Training Positions

Position Description

Robina Hospital provides Breast Surgical Services for the Gold Coast District. This position offers excellent experience in the management of benign and malignant breast disease within a high-volume, multidisciplinary environment.

The position includes a public operative appointment. The Fellow will work closely with five specialist breast surgeons in one of Queensland’s busiest breast cancer units, with in excess of 450 new breast cancer patients managed per year.

The operative experience will include:

• Mastectomy – including skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomy
• Breast-conserving surgery – including therapeutic mammoplasty and partial breast reconstruction using a range of oncoplastic flaps
• Sentinel lymph node biopsy – including axillary lymph node clearance and targeted axillary dissection
• Immediate and delayed breast reconstruction – expander, implant, latissimus dorsi, and DIEP
• Additional oncoplastic procedures: autologous fat grafting and mastopexy

The Fellow will also gain experience in melanoma, endocrine, and general surgery, and will participate in the general surgical on-call roster. The unit is supported by an Acute Surgical Unit (ASU), providing ongoing exposure to emergency general surgery. The Fellow is encouraged to tailor their general surgical experience to complement their individual career goals and future practice needs.

The Fellow will lead a team of junior doctors comprising four SET trainees, PHOs, and residents, providing significant experience in surgical team leadership, supervision, and education. The unit also hosts Bond University medical students, offering additional opportunities for undergraduate teaching and mentorship.

The unit runs five breast outpatient clinics per week, a fortnightly breast reconstruction meeting, and weekly multidisciplinary breast cancer and melanoma meetings. The Fellow will be expected to contribute to medical student, resident, and advanced surgical trainee teaching, as well as audit, journal club, and research activities. Attendance at BreastScreen assessment clinics is available during the attachment.

Research is actively supported within the unit. REDCap data collection infrastructure and dedicated data support are available, enabling the Fellow to engage meaningfully in prospective data collection and clinical research with a realistic pathway to publication.

The unit is equipped with contemporary localisation and imaging technology including SAVI SCOUT® radar-guided localisation, hook wire localisation, Trident® intraoperative specimen imaging, and SPY Fluorescence Imaging for intraoperative perfusion assessment. A dedicated breast cancer psychologist is integrated into the multidisciplinary team.

Unit Consultants (Robina General Surgery)
Dr Russell Manley, Head of Unit, UGI Surgeon
Dr John Gault, SMO
Dr Rafid Alzubaidy, SMO
Dr Jennifer Chang, SMO
Dr Heidi Peverill, SMO & PFT Supervisor
Dr James Stephenson, SMO
Dr Roger Khan, UGI Surgeon