Surgical Sciences Intensive Course
About the Surgical Sciences Intensive Course (SSIC)
The SSIC has been developed for trainees who are preparing to sit the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Generic Surgical Science Examination (GSSE).
Surgical Skills Training Networks trainees and trainees working in unaccredited surgical training positions are encouraged to register for the course.
Registrations for 2026
Registrations for 2026 open 1 April 2026 and close 30 April 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact HETI-surgicalskills@health.nsw.gov.au
Click here to register
What is a Surgical Skills Training Network?
A Surgical Skills Training Network is a collection of hospitals, including principal referral hospital(s), major metropolitan hospital(s) and major non-metropolitan/rural district hospital(s) designed to provide Junior Medical Officers (JMOs) wishing to apply to SET with a diverse range of surgical, critical care, and emergency medicine experiences. There are six training networks in NSW:
- Eastern and Greater Southern Surgical Skills Training Network
- Hunter New England Surgical Skills Training Network
- Northern Surgical Skills Training Network
- Southern Surgical Skills Training Network
- Sydney South West Surgical Skills Training Network
- Sydney West Surgical Skills Training Network
To support surgical education and training, each network has:
- a Network Director of Training (NDoT),
- an Education Support Officer (ESO) to assist the NDoT in the organisation and administration of the Network Training Program,
- a Site Director of Training (SDoT) at each hospital within the network; and
- infrastructure (including telecommunications infrastructure), office space and teaching resources to enable delivery of network services to all sites.
Am I a Surgical Skills Trainee?
You are a Surgical Skills Trainee if you have an interest in a career in surgery and are:
- an undergraduate medical student;
- an intern, or Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY1);
- a resident, or PGY2;
- a member of the PGY3+ cohort who currently is a Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ (RACS) registered basic surgical trainee, and has not been accepted onto a SET program; or
- a member of the PGY3+ cohort who currently is not a RACS’ registered basic surgical trainee, and has not been accepted onto a SET program.
How do I apply to a Surgical Skills Training Network?
Recruitment to the Surgical Skills Training Networks is managed as part of the JMO recruitment process. All Surgical Skills Training Network jobs for the 2026 Clinical Year will be advertised on the NSW Health JMO Recruitment website.
Contact
If you have any questions regarding the SSIC or Surgical Skills Training Network, please contact the HETI team at: