Accreditation standards for cosmetic surgery programs

The AMC has developed accreditation standards for cosmetic surgery programs of study on behalf of the Medical Board of Australia. These standards came into effect on 19 April 2023 and define the requirements of programs of study, which is to produce graduates who have acquired the necessary knowledge and clinical skills to perform cosmetic surgery, and have the right attributes to practise safely, ethically and in the best interests of the patient.

The accreditation standards are part of a suite of measures implemented by the Medical Board of Australia, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and other regulators to make cosmetic surgery safer for patients in response to the Independent review of the regulation of medical practitioners who perform cosmetic surgery commissioned by the Medical Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. The measures include the establishment of an “area of practice endorsement” for cosmetic surgery, tougher rules for advertising, stronger guidance for doctors who perform cosmetic surgery, new safety measures including referral by a GP, and accreditation of cosmetic surgery facilities.

The AMC established a Cosmetic Surgery Accreditation Standards and Procedures Project Advisory Group (the Advisory Group) to develop the standards and review feedback on draft standards received following public consultation. The Advisory Group included regulators and accreditation experts and members from

• The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons
• The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine
• The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
• The Australian Medical Association
• Community and health consumer organisations
• Related professional organisations.

A Technical Advisory Group, including members with expertise in medical education, surgical education and practice, cosmetic surgery and other related disciplines, provided expert advice to the AMC.

As the accreditation authority for medicine, the AMC will assess cosmetic surgery programs of study and the organisations that provide them, and if they meet the standards, will accredit the programs. The AMC will also monitor the programs to ensure they continue to meet the standards.

Accreditation standards

The accreditation standards apply to education providers who wish to provide an education and training program for medical practitioners so that the graduates of the program can apply for endorsement of registration in cosmetic surgery. 

Under the standards, education providers will need to demonstrate their capacity to govern, manage, resource and deliver a cosmetic surgery program that meets the accreditation standards, and offer a program of study covering scientific and theoretical learning, supervised clinical practice and reflective practice capabilities so that doctors are skilled, safe, and ethical practitioners in cosmetic surgery.   

In the standards the AMC has set some specific requirements of education providers and programs that respond to the specific regulation and patient safety challenges of the cosmetic surgery sector, including the education and training of practitioners to perform cosmetic surgery.  

The standards for cosmetic surgery programs also include outcome (capability) statements.  The knowledge, skills and professional behaviours and attributes are described under four domains: 

1. The cosmetic surgery practitioner 
2. The cosmetic surgery practitioner as ethical professional and leader 
3. The cosmetic surgery practitioner as patient and health advocate 
4. The cosmetic surgery practitioner as reflective and evidence informed practitioner. 

The statements under these domains define the high-level and specific knowledge, skills, professional behaviours and attributes that graduates of all accredited programs of study in cosmetic surgery are expected to demonstrate.  Programs of study will need to show that their learning outcomes, learning and teaching approaches, supervised practice and assessment of trainees address these outcome (capability) statements. 

Area of practice endorsement

Cosmetic surgery is not a recognised medical specialty. Any medical practitioner can perform cosmetic procedures. What the accreditation standards do is provide a rigorous framework for the training and education of doctors who want to work in this area.

Doctors who have completed a program that has been assessed and accredited by the AMC will be able to apply to the Medical Board to have an endorsement for cosmetic surgery on their registration.

Consumers will be able to see which medical practitioners have an endorsement to help them make an informed decision about who they choose to perform their procedure.

Procedure for accreditation

For a cosmetic surgery program to be accredited, the education provider must make an application to the AMC showing how it meets the accreditation standards.

The AMC provides an application template and guidance for providers, and AMC staff will provide advice on addressing the standards.

The AMC will assess each application, and if the program and education provider meet the standards, the AMC will grant accreditation of the program.  

Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, the AMC can also grant accreditation if a program and provider substantially meet the standards and can meet the standards in a reasonable time by setting conditions on the accreditation. 

The AMC provides its report on the accreditation to the Medical Board of Australia, which makes a decision on whether the program will be approved for the purposes of endorsement. 

AMC Cosmetic Surgery Accreditation Advisory Committee

The AMC has established a Cosmetic Surgery Accreditation Advisory Committee to oversee the establishment of the process for assessment and accreditation of programs of study leading to endorsement of registration for cosmetic surgery. The Committee performs functions in connection to the Standards for Assessment and Accreditation of Cosmetic Surgery Programs of Study. 

The Committee is chaired by Associate Professor Jillian Sewell AM (who chaired the Project Advisory Group) and includes members with experience in AMC accreditation, medical educational expertise, and members with a background in, and knowledge of, health consumer issues; and an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander member. 

Further information

Updates on requirements for cosmetic surgery can be found on the Medical Board of Australia website.