Educator Studio Sessions
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Educator Studio Sessions
Please note all Educator Studio Sessions are recorded and will be available to be viewed below in Past Educator Studio Sessions for Academy of Surgical Educators members. To join the Academy, click here.
CPD Hours: This educational activity has been approved in the College's CPD program. Participants with a RACS Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirement can claim one hour of CPD under the Education category, which will be uploaded by RACS on your behalf.
Wednesday 20 August 2025
Time: 6pm - 7pm AEST
Topic: Robot-assisted surgery in surgical education
Presenters: Dr Helen Mohan, Dr Jade Elmohamed and Dr Sophie Tissot
About the Topic:
This session will provide an interactive overview of introducing robotic technology for multilevel learners. It will also explore training for technical and professional skills.
RACS and International Medical Robotics Academy (IMRA) are collaborating on multiple robotics courses, which cover a variety of surgical specialties and will provide surgeons with the advanced skills they need to perform complex robotic-assisted procedures. Click here to find out more.
RACS and IMRA have a shared commitment to providing high-quality education and experience in the practice of robot-assisted surgery. This partnership aims to provide surgeons with the knowledge and skills they need to perform robot-assisted procedures safely and effectively.
About the Presenters
Dr Helen Mohan is a colorectal robotic surgeon with a focus on all aspects of colorectal and anal cancer care, from early disease to advanced cancer and peritoneal disease.
Helen completed her fellowship training at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Robotic Surgery and Advanced Cancer, and a fellowship at Austin Health. She is a dual fellow of the Irish and Australasian Colleges of Surgeons and has completed a PhD in intestinal inflammation and cancer.
Helen also leads a graduate research programme in robotic surgical education, cancer surgery and proctology. She is a Council member of RACS and a founding member of the International Colorectal Outcomes Registry Collaborative (ICORC).
Dr Mohan will be joined by fellow IMRA faculty Dr Sophie Tissot (Urology Registrar) and Dr Jade Elmohamed (General Surgery Registrar).
Tuesday 9 September 2025
Time: 5pm - 6pm AEST (Note: Webinar commences 1 hour earlier than other sessions)
Topic: Reimagining Medical School Admissions: Shaping the Future of Healthcare in Aotearoa New Zealand
Presenter: Dr John Mutu-Grigg
About the Topic:
In Aotearoa New Zealand, we have always selected for medical school based on "merit", but the conversation has begun to shift toward what we actually mean by that term. Historically, merit was defined by narrow and often exclusionary standards. Today, we recognise that many of the traditional criteria we used to measure merit may no longer reflect what is truly needed to be a good doctor. Is a disproportionately high IQ a mandatory requirement? Is selecting the “best” individual — based on academic scores or other narrow parameters — really serving the needs of our health system? We find ourselves with some specialties oversubscribed, turning away excellent candidates after years of training, while other areas of medicine receive few or no applicants, so critical areas of the system remain chronically understaffed.
This raises a fundamental question: do we continue selecting individuals based solely on traditional definitions of excellence and hope they end up where they're needed? Or should we take a broader, system-wide view — identifying the kinds of doctors our healthcare system actually requires, where the holes are and selecting those with the right mix of skills, values, and motivations to fill those roles?
Our health system already suffers from inequity, shaped by socioeconomic factors, ethnicity, geography, and barriers to access. Any reform must reduce — not worsen — these disparities.
Government and the profession must work together to ensure any changes are equity-focused, future-ready, and fair. We need to build a system that doesn't just produce the most academically accomplished individuals, but assembles the right team to meet the evolving health needs of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Dr John Mutu-Grigg (Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Whatua) is an Orthopaedic Surgeon based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. He is the Chair of RACS Māori Health Advisory Group, Ngā Rata Kōiwi (Māori Orthopaedic Surgeons), Ngāti Kahu Health Portfolio, RACS Indigenous Health Committee, NZOA Board, NZOA Education Committee, and the NZOA Specialty Orthopaedic Training Board. He is also the Indigenous Editor of the ANZJS.
Tuesday 14 October 2025
Time: 6pm - 7pm AEST
Topic: Perimeter Work: Lessons in Surgical Education Equity from the USA and Canada
Presenter: Associate Professor Sarah Aitken
More information coming soon. Register now to save your spot!