First Flinders University Surgical Games a great success

Participants in the first Flinders University Surgical Games

The first ever Flinders University Surgical Games (FSG), organised by the Royal Darwin Hospital Surgical Department were held in August. This exciting new initiative pairs medical students with registrars to form teams which then compete in surgical knowledge and skills.

At the start of the 10 week surgical rotation, four volunteer Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP) students Jack Wang, Georges Oteng, Tobi Martins and Sandhli Sharma were paired up with registrars Tim Chew, Lachlan Birrell, Matt Besley and Joshua Baker respectively. Each Student/Registrar team was given five weeks to build their knowledge and practice technical skills.

Quiz station at the Flinders University Surgical Games
Quiz station at the Flinders University Surgical Games

The FSG consisted of 20 anatomical and pathology stations, skills assessment in surgical knot tying and laparoscopic exercises, and a final team assessment in performing complex laparoscopic exercises. Whilst these stations can test individuals, the most essential component of winning the competition is student-registrar collaboration in the preceding weeks.

Teams chose background music while performing their technical challenges, with choices ranging from Rocky’s inspirational ‘Eye of the Tiger’ to Aqua’s ‘Barbie girl’. Cupcakes were provided courtesy of student Casey Long.

“It was great to see such enthusiasm, dedication, camaraderie and friendly yet serious competition.  The most amazing part is that although the structure is laid out, the entire learning process is self-directed and self-motivated by the students and their registrar mentors”, says FSG coordinator Dr Aravind Suppiah. The FSG organising committee which includes Dr Richard Bradbury and Dr Abhilash Chandra aims to extend the initiative to include cross-campus and/or inter-university Games.

Congratulations to all involved!

Flinders University Surgical Games Winners

FSG Champion Team: Joshua Baker and Sandhli Sharma team
Student Winners: Best Clinical Knowledge – Sandhli Sharma. Best Technical Skills – Jack Wang
Registrar Winners: Best Clinical Knowledge – Lachlan Birrell. Best Technical Skills – Joshua Baker

Find out more about the Northern Territory Medical Program

Flinders University Surgical Games participants
Team laparoscopic skills assessment
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