Post-nominal Listing of Qualifications

Post-nominals are a controversial topic, and the listing of qualifications and awards after a name can be confusing unless displayed consistently.

We have reviewed the acronyms of basic qualifications used in medicine and we have reviewed the qualifications in each specialty and sub-specialty. To display postnominal accreditation of Physicians in Australia HealthEngine is using the following notation:

Ordering of qualifications

1. National honours (such as The Order of Australia, AC, AO, AM, OAM)
2. Degrees, Diplomas, then Certificates
3. Fellowships
4. Memberships of Professional Institutions
5. Parliamentary Designations

Example: Dr Michelle Woolhouse MB BS   Dip Hyp   Dip Acu   FRACGP

Punctuation

HealthEngine post-nominal notation uses minimal punctuation. Post-nominals are separated by spaces, not commans, full stops are not used to abbreviate qualifications (eg FRACS not F.R.A.C.S.)

Citation of qualifications

Qualifications and awards are cited in shortened form (eg MD not Doctor of Medicine)

Awarding institutions are listed in Doctor profiles, but not in post-nominal notation.  For example Dr Walid Mohabbat has a basic medical qualification of MB BS awarded from Sydney University, which is listed as MB BS (Syd) in his Doctor profile but as MB BS in post-nominal notation.

Degrees with honours are listed as degrees in HealthEngine post-nominal notation (eg BMedSc), but in full in doctor profile descriptions (BMedSc hons). Honorary degrees (eg hon. PhD) are, however, listed in post-nominals.

Absorption of degrees

Higher qualifications supersede others in the same subject area from the same institution (eg a Master’s degrees supersede Bachelor’s degrees). So if a doctor has both a BA and a MA from the same institution, only the MA will be listed. However, if the doctor has degrees of the same type but from different institutions, they should all be listed, for example BA Oxon MA Edin

Example of HealthEngine post-nominal nomenclature

Associate Professor Stephen Lee, has been awarded the title of Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia and holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Sydney University, a graduate diploma in dermatological medicine from Sydney University, and is a fellow of the Australasian College of Dermatologists.  His postnominals are as follows:

Associate Professor Stephen Lee AM  MB BS  DDM  FACD

For those qualifications that do not yet have shortened postnominals we will be contacting the relevant Institutions to ensure consistency of nomenclature.

Reference sources:

• Australian Government
• List of Post-nominal titles
• Sydney University
• Queensland University