Surgical Training

Surgical Training in Australasia Overview

Surgical training in New Zealand Australia is undertaken through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). The RACS has a community responsibility to define minimal training requirements for surgeons and to ensure by examination and training that required standards have been attained.

Trainee surgeons undergo Basic Surgical Training (usually three to four years) in a number of specialty areas followed by Advanced Surgical Training in a specialty area such as Neurosurgery (usually four to five years). Entry into Basic Surgical Training and Advanced Surgical Training is a competitive process only open to those who have completed an undergraduate medical and surgical degree.

Trainee surgeons who have passed the examinations of the RACS and who successfully complete Advanced Surgical Training undertaken in hospital based accredited positions may be accepted by Council as Fellows of the RACS and as such are recognised as fully qualified surgeons through the award of the Diploma of Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) in their trained specialty. Fellowship of the RACS leads to automatic registration by the various registering authorities as a specialist surgeon in the relevant particular field of surgery.

Basic Surgical Training

Mr Law commenced his surgical training at the New Zealand University of Otago, graduating in 1989 with a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery. Mr Law successfully complete the RACS Basic Surgical Training Program including the hospital appointments listed below and the prescribed examination and assessment requirements.

Year Position Specialty Hospital Location
1989 Trainee Intern Elective Medicine R.I.P.A.S Hospital Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei
Darussalam
Trainee Intern Medicine Wellington Hospital Wellington
New Zealand
1990 House Officer Orthopaedic Surgery Hutt Hospital Wellington
New Zealand
Medicine Wellington Hospital
Neurosurgery Wellington Hospital
Psychiatry Wellington Hospital
General Practice Locum General Medicine Tararua Medical Centre Levin
New Zealand
1991 Resident Medical Officer Relief Orthopaedics & Accident and Emergency Sir Charles Gairdner Perth
WA
Australia
Accident and Emergency Wanneroo Hospital
Neurosurgery Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Neurology Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
1992 Surgical Registrar General Surgery Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Perth
WA
Australia
Leave Relief General Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Vascular Surgery Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Cardiothoracic Surgery Wellington Hospital Wellington
New Zealand

Advanced Surgical Training in Neurosurgery

Following completion of Basic Surgical Training Mr Law was selected on the the RACS Advanced Surgical Training Program in Neurosurgery. The Training Program consisted of four years intensive training in Neurosurgery in a number of different hospitals throughout Australia and New Zealand as detailed below.

Year Position Specialty Hospital Location
1993 Surgical Registrar Neurosurgery Wellington Hospital Wellington
New Zealand
1994 Surgical Registrar Neurosurgery Dunedin Hospital Dunedin
New Zealand
1995 Surgical Registrar Neurosurgery Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Perth
WA
Australia
Royal Perth Hospital
Princess Margaret Hospital for Children
1996 Surgical Registrar Neurosurgery Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney
NSW
Australia
Princess Alexandra Hospital for Children (New Children’s Hospital)

After successfully completing eight years of training in surgery, including Basic Surgical Training and Advanced Surgical Training in Neurosurgery, Mr Law was awarded his surgical qualification, the Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Neurosurgery (FRACS).