A podcast about preparing for the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. Each year, Australian and New Zealand surgical trainees sit this exam in order to gain a 'fellowship' in General Surgery. This podcast follows one trainee doctor on her journey towards FRACS (Fellowship Royal Australian College of Surgeons). The series correspond to the different modules from the surgical curriculum. Series 1-Breast Surgery, 2-Exam Specific Episodes; 3-Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery; 4-Colorectal Surgery; 5-Hepatobiliary Surgery; 6-Endocrine Surgery; 7-Trauma; 8-Skin and Soft Tissue; 9-Vascular; 10-Anatomy (Limb); 11-Surgical Oncology; 12-Critically Ill Surgical Patient
This episode continues from our last - 'introduction to colorectal cancer'. We are exploring the treatment of colon cancer, and specifically the differences in the management of: - resectable non-metastatic - resectable metastatic; and - non-resectable metastatic disease Some of the topics touched upon include chemotherapy, different types of resections, peri-operative management strategies, and palliative options. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision ai...
This episode covers everything else you need to know about colorectal cancer (see last 2 episodes!) without talking about treatment options. This includes epidemiology, risk factors, presentation, investigation, diagnosis, staging and more! Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other...
Be prepared for some knowledge in this episode exploring the different genetic syndromes associated with colorectal cancer. Great episode to cram before the exam! We will cover: Polyposis syndromes: - FAP (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis) - MAP (MUTYH-Associated Polyposis) - Peutz-Jegher's syndrome - Familial juvenile polyposis - Serrated polyposis - PTEN tumour syndromes Non-polyposis syndromes - HNPCC and Lynch Syndrome Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision a...
Let's dip our toes into the topic of colorectal cancer by taking a look at different types of colorectal polyps. This includes neoplastic and non-neoplastic types, as well as what to do with malignant polyps (I'm looking at you Haggitt and Kikuchi classification). Next we take a dive into genetic pathways in colorectal cancer. This includes the CIN, serrated and MSI pathways. This episode gives us all the basics we need before heading into genetic syndromes in colorectal cancer next we...
We are launching into the colorectal module from the curriculum this week - and starting off with some anatomy! There is a little bit of physiology and surgical anatomy thrown in there for good measure! Happy Studying :D Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listene...
This episode covers approaches to the workup and management of oesophageal perforation, plus everything you need to know about corrosive and caustic ingestions Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis...
Today's episode covers a few smaller topics in oesophageal surgery including: - oesophageal foreign bodies - oesophageal diverticulum - benign oesophageal tumours References/Resources: - World Journal of Gastroenterology, 2015, Benign esophageal lesions: endoscopic and pathologic features. Tsai et al. - Surgical clinics of North America Vol 95, issue 3. benign esophageal tumours. Ha eg al. 2015 Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the ...
Everything you need to know about peptic ulcer disease you will find right here in this episode. We cover how to manage uncomplicated presentations, what the go is with helicobacter pylori, and how to approach complications such as perforated ulcers and bleeding. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or...
This episode covers gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), gastric lymphoma, neuroendocrine tumors, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, and gastric polyps. The discussion includes diagnosis, staging, histopathology, and treatment options for each condition, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary team management. Surgical and targeted therapies are explained along with post-surgery surveillance guidelines and diagnostic tests.
On this episode, we talk with Mary Ann Johnson, an upper gastrointestinal surgeon, about oesophageal and gastric cancer. Topics covered include - the role of EUS in the workup of eosophageal and gastric cancer? - when to use the different types of oesophagectomy - in regards to oesophageal SCC, what chemotherapy is given? - which patients with oesophageal SCC are treated with 'definitive CRTx' and who gets neoadjuvant to with an aim to subsequently resect? - do patient’s with oesophage...
This episode introduces us to oesophageal (or esophageal for our North American friends) cancer. We take a look at both adenocarcinoma and SCC in more detail. Including risk factors, presentation, workup, management, follow-up and prognosis. Keep an eye out for next week's episode where we will be joined by an UGI surgeon to answer some of the burning questions that come up in this episode! Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the Gene...
On this episode, we discuss gastric cancer. Everything from workup, to risk factors, pathophysiology, and various treatments. This bigger picture episode will give you the tools you need to answer questions about gastric cancer for the exam. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any othe...
In this episode, Dr Alex Craven takes myself and Dr Steven Kunz (SET trainee) through specific exercises and techniques focussed on deliberate practice for the VIVA exam. Be prepared for some awesome tools you can take with you and apply to your preparation and study groups to get the most out of your time preparing for the exam. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be consider...
In this episode, disorders of the oesophagus (or esophagus for those Northern American listeners) takes centre stage. We talk about Barrett' Oesophagus, including the diagnosis, classification, seattle protocol of biopsies, and what to do with different histopathological types of Barrett's. Next is a quick summary of Eosinophilic Oesophagitis, before we dive into benign oesophageal strictures and talk a little more about A and B rings, Schatzki rings, and peptic strictures. Disclaimer ...
This week's episode explores oesophageal motility disorders. We are covering the topics of: - Achalasia - Hypertensive lower oesophageal sphincter - Diffuse oesophageal spasm - Nutcracker oesophagus - Ineffective oesophageal motility How they present, how to diagnose them, and their different treatments. We also talk a little about POEM (per-oral endoscopic myotomy) and the surgical principles of heller's myotomy, as well as the risks and benefits of these procedures. Disclaimer The in...
Join us this week for our first deep dive into upper gastrointestinal surgery and the oesophagogastric module. Everything you ever wanted to know and more about gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), hiatus hernia and gastric volvulus Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other pe...
Get ready for a new topic on First Incision! We are going to tackle the massive topic of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery. To kick it off, lets ease into it by going through the anatomy and embryology of the oesophagus and stomach. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. Th...
The is the second episode in our series on preparing for, and sitting the fellowship exam. Dr Alex Craven tells us everything we need to know about the VIVA exam. He goes through what to expect in each of the different sections, and shares practical tips about how to get the most out of studying and preparing for this exam. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to ...
The first in our series on preparing for, and sitting the fellowship exam. In this first of two episodes with Dr Alex Craven, he tells us everything we need to know about the written exam - covering the spots and short answer questions. But more importantly, he shares some practical tips about how to get the most out of our study. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be conside...
This weeks' episode explores everything you need to know about the subtypes, classification, workup and management of Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS). Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon their own independent analysis of ...
Join us today for a discussion about special populations in breast cancer. This includes: - pregnancy associated breast cancer - considering fertility in breast cancer treatment, and - what to do if you encounter a positive axillary node but an unknown primary. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or p...
Caroline Baker is the director of Breast Surgery at St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne. She has taken the time to talk about operative breast surgery with us, going over the four core operations for the Breast Curriculum: - Wide Local Excision - Mastectomy - Axillary Lymph Node Dissection, and - Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy We cover not only the operative steps, but key information to consider in your approach, and some common pitfalls and how to avoid them. VCCC education program mentioned b...
For our lucky number SEVEN episode this week we talk about male breast diseases, including: - gynaecomastia: the various causes, who to workup, and how to treat it. - and male breast cancer Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendations or medical advice by the author or publisher or any other person. The listener should conduct and rely upon ...
This episode covers everything you need to know about three high-yield breast topics. - Nipple Discharge - Breast Infections - Galactocele Reference: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2012/0601/p1073.html Evaluation and Management of Galactorrhea. Huang et al. Am Fam Physician. 2012. Jun 1;85(11): 1073-1080 Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be considered to include any recommendation...
This guest episode with Dr Jocelyn Lippey answers all of the questions we had about breast cancer, as well as covers some practical tips for preparing for the fellowship exam. Jocelyn is an incredible breast surgeon who is passionate about providing expert care to her patients. She is also a fantastic teacher, researcher and all-around lovely person, and we are so grateful to her for giving up her time and expertise for this episode. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a re...
Let's talk about the treatment of early breast cancer. This episode covers: - the importance of the MDT in breast cancer treatment - surgery - what to do with the axilla - radiotherapy - the MDT approach - chemotherapy - endocrine therapy - neoadjuvant versus adjuvant treatment And the importance of the MDT approach in breast cancer treatment This area is super complex - but this episode aims to cover the key concepts and themes, with the more complex decision making left for the specialist...
This week we're staying with the theme of 'Breast Pathology' with an introduction to Early Breast Cancer. We cover the epidemiology, presentation, workup, hormone expression, classification, staging, gene expression profiling, and genetic breast cancers. This episode is content heavy for the study-lovers! And is a great introduction to the next episode where we'll delve deeper into treatment. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the pur...
Continuing the 'breast' module from the general surgical curriculum, this episode takes a deep dive into benign breast diseases. We talk about non-proliferative, proliferative and atypical proliferative lesions, exploring what they are, and what to do about them. Special mention at the end about papillomas and phyllodes tumours. Disclaimer The information in this podcast is intended as a revision aid for the purposes of the General Surgery Fellowship Exam. This information is not to be...
We're kicking off our study with the 'breast' module from the general surgical curriculum. Our first episode gives us an introduction to this topic by covering clinically relevant breast anatomy and embryology. This episode also introduces me, why I'm doing this podcast and what to expect in the future. References Last's Anatomy Ninth Edition. R. McMinn. Churchill Livingstone 1998. Gray's Anatomy for Students Second Edition. R Drake et al. Churchill Livingstone 2010...
