What It Means to Be an ASPS Member or Specialist Plastic Surgeon

Updated

An ASPS member is a Specialist Plastic Surgeon accredited by the Commonwealth Government of Australia, through the Australian Medical Council, to perform all reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) describes itself as the peak body for these surgeons, both reconstructive and cosmetic. In practice, the title signals a specific training pathway and a defined scope of practice — not just a professional affiliation.

The accreditation behind the title

According to the ASPS website, only specialist plastic surgeons are accredited by the Commonwealth Government of Australia, through the Australian Medical Council, to perform all reconstructive and cosmetic surgery. That accreditation is what separates a Specialist Plastic Surgeon from other doctors who offer surgical procedures.

The ASPS positions this as a patient-safety issue. Its stated aim is to help patients understand who to ask for advice, how to select the best surgeon, and what is actually involved in a procedure.

Training: what FRACS means

ASPS members have completed FRACS training — Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. The site treats this as a core marker of qualification, listing "What Does FRACS Mean?" and "What Training Does an ASPS Member Have?" among its patient education topics.

If you are checking a surgeon's credentials, these are the questions the ASPS itself directs patients toward:

  • Is your surgeon an ASPS member?
  • What does "Specialist Plastic Surgeon" mean?
  • What training does an ASPS member have?
  • What does FRACS mean?

What the membership commits them to

Beyond accreditation, ASPS membership carries an ethical dimension. The site lists an Ethical Framework and Medical Codes and Guidelines among its governance materials, alongside hospital accreditation and reference links. Members are expected to work within these standards.

How to use this when choosing a surgeon

The ASPS provides a Find a Surgeon tool specifically to locate an accredited Specialist Plastic Surgeon. The site frames this as a way to make a daunting, life-changing decision easier by starting from verified accreditation rather than advertising claims.

A practical sequence:

  1. Use Find a Surgeon to identify accredited Specialist Plastic Surgeons.
  2. Confirm the surgeon is an ASPS member.
  3. Review the training and FRACS information to understand their qualification pathway.
  4. Read the "Questions for Your Surgeon" guidance before a consultation.

Where to go for more detail

The ASPS site also covers surgical fees, Medicare and procedure cover, the complaints process, and reporting complications — including complications arising from cosmetic tourism. For anyone weighing a procedure, these pages answer the practical questions that sit alongside the credential question.