The Time Out: Recent Episodes
SSSM Media
The pathways to a career in surgery are as diverse and broad as the surgeons who take them. Though we can find out the logistics of undertaking a surgical career on a plethora of guides and handbooks, we are always left wondering what it is that makes these surgeons tick. From military careers to red carpet premiers, join us as we break down their journeys and extract valuable lessons and insights to apply to our own lives.
https://www.mips.com.au/I-am-a/student
https://tinyurl.com/surgicalcareers
Is being a surgeon too hectic to have other interests? “Definitely not”, says Samantha Pillay, an Urological surgeon, entrepreneur, educator, public speaker and Amazon No.1 best selling author! On this episode we chat to her about her journey into surgery, how she overcame numerous obstacles as well as her advice to students and junior doctors. Her latest children’s book, “When I'm an Astronaut: Dreaming is Believing: STEM: 3” is available on Amazon now: https://www.amazon.com.au/When-Im-Astronaut-Dreaming-Believing/dp/1922675091
Are we on the cusp of a robo-revolution in surgery? The neurosurgeon - Dr Mohammed Awad - from the Royal Melbourne Hospital - says 'not so fast'. Join The Time Out on a step forward into the future of surgery.
Aidan, Ghanisht, Chloe and Norine are the team behind The Time Out podcast in 2021. Join us for our last episode of the year as we reflect on our experiences building the podcast and the lessons we have learned from our guests. We conclude by announcing the team taking over the podcast in 2022.
Tammy, Filli and Raj are specialist perioperative staff St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Melbourne. Tammy is a senior Scrub/Scout Nurse, Associate Nurse Unit Manager at SVPHM, and Nurse Unit Manager of the Neurosurgical division at SVPHM. Filli is an Operating Theatre Technician with an interest in neurosurgery. Raj is a Scrub/Scout Nurse with a specialty interest in Orthopaedics and Trauma. Tune in to this special episode to hear about the operating theatre from a different perspective! We discuss the differences between working in public and private hospitals, advances in technology in surgery, the importance of communication in the multidisciplinary team of the theatre and tips for medical students and junior doctors in theatre.
Dr Sally Langley is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, current President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) and has been involved with surgical education and training throughout her career. Hear about her journey through medical school, her hobby of playing the violin in orchestras and the broad scope encompassed by plastic and reconstruction surgery. We also talk about her fellowships in Kentucky, US and Oxford, UK, the differences between public and private practice in New Zealand and her role as the President of RACS.
Dr Annette Holian is an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon at Monash Medical Centre. She is also a Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Councillor, Royal Australian Air Force Group Captain, and the president-elect of the Australian Orthopaedic Association. Hear about what inspired her decision to study medicine, the challenges of looking after her first child during medical school and applying for the orthopaedic training program. We also delve into her work in Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Afghanistan, journaling and taking opportunities as they come.
Dr Pecky De Silva is a vascular surgeon based in Sydney. She is also the Chair of Younger Fellows, the Deputy Chair of the Women in Surgery Committee at RACS, and a proud mother of one. In this episode we delve into work life balance, growing up in Nairobi and Australia, and undergoing vascular surgery training in Singapore and Edinburgh. We also discuss redressing the balance of women in surgery, and the need to have a plan B, as you aim to get onto a surgical training program but even when it comes to finding public appointments as a recently qualified consultant.
Professor John Grigg is Head of the Discipline of Ophthalmology at the University of Sydney and Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Sydney Eye Hospital and The Children’s Hospital Westmead. Tune in to hear about his role in integrating more ophthalmology teaching into University of Sydney medical school curriculum, up and coming technology in the field and advice for those interested in pursuing ophthalmology training.
Dr Cris Cuthbertson is a general surgeon based in Bendigo and Echuca, and is also a senior lecturer at Monash Rural Health. She has a PhD in Surgery, a Master’s of education, and is a proud mother of 3 as well. Quite remarkably, Cris has also volunteered as a surgeon in Nepal for 2 years. Tune in to hear about the importance of building connections with patients, breaking down stereotypes about surgery as a career and volunteering overseas.
Professor Fiona Wood is the Director of the Burns Service of Western Australia and a Member of the Order of Australia. She was named Australian of the Year in 2005 for her contribution to burns care. Tune in to this episode to hear about how she practices her mantra, “to learn from today, to make tomorrow better”, through her career as a clinician scientist, pioneering ‘spray on skin’. We also delve into how she has applied the lessons she has learnt from her passion in athletics to her surgical career, and how she achieved work-life balance raising six children with her husband, who is also a surgeon.
Mr Naveed Alam is a consultant thoracic surgeon at St Vincent’s hospital and the Epworth. In this episode we explore his time as a medical student in Canada, what drew him to the field of surgery and his thoughts on the future of the field of cardiothoracic surgery. We also hear about his take on the importance of building rapport and trust with patients including the role of positive body language when speaking to patients.
Professor Munjed Al Muderis is an orthopaedic surgeon whose career has taken him to amazing places; from being inspired to pursue surgery by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator movie, refusing to break the Hippocratic Oath in war-torn Iraq, going on hunger strike to keep his anatomy textbook in an Australian detention centre, working his first job in Australia as a toilet cleaner, and now being a pioneer of osseointegration in Australia! Tune in to this episode to hear about the lessons he has learnt along the way and be inspired by his passion for global health and patient-centred care.
Associate Professor Warwick Teague is the Director of Trauma Service and Clinical Lead of the Burns Service in the department of Paediatric Surgery at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. He is also actively involved in research with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute as a co-group leader. He grew up in Papua New Guinea, before moving to South Australia, and completing medical school at the University of Adelaide. He then underwent basic surgical training as well as a PhD in Oxford before returning to Australia to complete his specialisation in paediatric surgery. Tune in to hear about the sacrifices he made to get to where he is today, and the lessons he has learned from his journey.
Associate Professor Kelvin Kong is a proud Worimi man and ENT surgeon. In this episode, hear about how he drew inspiration from his family to become the passionate Indigenous health advocate he is today. We also chat about the significance of early hearing impairment on life trajectories and the importance of creating a culturally safe environment to optimise healthcare for First Nations Australians.
Dr Ruwangi Udayasiri is currently the only female local general surgeon in Shepparton, Victoria. She has a special interest in breast surgery, but continues performing a wide range of surgeries in various hospitals around rural and regional Victoria. She also loves to swim when she is able to get some free time in between looking after her children, private consulting and teaching University of Melbourne medical students!
Dr Georgina Riddiough is a current PhD candidate and SET trainee in general surgery, with a keen interest in hepatobiliary surgery and transplant. She grew up in the UK and completed medical school at the University of Leicester, before moving to Melbourne to work at the Austin Hospital for her surgical training. Tune in to this episode to hear her thoughts about seizing opportunities as they come and flexible work arrangements for both male and female members of the medical workforce.
Associate Professor Rhea Liang is a general and breast surgeon, Surgical Lead at Bond University and Chair of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Operate with Respect Committee. In this episode we explore her journey from a hard working University of Auckland medical student, to taking a break to go backpacking around the world, having children during her surgical training, and now studying the highly impactful topic of intersectionality in the development of the professional surgical identity in her PhD. Listen in to this episode for her recommendations on how to get started on Twitter, as well as her thoughts on how the culture in surgery has changed over time, and what more needs to be done.
Professor Declan Murphy is a leading consultant urologist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. He completed his training in the UK before moving to Melbourne to be one of the early pioneers of robotic surgery in GU oncology. He is now Peter Mac's Director of Genitourinary (GU) Oncology, Director of Robotic Surgery, and a Professorial Fellow at the University of Melbourne. If that wasn't enough to keep him busy, he also co-hosts his own podcast, GU Cast. Listen in to follow his journey from party animal in his university days to the inspirational surgeon he is now!
Dr Hayden Waterham is a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at St Vincent’s Private, Epworth Freemasons and the Mercy Hospital for Women. He is the proud father of four children with his wife, who is a paediatrician. In this episode, we hear about how he manages his work life balance, his thoughts on how medical training has changed over the years, as well as his experiences with working in both public hospitals and private practice.
Dr Neela Janakiramanan is a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon specialising in hand and wrist surgery. She obtained her Master of Public Health degree during her surgical training, and is an author and advocate for women in medicine and surgery, as well as a pursuer of social justice for refugees and asylum seekers. Tune in to hear Dr Janakiramanan’s multi-faceted journey to get to where she is now - there definitely is something in this episode for everyone!
Dr Ruth Mitchell is a newly-qualified consultant neurosurgeon and a current PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne. In this episode we hear about her journey from growing up in Peru, to completing medical school in Adelaide, then becoming a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2017 as part of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). If you are keen to hear more about advocacy and its intersection with a medical career, this is the episode for you!
Dr Renu Eapen is a consultant urologist at Peter Mac and the Austin Hospital, Melbourne. She is also co-host of her own podcast series, GU Cast, with Prof Declan Murphy. After multiple fellowships across Dallas, Toronto and San Francisco, she is now completing her PhD at the University of Melbourne. Tune in to hear about her journey and what she has to say about the role of women in surgery!
We sign out with final episode of Season 1! Jasun, Karin and Alex are final year medical students (junior doctors in 2 months!!) at The University of Melbourne and the team behind The Time Out. Join us as they reflect on 2020 and hopefully inspire you become part of the 2021 team.
Mr Sean Stevens is an academic surgeon based at the Austin Hospital, where he oversees pre-vocational SET training for residents looking to apply for a surgical training program. If you're interested about what registrars and residents learn, or about a non-traditional surgical career, then this episode is the one for you!
Dr Nick Enright is a third-year ophthalmology registrar at the Eye and Ear hospital. He completed medical school at the University of Sydney, before working in Victoria and NSW in unaccredited ophthalmology and neurosurgery registrar roles. Tune in to hear us pull back the curtain on his experiences with the SET application process, and to hear about life as an ophthalmology registrar!
Professor Jones is a pioneering liver transplant surgeon who was involved in starting the Victorian Adult and Paediatric Liver Transplant Programme in 1988. He now heads the Victorian service and is actively involved in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery.
Eric is a triple-fellowship trained Specialist Otolaryngologist, Head & Neck Surgeon based in Melbourne, Australia. He has completed fellowships in Head & Neck Surgery, Facial Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery and Paediatric Otolaryngology. He is an avid writer and speaks regularly on matter close to his heart including leadership, teaching and mental health.
Hailing from Ararat, Janelle Brennan grew up in rural Victoria before graduating from the University of Melbourne and completing her surgical training at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. She is dual trained in general surgery and urology and is now the Head of Urology at Bendigo Health. In her role at Bendigo Health she has developed the FPMRS (Female Pelvic Medicine & Reconstructive Surgery) fellowship position and the FPMRS multidisciplinary meeting and clinic. She is actively involved in teaching sacral neuromodulation, clinical trials, and training uro-oncology nurse practitioners. When not working, she is a voracious reader, tries to play golf, expand her knowledge of food and wine, and watch her beloved Richmond Tigers with her dog Dusty.
Fondly known as the “singing surgeon”, Associate Professor Martin Richardson is an internationally recognised surgeon with an interest in shoulder, knee and trauma surgery. He is an acknowledged leader in the field of medical education and holds the position of Associate Professor from the University of Melbourne through the Department of Anatomy and Cell biology. He is also a member of the Royal Australian Navy where he holds the rank of Surgeon Commander. He has actively served in Afghanistan. An accomplished race walker back in his day, he now finds time to ski, golf and support his beloved Richmond Football Club when he isn’t operating.
Former refugee from war-torn country Bosnia, Dr Jasmina arrived to Australia not speaking the English language with only one goal in mind; educating herself so that she may help others. Her background and experiences made her determined to one day be in a position where she can now speak for those who find themselves in life changing circumstances such as war – a position in which she is proud to be in today.
Professor Peter Choong is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He specialises in limb sparing surgery, where tumours are excised in their entirety while preserving the function of the limb through sophisticated, biologic and prosthetic reconstructions. He has a strong background in research and teaching through the University of Melbourne Department of Surgery at St Vincent’s, and is recognised internationally for this role in the Orthopaedic profession.
Professor Kate Drummond is the Director of Neurosurgery at The Royal Melbourne Hospital and Head of Central Nervous System Tumours for the VCCC Parkville Precinct.Her chief research and clinical interests are in the biology and clinical management of brain tumours. She has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles, many book chapters and is frequently invited to speak nationally and internationally. In 2019 she was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to medicine, particularly in the field of neuro-oncology and community health.
"It’s something we take for granted: feel hungry, eat, digest your meal and go about your day. Unfortunately, for many children enjoying a meal isn’t simple. Or enjoyable." A/Professor King is a gifted surgeon and researcher who is passionate about helping children with a wide variety of colorectal conditions.