The Laparoscopic surgery training simulator (LAPSIM) training workshop held in Darwin, Tuesday 19 May marked a major achievement for RACS NT. 

LAPSIM training

Hosted at the Flinders University Training Hub, the program was an initiative of the RACS NT Committee and the Northern Territory (NT) team in building and strengthening relationships with universities and years 1-4 medical students. 

This was the largest event RACS has delivered for medical students in the NT, with enthusiasm running high. Sixty students registered, and all places were filled within two hours.

The enthusiastic cohort of students were engaged and the post-event feedback was extremely positive.

LAPSIM participants

This included feedback from the president of Northern Territory Student Society Group (NTSSG), Kyriakos Lambrinidis, who reflected on his experiences of the session. 

“As someone early in the journey, experiences like this mean a great deal. The LAPSIM workshop was not only a chance to practise the technique and finesse of laparoscopy—it also provided an opportunity to connect with general surgeons, offering mentorship and insight into a discipline that shapes a life in surgery.

“Being able to connect with general surgeons gave us an opportunity for mentorship and an insight into the discipline that shapes a life in surgery.

“We would like to thank the RACS team for bringing this event to us and we cannot recommend it highly enough to our peers should this be run again,” Kyriakos said. 

His comments were echoed by the vice president of the NTSSG, Jent Delos Santos. "Participating in the laparoscopic skills workshop was a useful insight into the fine motor skills required to perform laparoscopic surgery. I felt the event was thoroughly enjoyable and would be an excellent way to introduce medical students into the world of surgery in an engaging and exciting way. I would highly recommend this to my peers if another such event came up."

Jay Yeaman, the treasurer of the NTSSG also attended and reflected on his experiences.

"I genuinely find these events very engaging and motivating for a future career in surgery. I always come away with at least a few pearls of wisdom, and they provide a fantastic opportunity to hear first-hand experiences and practical advice on career pathways and general skills from consultants and registrars, particularly those that work here in the region.”

We extend our thanks to our sponsors Miga for their support and Medtronic who provided all of the equipment on the day. We would also like to thank the Flinders University Regional Training Hub for generously providing the venue and extend special thanks to Dr Megge Beacroft for taking time out from her busy schedule to facilitate these sessions. She did an excellent job in teaching and mentoring the next generation of surgeons.