Training Positions

Position Description

This position is at Senior Registrar level. The position provides an excellent opportunity to gain high quality experience in advanced Oncoplastic breast surgery. This is a senior-registrar level appointment and the appointed candidate will be expected to take part in a busy registrar-level on-call roster for acute general surgery.

Tauranga hospital is a 349 bed hospital providing advanced oncoplastic and breast reconstructive surgery to the wider Bay of Plentyregion. The Tauranga hospital breast team comprises of Nicola Davis, Barnaby Smith and a soon to be appointed unit member, as well as a breast physician and two breast care nurses. The whole range of Oncoplastic procedures are performed by the Breast team and includes Therapeutic Mammaplasty, Breast Reduction procedures and liposuction, Chest wall Perforator flaps (LICAP, LTAP, AICAP) and advanced Fat grafting. The range of Breast Reconstructive procedures performed by the breast surgeons include Nipple sparing mastectomy and prepectoral implant reconstruction + Tiloop pocket, subpectoral implants, wise pattern mastectomy and inferior dermal flap + Implant reconstruction as well as Autologous Latissimus Dorsi Flap reconstruction supplemented by fat grafting. Complex revisional implant surgery and second stage procedures are all performed by the breast surgeons.

The breast service has a strong working relationship with two plastic surgeons who share the same junior team members in the Breast/Plastic team. Combined cases are organised with the plastic surgeons who perform immediate and delayed reconstructions with Implants and TRAMs. There will also be opportunities to operate with the plastic surgeons and gain exposure to other plastic procedures such as melanomas, skin flaps, radical neck dissections, groin dissections and fat grafting.

The Breast Unit covers a whole range of benign and malignant breast diseases as well as management of high risk family history cases. Prophylactic mastectomy and reconstructions are performed by the Breast team as well as combined autologous reconstructive cases performed in conjunction with the Plastic surgeons. The Tauranga Hospital breast team manages over 180 new cancer cases each year and provides specialised oncoplastic cover for Whakatane Hospital which deals with an additional 60 cancer cases. The Breast unit has a very collegial and progressive multidisciplinary team of specialists which includes the medical and radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and allied health members. The multidisciplinary team meets weekly to discuss new cases, post-operative results and complex clinical issues.

There is a busy acute general surgical component and the successful applicant is expected to participate in the acute general surgical registrar roster which is shared with SET and non-SET registrars. The roster involves being first on-call and include rostered evenings and weekends. The caseload includes a wide range of general surgical conditions and the Fellow will have ample opportunities to maintain his/her general surgical operating skills  e.g. laparotomy, bowel resections, thyroidectomy, cholecystectomy etc..The Fellow is expected to provide leadership and be involved in the educational activities with the registrars, house officers and medical students.

The major advantage of the Fellow position at Tauranga Hospital is the opportunity to learn advance oncoplastic surgery from a highly experienced and progressive breast surgical team. Members of the breast surgical team are at the forefront of oncoplastic breast surgery in Australasia and are passionate about teaching. They are involved in oncoplastic workshops and conferences.

Towards the end of training, the successful candidate is expected to be able to perform a wide range of Oncoplastic procedures including Therapeutic Mammaplasty and Implant reconstructions, as well as gain valuable experience in advanced procedures such as perforator flaps and fat grafting.

Applications are open to FRACS qualified doctors, who are or will be eligible for registration with the New Zealand Medical Council and have completed their advanced training in General surgery.

Unit: General Surgery