Surgical News | Volume 22 | Issue 01
Get to know your Educators of Merit
Every year the Academy of Surgical Educators (ASE) presents the Educator of Merit award to recognise exceptional contributions by our surgical educators. Some 2020 winners share their thoughts on being an educator.
achieves other great milestones in life, such as becoming a parent. But what I am probably most proud of is seeing them become the next generation of teachers.
Educator of Merit – SET Supervisor/SIMG Supervisor of the Year (Victoria): Dr Kate Martin. Fellow since 2008.
Don’t forget what it was like to be a junior doctor or surgical Trainee. What do you wish had been done for you? What did you find really important and helpful? Keep this in mind.
Any advice for new surgical educators just getting started?
Remember our Trainees have lives outside of surgery. Being organised will give your Trainees plenty of time to prepare, whether it’s for tutorials, rotations or projects. You also need to be reliable. It can be very easy to say ‘yes’ far too often. If you have been asked to give a tutorial, ensure you prioritise it accordingly. I avoid teaching when on call – you can’t be in two places at once. This is harder for those in a rural setting who are, no doubt, on call more frequently, but it is much better to schedule teaching when you are available. How do you feel receiving the ASE Educator of Merit award? Very humbled! Teaching is a very rewarding part of being a surgeon and I’m now senior enough to have seen a few of my Trainees all the way through from intern to consultant. But I’m only carrying on a tradition that I was the beneficiary of from my most junior years. I was given the learning opportunities as a junior doctor by a number of senior surgical colleagues (registrars and consultants) and I realised quite early that passing on the privilege to the next generation is all of our responsibility. What is your proudest moment as a surgical educator? While it’s always lovely to see the smiling faces of Trainees as they receive their scarf or tie at the Fellowship exam, and I’m always proud when a Trainee
Finally, you never stop learning new teaching skills. Watch those who you regard as good teachers. Use their techniques. (You can even quote them!) Educator of Merit – SET Supervisor/SIMG Supervisor of the Year (Australian Capital Territory): Dr Bryan Ashman. Fellow since 1989.
How do you feel receiving the ASE Educator of Merit award? I was very proud to be awarded the ASE Educator of Merit for the ACT. I have been involved in teaching surgery for over 30 years to medical students, residents, registrars, Fellows and colleagues. What inspired you to pursue surgical education? I have always been interested in teaching surgery, and took the opportunity in 2013 to start the Master of Surgical Education degree. I completed this in 2016 by minor thesis, looking at what motivates senior surgeons to learn new surgical techniques. I have been involved in teaching spine surgery with the Spine Division of the AO Foundation since 2005. What is your proudest moment as a surgical educator? Being elected as the chair of the AO Spine International Education Commission in 2017, overseeing spine surgery education in more than 70 countries and over 200 educational events annually. Educator of Merit – SET Supervisor/SIMG Supervisor of the Year (New Zealand): Mr John Lengyel. Fellow since 2017.
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