Fellowship in General Surgery

This examination is designed to provide an internationally accredited, quality-assured specialist qualification

The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka is pleased to announce the Fellowship in General Surgery examination. This examination is designed to provide an internationally accredited, quality-assured specialist qualification. It represents the second in a series of specialty certification programmes conducted by the College.
This Fellowship (specialist exit) examination is designed to assess whether a candidate possesses the knowledge and practical abilities required for the diagnosis and planning of care to meet the standard of a “day one General Surgeon with a Special Interest” in Sri Lanka. Successful completion will enable the candidate to progress professionally as a specialist consultant and aims to enhance the quality of General Surgery practice in Sri Lanka.

Important Notes:

  • This examination is optional and will not affect the criteria for Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) Board Certification or Ministry of Health appointments.
  • Successful candidates will be awarded the post-nominal FCSSL(Gen.Surg) by examination and will be eligible to carry a subspecialty interest post-nominal once board certified.
  • Successful candidates will also be eligible to be offered the FRCS(Glasgow) by election.
  1. PGIM Board certified specialists in General Surgery or Senior Registrar in General Surgery at the PGIM with a minimum of 18 months of training in General Surgery
  2. Valid SLMC registration
  3. Life Member, Junior/Senior affiliate member of the College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka

All above criteria must be fulfilled (a + b + c) by applicants.

Additional Requirements:

A portfolio assessment will be conducted, reviewing the applicant’s logbook and training to confirm eligibility for the special interest examination.

Special Interest Areas:

For this examination diet, the special interest areas accommodated are:

  • Breast Surgery
  • Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) Surgery
  • Endocrine Surgery
  • Lower Gastrointestinal (Lower GI) Surgery
  • Upper Gastrointestinal (Upper GI) Surgery

The examination consists of written and oral components.

Written Component

Format: Two papers

  • Single Best Answer (SBA)
  • Multiple-choice questions

Marking: No negative marking.

Content: The questions will cover the generality of surgery at a higher level than the MD examination, aligning with the knowledge and expertise expected of a day one specialist.

Oral Component

The oral component features four 30-minute scenario-based viva sessions, designed to assess candidates at the day one specialist consultant level:

  1. Emergency Surgery / Trauma / Critical Care: Covering emergency presentations, trauma management, critical care principles, resuscitation, and evidence-based practice.
  2. General Surgery Principles and Clinical Practice: Focusing on core elective general surgical topics, including relevant applied anatomy, physiology, and pathology.
  3. Special Interest Surgery – Basic Principles & Academic Foundation:
    • Basic Principles: Applied anatomy, physiology, and pathology relevant to the candidate’s declared special interest.
    • Academic Foundation: A critical appraisal of a generic paper (candidates will be given time to review the paper before the viva).
  4. Special Interest Surgery – Clinical Practice: Scenario-based discussions on complex cases within the candidate’s declared sub-specialty.

Syllabus

The syllabus is the same as that published by the PGIM for General Surgery with a Special Interest. Examination questions will be blueprinted against this syllabus to ensure comprehensive coverage.

The fee for the two components of the examination will be payable separately.

  • MCQ: Rs. 25,000
  • Oral Examination: Equivalent of 500 GBP

Application Details

Applications close on June 1, 2026 and applicants are required to pay the examination registration fee for the written component on or before this date.

Examination Dates

  • MCQ: July, 2026 (date to be confirmed)
  • Oral Examination: 31st August, 2026 (date to be confirmed)

Number of candidates for this diet will be limited to a maximum of 20.

Enquiries

The College of Surgeons of Sri Lanka
6 Independence Avenue
Colombo 7
Phone: 0112695080
Email: collsurg@gmail.com

Exam Information

Fees