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Vascular Surgery Training Pathway

How to become a vascular surgeon in Australia — the single bi-national RACS/ANZSVS SET program, its fully scored selection rubric, the GSSE and rotation prerequisites, and an intake of only about 9–12 a year.

The bottleneck is the size of the door, not the structure. One bi-national selection fills only ~9–12 SET-1 places a year for all of Australia and New Zealand, with interviews at 3:1 — so most interviewees miss out, and most applicants spend two to four years as unaccredited registrars first, clearing the GSSE. Vascular does publish its full scored rubric, so you know what you're optimising against.

Why vascular surgery

A true open-plus-endovascular hybrid. A vascular surgeon's week mixes major open arterial reconstruction (open AAA repair, aorto-bifemoral and fem-distal bypass, carotid endarterectomy) with image-guided endovascular work (EVAR, angioplasty, stenting, embolisation) often in a hybrid theatre, plus a large clinic and ward load of diabetic feet, claudication, carotid disease, dialysis access and varicose veins. Ultrasound is part of the craft — trainees must log at least 100 hours of ultrasound scanning plus a structured casebook before the Fellowship Exam, and are expected to have done around 600 major vascular operative cases by the end of training. The acute side is defining: ruptured AAA and acute limb ischaemia are time-critical emergencies, so on-call is busy and decisions are made fast on frail, comorbid patients.

✓ Draws

Genuine dual skillset — you finish trained in both open arterial surgery and endovascular intervention, which few other specialties offer
High-stakes, high-reward acute work: you personally save limbs and lives from ruptured aneurysms and acute ischaemia
A fully published selection rubric (CV/referees/interview with real percentage weightings, plus a 50-point CV scoring guideline) so you know exactly what to build
Small, collegiate, bi-national trainee cohort — everyone knows everyone, and the ANZSVS Board of Vascular Surgery runs a tight national program
Strong consultant earnings (surgeons sit among the ATO's highest-income occupations) and durable demand from an ageing, diabetic, vascular-disease population

⚖ Trade-offs

The intake is tiny — ~9–12 SET-1 posts a year for all of Australia and New Zealand — so getting on is the hard part, and most people grind 2–4 unaccredited years first
Heavy, unsociable on-call: ruptured AAAs and ischaemic limbs don't wait, and they're often overnight
Mandatory interstate/overseas rotation (at least one year away) — the program is bi-national and you go where the post is
Emotionally tough patient population: amputations, dialysis access failures and re-operations on frail, comorbid patients are routine
Long runway: PGY1–2, then unaccredited years, then 5 years of SET, plus exams — consultancy is a decade-plus from internship

Subspecialties

Aortic surgery (open and endovascular AAA/TAAA, EVAR/TEVAR)Carotid and cerebrovascular surgeryPeripheral / lower-limb revascularisation and limb salvage (diabetic foot)Endovascular and complex hybrid interventionVenous disease (varicose veins, DVT/venous reconstruction)Dialysis (vascular) access surgery

The training pathway

The same fellowship, two very different timelines. The fast route assumes everything goes right; most people land on the realistic one.

Fastest route

~9 years from internship

The structural floor: PGY1–2, straight onto SET with minimal unaccredited time, no exam re-sits or training extensions. Very few people achieve this in vascular — it assumes you are competitive for a tiny national intake almost immediately.

Internship + residency (PGY1–2)

2 years

General registration with AHPRA. Get surgical exposure and start building toward the GSSE and a vascular CV.

Pass the GSSE + meet eligibility

within PGY2

The Generic Surgical Sciences Examination must be passed by the close of SET applications, alongside minimum rotations (8 wks general surgery + 16 wks vascular within the prior 7 years). These are hard eligibility prerequisites for selection, not things you do during SET.

National SET selection (ANZSVS)

—

One bi-national process: structured CV + referee reports + interview. Interviews offered at 3:1. ~9–12 posts/year for all of ANZ.

SET 1–5 in Vascular Surgery

5 years

Accredited posts across ANZ; mandatory ≥1 year interstate/overseas. Complete ASSET, EMST, CCrISP, the research and 100-hour ultrasound requirements, and the SSE in Vascular Surgery.

RACS Fellowship Examination

near end of SET

Written + clinical/viva (7 segments: 2 written papers + 5 clinical/viva, with a written hurdle). Pass it and meet all requirements to be awarded FRACS (Vascular Surgery).

Realistic route

~11–14 years from internship

What actually happens for most: several unaccredited/SRMO surgical registrar years to become competitive for a tiny intake, often one or more unsuccessful selection rounds, then 5 years of SET.

Internship + residency (PGY1–2)

2 years

General registration. Start surgical rotations and decide on vascular.

Unaccredited / SRMO surgical registrar years

2–4 years

Where the real work happens: vascular and general-surgery service registrar jobs, pass the GSSE, clear the minimum rotation requirements, and accumulate research/publications, presentations and courses to score on the 50-point structured CV. Organised through state surgical skills training networks.

Apply for national SET selection (often more than once)

1+ cycles

Tiny intake (~9–12/year ANZ-wide) and a 3:1 interview ratio mean many strong applicants reapply (a maximum of three scored attempts is permitted). No published applicant-to-offer ratio exists.

SET 1–5 in Vascular Surgery

5 years

Bi-national rotations with mandatory time away from home state; mandatory courses, research, 100-hour ultrasound and the SSE in Vascular Surgery along the way.

Fellowship Examination → FRACS

near end of SET

Written + clinical/viva. Borderline assessments can extend training (max total duration is 9 years). Many then do a 1–2 year post-Fellowship vascular/endovascular fellowship before a consultant post.

How competitive is it?

Vascular is competitive because the door is small, not because the program behind it is unusual. The entire bi-national intake is roughly 9–12 SET-1 posts a year (RACS lists the annual appointments: 2020 cohort 12, 2021 cohort 9, 2022 cohort 10, 2023 cohort 10, 2024 cohort 12, 2025 cohort 11, 2026 cohort 9 — including deferred offers). Interviews are offered at a published 3:1 ratio, so even reaching interview is no guarantee. ANZSVS does NOT publish a national applicant-to-offer ratio, so the precise success rate isn't public — but a single-digit-to-low-double-digit annual intake for all of Australia and New Zealand tells you how tight it is. Selection itself is transparent: a scored structured CV (25%, marked out of 50 against a published guideline), written referee reports (25%), verbal referee reports (10%) and a semi-structured interview (40%).

Unaccredited time: Effectively yes — not a formal rule, but most successful applicants complete 2–4 years as unaccredited/SRMO surgical registrars to pass the GSSE, clear the minimum rotation requirements and build a competitive 50-point structured CV before selection.

Sources: RACS — Vascular Surgery selection page (annual appointment numbers), ANZSVS — Selection (tools, weightings, 3:1 interview ratio), ANZSVS — 2026 Selection Regulations (for the 2027 intake).

Selection criteria & how to apply

Vascular Surgery is selected through a single national/bi-national process run by ANZSVS's Board of Vascular Surgery on behalf of RACS — not a state match. You register with RACS, apply through the ANZSVS application portal, and (if shortlisted) attend one interview event. Crucially, vascular is one of the surgical specialties that DOES publish a fully scored rubric with explicit percentage weightings, plus a separate 50-point structured-CV scoring guideline — so unlike most physician subspecialties you can see exactly what is being marked. Before any of that counts, you must clear the eligibility gate: pass the GSSE by the close of applications and have completed a minimum of 8 weeks full-time general surgery and 16 weeks full-time vascular surgery within the prior 7 years. The figures below are the published 2026-intake (2027-commencement) weightings.

Semi-structured interview40%

The single biggest component. A panel interview, held in-person at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital Clinical Skills Development Centre for the 2026 round (20 June 2026). Shortlisting to interview is ranked on combined CV + referee scores, and offered at a 3:1 ratio.

Structured curriculum vitae25%

Scored out of 50 against the published CV Scoring Guideline (VAS-GDL-0001) — surgical/medical experience, qualifications, publications, presentations, teaching, professional development, leadership, rural origin and cultural competency all earn defined points.

Written referee reports25%

Structured written references from the consultants who supervised your vascular rotations. The eligible vascular rotations must have been supervised by at least two FRACS specialist surgeons, or one FRACS plus one vocationally-registered surgeon working at the hospital weekly.

Verbal referee reports10%

Telephone/verbal referee checks against the same referee pool, scored as a distinct component.

GSSE + minimum rotations + generic eligibility (prerequisite, not scored)Eligibility

The Generic Surgical Sciences Examination must be passed by the close of SET applications; you must also have completed the minimum general-surgery and vascular rotations and meet RACS generic eligibility (citizenship/PR, general registration, Operating with Respect module). Fail these and you don't progress, regardless of CV.

Key documents: ANZSVS — Selection (component weightings & process), ANZSVS — 2026 Selection Regulations (2027 intake), ANZSVS — Structured CV Scoring Guidelines (VAS-GDL-0001, 50 points), RACS — Generic eligibility requirements for selection, RACS — Generic Surgical Sciences Examination (GSSE).

Where vascular training actually happens, state by state

Because vascular selection is a single bi-national process, the SET application is identical wherever you live — there is no state-run vascular match. What differs by state is (a) where the accredited SET posts physically are, since trainees rotate (often interstate) between them, and (b) where you do your unaccredited/SRMO registrar years to build a competitive CV. The post counts below come from the ANZSVS list of hospitals with accredited training posts (updated 20/09/2024). 'Positions' refers to accredited hospital sites, not annual intake — the annual SET-1 intake (~9–12) is allocated nationally, not per state.

NSW 12 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Concord, Gosford, John Hunter, Liverpool, Port Macquarie Base, Prince of Wales, Royal North Shore, Royal Prince Alfred, St George, St Vincent's Sydney, Westmead and Wollongong. Annual SET-1 intake is allocated nationally, not per state — no published NSW-specific number.

Who runs selection: Largest concentration of accredited vascular SET posts in the country, spread across Sydney, the Hunter, Central Coast, Illawarra and Mid North Coast. Unaccredited/SRMO years are typically done through the state's surgical skills training networks (e.g. Western Sydney, South Eastern Sydney, Eastern & Greater Southern).

Where to apply: National ANZSVS application portal (no separate NSW vascular match) — application portal.

Positions: 12 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Concord, Gosford, John Hunter, Liverpool, Port Macquarie Base, Prince of Wales, Royal North Shore, Royal Prince Alfred, St George, St Vincent's Sydney, Westmead and Wollongong. Annual SET-1 intake is allocated nationally, not per state — no published NSW-specific number.

Worth knowing: The biggest training footprint, so most unaccredited vascular jobs are here — but you still enter through the national process and can be rotated interstate. NSW surgical skills training networks support unaccredited registrars building toward SET.

Links: ANZSVS — accredited training-post hospitals (national list), HETI — surgical skills / training (NSW).

VIC 10 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Alfred, Austin Health, Box Hill, Frankston, Geelong (Barwon Health), Monash Health, Northern, Royal Melbourne, St Vincent's Melbourne and Western (Footscray). National intake — no published VIC-specific SET-1 number.

Who runs selection: Second-largest footprint, concentrated across metropolitan Melbourne and Geelong. Prevocational and unaccredited pathways are coordinated state-wide through PMCV, with unaccredited surgical registrar posts at the major health services.

Where to apply: National ANZSVS application portal (no separate VIC vascular match) — application portal.

Positions: 10 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Alfred, Austin Health, Box Hill, Frankston, Geelong (Barwon Health), Monash Health, Northern, Royal Melbourne, St Vincent's Melbourne and Western (Footscray). National intake — no published VIC-specific SET-1 number.

Worth knowing: Strong network of high-volume units (Alfred, RMH, Austin, Monash). PMCV runs the prevocational system, but vascular SET entry itself is the national ANZSVS process.

Links: ANZSVS — accredited training-post hospitals (national list), PMCV — prevocational medical training (Victoria).

QLD 7 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Cairns Base, Gold Coast University, Prince Charles, Princess Alexandra, Royal Brisbane and Women's, Sunshine Coast and Townsville. National intake — no published QLD-specific SET-1 number.

Who runs selection: Accredited posts span South-East Queensland and the regional/northern centres, giving genuine exposure outside the metro tertiary hospitals. Unaccredited registrar years are arranged directly with the individual hospital and health services.

Where to apply: National ANZSVS application portal (no separate QLD vascular match) — application portal.

Positions: 7 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Cairns Base, Gold Coast University, Prince Charles, Princess Alexandra, Royal Brisbane and Women's, Sunshine Coast and Townsville. National intake — no published QLD-specific SET-1 number.

Worth knowing: The 2026 selection interviews are held in Brisbane (Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital). Good regional/rural exposure (Cairns, Townsville) within the accredited network, which suits trainees wanting high-acuity generalist vascular workloads.

Links: ANZSVS — accredited training-post hospitals (national list), Queensland Health — medical careers.

SA 2 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Flinders Medical Centre and Royal Adelaide Hospital. National intake — no published SA-specific SET-1 number.

Who runs selection: Two accredited tertiary units in Adelaide. Unaccredited/SRMO surgical years are done at the Adelaide hospitals before applying through the national process.

Where to apply: National ANZSVS application portal (no separate SA vascular match) — application portal.

Positions: 2 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Flinders Medical Centre and Royal Adelaide Hospital. National intake — no published SA-specific SET-1 number.

Worth knowing: Small footprint, so trainees will spend significant time interstate to meet the bi-national rotation requirement. Concentrated, high-volume exposure at RAH and Flinders.

Links: ANZSVS — accredited training-post hospitals (national list), SA Health — medical careers.

WA 3 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Fiona Stanley, Royal Perth and Sir Charles Gairdner. National intake — no published WA-specific SET-1 number.

Who runs selection: Three accredited tertiary units in Perth. Unaccredited registrar years are arranged through the Perth metropolitan health services.

Where to apply: National ANZSVS application portal (no separate WA vascular match) — application portal.

Positions: 3 hospitals with accredited SET posts: Fiona Stanley, Royal Perth and Sir Charles Gairdner. National intake — no published WA-specific SET-1 number.

Worth knowing: Geographically isolated, so the mandatory interstate/overseas year means real relocation. Three strong tertiary units give solid metro exposure for the WA-based portion of training.

Links: ANZSVS — accredited training-post hospitals (national list), WA Health — medical careers.

TAS 1 hospital with an accredited SET post: Royal Hobart Hospital. National intake — no published TAS-specific SET-1 number.

Who runs selection: One accredited unit, in Hobart. Tasmanian trainees will necessarily spend much of SET interstate.

Where to apply: National ANZSVS application portal (no separate TAS vascular match) — application portal.

Positions: 1 hospital with an accredited SET post: Royal Hobart Hospital. National intake — no published TAS-specific SET-1 number.

Worth knowing: Single accredited site, so the bi-national rotation requirement is unavoidable — expect to train substantially on the mainland. Good for early generalist exposure at Royal Hobart.

Links: ANZSVS — accredited training-post hospitals (national list), Tasmanian Health Service — medical careers.

ACT 1 hospital with an accredited SET post: Canberra Hospital. National intake — no published ACT-specific SET-1 number.

Who runs selection: One accredited unit, at the Canberra Hospital. Unaccredited surgical registrar time is done there before applying nationally.

Where to apply: National ANZSVS application portal (no separate ACT vascular match) — application portal.

Positions: 1 hospital with an accredited SET post: Canberra Hospital. National intake — no published ACT-specific SET-1 number.

Worth knowing: Single accredited site means heavy reliance on interstate rotations to complete SET. Canberra Hospital provides a tertiary base for the ACT-based portion.

Links: ANZSVS — accredited training-post hospitals (national list), ACT Health — medical careers.

NT 0 hospitals with accredited SET posts in the NT (per the ANZSVS list updated 20/09/2024). All accredited training is interstate or in New Zealand.

Who runs selection: No hospital in the Northern Territory currently holds an accredited vascular SET post. NT junior doctors interested in vascular do their unaccredited time elsewhere (or in NT general-surgery service roles) and apply through the national process, then train interstate.

Where to apply: National ANZSVS application portal (no separate NT vascular match) — application portal.

Positions: 0 hospitals with accredited SET posts in the NT (per the ANZSVS list updated 20/09/2024). All accredited training is interstate or in New Zealand.

Worth knowing: The only state/territory with no accredited vascular post, so an NT-based aspirant must relocate for SET entirely. Vascular emergencies in the Territory are often managed by general surgeons with vascular skills or transferred.

Links: ANZSVS — accredited training-post hospitals (national list), NT Health — medical careers.

How to optimise your application

The honest read: Vascular is unusual in surgery because the selection rubric and the 50-point CV scoring guideline are published — so this is one of the few competitive pathways where you can literally read the marking scheme and build toward it. Everything below is tied to a specific scored component, so effort converts directly into rank.

Pass the GSSE early and clear the rotation gate (tied to Eligibility gate (prerequisite), start PGY1–2) — The GSSE must be passed by the close of SET applications, and you also need the minimum rotations done (8 wks general surgery + 16 wks vascular within 7 years). Sit the GSSE as early as you're eligible so it's done before you're competing on CV and interview. Not clearing the gate ends your application regardless of anything else.
Maximise the 50-point structured-CV score (tied to Structured CV (25%), start PGY1 onward) — Read the published CV Scoring Guideline and farm the categories that actually score: publications (up to 9 pts) and professional development (up to 10 pts) carry the most weight, followed by presentations (8), qualifications (4) and leadership (4). Peer-reviewed, MEDLINE-indexed publications are where most candidates separate themselves.
Engineer strong, vascular-consultant references (tied to Written (25%) + verbal (10%) referee reports = 35%, start Unaccredited registrar years) — Your eligible vascular rotations must be supervised by FRACS vascular surgeons (two FRACS, or one FRACS plus one vocationally-registered surgeon). Do unaccredited/SRMO time on real vascular units, be excellent, and make sure the consultants who'll score you have seen you operate, manage emergencies and take ownership.
Prepare deliberately for the interview (tied to Semi-structured interview (40%), start 3–6 months pre-interview) — It's the single largest component. Practise structured answers, vascular clinical scenarios and non-technical/professionalism stations with current trainees and consultants; mock the panel format.
Do unaccredited years on accredited vascular units (tied to CV + referees + readiness for SET, start PGY2–3) — Target SRMO/unaccredited registrar posts at the hospitals that hold accredited SET posts (see the state lists) — better cases, better references, and a realistic on-ramp into the bi-national program.

Key documents & official links

FAQ

How long does it take to become a vascular surgeon in Australia?

The SET program itself is 5 years (SET 1–5). But that's after PGY1–2 and, realistically, 2–4 years as an unaccredited/SRMO surgical registrar building a competitive CV, clearing the minimum rotation requirements and passing the GSSE before you can be selected. From internship, plan on roughly 11–14 years to consultancy once you add exams, the common one-or-more unsuccessful selection rounds, and a post-Fellowship fellowship. The pure structural floor — straight onto SET with no delays — is about 9 years, but very few people achieve that in vascular.

Is vascular surgery hard to get into?

Very. The whole of Australia and New Zealand shares an intake of only about 9–12 SET-1 posts a year (RACS publishes the figures: 12, 9, 10, 10, 12, 11, 9 for the 2020–2026 commencements, including deferred offers), and interviews are offered at a 3:1 ratio. ANZSVS doesn't publish a national applicant-to-offer ratio, so the exact success rate isn't public — but a single-digit-to-low-double-digit annual intake for two countries tells you how tight it is. The upside: vascular publishes its full scoring rubric (weightings plus a 50-point CV guideline), so you know exactly what to build.

Do I have to do unaccredited registrar years before vascular SET?

It's not a formal rule, but in practice yes. You need the GSSE passed before applications close, the minimum rotations done (8 weeks general surgery and 16 weeks vascular within 7 years), and a structured CV that scores well out of 50 on research, presentations, courses and vascular experience — that's hard to assemble straight out of PGY2. Most successful applicants spend 2–4 years as unaccredited/SRMO surgical registrars (often on accredited vascular units) first, getting the cases and the vascular-consultant references that make up 35% of the selection score.

How is vascular surgery selection scored?

Unlike most physician subspecialties, vascular publishes explicit weightings. For the 2026 intake: semi-structured interview 40%, structured CV 25%, written referee reports 25%, and verbal referee reports 10%. The structured CV is marked out of 50 against a published scoring guideline; the vascular rotations behind your references must be supervised by FRACS vascular surgeons; and the GSSE, minimum rotations and generic eligibility are prerequisites you must clear before any of it counts.

What exams do vascular surgery trainees sit?

Two exams sit either side of training, plus a historical eligibility exam being retired. The Generic Surgical Sciences Examination (GSSE) in anatomy, physiology and pathology must be passed before selection. During SET (by the end of SET 3) you sit the Surgical Sciences Examination (SSE) in Vascular Surgery — a 120-question true/false (Type X) electronic paper. The final hurdle near the end of training is the RACS Fellowship Examination (two written papers plus five clinical/viva segments, seven in total, with a written hurdle). Separately, the standalone RACS Clinical Examination — historically required as a selection and Fellowship-Exam prerequisite — is being discontinued, with its final sitting in February 2026 and removal from vascular selection from the 2028 intake.

Will I have to move interstate to train in vascular surgery?

Probably, at least for a year. The SET program is bi-national and trainees are required to spend at least one year in an interstate or overseas post, and you can be assigned to an accredited post anywhere in Australia or New Zealand (with a maximum of one year at any single institution from SET 2 onward). If you're based in a state with few accredited sites — SA (2), TAS (1), ACT (1), or the NT (none) — you'll spend even more of your training away from home.

What does a vascular surgeon actually earn in Australia?

There's no separate ATO income figure for vascular surgeons — the ATO reports a single blended 'Surgeon' occupation, whose average taxable income was about $472,475 in 2022–23 (the highest-earning occupation in the country). Treat that as a gross taxable-income proxy (income before deductions, across public and private work), not a salary, and not vascular-specific. Jobs and Skills Australia recognises Vascular Surgeons as a distinct occupation (ANZSCO 253521) but doesn't publish median weekly earnings for it. Actual earnings vary widely with public vs private mix and on-call.

What's the lifestyle and on-call like in vascular surgery?

Acute and demanding. Vascular owns two of the most time-critical surgical emergencies — ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and acute limb ischaemia (you have hours, not days, to save a limb) — so on-call is genuinely busy and often overnight, and the patients are frequently elderly, diabetic and comorbid. Balancing that is one of the most interesting operative lives in surgery: a real hybrid of open arterial reconstruction and endovascular intervention. If you want predictable, low-acuity hours, this isn't it.

How many vascular surgeons are there in Australia?

Small numbers. The Medical Board of Australia's registrant data records about 256 vascular surgery specialists, and Jobs and Skills Australia (ANZSCO 253521) estimates around 180 employed as vascular surgeons, with roughly 19% female and a median age of about 45. It's one of the smaller surgical specialties, which is part of why the training intake is so tight.

Can an overseas-trained vascular surgeon work in Australia?

Yes, via the RACS Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG) pathway, not SET selection. You apply for a specialist assessment of comparability; RACS rates you substantially comparable, partially comparable, or not comparable. Substantially comparable surgeons complete up to 12 months of supervised practice; partially comparable surgeons complete up to 24 months (full-time equivalent) and must sit the Fellowship Examination before gaining specialist registration and FRACS. The Medical Board of Australia (or MCNZ in New Zealand) makes the final registration decision.

Trained overseas? (IMG pathway)

How overseas-trained vascular surgery doctors get recognised

Overseas-trained vascular surgeons don't sit the SET selection — they apply to RACS for a Specialist International Medical Graduate (SIMG) assessment of comparability to an Australian/New Zealand-trained vascular surgeon. In Australia you verify qualifications (EPIC/AMC), RACS does a document-based assessment, and the Medical Board makes the final registration decision; in New Zealand you apply to the MCNZ, which refers you to RACS for advice. RACS assesses you as substantially comparable, partially comparable, or not comparable. Substantially comparable surgeons complete up to 12 months of supervised practice; partially comparable surgeons complete up to 24 months (full-time equivalent) and must sit the Fellowship Examination, before being eligible for specialist recognition and FRACS.

See the RACS — Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMG) overview and our IMG internship guide.

General Surgery RACS / GSA Cardiothoracic Surgery RACS Radiology RANZCR Urology RACS / USANZ

Last reviewed 2026-06-01.