All Specialist Plastic Surgeons must undergo extensive medical education and training in order to be accredited. The surgical specialist pathway includes a minimum of 12 years of medical and surgical education, including at least 5 years of specialist postgraduate training.

The 5-year postgraduate Surgical Education and Training (SET) Program in plastic surgery is run by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).

The Surgical Education and Training (SET) program promotes high quality, efficient surgical education and training through early selection into speciality training – surgical trainees are selected directly into the specialty in which they will undertake specialist surgical education and training. Common standards and principles underpin training across all the specialties.

RACS conducts selection, training and assessment to ensure that surgical trainees become competent surgeons who provide safe, comprehensive surgical care of the highest standard to the communities we serve.

Specialty training boards allocate trainees to accredited training posts for their clinical placements. The specialty boards monitor the quality and outcomes of training in each post through regular hospital accreditation processes and through information from trainees’ logbooks. Hospitals also have supervisors to monitor trainee progress.