Higher Trainees

Basic Trainees Higher Trainees Recognized Overseas Qualifications Rules And Regulations
Higher Surgical Trainees

The following apply to Higher Trainees in GENERAL SURGERY only.

For FRACS candidates see additional notes also.

Requirements of the General Surgery Board, The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong:

The following documents are required to be submitted to the College every six months in early January and July.

Two mentor / supervisor assessment reports for the 6-month period which should be signed by the assessor and yourself. Each report should cover a 6-month period (not two 3-month periods) and should be signed by two different mentors.

A log book summary report, clearing stating the number of major and minor operations you have participated, and the percentage you operated as surgeon, for that six month period. A yearly cumulative report could be added on the same sheet. View sample

A log book summary - on the form provided by the College, summarizing the different types of operations you have participated. View sample

A copy of the actual log book for the last six months, which would be returned to you in due course. Starting from July 1, 1998, the FRACS candidates will have to keep a separate pinkgastrointestinal endoscopy log book and summary as well.

Academic activities should be entered into the log book as well.

The forms are available for download directly from the College. You should submit the above documents to Miss Christine Cheung at 4962 latest by the First week of January and July.

Download the forms

The minimal requirements for log book recognition is included below should you need to consult them. If you have any reason to believe that you would not be able to meet this requirement, please let me know as soon as possible and also inform your Division Chief.

Additional notes for FRACS candidates

Minimal Requirements

It is mandatory for an Advanced Surgical Trainee to perform / assist in more than 100 major operations in each six-month training period. Failing to do so will risk discreditation of the period of training. It is also required that you perform, as chief surgeon, 20, 30, 40 and 50% of the major operations during your 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year of Advanced training respectively. In addition 200 GI endoscopies and 100 colonoscopies* are required over these four years.

This minimum requirement is already in place for FRACS candidates, and will be enforced for the FCSHK / FRCS candidates starting from July 1, 1998. For training periods prior to July 1998, it is agreed that this minimum requirement will be waived.

It is therefore to your best interest to ensure that the number of operations you performed / assisted during your six-month period of training exceeds 100. It is also your responsibility to make sure that your training log book is up to date and meets all requirements before they are submitted to the College. You should approach your Division Chief and inform him early if you feel that you are not exposed to an adequate number of major operations.

The following is a summary of the MINIMUM log book statistics that you are required to produce EVERY SIX MONTHS:

Year of training Major cases (number) Major cases (% as surgeon) Minor cases (% as surgeon) GI Endoscopy Colonoscopy
1 100 20% 50% --- ---
2 100 30% 60% --- ---
3 100 40% 70% >150 total >50 total
4 100 20% 50% >200 total >100 total*

* revised July 1998

Some Useful Details

** Note: This system focuses mainly on the percentage of cases you acted as surgeon and the total number of operations performed. For optimum accreditation you should ensure that the number and percentage most closely matches those stated above. Having the largest number of cases or performing a far excess % as chief surgeon may not be to your benefit. For example it is not desirable for a first year trainee to perform 80% of the major cases as chief surgeon. Likewise if you have participated in 200 cases in the 4th year you would need to do 100 as chief surgeon to meet this criteria. If you only do 70 out of 200 it would end up in a failure.

For mentor assessment reports any grade less that Grade 4 (good) in any category is considered a failure of the overall training period.

 
Additional Notes for FRACS Candidates

As of this time, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons only recognizes Higher Surgical Training for General Surgery in Hong Kong.

In addition to satisfying the above log book requirements, you should:

  • Continue to register with the Hong Kong College as a Higher Trainee (even if you have passed the FRCS and / or hold the FHKAM)

  • Register with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons as a Higher Trainee. Forms are currently only available directly from the RACS and you should request these from them in writing. The completed forms should be submitted to the Regional Subcommittee in Hong Kong.

  • Keep a current log book for the gastrointestinal endoscopies. (One each for Gastroscopy, Colonoscopy and ERCP)

  • Manage your log book statistics very carefully. For example, in the first year of Higher training, the majority of your operations should have "mentor scrubbed" instead of "mentor available", and your percentage as surgeons should not be inappropriately high. These statistics should gradually change into a majority of "mentor in theatre" or "mentor available" as your year of training advances.

  • Apply for Recognition of Training in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, should you wish, and satisfy the minimal requirements for the individual endoscopy procedures. This is made seperately to the Conjoint Committee for Recognition of Training in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Note that the rules laid down in the Guide to Surgical Training are that the minimal numbers of endoscopy have to be attained and this is prior to granting Fellowship, not prior to sitting for the second part FRACS examination. It is very important that the Higher Trainees fully understand these requirements as failure to do so will result in him generally surrendering his ability to perform Endoscopy and Colonoscopy in hospitals (in Australasia).

Racs Guidelines For Applying For Recognition Of Training In Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

(Revised December 1997)


Registration of Higher Surgical Training with the College of the Surgeons of Hong Kong
Notice for Registration for Higher Surgical Training

  1. Trainees who have passed the intermediate examination and satisfactorily complete the basic surgical training MUST apply to become Ordinary Member of the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong (MCSHK) before they could be registered as higher surgical trainee of the College.

  2. Trainees who wish to further their higher surgical training in any one of the six specialties should submit their application together with C.V. to the Chairman of respective Specialty Board. Please refer to the list below:


    Please submit the completed application form together with C.V. to the Chairman of Specialty Board:

    CARDIOTHORACIC SURGERY BOARD Dr. David Lik Ching CHEUNG Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery
    The Grantham Hospital
    125 Wong Chuk Hang Road
    Aberdeen, Hong Kong
    Fax No : 2553 3436
    GENERAL SURGERY BOARD Dr. James Shu Tak Hwang c/o The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong
    Room 901, 9/F,
    Hong Kong Academy of Medicine Jockey Club Building
    99 Wong Chuk Hang Road
    Aberdeen, Hong Kong
    UROLOGY BOARD Dr. Peter Siu Foon CHAN Division of Urology
    Department of Surgery
    Prince of Wales Hospital
    The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Shatin, New Territories
    Fax No.: 2637 7974
    PLASTIC SURGERY BOARD Dr. Man Kwong TUNG Division of Plastic Surgery
    Department of Surgery
    Princess Margaret Hospital
    Lai Chi Kok
    Kowloon
    Fax No.: 2990 3480
    NEUROSURGERY BOARD Prof. Wai Sang POON Division of Neurosurgery
    Department of Surgery
    Prince of Wales Hospital
    The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Shatin, New Territories
    Fax No. : 2637 7974
    PAEDIATRIC SURGERY BOARD Prof. Chung Kwong YEUNG Division of Paediatric Surgery
    Department of Surgery
    Prince of Wales Hospital
    The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    Shatin, New Territories
    Fax No. : 2648 9384

  3. Please complete all the information required in the registration form.

  4. Overseas training without prior approval in writing from the Censor-in-Chief of CSHK before the date of registration and commencement of the local training programme will NOT be recognized by the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong.

  5. An annual registration fee of HK$1,000 should be made payable to "The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong Limited" in January. Trainees are required to pay the registration fee until they pass the Exit Examination.

The College of Surgeons of Hong Kong will not be able to process any application which fails to provide complete information and the required documents. Higher Trainees who have not registered with the College of Surgeons of Hong Kong and admitted as the College's Ordinary Member could not be allowed to sit for the Exit Examination.

Please contact Tel 2871 8799 or Fax 2515 3198 for enquiries.