twrama 1841_august_2.. - AMA WA

Firm foundation and support
helps Society on its way
by James Preuss
President, University of Western Australia Surgical Society
OPINION
Neurosurgery night: Dr Alex Koefmann, Wayne Rosen, James Preuss, Arosha Dissanayake, Professor Chris Lind and Lily Shelton at the
2011 Surgical Career Expo.
It was during my fourth year surgical rotation that the
idea of a surgical society at UWA first took root. At that
point in 2010, most of the major universities already had
established surgical societies. So when Winthrop Professor
Christobel Saunders proposed I initiate a surgical society
at UWA, I thought it a good idea. I had greatly enjoyed my
fourth year term and surgery was certainly a passion.
That summer, three other UWA medical students –
Lily Shelton, Arosha Dissanayake and Matt Greenway –
and I established the University of Western Australia
Surgical Society (UWASS). The society’s aim was to provide
surgically-orientated students an opportunity to experience
surgical-related events and workshops and provide a link
between interested students and local surgeons.
With this idea in mind, I told my then flatmate about our
plan. His reaction was along the lines of “Are you stupid?”
and “Do you have any idea how much work it involves?” –
and he was right. But it has been an amazing experience and
provided some good fun along the way.
By the beginning of the 2011 academic year, we had set up
the structure of the society and hosted our very first lecture
night. The UWASS launch saw 150-plus students attending
and over 50 expressions of interest to become a part of the
new committee. Student interest only grew from there with
over 350 members joining in our inaugural year.
Today, the UWASS calendar is packed with an array
of events including a monthly lecture series, suturing and
anatomy workshops and pre-intern sessions to help pave the
path into clinical medicine, and ultimately surviving the
internship surgical rotation.
Of course, the two premier events on our calendar are the
Women in Surgery Symposium and the Surgical Career
Expo.
The Surgical Career Expo is designed to develop a bridge
between our members and the greater surgical community
of Perth. The evening includes an interactive college and
industry display session with representatives from The
Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, The Australian and
New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, The Royal Australian
and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
and The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of
Ophthalmology. UWASS members have the opportunity to
approach the various colleges and ask questions relating to
their field and the various application processes.
The evening concludes with a symposium session where
invited speakers discuss integral aspects of the surgical
training program and provide information to help aspiring
surgeons gain access to the elusive SET program.
This year’s Surgical Careers Expo will be held on
Wednesday 26 September and will discuss subjects such
as professionalism and communication as well as provide
a rural perspective to highlight the rural surgical options
available for interested members. The event is open to all
medical students and junior doctors across Perth.
The major events hosted by the UWASS are a true
reflection of the incredible support it has received from the
surgical and medical community of Perth. We are grateful to
the junior doctors, registrars and consultant surgeons who
have taken time out from their incredibly busy schedules
to talk to our members. As a result of the support from
Professor Jeff Hamdorf and the Clinical Training and
Education Centre, we have been able to facilitate sending
UWASS members to courses and workshops, otherwise only
accessible to residents and registrars.
All in all, developing the society has been a great
experience and taught me several invaluable lessons. It has
been a tough road but with many successes. This year will
be my last with the society as graduation draws near. I
look forward keenly to seeing a flourishing society in years
to come.
August MEDICUS 39