Training Positions

Position Description

Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital is a tertiary teaching hospital housing state cancer service. The Breast Centre manages around 1300 new breast cases which include 400+ new breast cancers per year. There are six surgeons in the unit who work closely with the Department of Plastic Surgery. There is exposure to high volume breast surgery where trainees can run independent operating lists. Prostheses based reconstruction with in-cooperation of fat graft and contour remodelling is also performed. Oncoplastic exposure include therapeutic mammoplasty, contralateral symmetrising procedures. i.e., mastopexy/lift or reduction mammoplasties. Perforator flap procedures are performed within the unit and autologous reconstructions in association with the Plastic Surgical unit.

The unit provides comprehensive multidisciplinary care with weekly multidisciplinary meetings and fortnightly combined breast pathology, radiology, and surgery meetings. There are two high risk clinics and a radiology service that provides MRI, PET, Magseed and wire localisation. The Breast Centre is also attached to Breast Screen WA with assessment clinics managing over 1500 cases per year. We actively participate in research and clinical trials in association with our multidisciplinary team.

General surgery involvement includes seven days (including a weekend) of on-call commitment in a four-week cycle with the participation of the Fellow being that of a junior consultant, this is alternated between the two breast fellows. The breast team manages complex general surgery with consultations from speciality services.

There are a total of ten clinics and seven theatre sessions in an average week with additional combined surgical lists with the Plastic Reconstructive surgeons. The Fellow is expected to conduct daily ward rounds with junior staff (including advanced trainees in General Surgery) and be involved with designated teaching. Completed research with the aim of publication in peer-reviewed journals and presenting papers at national/international meetings is highly recommended. The fellow will also be actively involved in the state-wide based journal club which meets four times a year.

The two positions are a fully funded public positions at Senior Registrar level.

Designated junior teaching commitments are present

• Presentations at the Breast Journal Club of WA four times a year (all breast surgeons and post graduate breast trainees of WA)
• Breast MDT Journal Club presentation every fortnight at SCGH (rotated between radiology, pathology, oncology, surgery)
• Responsible for the oversight of weekly Breast MDT
• Candidate should be committed to a high case load, both clinic and theatre.
• The breast team participates in the General Surgery roster and are expected to carry out general surgery work with tertiary sub-specialty units available for advice and taking over of complex cases
• ** The hospital does not provide leave cover for the Breast Unit as we are the only unit in the hospital with two fellows. As such, any kind of leave at the same time is not encouraged where possible; entire clinic and theatre workload re-arrangement at short notice is difficult to be accommodated.
• ** Candidates are given the opportunity to plan their appropriate leaves upfront in the beginning of the term so that appropriate unit workload can be managed.