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What you can do

Being a surgeon takes more than technical excellence. To help build respect and improve patient safety in surgery, RACS offers a range of programs for Fellows, Trainees and SIMGs. After all, respect is a cornerstone of professionalism.

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Operating with Respect

Operating with Respect was developed in response to the release of the RACS Action Plan on Discrimination, Bullying and Sexual Harassment in the Practice of Surgery. It is designed to deliver advanced training in recognising, managing and preventing discrimination, bullying and sexual harassment, to help all surgeons create a safe, respectful workplace culture that positively impacts Trainee learning and ultimately improves surgical care.

The course provides participants with practical strategies and skills to respond appropriately to unacceptable behaviour and promotes reflection and self-awareness, challenges common biases, assumptions and erroneous views and is delivered by skilled faculty.

All surgeons in the groups below must complete the course within six months of their appointment:

•    SET Supervisors
•    SIMG Supervisors
•    Research supervisors
•    Council
•    Aotearoa New Zealand National Committee
•    Clinical Examination Committee
•    Committee of Surgical Education and Training
•    Court of Examiners Executive
•    Education Committee
•    Health Policy and Advocacy Committee
•    Prevocational and Skills Education Committee
•    Professional Development Committee
•    Professional Standards and Fellowship Services Committee
•    Regional State, Territory and New Zealand (STANZ) Committees
•    Specialty Training Boards

REGISTER HERE  (Login required)

Speak Up app

We are continuing our work to give a voice to people who wish to speak out about unprofessional behaviour and launched an app to help surgeons to speak up when they see unacceptable behaviour.

The Speak Up app complements the course, Operating with Respect, and helps participants retain the knowledge and skills they learnt during the course.

The app includes a useful framework to prepare for a Cup of Coffee Conversation (CCC) and has a bank of helpful scripts, phrases and other resources.

A CCC is an informal, respectful conversation between colleagues that helps to raise awareness of concerns, prompt reflection and reinforce professionalism. Evidence suggests a properly conducted CCC supports respectful behaviour and deals with issues of concern in more than 75 per cent of cases.

Operating with Respect and Speak Up app both help foster a culture in which people have confidence and permission to speak up. They help create safe opportunities for people to adjust their behaviour and help build a culture of respect.

Download the Speak Up app free on the App Store and on Google Play.

Foundation Skills for Surgical Educators

Do you teach or train SET Trainees or supervise International Medical Graduates?

The Foundation Skills for Surgical Educators (FSSE) Course gives surgical educators the skills they need to provide high quality training and effective and constructive supervision. It is mandatory for:

  • Committee of Surgical Education and Training
  • Education Committee
  • Research supervisors
  • SET Supervisors
  • SIMG Supervisors
  • Specialty Training Boards
  • Surgeons in the clinical environment who teach or train SET Trainees

New appointees need to complete the FSSE within six months of their appointment to the role.

REGISTER HERE (Login required)  

Introduction to Operating with Respect

This course has been developed to support the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ (RACS) ongoing commitment to promote appropriate behaviours in surgical practice and training, as a safe and positive work environment will result in higher-quality care for patients and better standards of surgical training.

This course is available to all College Members and is a pre-requisite for application to Surgical Education and Training (SET).   

More information about Introduction to Operating with Respect

Recognising and responding to sexual harassment

Recent research conducted with College Members indicates that sexual harassment is still an issue in surgery, just as it is in the wider workforce.

RACS' eLearning course Recognising and responding to sexual harassment, is available as self-paced learning and will earn CPD points for participating surgeons. 

Further information about recognising and responding to sexual harassment can be found here. 

Other courses

Through our education programs, we offer training to surgeons so they can develop the skills they need to operate with respect. Our courses support leadership and professionalism and reflect our shared commitment to improving patient safety.

Human Factors eLearning Modules
This suite of eLearning modules provides interactive learning opportunities to develop and hone surgeons’ professional skills. Topics covered include stress and resilience, conflict management, situation awareness, decision making, team dynamics and speaking up in response to unacceptable behaviour. Find out more, including how to access the modules, here. 

Difficult Conversations with Underperforming Trainees
Difficult Conversations with Underperforming Trainees  is an eLearning course that includes self-paced online modules and a webinar. The course is designed for surgical supervisors and explores how to undertake a respectful and procedurally fair conversation with a Trainee who is not meeting required standards despite previous feedback.