Patient Safety, start to finish.

ASAPS members are surgeons from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), having undergone 5-6 years of surgical training certified by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) or Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ). This is training additional to their medical degree and prevocational training within a hospital. 

Once finishing their surgical training, ASAPS surgeons have completed more than a minimum of 12 years’ training. During this time, they are also trained to provide the physiological, ethical, psychological, pharmacological, surgical and medical expertise to safely diagnose, treat and manage surgical patients. The practice and training put patient safety first during consultations, surgery and post-operative care.

It is important for people to be aware that the mandatory qualification for Surgeons in Australia and New Zealand is to be a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS). The letters FRACS represent more than a surgical qualification, it assures the patient that their surgeon is trained to the highest standards and offers a guarantee of surgical safety.

FRACS are AMC or MCNZ accredited specialist surgeons whose education, training, professional qualifications, surgical competence and ethical conduct are reviewed and are consistent with the high standards of RACS. FRACS is a symbol of excellence that you can trust. – RACS

Surgeons are doctors who have completed further training in a surgical specialty, recognised by the regulatory authorities of Australian Medical Council (AMC), Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ), and the Australian Health Practitioners Regulatory Agency (AHPRA). 

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is the only body recognised training provider of Surgeons by the AMC and MCNZ. The AMC and MCNZ are independent, national organisations responsible for medical education and training in their respective countries. The purpose of the organisations is to ensure that the standards of education, training and assessment of the medical profession promote and protect the health of the Australian and New Zealand Communities.