Why study surgery at Sydney
1. Flexible course options
We offer a range of subjects at different postgraduate course levels so you can tailor your units of study to match your surgical training.
We have options available if you’re a medical student looking at taking our Graduate Certificate or are considering a Graduate Diploma and Master of Surgery.
We also offer a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Clinical Skills (Surgical Anatomy) and Doctor of Clinical Surgery.
Our Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master of Surgery offer over 50 different surgery and elective subject choices.
Your degree can be tailored to help you prepare for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) General Surgical Science Examination (GSSE) and/or designed to give you research skills, develop your professional skills or increase your knowledge in surgery.
We also provide many subjects through our open learning environment, giving you the flexibility to tailor your study schedule around your lifestyle.*
2. Get the professional edge
Sydney Medical School is a world-class teaching institution and is ranked 25th globally for Medicine (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023).
It is home to the largest academic surgical department in Australasia and operates across seven different clinical schools in New South Wales.
Our range of postgraduate surgery programs are designed with medical graduates, surgical trainees and practising surgeons in mind.
That’s because the knowledge you’ll develop in our courses complements the practical experience you can obtain through both the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and BreastSurgANZ training programs and will enhance your research, leadership and communication skills.
3. Be research ready
Students who choose to study the Master of Surgery can complete two dedicated research units (Part A and Part B) in an area of their own specific interest with a supervisor of their choice.
This is a unique opportunity for students to work with a supervisor to formulate and refine a research question, conduct a literature review, collect and analyse data and address the impact of their research findings.
To assist students with the research journey, there will be regular check-ins of their progress with our intendent expert faculty.
Our faculty will provide feedback on the progress to prompt reflection and further refinement of their research question, methodology and results.
Students will have the opportunity to access our faculty for one-on-one support for their projects.
On completion of the two dissertation units, students may be able to advance their professional reputation by publishing their findings in a peer-reviewed academic journal.
The Doctor of Clinical Surgery allows students to further their research interest, offering a flexible degree that includes a research thesis and coursework subjects.
4. Learn from the best
The discipline of surgery requires specialised training, knowledge, and technical skills to perform surgical procedures safely and effectively.
With that in mind, you’ll learn from subject-matter experts from Sydney Medical School as well as practicing surgeons from within Sydney Medical School and guest faculty, including leaders in surgery in Australia and New Zealand.
Your teachers all share a common passion for teaching and enabling their students to help others achieve a better quality of life.
5. Go further
Your learning journey with the University of Sydney can be further expanded through our range of post fellowship degrees as well as higher degrees by research.
Our post fellowship degrees include the Graduate Certificate in Advanced Surgery (Breast Surgery), Graduate Diploma in Advanced Surgery (Breast Surgery) and Master of Advanced Surgery (Breast Surgery).
Our Advanced Surgery (Breast Surgery) program is the first formal educational credential for specialist breast surgery in Australia and New Zealand and has been endorsed by BreastSurgANZ.
We also offer the Sydney Professional Certificate in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery, which explores techniques to extend the role and improve the aesthetics of breast conservation surgery.
Completion of the Surgery coursework degrees provides a foundation for students who want to further their research degree by considering higher degrees by research, including the Master of Philosophy and PhD).