About endorsement

The process for establishing an endorsement for cosmetic surgery 

Context 

Cosmetic surgery reform is underway, with higher professional standards, tougher advertising requirements and new registration requirements.

As part of the registration changes, an endorsement for cosmetic surgery will:

• help consumers know who is trained and qualified to perform cosmetic surgery safely, and
• make it clear on the public register if a doctor has met cosmetic surgery standards set by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and the Medical Board of Australia.

There are two planks in the platform for endorsement for cosmetic surgery: 

1. Medical Board of Australia (MBA) registration standard 
2. Australian Medical Council (AMC) accreditation standards, including graduate outcome/capability statements.

The MBA registration standard defines what an applicant for endorsement needs to do to gain and keep their endorsement. The registration standard is the regulatory tool that makes it possible to identify who is trained and qualified to do cosmetic surgery safely.

AMC accreditation standards set the standards for programs of study, and will determine which qualifications are approved for endorsement. AMC graduate outcome/capability statements are part of the standards. They define the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours and attributes that graduates of an accredited cosmetic surgery program will be able to demonstrate.

When AMC accreditation standards and graduate outcome/capability statements are in place, education providers will be able to apply to the AMC to have their cosmetic surgery program assessed and accredited.

Graduates of accredited programs of study (from a specified date), will be eligible to apply to the Medical Board for endorsement in cosmetic surgery. Endorsement in cosmetic surgery will clearly show on the public register if a doctor has met cosmetic surgery standards.

About the registration standard

• Who: Developed by the Medical Board of Australia, approved by Australia’s Health Ministers.
• What: Legal requirement, that sets the requirements for eligibility for endorsement – for application and ongoing. (See section 98 of the National Law, where the requirements for area of practice endorsements are specified.)
• When: Medical Board consultation closes on 11 December 2022. The proposed new registration standard, informed by the consultation, will go to Australia’s Health Ministers in February 2023 for approval.
• Where: Find out more on the Medical Board consultations page.
• Why: To make cosmetic surgery safer, by making it clear to patients who is trained and qualified.

About the AMC cosmetic surgery accreditation standards for cosmetic surgery programs

• Who: Developed by the AMC, on advice from an AMC Cosmetic Surgery Accreditation Standards and Procedures Project Advisory Group to include: accreditation and regulation experts, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), plastic surgeons, cosmetic practitioners, related disciplines, educators, and consumers. The accreditation standard will be approved by the Medical Board of Australia.
• What: Legal requirement. Sets the standards for accreditation of cosmetic surgery programs for endorsement.
• When: Work is underway.
• Where: Find out more about AMC accreditation on the AMC website.
• Why: To make cosmetic surgery safer, by setting standards in cosmetic surgery education and training.

About the AMC cosmetic surgery graduate outcome/capability statements for cosmetic surgery programs

• Who: Set by the AMC, on advice from a Technical Advisory Group - expert advisors on the development of the statements - to include medical educationalists, surgical educators and clinicians, and members with education and training expertise from related disciplines. The graduate outcomes will be approved by the Medical Board of Australia.
• What: Form part of the legal requirement for accreditation standards. Set the knowledge, skills and professional behaviour requirements for graduates of accredited cosmetic surgery programs.
• When: Work is underway.
• Where: Find out more about AMC graduate outcomes on the AMC website.
• Why: To make cosmetic surgery safer, by setting specific requirements for graduates of accredited cosmetic surgery programs.

When the cosmetic surgery registration standard, accreditation standard and graduate outcomes are in place:

• Cosmetic surgery education providers will be able to apply to the AMC to have their cosmetic surgery program assessed and accredited for endorsement.
• The Medical Board will approve and publish a list of approved qualifications for endorsement, based on advice from the AMC.
• Graduates of accredited cosmetic surgery programs will have recognised qualifications. 
• Doctors with an approved qualification and who meet the other requirements in the registration standard, will be eligible to apply for a cosmetic surgery endorsement. If granted, endorsement will be published on the public register.
• There will be a simple and quick administrative process for eligible doctors to apply for an endorsement on their registration. There will be an application form available when the accreditation standards are in place and there are approved qualification(s). 

Endorsement for cosmetic surgery: What’s involved (32KB,PDF)

The AMC has published more information on the AMC cosmetic surgery webpage.