About the AST

Become a beacon of surgical excellence in rural and remote communities with our Advanced Specialised Training (AST) in Surgery as part of the ACRRM Fellowship program.

As access to local surgical services is reduced, there's a pressing need for skilled Rural Generalists who can bridge this gap. This AST addresses this challenge by equipping Rural Generalists with advanced surgical skills, ensuring communities have access to essential surgical care. With increasing technological advancements and subspecialisation, this AST prepares you to meet the evolving demands of rural healthcare.

By collaborating with specialist surgeons, you'll play a crucial role in delivering safe and high-quality surgical care, ultimately improving health outcomes in underserved regions.

Choose an AST in Surgery and make a lasting impact where it's needed most.

View handbook
AST Surgery

Curriculum highlights / credentials

A Rural Generalist who has completed the AST in Surgery can:

  • work independently as a senior medical officer in a rural hospital
  • work with the support of specialist surgeons either on or off-site
  • work as part of an on-site team with other skilled medical, nursing and allied health practitioners delivering anaesthetics, emergency medicine, and obstetrics & gynaecology services
  • provide surgical care for low to medium complexity surgical cases
  • perform more complex surgery in consultation with a specialist surgeon or refer on
  • play a role in facilitating and co-ordinating care of the surgical patients in the community 
  • provide a surgical advisory resource to other Rural Generalists
  • maximize the effectiveness of specialist outreach and telemedicine services in their communities
  • assist in training other Rural Generalists
  • assist in the development, provision and promotion of surgical services
  • engage in, foster, and encourage research
  • develop health policies and procedures for rural surgical services.

Where you can complete this AST

Training must be completed at an ACRRM training post that is accredited in Surgery. Below you can browse the training posts including hospitals and general practices.

View training posts

I enjoy the variety in being a Rural Generalist with advanced skills in surgery because I get to work on cases outside the normal scope of practice. I also have the freedom to be more innovative and adaptable in order to maintain the standard of care for patients in rural communities.

Dr Phyllis Ho

ACRRM registrar

Got a question about training?

You can call us on 1800 223 226 or contact the training team.