RNSH Hosts a Two-Day Surgical Skills Workshop – SERT Institute

Surgical Skills (SURG5031) is a University of Sydney post-graduate coursework subject offered by the Discipline of Surgery, with the aim of preparing junior doctors for surgical training. This workshop is a part of the postgraduate coursework subject Surgical Skills which forms part of the Masters of Surgery program at the University of Sydney. In early October, the Sydney Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre at Royal North Shore Hospital hosted a two-day Surgical Skills (SURG5031) workshop for 18 students who travelled from as far as Far North Queensland and South Australia.

Workshop Overview and Learning Environment

Immerse yourself in a transformative learning environment where theory meets practice and ambition meets opportunity. The two-day workshop covers both technical and non-technical skills, with the aim of helping students cultivate essential surgical competencies through hands-on practice. The event was hosted in the Sydney Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre, which is a dedicated procedural skills teaching facility for the Northern Clinical School based in the Kolling Institute for Medical Research.

Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course, the learner should be able to:

• Demonstrate a minimum standard of technical skills required for surgical training assisted by expert faculty.
• Perform and assist with stimulated surgical procedures of skin incision, bowel and vascular anastomosis, and laparoscopic procedures.
• Discuss how to prepare for surgical training and gain skills in communication and career planning to undertake training effectively.

Course Structure and Curriculum

The workshop is thoughtfully divided into two enriching days, each designed to offer a unique blend of hands-on training, insightful discussions, and invaluable networking opportunities. Day 1 focuses on Practical Skills Mastery where distinguished faculty members guide you through a series of hands-on training sessions focused on mastering fundamental surgical skills. Day 2 involves Communication & Training Insights to unlock the secrets to effective communication and surgical training strategies in a collaborative environment.

Distinguished Faculty and Leadership

The senior faculty included: Dr John Vandervord (Plastics), Dr Justin Vass (Urology), Dr Kris Rasiah (Urology), Associate Professor Margaret Schnitzler and Dr Ada Ng (Colorectal Surgery), Dr Megan Hassall (Plastics Surgery), Dr Nazih Assad (Neurosurgery), Dr Shahir Kabir (Colorectal Surgery), Professor Tom Hugh (Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery), Dr Venu Chalasani (Urology), Dr Vic Puttasamy (Vascular Surgery) and Dr Henry Cheung. Associate Professor Anthony Glover is a practicing specialist endocrine surgeon and surgical oncologist and is the Director for the Master Surgery Program. From the SERT Institute, we would like to thank our great faculty and students for participating in the workshop.

About the SERT Institute

The SERT Institute is a clinician-led initiative established to remove barriers that restrict surgeons’ capacity to participate in academic research, clinical auditing, clinical leadership, teaching, mentoring, clinical governance, and strategic planning across Northern Sydney Local Health District surgical services. SERT facilitates surgeon leadership workshops and the Masters of Surgery Program at the University of Sydney. Royal North Shore Hospital has 15 surgical departments including Trauma and over 110 consultants, and our surgical departments produce over 200 research publications per year.