Urology
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (selection administered by the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand)
Competition
Very high
Qualification
FRACS (Urology)
Training duration
5 years nominal (SET1–SET5); maximum 7 years permitted from the start of training
Applications
Single NATIONAL round administered by USANZ on behalf of RACS — applicants choose Australia or New Zealand (not both); there is no separate per-state round. Recurring annual pattern: RACS registration 6–30 January → USANZ application mid-February to ~20 March (12 noon AEDT close) → referee interviews late April–May → applicant interviews mid-June (Sydney and Melbourne) → offers follow. Check usanz.org.au for the current cycle.
Selection format
USANZ publishes an exact 100-point matrix with three tools: semi-structured interview 45% (4 panels of 2 interviewers, applicant rotates through all four), structured referee reports 30% (average of 4 valid reports — 3 consultant surgeons plus 1 allied-health professional — from a pool of 9 nominated referees), and structured CV 25% (raw max 54 points, each CV independently scored by two USANZ staff). No written exam or situational-judgement test for applicants. Shortlisting to interview is by combined CV and referee score at a published 2:1 ratio (two applicants interviewed per available post); the minimum "successful" standard is a floating threshold set by the applicant ranked five places below the number of positions.
When to apply
No blanket PGY floor, but the required rotations effectively mean PGY3+ at application: 26 weeks general surgery (PGY2+), 10 weeks emergency department (PGY1+), and 26 weeks urology (PGY2+), all completed and evidenced by the closing date. Applicants must also have passed the GSSE, hold general (unconditional) AHPRA registration (or general/restricted-general MCNZ scope), hold Australian or New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency, and have completed "Introduction to Operating with Respect".
Competition
One of the smallest-intake RACS surgical specialties — appointments have run 16–24 per year (2019–2025) across Australia and New Zealand combined. The most recent published round drew 53 applications for 16 positions (about 3.3 per place), with a formal 2:1 interview shortlist.
Selection criteria
Clinical experience
Rotations, logbooks, procedures, and exposure
- Clinical rotations — minimum 26 weeks general surgery (PGY2+), 10 weeks emergency department (PGY1+), and 26 weeks urology (PGY2+), all completed and evidenced (not prospective) by the closing date
- Fees and attempts — RACS registration AUD $655 plus USANZ application AUD $1,040 (2027 intake, non-refundable); maximum 4 lifetime selection attempts
Rural & regional
Rural, regional, and remote experience
- Rural — rurality is directly scored, up to 10 of the 54 raw CV points, for rural origin, a rural clinical school, or rural pre-SET rotations
First Nations
Selection points and pathways for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and Māori applicants
- First Nations — Urology participates in the RACS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander selection initiative; 2 posts were expected to be reserved for the 2027 intake for eligible applicants meeting the minimum standards
Academic
Exams, qualifications, courses, and teaching
- Courses — ASSET and CCrISP (by end of SET1) and EMST and CLEAR (by end of SET2) are during-training requirements that earn no selection points
Publications & research
Papers, impact factor, audits, and QI
- Research — only first or second-author articles (impact factor 3.0+ for non-RACS-library journals) and first-author case reports score; presenting counts for more than mere attendance
Extracurricular
Leadership and roles beyond clinical work
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACS / USANZ.
Distinction
Prizes, awards, and academic standing
Nothing captured yet — verify with RACS / USANZ.
Eligibility & application
Prerequisites, referees, interviews, and fees
- Eligibility — pass the Generic Surgical Sciences Examination (GSSE) by the 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 (4 panels of 2 interviewers); the single largest component
- Structured referee reports — 30% of the score, scored from 4 valid reports (3 consultant surgeons plus 1 allied-health professional) drawn from 9 nominated referees over the prior 2 clinical years
- Structured CV — 25% of the score, raw max 54 points (qualifications 10, professional development 13, publications 10, presentations 10, rurality 10, plus a legacy Clinical Examination point); each CV double-scored by USANZ staff
Entry tips
Sourced from Australian medical community discussion. Always verify with RACS / USANZ.
Recent updates
USANZ Selection Regulations v4 (approved 3 Nov 2025, for the 2027 intake) raised the minimum impact factor for scoring "other" peer-reviewed journal publications from 2.0 to 3.0, and reduced the minimum number of consultant-surgeon referees an applicant must nominate from 6 to 4.
The RACS Clinical Examination was removed as a mandatory eligibility requirement for SET Urology from the 2027 intake; a pass by the June 2025 sitting instead earns 1 fixed CV point (later sittings earn none).
Current cycle (2027 intake): RACS registration 6–30 January 2026, USANZ applications 18 February – 20 March 2026, interviews 13 June 2026 in Sydney and Melbourne.
Indicative only. Check the RACS / USANZ website for current information.
Official resources
RACS Urology (SET)
RACS specialty page — confirms USANZ administers selection; historical appointment numbers
RACS Generic Eligibility for Selection
RACS-wide prerequisites — registration, GSSE, citizenship, Operating with Respect
USANZ Application and Selection
Current-cycle dates plus the Selection Regulations and application guide
Medical Board — Specialist Registration
MBA specialist registration pathways
State workforce data
Queensland Health’s medi-nav is the only state health department currently publishing the workforce and selection figures this section shows. We have not verified equivalent data for Northern Territory yet — the selection criteria and requirements above apply Australia-wide regardless of state. See the Queensland figures.
Community discussions
Recent discussion about Urology 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 Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand) (RACS / USANZ) before making career decisions. Report an error on this page.