Recent events

The RACS ‘Aurora Nights’ WA Surgeons' Ball 2025, held on Saturday 14 June at the Crown Towers Ballroom, brought together Fellows and Trainees from across Western Australia for a spectacular night. With the ballroom glowing in celestial hues to reflect the Aurora lights theme, our Fellows & Trainees, along with their guests, were treated to a magical evening of celebration and connection.

Orthopaedic Fellow, Dr Jonathan Spencer, and General Surgery Younger Fellow, Dr Erasmia Christou, served as the Masters of Ceremonies, bringing their energy and professionalism to the stage, while Summer Club Band kept the dance floor alive. Most importantly, the event raised an incredible $19,285 for the Heart and Lung Research Institute of WA, helping to advance critical research into humanised tissue models for heart and lung disease - a powerful show of support from the surgical community.

We express our immense gratitude to our valued Platinum Partners of this event, Aston Martin Perth and St John of God Health Care. 

 

    

On Thursday 13 February, the RACS WA State Office hosted an engaging and insightful Younger Fellows Educational & Networking Evening. The event provided an excellent opportunity for Younger Fellows to connect, share experiences, and gain valuable knowledge on key medico-legal and technological developments impacting surgical practice.

We were privileged to welcome Gae Nuttall and Nerissa Ferrie from the MDA National Medicare Committee, who expertly navigated the complexities of Medicare compliance and answered pressing questions from attendees. Their practical insights helped demystify common challenges and provided strategies for navigating audits and billing regulations with confidence.

Adding a forward-thinking perspective, Jamie Chew from i-scribe delivered an informative presentation on the role of AI in surgical efficiencies. His discussion on emerging AI tools and their potential to streamline workflows sparked great interest and thought-provoking conversations about the future of surgical practice.

The evening was also a fantastic networking opportunity, allowing Younger Fellows to engage with colleagues in a relaxed setting. Feedback from attendees highlighted the value of these sessions in fostering professional connections and addressing critical topics relevant to contemporary surgical practice.

A big thank you to our speakers and all who attended for making this event a success. We look forward to welcoming our Younger Fellows to future RACS WA events!

 

 

Mastering Private Practice Workshop WA 2025

This event brought together an engaging program of expert speakers and experienced Fellows who generously shared their insights, lesson learned, and practical guidance. Their contributions were invaluable in supporting Younger Fellows who are preparing to start their private practice journey - or looking to strengthen and grow an existing one. 

This workshop is unique because it is designed by Younger Fellows, for Younger Fellows - with a focus on their long-term welfare, confidence, and success in private practice. The thoughtful discussions, and the willingness to learn from one another truly highlighted the strength of the WA surgical community. 

A sincere thank you to our valued event partners for their ongoing support:

Avant Mutual, Hollywood Private Hospital, Integro Private Wealth, KPMG Australia, Ledge Finance, Magentus, MDA National & Perth Radiological Clinic. Their collaboration helps make opportunities like this possible. 

Reviving Excellence: WA Papers Day Returns After a Decade

After a ten-year hiatus, Western Australian (WA) Papers Day made a triumphant return on 31 October 2025, celebrating the next generation of surgical talent. The event brought medical students, interns, residents, registrars, Trainees and Younger Fellows to showcase their research and compete for the prestigious Gordon Baron-Hay Award.

Named in honour of Professor Gordon Baron-Hay—a respected paediatric surgeon and long-serving WA State Committee member and Chair (1993–1995)—the award recognises excellence in surgical research and presentation.

This year’s program featured 18 presentations from 15 emerging researchers and budding surgeons, highlighting the breadth and innovation of surgical work across the state. The event was convened by Dr Helen Ballal FRACS, Deputy Chair of the WA State Committee, with judging by Dr Diana Hastrich FRACS, Dr Corinne Jones FRACS and Dr Mark Strahan FRACS.

Congratulations to Dr Rong Hui Misté Chia, recipient of the Gordon Baron-Hay Award, for her outstanding presentation, ‘Outcomes of Aortic Valve-Sparing Root Replacement: a Western Australian Experience.’

One of the pleasing aspects was the number of Fellows who took time out of their working days to come and support the event. Not only was this an excellent demonstration of Fellowship, but it helped to reaffirm the vital role that WA Papers Day plays as a platform for academic exchange, peer learning and professional development—fostering the future of surgical excellence in Western Australia.

Fellows, Trainees and special guests gathered at the iconic Adelaide Oval for the RACS SA, WA and NT Tri-state Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM) 2025.

The meeting adopted the theme of Standing on the Shoulders of Giants to pay homage to the legacy of those who have shaped the surgical profession over many years through their innovation and their ingenuity.

The two-day event, held between Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 August, started the preceding evening with a welcome reception at the beautiful Jolleys Boathouse. Situated on the banks of the River Torrens, it offered attendees a chance to reconnect and ready themselves for a collaborative and inspiring program.

Day one started with a warm welcome from RACS SA Chair and Meeting Convener, Dr Bernard Carney. This was followed by RACS CEO, Stephanie Clota, who shared a College update, highlighting how RACS continues to support its Fellows and Trainees through advocacy, education and the strong foundation that is being established with RACS’ new strategy.

The program featured a diverse mix of clinical updates, research presentations and panel discussions. Day one included sessions on surgical innovation, rural health, and leadership, while day two focused on trauma care, surgical education and global health. The theme was woven throughout, with speakers reflecting on the legacy of surgical pioneers and the importance of mentorship and knowledge-sharing.

We thank our valued event sponsors:

ADF Careers

ANZ Health

Avant

Detmold

Flinders University 

Gore

Healthengine

Johnson & Johnson MedTech

Karl Storz

Magentus

Majestic Opals

Medtronic

Mips

Miga

Radiology SA

ReturnToWorkSA

Solventum

University of Adelaide

and our Travel Grant Partner: Bartons 

       

The RACS WA Women in Surgery High Tea, held on Saturday 8 March 2025 at the Crystal Club Lounge, Crown Towers, was a memorable celebration of International Women’s Day.

The event brought together WA Fellows, Trainees, and medical students to honour the achievements of women in surgery. Providing an insightful presentation at the event was our guest speaker, Dr Jacqueline Boaks, who spoke on the crucial topic of Ethics and Leadership, focusing on ethical decision making within organisations.

The gathering provided a wonderful opportunity for networking, learning, and celebrating the contributions of women in the field of surgery, against the backdrop of the beautiful city skyline & Swan River. 

We thank our valued event partner, MDA National.