Surgeon Shortlist is a credential-based surgeon research service. You tell us what procedure you're considering, where you're located, and what matters most to you. We research the surgical landscape on your behalf — analysing academic training, board certifications, fellowship credentials, peer-reviewed publications, and professional recognition — and produce a detailed written report naming the surgeons who best match your criteria on merit.

We have no commercial relationships with any surgeon. Nobody pays to appear on a shortlist. Every recommendation is based entirely on publicly verifiable credentials.

Complete our intake questionnaire. It takes around five to ten minutes and covers your procedure, location, timeline, budget, and any preferences around communication style or surgical approach. Once submitted and payment is confirmed, we begin research and deliver your report by email, typically within two to three business days.

Reports are produced by the Surgeon Shortlist research team using a structured credentialling framework. We draw on publicly available data sources including specialist medical registers, academic databases, hospital affiliations, fellowship training records, and peer-reviewed publications. The methodology is applied consistently regardless of who the surgeon is or where they practise.

Most reports are delivered within two to three business days of receiving your completed questionnaire and payment. For more complex or regional searches — particularly in locations with smaller specialist pools — it may take up to five business days. We will contact you if we anticipate a longer timeline.

That's common. You can describe what you're hoping to address — the area of your body, the concern, the outcome you're looking for — and we'll work from there. Describing the goal rather than the procedure is often more useful at this stage. Our questionnaire is designed to allow for this kind of open-ended input.

Your report profiles a shortlist of surgeons matched to your specific procedure and location. For each surgeon we include their training background, medical school, residency and fellowship credentials, relevant board certifications and specialist registration, academic output, hospital affiliations, and a clear explanation of why they appear on your list.

We also include guidance on what to look for when you contact clinics for consultations, and what questions are worth asking at that stage.

Reports typically include three to five surgeons. The exact number depends on what the credentialling research yields for your specific procedure and geography. In densely populated markets with large specialist communities, you may receive more. In regional or highly subspecialised searches, you may receive fewer — but we will only include surgeons who genuinely meet the credential threshold. We do not pad shortlists to hit a number.

No. The report identifies surgeons with strong credentials relevant to your procedure. It does not advise you to have surgery, and it does not constitute medical advice. The decision to proceed with any procedure should be made in consultation with a qualified medical professional — including the surgeon you choose to see.

Yes. The questionnaire asks for your location and whether you're willing to travel. If you name a specific city, we focus the search there. If you indicate you're open to travel, we can widen the search radius to include the strongest credentialled candidates in your country or region. Many patients find that the best surgeon for their procedure is not in their immediate city — and for elective surgery, travelling is often worth considering.

That is entirely up to you. Most patients use the report to book initial consultations with one or more of the surgeons listed. Consultations allow you to assess whether the surgeon's communication style, approach, and clinic environment feel right for you. The credential research is done — now the relationship-building begins. Your report also includes suggested questions to bring to those consultations.

A Surgeon Shortlist report costs USD $99. This is a one-time flat fee — there are no subscriptions, no follow-up charges, and no upsells. Payment is processed securely at the time of submission.

We accept all major credit and debit cards via Stripe, which processes your payment securely. Card details are handled entirely by Stripe — we do not store your payment information.

Because our service involves bespoke research produced specifically for you, reports are non-refundable once delivered. If you believe there is a material error in your report — a surgeon listed with incorrect credentials, or a significant misalignment with your stated criteria — please contact us at hello@surgeonshortlist.com and we will review and correct it. Our goal is that you receive genuine value from the research.

There is no multi-report discount at this time. Each report requires distinct research. If you are looking to compare surgeons across different cities or procedures, please contact us at hello@surgeonshortlist.com and we can discuss the right approach for your situation.

Our framework covers medical training and graduation institution, postgraduate surgical residency, subspecialty fellowship training, specialist board certification and registration status, peer-reviewed academic publications relevant to the procedure, hospital privileges and affiliations, and professional recognition from surgical colleges and academies.

The weighting applied to each factor is calibrated to the procedure. The credentials that matter most for rhinoplasty are not identical to those that matter most for microsurgical breast reconstruction.

Yes. Registration status is confirmed against the relevant medical register for each market — AHPRA in Australia, the GMC in the UK, the Medical Council of Ireland, and the relevant state medical board register in the United States and Canada — at the time of research. We do not include surgeons whose registration is suspended, conditional, or lapsed.

No. Surgeon Shortlist has no commercial relationship with any surgeon, clinic, or hospital group. Surgeons are not contacted as part of our process, they do not submit profiles, and they do not pay for placement or prominence. The only money that changes hands is between you and us — a flat fee for research. This independence is fundamental to the value of the service.

This is actually part of why the service exists. The best surgeons often have the smallest online footprint — they're operating, teaching, and publishing rather than managing Instagram accounts. We use specialist medical registers, academic databases, and professional college directories to locate surgeons that a standard search engine would never surface. A minimal web presence is never grounds for exclusion.

Yes. Surgeon Shortlist currently serves patients in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland. The credential framework is adapted for each market. In the US this means ABMS board certification and state licence verification; in the UK it means GMC registration and FRCS credentials; in Australia and New Zealand, AHPRA registration and FRACS fellowship. The underlying logic is the same — only the regulatory landscape differs.

Yes. Your responses are used solely to produce your shortlist. We do not share your information with surgeons, third parties, or any affiliated platforms. The surgeons on your shortlist do not receive your details as part of the process.

No. Your report is entirely private. The surgeons listed are not notified, contacted, or made aware that they appear on a patient's shortlist. What you do with the report, including whether to contact any surgeon directly, is entirely up to you.

We retain questionnaire data only as long as necessary to produce and deliver your report and to respond to any follow-up you initiate. We do not use patient data for marketing purposes or share it with third parties. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

Yes. You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data at any time by contacting us at hello@surgeonshortlist.com. We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable data protection law in your jurisdiction.

No. We provide the research; booking consultations is something you do directly with the surgeon's rooms. Your report will include contact details where publicly available. We deliberately do not act as an intermediary between patients and surgeons — it would compromise the independence of the service.

Email us at hello@surgeonshortlist.com. We're happy to explain the credential rationale behind any surgeon's inclusion, clarify terminology, or help you think through how to approach consultations. We cannot offer clinical advice, but we can make sure you feel confident going into those conversations.

Yes. If your procedure, location, or priorities change significantly, you can submit a new questionnaire. Each report is priced at USD $99 regardless of whether it's your first or a follow-up. If your circumstances have only changed slightly, email us first — we may be able to address it without requiring a full new submission.

Not at all. Many patients use the report to consult with surgeons and then decide the timing isn't right, or that they'd like more time to consider. Some decide not to proceed with surgery at all. The report gives you information — what you do with that information is entirely your own decision.