Post Fellowship Training

Overview

Breast Surgery is now regarded as a surgical subspecialty in Australia and New Zealand.

Specialist breast surgeons have extensive knowledge of all benign breast conditions as well as breast cancer. This includes diagnosis and treatment, breast surgery including reconstruction and specialist oncoplastic breast cancer surgery. The assessment and management of familial breast cancer risk and risk reduction surgery is also within the remit of a specialist breast surgeon. All care should be delivered within a multi-disciplinary breast cancer care framework.

Post Fellowship Training (PFT) Program

The BreastSurgANZ PFT Program is a bi-national, two-year program designed for fellows wishing to dedicate all or part of their ongoing practice to a career in breast surgery. 

The BreastSurgANZ Post Fellowship Training (PFT) Program provides opportunities for suitably qualified independent specialist general surgeons to achieve advanced proficiency, knowledge and skills in breast surgery practice.

The Program is the premium breast surgical training program in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) and has been developed by BreastSurgANZ to ensure the ongoing improvement and evolution of breast surgery as a surgical sub-specialty.

Fellows on the program will be offered specialised breast surgical training within accredited hospital units across Australia and New Zealand and will work with senior BreastSurgANZ members who are also training supervisors. Training is supplemented by educational workshops delivered by BreastSurgANZ which are designed to complement the Program.

The BreastSurgANZ PFT Committee has oversight of the Program and provides advice and recommendations to Council on matters relating to the program including trainee management, program regulations, curriculum development, trainee selection, program fees and hospital and Supervisor accreditation.

Satisfactory completion of both first and second year of the PFT Program is currently the direct pathway to Full membership with our Society.

Please refer to the BreastSurgANZ PFT Program Handbook for full Program details.

Program Selection

The annual selection process for the BreastSurgANZ PFT Program is governed by the BreastSurgANZ Selection Guidelines for application to the Program.

Applicants for the BreastSurgANZ PFT Program must have successfully completed the Australasian general surgery training and attained their FRACS or an equivalent. For those applicants sitting the first fellowship exam of the year, progression of an application will be dependent upon a pass in that exam and conformation of no other outstanding SET training prerequisites by the time offers to the program are made.

Successful applicants to the program must be able to commence work in February of any training year.

The Program is a bi-national program with training positions located across Australia and New Zealand.  It is highly likely that successful applicants will be required to change states and/or travel to New Zealand for one or both years of training and applicants should carefully consider the feasibility of undertaking part or all of their training outside of the State/Country within which they currently reside.

Potential candidates should also carefully read the BreastSurgANZ Selection Guidelines and the BreastSurgANZ PFT Handbook prior to submitting their application.

Selection Timeline

The selection timeline for the 2024 BreastSurgANZ PFT Program will be confirmed shortly.

Interested applicants to the program should carefully read the application guidelines prior to submitting an application.

Application

BreastSurgANZ conducts a centralised application and assessment process for the PFT Program including interview and position allocation. No placement to a BreastSurgANZ PFT accredited training position occurs outside of the centralised allocation process.

All applications for the PFT Program are assessed by selected members of the BreastSurgANZ Post Fellowship Training Committee and nominated Hospital Supervisors. Following assessment, applicants are matched to an accredited training position.

All applications as detailed in the BreastSurgANZ Selection Guidelines must be submitted via email to [email protected]

Applicants for the BreastSurgANZ PFT program must submit their application using the following form: BreastSurgANZ PFT Program Application form, together with all other documents specified in the BreastSurgANZ Selection Guidelines.  Incomplete applications and/or applications not submitted according to the requirements of the BreastSurgANZ Selection Guidelines will not be eligible for consideration.  Applicants will not be contacted in relation to incomplete or incorrectly submitted applications.

Program Fees

Application Fee

A non-refundable application fee of $550 (inc GST) is payable upon application for the BreastSurgANZ PFT Program.

Training Fee

A training fee of $2,750 (inc. gst) will apply for the BreastSurgANZ PFT Program in 2023. This fee is payable upon successful entry into the program and at the commencement of the 2023 training year.

Training Positions

BreastSurgANZ works with hospitals across Australia and New Zealand to provide appropriate first and second year fellowship training positions.

Training positions include a range of breast oncology units, cancer surgery and breast reconstructive units (Oncoplastic Level 1 and Level 2), general surgical, breast/melanoma and breast/endocrine units.

A number of the training units have a strong academic focus that is of benefit to trainees.

View the current PFT Positions