Award recognises excellence in training next generation of surgeons
03 Jun 2020
Nepean Hospital surgeon, Dr Tony Shakeshaft has received the
General Surgeons Australia Excellence in Surgical Teaching Award - NSW- ACT for
2019.
The award recognises the valuable contribution of a Surgical
Education and Training supervisor who has positively impacted on a trainee.
Nominations for the award were received from surgical
trainees, demonstrating the outstanding reputation the Nepean Hospital surgeon has
amongst trainees and peers.
Dr Shakeshaft specialises in colorectal surgery and says,
“For me, this award is recognition that I’m doing something right.”
He joins a cohort of award-winning clinical supervisors at
Nepean Hospital who are amongst the most experienced clinicians in NSW.
Under the close supervision of these clinicians, surgical
registrars at Nepean Hospital receive valuable training and hands-on experience
in the early years of their career.
“We take great pride in the registrars coming through and we
want them to have a good experience of supervision,” says Dr Shakeshaft, who is
a Visiting Medical Officer at Nepean Hospital.
Closely supervised learning is a key component of the
training on offer for registrars at Nepean Hospital.
“Surgically, we know that the best way to learn is through
closely supervised learning. For registrars, the best operative learning they
get is when they’re operating with us assisting them. The best teaching happens
when registrars are directly supervised by clinicians and Nepean Hospital does
that as well as just about anywhere. It certainly comes through in what the
registrars tell us about their experience,” says Dr Shakeshaft.
Nepean Hospital is amongst the busiest of hospitals in NSW. There
are abundant opportunities on offer for Junior Medical Officers and unique and
rewarding opportunities for surgical registrars.
“We’re a growing, dynamic hospital. We are renowned for the
quality and the quantity of clinical work that we do,” says Dr Shakeshaft.
“We’re blessed with a big population which means there’s a
lot of work to be doing. We’re renowned as a hospital for surgical teaching and
also as a hospital to go to if you want a very, very good and busy surgical
experience.”
Dr Shakeshaft says that teaching the next generation of
surgeons is the best part of his job.
“Early in your career, you want to operate well and look
after patients. While I still want to do that, I’m driven to foster a better
generation of surgeons. That’s by far and away the most important thing that
there is,” Dr Shakeshaft says.