Selecting a plastic surgeon — Surgery involves many decisions, with the most crucial one being the selection of a qualified surgeon who can collaborate with you to provide the necessary care to achieve your goals. All of our surgeons at Auckland Plastic Surgery Group are fully trained plastic surgeons with qualifications in plastic surgery from New Zealand or overseas. They have official vocational scope of practice in plastic surgery, recognised and registered by the Medical Council of New Zealand.

 

Other qualifications — In New Zealand, the only recognised qualifications for plastic surgeons are FRACS in plastic surgery or vocational registration as a specialist plastic surgeon with the Medical Council of New Zealand. Be cautious of official-sounding qualifications and certifications or non-specialist registrations with the New Zealand Medical Council. If a surgeon does not have FRACS in plastic surgery or vocational registration as a specialist plastic surgeon with the Medical Council of New Zealand, they are not recognised as a plastic surgeon and cannot legally practice or represent themselves as such. Some doctors without the proper qualifications may use misleading titles such as "cosmetic surgeon," "skin surgeon," "surgeon with an interest in plastic surgery," or "facial surgeon" to imply they are qualified plastic surgeons.

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New Zealand / Australia trained surgeons — The benchmark qualification for plastic and cosmetic surgeons in New Zealand and Australia is the FRACS (Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons) in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The Medical Council of New Zealand recognises this qualification as a specialist qualification in this field. To obtain FRACS, surgeons undergo at least 5-6 years of basic medical training and hospital experience, followed by an additional 5 years of specialist postgraduate training. In New Zealand, the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Surgical Education and Training (SET) program is overseen by the New Zealand Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and managed by the New Zealand Association of Plastic Surgeons. It includes extensive training in invasive surgical procedures and rigorous testing of clinical, theoretical, and operational skills. Upon successful completion, including passing three rounds of examinations, surgeons are awarded FRACS, certifying them as specialist plastic and reconstructive surgeons with a "vocational scope of practice" in this field.

 

Overseas trained surgeons — Not all specialist plastic surgeons in New Zealand are trained locally. We are fortunate to work with highly skilled colleagues from around the world. Doctors with qualifications that are substantially equivalent to FRACS, such as the Fellowship of the College of Surgeons of England, Ireland, Scotland, or Canada, or American Board Certification in plastic and reconstructive surgery, may be recognised as specialists by the New Zealand Medical Council. These doctors undergo thorough audits of their surgical training and, if necessary, additional supervised training by New Zealand-registered specialist plastic surgeons to ensure that their training meets local standards. Once they are deemed equivalent to their New Zealand and Australian-trained counterparts, these overseas-trained surgeons are registered with the New Zealand Medical Council and are allowed to practice in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

 

NZAPS membership — The New Zealand Association of Plastic Surgeons is a non-profit organisation that upholds ethical and professional standards in cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. It represents the profession to the Ministry of Health and oversees the specialist training program in New Zealand. Members are expected to adhere to a Code of Practice and follow the guidelines of the Medical Council of New Zealand and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.