, not by a Queensland Health pathway or facility — the reverse of most physician specialties in Queensland, where a centralised state-wide network controls entry
Queensland figures published by Queensland Health (medi-nav). Selection numbers are for first-year entry and vary year to year — confirm the current round with the college and with Queensland Health before relying on them.
Community discussions
Recent discussion about Plastic Surgery training from Australian doctors.
Search r/ausdocs and r/doctorsofaustraliaRequirements, windows, and criteria change annually. Verify with Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (selection administered by the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons) (RACS / ASPS) before making career decisions. Report an error on this page.