Specialist International Medical Graduates

How do you register as a General Surgeon in Australia and New Zealand?

Registration of General Surgeons is undertaken by the relevant Medical Board in each State and Territory of Australia and the Medical Council of New Zealand in New Zealand. The recognised qualification required for registration as a General Surgeon in Australia and New Zealand is the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in General Surgery.

Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs) are advised to contact the Australian Medical Council or the Medical Council of New Zealand for further information on the processes available for assessment of international specialist qualifications. This function is not performed by GSA, and the Society is unable to provide advice on these matters.

Click here to access resources for SIMGs, available from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Click here to access the Australian Medical Council website.

Click here to access the Medical Council of New Zealand website.

Forms

Please find below the required forms for SIMGs to complete when under supervision or oversight:

  1. Progress Report - click to download
  2. DOPS - click to download
  3. MiniCEX - click to download
  5. Professional Development, Exam Preparation and Sentinel Event Form (PDF format) - click to download
  6. MALT Logbook (Summary)
  7. Patient History and Clinical Examination Assessment Form

Click here to download the checklist outlining the minimum requirements for documentation per term.

Fellowship Examination Preparation

The Australian Board in General Surgery has published a Guide on preparing for the Fellowship Examination. The Guide provides advice on the following areas:

  • Structure and marking of the Examination
  • Tips on preparing for the Written Exam
  • Tips on preparing for the Vivas

The Guide can be downloaded here.

Patient History and Clinical Examination Assessment

  1. The Patient History and Clinical Examination Assessment has been designed to assess the candidate on their ability to clinically examine a patient.
  2. The assessment involves the SIMG Supervisor or delegate (Assessor) observing the candidate interact with a patient in an unrehearsed clinical encounter in the workplace.
  3. The Assessor’s evaluation is recorded on a structured checklist which enables them to determine their readiness to practice as an independent Consultant.
  4. The complexity of the patient’s condition must be commensurate with the level expected of an independent Consultant in terms of clinical assessment and development of a management plan.
  5. Assessors are required to observe and assess the trainee taking a history, performing a physical examination, and discussing a management plan with the patient.
  6. Candidates will be assessed against eight (8) criteria and they will be marked as either:
    i.    Below Expectation for an Independent Consultant
    ii.    Meets Expectation for an Independent Consultant
  7. A candidate must achieve a mark of Meets Expectation for an Independent Consultant for six (6) of the eight (8) criteria for a form to be deemed as `Valid’.
  8. Candidates applying to sit the Fellowship Examination from December 2021 onwards will be required to submit three (3) valid Patient History and Clinical Examination Assessment by a minimum of two (2) different Assessors.
  9. The SIMG Supervisor will co-sign each final Assessment form where they were not the Assessor. This will indicate that the SIMG Supervisor agrees with the outcome of the Assessment.
  10. The three (3) observed cases must be from different disciplines within General Surgery.
  11. Candidates do not need to submit new forms for each exam attempt unless specifically requested to as part of exam preparation recommendations.
 
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