Training Positions

Position Description

This position offers excellent training in all aspects of breast disease management in a multidisciplinary environment. It involves working closely with four specialist breast surgeons in a high volume public hospital unit as well as providing great research opportunities and assistance at the private hospital (same campus) and to be involved in Breast Screen assessment clinics.

The operative experience will include a full range of breast surgical procedures for benign and malignant disease, including skin and nipple sparing mastectomies, skin reducing mastectomies with immediate implant based reconstruction and insertion of tissue expanders as well as pedicled myo-cutaneous flaps. A majority of patients with cancer are offered breast conserving treatment, including therapeutic mammoplasty and other breast re-shaping (so called oncoplastic) procedures. Extensive experience can be gained in sentinel node biopsy including internal mammary node dissection, as well as axillary dissection. All breast reconstructions are carried out by the Breast Surgeons except for micro-vascular tissue flaps performed by the Plastics Service at the Canberra Hospital and the trainee has ample opportunity to attend these.

In addition, fellows will have an opportunity to maintain skills in thyroid and parathyroid surgery. The Fellow would be first on call for general surgery no more than one night per week and weekend cover on 1:4 basis along with other Fellows (Upper GI, Colorectal and Acute Surgery) based at the Canberra Hospital. This will involve assessing, admitting, operating on and managing acute General Surgical as well as Trauma admissions. This component requires the fellow to work at the Canberra Hospital and during their on-call shifts they are supervised by the on-call General Surgeon. The position assumes experience, skill set and ability to execute these at the level of a junior Consultant surgeon at the Australasian ‘post-fellowship (FRACS)’ level in General Surgery or its equivalent.

A typical week would involve 3 days of operating and 1-2 busy outpatient clinics seeing newly diagnosed breast and General Surgical patients as well as follow ups. There are weekly Breast meetings, MDT meetings alternating with Breast Cancer Treatment Group of ACT meetings and surgical grand rounds. In addition there are weekly Surgical Audit meetings where all teams take in turn to present and discuss their morbidities and mortalities.

We offer an active research program in many areas of patient care and an extensive database available for clinical research activities. The successful candidate would be provided with protected time and experienced support for research purposes, with a realistic expectation that this would result in a publication and/or a presentation at a major breast meeting.

OTHER

Unit: Breast Surgery and General Surgery