Educator Studio Sessions
Educator Studio Sessions 2021
Details of the 2021 Educator Studio Sessions (ESS) are available below.
In addition, the Academy of Surgical Educators will hold a series of Special ESS via webinar to provide RACS Fellows with an opportunity to obtain CPD points. The format will be the same as our regular ESS, with topics relevant to RACS members, not limited to a surgical education focus.
Registration is free.
4 August 2021
- Time: 6.00 - 7.00pm AEST
- Speaker: Dr Bryan Ashman
- Modality: Webinar
- Topic: Narcissism or empathy: should personality traits be assessed prior to selection for surgical training?
About the topic
A strategy for selection into surgical training should begin with a clear idea of what constitutes a good surgeon. What parameters describe the ideal attributes of competent and compassionate surgeons? What character traits of potential surgeons can be relied on to select only those trainees who will complete the training program and go on to be good surgeons? Are cognitive and operative skills more important than personality? Can being an excellent technician compensate for being a difficult person to get along with? Do we need surgeons to be self-centred in order to cope with the demands of surgical practice or is empathy more important? This presentation explores the relationship between competence and character and poses the question – is some degree of narcissism a desirable attribute for a surgical career or not?
Dr Bryan Ashman is an orthopaedic surgeon working at Canberra Hospital. He completed the Master of Surgical Education degree in 2016 and last year was awarded the RACS Educator of Merit for the ACT. Dr Ashman has served as an examiner in orthopaedics from 2009 to 2018. and is also a Fellow of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. His clinical interest is spine surgery and he is currently the Program Director for the Global Spine Diploma Program of the AO Foundation in Davos, Switzerland.
19 August 2021
- Time: 6.00 - 7.00pm AEST
- Speaker 1: Dr Claudia Villanueva
- Modality: Webinar
- Topic: The odds were stacked against me: a qualitative study of Underrepresented Minorities in surgical training
About the topic
This presentation will summarise the work Dr Villanueva completed as part of her master thesis, examining the experiences of self-identified minority SET Trainees and Fellows to identify barriers and enablers for minorities in the Australian and New Zealand SET program.
Dr Claudia Villanueva is a Cardiothoracic SET Trainee from NSW, currently training at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle. She has a special interest in surgical education, diversity and inclusion as well as patient safety. She has recently completed a masters degree by thesis that explored the experiences of minority trainees in the SET program.
- Speaker 2: Mr Marc Seifman
- Topic: COVID-19 impact on Junior Doctor Education and Training: A Scoping Review
About the topic
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant upheaval of the medical workforce. The changes to clinical exposure of junior staff affected not only service provision but also education. The results of a scoping review into this field are presented, with focus on the RACS surgical competencies.
Mr Marc Seifman is a specialist Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon and Supervisor of Training for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Peninsula Health. He currently holds appointments at multiple private and public institutions. Marc Seifman has a particular interest in research and surgical education, and is currently completing a Master of Surgical Education.
8 September 2021
- Time: 6.00 - 7.00pm AEST
- Speaker: TBC
- Modality: Webinar
- Topic: TBC
13 October 2021
- Time: 6.00 - 7.00pm AEDT
- Speaker: Dr Hercules Kollias
- Modality: Webinar
- Topic: TBC
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points
This educational activity has been approved in the College's CPD program. Fellows who participate can claim one point per hour (maximum of two points) in Category 3 - Maintenance of Knowledge and Skills. For those with a RACS CPD requirement this activity will be automatically uploaded to your record.