Why the choice of surgeon matters more than ever
For more than two decades, the cosmetic surgery industry in Australia operated with a significant gap. Any registered medical practitioner, regardless of their surgical training, could legally describe themselves as a “cosmetic surgeon”. Patients understandably assumed the title meant something. In many cases, it didn’t.
That gap was closed on 13 September 2023, when federal legislation passed restricting the title “surgeon” to medical practitioners with specialist registration in a recognised surgical specialty. Misusing the protected title is now a criminal offence carrying penalties of up to $60,000 or three years’ imprisonment. Australian Government Department of Health and the Medical Board of Australia confirm that the change was made specifically to help patients identify properly trained practitioners.
What the legislation did not do is remove every poorly trained operator from the market. It just made the misrepresentation harder. The responsibility to verify a practitioner’s training still sits with you.
Specialist Plastic Surgeon vs cosmetic surgeon — what the distinction actually means
A Specialist Plastic Surgeon and a “cosmetic doctor” or “medical practitioner who performs cosmetic surgery” are not the same thing, even if their websites look similar.
A Specialist Plastic Surgeon has completed:
- A medical degree (MBBS or equivalent), typically 5 to 6 years.
- Postgraduate hospital experience in general surgical rotations, typically 2 to 3 years.
- A formal accredited Surgical Education and Training (SET) program in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), which is the body recognised by the Australian Medical Council to train surgeons. SET training takes a minimum of 5 years and includes both reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
- A series of fellowship examinations conducted by RACS.
- Award of FRACS (Plast), Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
That’s roughly 12 years of education and structured training before a surgeon is allowed to practise independently. The President of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons recently summarised it directly: “Specialist Plastic Surgeons have 12 years of training and specific training in cosmetic surgery.”
A medical practitioner without specialist registration in surgery is not the same. They may be highly experienced in non-surgical procedures. They may have completed weekend courses or short overseas fellowships in specific cosmetic techniques. What they do not have is the same accredited surgical training pathway that produces a FRACS-qualified Specialist Plastic Surgeon. Under the September 2023 law, they may not call themselves a “surgeon” at all.
This isn’t a marketing distinction. It reflects fundamentally different training in anatomy, complication management, and surgical decision-making.
How to verify a surgeon’s qualifications before you book
You don’t need to take any practitioner’s word for what their qualifications are, including mine. Three independent sources let you verify exactly what someone is registered to do.
1. AHPRA public register
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency maintains the public register of every registered health practitioner in Australia. Search by name. The register tells you the practitioner’s registration type, their specialty (if any), any conditions on their registration, and their registration number. Every plastic surgeon’s website should display their AHPRA registration number. Mine is MED0001654827.
If a website does not display an AHPRA number, that’s a question worth asking before you book.
2. Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
The RACS Find a Surgeon tool confirms whether a practitioner holds a current Fellowship of the College and what their specialty is. A genuine plastic surgeon will appear under Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
3. Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and ASAPS
The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons lists Specialist Plastic Surgeons in active practice. Membership requires FRACS (Plast) qualification and adherence to the Society’s code of practice. The Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) is the cosmetic-focused subset within the same membership pool.
If a practitioner claims plastic surgery training but doesn’t appear on AHPRA as a specialist or on the RACS Fellow list, the claim doesn’t hold up.
Questions to ask at your consultation
These are the questions I’d want a friend or family member to ask any surgeon they were considering. Most can be answered in a sentence. The way they are answered tells you something.
- What is your AHPRA registration number, and what specialty are you registered in?
- Do you hold FRACS in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery?
- Where did you complete your specialist training, and how long ago?
- How many of this specific procedure have you performed in the last 12 months?
- Where do you operate, and what hospital privileges do you hold?
- Who administers anaesthesia for your operations, a specialist anaesthetist (FANZCA) or a GP anaesthetist?
- Will you personally perform every part of my surgery, or is a trainee or assistant performing parts of it?
- What is your specific complication rate for this procedure, and how do you manage complications when they occur?
- Can I see before-and-after photographs of your own patients (not stock images), with the same body type and the same concerns I have?
- What is included in your quoted fee, and what is billed separately?
- What is your policy if I’m not satisfied with the result, or if revision surgery is required?
- Will you give me written information to take home, and how long is the cooling-off period before I can book?
A surgeon practising to current standards will welcome these questions and answer them directly. Hesitation, defensiveness, or pressure to commit before you’ve had time to consider the answers is itself an answer.
Red flags worth taking seriously
The patterns below come up repeatedly in patients I see for revision consultations. None of them is conclusive on its own. Several together is a warning.
- Pricing significantly below market rate for the procedure type. Cosmetic surgery has fixed input costs, surgeon time, accredited hospital, specialist anaesthetist, implants where relevant. Headline pricing well below the working range usually reflects a compromise in one of those inputs.
- Surgery performed in a clinic or office setting rather than an accredited private hospital. Day surgery facilities can be appropriate for minor procedures. Major surgery should be in an accredited hospital with full anaesthetic and emergency capability.
- A single consultation with a “patient coordinator” or “consultant” rather than the operating surgeon. Under AHPRA guidelines effective 1 July 2023, you must have a minimum of two consultations, with at least one face to face with the operating surgeon. Skipping that is not optional.
- No GP referral required. Since 1 July 2023, a referral from your GP is mandatory for cosmetic surgery in Australia. A practice that does not require one is operating outside current guidelines.
- Pressure to book on the day, time-limited “deals”, or financing arrangements that lock you in before the cooling-off period ends.
- Promises of specific results, “guaranteed” outcomes, or before-and-after imagery that has been edited or curated to imply a typical result.
- An online presence dominated by influencer endorsements, brand ambassadors, or social media content rather than clinical information about the procedure, recovery, and risks.
- Reluctance or refusal to provide the AHPRA registration number, training history, or hospital affiliations on request.
If you encounter any of these and feel uncertain, you can contact AHPRA directly to raise concerns. You can also seek a second opinion. A practitioner operating to current standards will not discourage either.
AHPRA mandatory steps before any cosmetic procedure
Under the cosmetic surgery practice guidelines that took effect on 1 July 2023, four steps are required before any cosmetic surgery in Australia can proceed:
- GP referral. A referral from your general practitioner is mandatory. This gives an independent medical professional the opportunity to review your overall health and discuss whether surgery is appropriate.
- Minimum two consultations. At least one must be face to face with the operating surgeon. Telehealth can be appropriate for one of the two in some circumstances, particularly for interstate patients.
- Psychological assessment. Patients are screened for body dysmorphic disorder and psychological readiness for surgery. This may be a structured questionnaire or a referral to a psychologist where indicated.
- Cooling-off period. A minimum seven-day cooling-off period applies between your consultation and the booking of surgery. This is your protected time to consider the information and make a considered decision without pressure.
These requirements apply to every cosmetic surgical procedure in Australia, not just to selected ones. If a practice is not following them, that’s a structural issue, not a one-off oversight.
About Dr Scott J Turner
Dr Scott J Turner is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon (FRACS, AHPRA MED0001654827) with over a decade of independent practice focused on cosmetic surgery of the face, nose, breast, and body. His credentials and memberships include:
- Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (FRACS), awarded 2013
- Master of Surgery (Plastic Surgery), University of Sydney
- MBBS with Honours, University of Sydney
- Member, Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS)
- Member, Australian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS)
- Member, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS)
- Member, The Aesthetic Society (American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery)
- Member, Australian Medical Association (AMA)
- Member, Australian and New Zealand Board of Cosmetic Plastic Surgery (ANZBCPS)
Hospital affiliations: Bondi Junction Private Hospital (Eastern Suburbs) and Delmar Private Hospital, Dee Why (Northern Beaches). All surgery is performed at fully accredited Sydney private hospitals with specialist anaesthetists (FANZCA).
Dr Turner conducts every consultation personally, there are no patient representatives or coordinators substituting for the surgeon at any point. Two consultations are scheduled before any procedure, in line with AHPRA requirements, with a minimum seven-day cooling-off period before surgery can be booked.
For more on Dr Turner’s background, training pathway, and approach, the full bio is at Dr Scott J Turner — Sydney Plastic Surgeon.
Booking a consultation
Consultations are available at Dr Turner’s Sydney clinics in Bondi Junction and Manly. A GP referral is required before your first appointment in line with current AHPRA guidelines. Following your consultation, you’ll receive a written, all-inclusive quote covering all surgical fees.
To book, call 1300 437 758 or email [email protected], or use the contact form.
For patients travelling for surgery, see the out-of-town patients page. For information on procedure pricing, see plastic surgery prices. For information on the risks of cosmetic surgery, see risks and complications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between a plastic surgeon and a cosmetic surgeon in Australia?
A Specialist Plastic Surgeon holds FRACS (Plast), the qualification awarded by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons after a minimum of 12 years of medical education and accredited surgical training. A “cosmetic surgeon” was, until September 2023, a title that any registered medical practitioner could use without specialist surgical training. The September 2023 legislation now restricts the title “surgeon” to practitioners with specialist registration in a recognised surgical specialty. Practitioners without that registration must use other titles such as “cosmetic doctor”.
How do I verify that a surgeon is FRACS qualified?
You can verify any practitioner’s qualifications independently through three sources: the AHPRA public register at ahpra.gov.au (which lists every registered health practitioner and their specialty), the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Find a Surgeon tool at surgeons.org, and the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons membership directory at plasticsurgery.org.au. A genuine Specialist Plastic Surgeon will appear on all three.
Why does the GP referral requirement matter?
Since 1 July 2023, a GP referral has been mandatory before any cosmetic surgery consultation in Australia. The requirement gives an independent medical professional the chance to review your overall health, identify any conditions that may affect surgical safety, and discuss whether surgery is appropriate before you commit to a consultation. A practice that doesn’t require a referral is operating outside current AHPRA guidelines.
What is the seven-day cooling-off period and why does it apply?
The cooling-off period is a minimum seven-day window between your consultation and the booking of surgery. It exists to protect patients from making rushed decisions under pressure. During this time, you can consider the information you’ve been given, ask follow-up questions, seek a second opinion, or decide not to proceed without any obligation. The cooling-off period is mandatory under AHPRA cosmetic surgery guidelines.
Should the operating surgeon personally perform every part of my surgery?
In a consultant-led specialist plastic surgery practice, the operating surgeon performs the surgery personally. Some teaching hospital settings involve trainees, but in private cosmetic practice, the surgeon you consulted with should be the one operating throughout. It’s a reasonable question to ask directly at consultation.
What hospital affiliations should a plastic surgeon have?
A Specialist Plastic Surgeon should hold operating privileges at one or more accredited private hospitals. Hospital privileges require the hospital’s credentialing committee to verify the surgeon’s qualifications and clinical record independently. For complex or longer procedures, surgery should be performed in a hospital setting with specialist anaesthesia and full emergency capability, not in a clinic or office-based theatre.
How many consultations are required before surgery?
AHPRA cosmetic surgery guidelines require a minimum of two pre-operative consultations, with at least one face to face with the operating surgeon. The two-consultation rule is not optional. Both consultations should be with the surgeon personally, not with a patient coordinator or consultant acting as an intermediary.
What should I do if I'm uncertain about a practitioner I'm considering?
Verify their AHPRA registration number on the public register. Cross-check with the RACS Fellow list and the ASPS membership directory. Ask the questions listed above directly. Consider seeking a second opinion from a separately verified Specialist Plastic Surgeon. If you have specific concerns about a practitioner’s conduct, you can contact AHPRA directly at ahpra.gov.au to raise those concerns confidentially.
