the 36 bulletin
SCTS Ethicon Fellowship 2016/17: Lions, Hobbits and Earthquakes – A Compelling Journey to Middle Earth David J McCormack, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon - Waikato Hospital, NZ
I
was fortunate to be one of the recipients of the 2016/17 SCTS Ethicon Fellowship. With my CCT in hand, my aim was to supplement the London Deanery based training in cardiothoracic surgery with an advanced fellowship in aortic and minimally invasive surgery. I was keen to go to a skilled unit with a strongly positive attitude toward training. In Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit (New Zealand), I found just that. The unit is headed by Prof Adam El Gamel, who was trained in the UK (Manchester) and worked as a consultant in London for the best part of a decade. Another familiar face and SCTS member practicing there is Nick Odom.
Fellowship Application and Logistics Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit is based in the central north island of New Zealand. Surrounded on either side by beaches, Waikato is an hour’s drive from Hobbiton! The unit welcomes one international advanced fellow each year. The role includes a mix of independent practice (operating lists, on-call and clinics) and supervised opportunities to further minimally invasive and endovascular skills (see a typical week below). Application was very simple. A short application form, CV submission and a competitive interview. Those interested in spending some time in the southern hemisphere should be aware that the process of gaining medical registration and visas is easy enough but time consuming (3-6 months).
Experience and Visitors I am deeply indebted to the SCTS and Ethicon for affording me the chance at this truly life-changing experience. The training ethos in Waikato is excellent with a comprehensive educational programme including weekly lectures, journal clubs and monthly WetLabs. One of the junior trainees,
Oliver Pumphrey, secured a UK CT Surgery run through numbers during his rotation. International expert visitors are frequent. Harefield’s Vladimir Anikin is due to visit in July. Waikato has just been granted the role as NZ Centre of Excellence for CALS with Adrian Levine due to visit in October. The Waikato Aortic Forum in August will have Roberto Di Bartolomeo, Malcolm Underwood and George Matalanis as guest faculty. Both Hans-Joachim Schäfers and Diego Gonzalez Rivas will visit Waikato to proctor in 2018. It is a great place to further surgical skills and progress clinically.
Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit
Average Week in Waikato
Earthquakes and Progress During my first week at Waikato, I felt the ground move beneath my feet whilst performing an operation. Naively, I quipped that there must be an earthquake or something. Indeed, there was! However, with the hospital built upon a specialised rubber base – everyone just got on with business as usual! I have relished the opportunity to consolidate my existing skills and advance my practice. Although my fellowship was cardiac focussed, previous fellowships have been thoracic/VATs orientated. The case mix in Waikato is demanding. Isolated coronary surgery makes up just 30% of the cardiac workload. Training in London was excellent and provided me a great platform to tackle the advanced rheumatic multivalvular disease and aortopathy prevalent in
Waikato. The team of consultant staff are friendly and cooperative. They provided the perfect balance of space and mentorship for finishing school. I was surprised and unaccustomed to the level of support afforded by the managerial and administrative staff. It was refreshing to have others on the team working to help the surgeons provide optimal patient care.
Future Plans I highly recommend Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit for post CCT trainees that are aiming to consolidate skills and progress. The mentality of the unit is immensely supportive and the case mix is challenging. In June, Nishith Patel joined the team from Papworth and is progressing well. I have been so impressed with the unit that I have decided to stay. My delight in securing a substantive consultant post in Waikato is mixed with sadness in leaving friends and colleagues in the UK. I look forward to meeting up and sharing stories in Glasgow. n