News & events
Australia Day Honours
The Discipline would like to congratulate Associate Professor Brian Charles McCaughan, who received Australia Day honours in the Member (AM) General Division for services to medicine in the field of cardiothoracic surgery.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Brian McCaughan is a Clinical Associate Professor within the Discipline of Surgery. Based at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, he is recognised for his expertise in the management of lung cancers. He is also well known for his involvement in professional matters and for contributions to the improvement of health services in NSW. He has held a number of positions with the Royal Australian College of Surgeons, including serving as Chair of the NSW State Committee. He has held positions in a number of key NSW health committees, including membership of the Ministerial Advisory Commition of Quality in Health Care, and Chair of the Sustainable Access Health Priority Taskforce.
Professor McCaughan graduated MBBS(Hons) from the University of Sydney in 1975 and become a fellow of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons in 1982. His international experience includes fellowships at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, and at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York.
Anatomy Demonstrators
The “Anatomy by Whole Body Dissection Course” for Medicine 3 Students in their elective term at the University of Sydney will be held over seven weeks from January 5, 2009 to February 20, 2009. This will be a full time course. Thirty-two students are enrolled in the course and eight embalmed cadavers will be dissected according to Cunningham’s Dissection Manuals.
It has been agreed to invite Surgical Trainees, Trainees in other specialties, and graduates (PGY2 or later), who have not yet obtained a training post, to apply for posts as demonstrators during this course, at no cost to themselves, provided they are prepared to act as Anatomy Demonstrators. This should provide the trainees with considerable experience in anatomical dissection in preparation for their surgical and other examinations. Participation will attract certification that may aid in securing training posts.
In the first half of the course (17 dissecting days) four groups of four students will dissect the upper limb, thorax and head and neck, while a further four groups of four students will dissect the lower limb, abdomen and pelvis. In the second half of the course (17 dissecting days) these groups will reverse so that each student will have completed a whole of body dissection at the end of the course.
If a surgical or other trainee could arrange to attend the whole of the first half of the course (January 5 to January 28) or the whole of the second half of the course (January 29 to February 20) they would obtain experience as an Anatomy Demonstrator for a complete whole body dissection. Alternatively trainees could arrange to be present for one or more days on a rostered and strictly regulated basis. Preference however will be given to those trainees who can be present for the whole of the first or second halves of the course. A maximum of eight demonstrators can be accommodated at any one time.
Those interested should complete the electronic Application Form and either fax a printed copy to 93512401 or email it as an attachment to by September 30, 2008. Further Application Forms can be obtained from the above email address on request.
New Chair
We would like to welcome Prof Peter Maitz, who has been appointed to the position of Chair for Burn Injury and Reconstructive Surgery within the Discipline of Surgery.
Orientation Night - Semester 2, 2008
Due to the success of the Semester 1 Orientation Night for our Master of Surgery and Graduate Diploma students, the Discipline of Surgery will be holding a mid-year orientation to welcome new students and anyone who was unable to attend the first orientation night.
Date: Wednesday, 23rd July, 2008
Venue: Harold Dew Room, Room 412, Level 4, Blackburn Building
Time: 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Students will have the opportunity to meet and discuss their program of study with the Postgraduate Coordinator, Head of Surgery and the coordinators of the various Units of Study on offer.
We look forward to seeing you and welcoming you to the program.
Scholarships and Prizes
The Discipline would like to congratulate the following students who were awarded scholarships and prizes:
- John Brooke Moore Scholarship in Surgery (Coursework), 2008 - Ayisha Zaman and Scott Turner
- William Henry and Eliza Sharp Prize, 2007 - Daniel Raper
- Sir John Loewenthal Prize, 2007 - Steven Craig
- K.C.T. Rawle 104 ACCS Associate Prize, 2007 - Michael Rossiter-Thornton
- Robert Craig Prize in Surgery, 2007 - Joseph Isaacs
Orientation night a success
The Orientation Night for Master of Surgery and Graduate Diploma in Surgery students held on Tuesday, 4th march 2008 was well attended and a great success.
The students were welcomed by the Head of Surgery, Professor John Fletcher. The Associate Dean of Surgical Sciences and Postgraduate Coordinator, Professor Jim May and several unit coordinators were present to meet the students and to discuss with them their program of study.
New staff appointments
We would like to welcome the following staff who have been appointed to the following positions within the Discipline of Surgery:
- Prof George Ramsey-Stewart - Professor of Surgical Anatomy
- Prof Michael Cox - Professor of Surgery at Nepean Hospital
- Dr Vincent Lam - Senior Lecturer in Surgery at Westmead Hospital
Sydney Melanoma Unit, North Sydney
The Sydney Melanoma Unit is a multidisciplinary oncology centre dedicated to melanoma patient care, research, training and education. It is an integrated component of the Discipline of Surgery.
Completed works at the SMU include new office accomodation and meeting rooms.
This news item is taken from the CIS Capital Development Group March 2008 newsletter.
Centre for excellence for microsurgical research
Works in the Gordon Craig Microsearch Laboratory in Blackburn Building have just been completed and include a new PC2 wet laboratory, three offices, a meeting room and 14 student ‘hot-desk’ workstations.
The provision of this new, modern wet and dry research laboratory space allows for state-of-the-art microsurgery facilities which specialize in small animal surgery further enabling the Discipline of Surgery to undertake and train postgraduate research students and host visiting academics.
This news item is taken from the CIS Capital Development Group February 2008 newsletter.
Orientation Night, 2008
The Discipline of Surgery will run an orientation and welcome session for our new and continuing Master of Surgery and Graduate Diploma students in 2008.
Date: Tuesday 4th March 2008
Venue: Harold Dew Room, Level 4, Blackburn Building, D06
Time: 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Students will have the opportunity to meet and discuss their program of study with the Postgraduate Coordinator, Head of Surgery and the coordinators of the various Units of Study on offer.
We look forward to seeing you and welcoming you to the program.
John Loewenthal Society meeting, 2007
The John Loewenthal Society held their 2007 Scientific Meeting on Wednesday 21st November in the Norman Gregg Lecture Theatre, Edward Ford Building from 10:30am to 6:00pm.
There was a good range of high quality presentations by 13 Master of Surgery (by coursework) students and 5 PhD students. The Chairman's address and program from the day are available here. The meeting was very well attended and was a good way to showcase research within the discipline.
A Dinner and Medal Award ceremony was held on the same evening in the Sutherland Room, Holme Building in the University of Sydney where the presenters attended as guests of the discipline.