Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine

Our Goals

The primary goal of the ACCSM is to ensure the safe provision of cosmetic medical and cosmetic surgical procedures to the Australian community through the supply of appropriately trained and certified health care practitioners. 

The College also seeks to work cooperatively with government and other stakeholders to improve standards and safety and to educate health care consumers and its Fellows and spokespeople are regularly quoted in the media and consulted by federal and state health and consumer regulators.

The ACCSM is the only medical college which provides education and training leading to fellowships specifically in cosmetic medicine and surgery. Fellows of the College are medical doctors who have completed post-graduate education and training and demonstrated competency specifically in cosmetic medicine and surgery. To become an ACCSM Surgical Fellow, doctors must typically complete a minimum of 12 years of dedicated surgical education and training.  To become an ACCSM Medical Fellow, doctors must typically complete a minimum of 12 years dedicated medical education and training.

Dedicated to Excellence in Training

Medical Practitioners, who wish to specialise in a particular field, obtain post graduate training from the learned Colleges. Cosmetic surgery and medicine has emerged as a new specialty and thus has not been a significant part of the training of any of the established Colleges. Indeed any doctor wishing to specialise in this field had no option but to acquire privately organised training on an apprenticeship basis. This training was not subject to any quality controls and varied greatly in its quality. Some doctors obtained adequate appropriate training and others did not.

To fill this vacuum The Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine was established as a multi-disciplinary body consisting of general surgeons, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, ear nose and throat surgeons, ophthalmologists and other doctors who were already specialising in cosmetic surgery.

It was the successor to the Australian Association of Cosmetic Surgery, which was formed in 1992. The College has a medical faculty which accredits cosmetic physicians and a surgical faculty which accredits cosmetic proceduralists.

The College believes that patients will be best served with cosmetic surgery and medicine being officially recognised as a new specialty. This will help to remove the confusion about the training and skills of different types of doctors offering cosmetic services. The college does not seek a monopoly in the provision of cosmetic surgical or medical services and is keen to work cooperatively with other craft groups to raise standards. The ACCSM is though, the only group in Australia with a single focus on cosmetic surgery and medicine and is the only one which offers formal training and accreditation in cosmetic medicine and surgery.

So how qualified is your cosmetic doctor?

Are they a Fellow of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine?

Do they have the right to display this symbol?

This symbol denote that not only is the doctor a Fellow of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery and Medicine but also they have successfully participated in a continuing education and recertification programme.

This, unlike that of other Colleges, is specific for cosmetic medicine and surgery.