Sydney University Surgical Society

19/03/2026

📣 Attention all Final Year NSW Medical students!! 📣

The New South Wales State Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has run an Annual Essay Competition for Medical Students in New South Wales since 2010. The aim of this competition is to encourage medical students to adopt interests in surgery, with the prize being of great value for a career in surgery.

The Topic for the 2026 Essay Competition is:
“If tasked with establishing a rural surgical service in Australia, how would you design it to ensure safety, equity and sustainability?”

Prize:
Medal of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (Medical Student Award) and Certificate of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Publication:
The Winner of the Essay Competition will be acknowledged in the NSW Chair’s Newsletter and the essay will be published on the College website on the NSW State page.

Criteria for the Award
• Be written by a final year medical student of a New South Wales Medical School
• Meet the topic specified by the NSW State Committee.
• Word Limit: 2500 – 3000 words including headings
• Be submitted by the due date.

Format of the Essay
• Font: Arial
• Font size for heading: 12
• Font size for content: 10
• Margin:
• Top & Bottom: 1.5 cm
• Left & Right: 3.00 cm
• Insert Page number on the right footer (Please do not insert name on either footer or header)

Cover page of the essay should include the following information:
• Name
• Address for correspondence
• Email address
• Phone/mobile number
• Name of Medical School
• Word count of the essay

Judging
• The essays will be assessed by a member panel of the NSW State Committee for the Royal
Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
• The winner will be announced after all essays have been considered by the panel and a
decision has been made
• The Award will be presented to the winner at the NSW State Office.

Submissions:
Should be made by e-mail to: NSW.Committee@surgeons.org

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_BStxdHlBeDQPma0T0vFqdC5EPn1PCHk/view?usp=drive_link

We strongly encourage you to apply!

15/03/2026

A big thank you to all who came to our electrifying Cardiac Investigations session, especially our talented presenters Mitchell and William! 🫀❤️‍🔥

Mitchell has very kindly shared his slides with us, for those of you who missed out, or want a recap of ECG analysis.

Stay tuned for our next event!

06/03/2026

🫀 SUSS Lecture Series: Cardiac Investigations — ECG & Echo

Whether you're completely new to ECGs, still learning how to interpret them, or already comfortable and want to deepen your understanding of ECG and echocardiography, this session is for you.

Join us for an engaging evening where William Hachiditii (Cardiac Sonographer) and Mitchell Cowan (Senior Cardiac Physiologist & USYD MD2) will walk through the fundamentals and clinical interpretation of ECG and cardiac ultrasound, including how common pathologies appear on both modalities.

📅 12 March
⏰ 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
📍 Susan Wakil Health Building, USYD

Looking forward to seeing you there! 🫀📈
______

Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/88187539349

14/02/2026

2026 SUSS Subcommittee Election – Executive Address

The Sydney University Surgical Society is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of our 2026 Subcommittee Elections.

This year’s election saw record engagement, with over 110 members in attendance – almost double the previous record. Such participation reflects the continued growth of our Society and the strong interest in surgical education and leadership within our community. We are both proud of this momentum and committed to meeting the expectations that accompany it.

Several roles were highly contested, demonstrating the depth of talent and enthusiasm among our members. While the competitive nature of the process meant that not all applicants could be appointed, we are greatly encouraged by the level of interest shown – particularly from first-year students – which speaks to the strength and sustainability of the Society’s future leadership pipeline.

We are delighted to congratulate the following students on their appointments:

General Portfolio Officers:

ICT Officers – Olivia Loukas and Sally Song
Research Officer – Wootack Hong
Education Officer – Anastasia Gikas
Events & Engagement Officers – Annie Le and Omer Sivri
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Officer – Christianne Petras

Clinical School Representatives:

Central Clinical School – Evan Kapasakis
Westmead Clinical School – Charlotte Alexander
Royal North Shore Clinical School – Shayan Eftekhar
Concord Clinical School – Jad Motassam
Nepean Clinical School – Nicholas Chan
Dubbo Clinical School – Vlad Farian – (continuing representative)

With the exception of our continuing Dubbo representative, this election welcomes an entirely new cohort of officers – a strong generational refresh that highlights the increasing engagement within SUSS and positions the Society for another successful year.

We would also like to sincerely thank our outgoing officers for their service, professionalism, and contributions to the Society.

Importantly, the Sydney University Surgical Society remains open to all students. Meaningful involvement does not require a formal role, and we encourage members to stay engaged through our events, initiatives, and educational opportunities. Those interested in future leadership positions are encouraged to continue building their experience and remain active within the Society ahead of subsequent election cycles.

Members seeking support or wishing to raise ideas are welcome to contact their Clinical School Representative or reach out directly to the Society. We are committed to remaining accessible and responsive to our community.

Looking ahead, we anticipate a busy and exciting year. While further details will be announced shortly, members are encouraged to monitor our official communication channels – including Facebook and Instagram – for upcoming events and opportunities.

For members seeking further detail regarding election procedures, please refer to the full 2026 Subcommittee Election Report linked below.
http://tiny.cc/ElectionReport

Kind regards,
Talal Alkayal
Secretary
Sydney University Surgical Society

03/02/2026

Research, Innovation & Surgical Education - RISE has just launched their first newsletter and website.

Read more at riseaustralia.org

13/10/2025

SUSS AGM this Thursday 7.30-8.30pm! See you there!

Event link:
https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/86718975814

21/09/2025

Medical Students & Future Surgeons – Don’t Miss This!

The RPA Institute of Academic Surgery is running the Operative Anatomy and Dissection Course from 16-18 January 2026 at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

This unique course is designed for surgical trainees at all levels and medical students – giving you the chance to gain hands-on experience with real surgical exposures under the guidance of expert RPA consultants.

What to expect:

- Live surgical demonstrations

- Guided participant dissections

- Cadaver-based practice in groups of 2–4

- Instruction from consultants across specialties including Upper GI, Colorectal, Urology, and Head & Neck Surgery

This is an unparalleled opportunity to perform real operations in a safe, structured environment – the kind of experience that will set you apart in your surgical training journey.

Expressions of Interest close: 17 October 2025 (AEST)
Spots are limited – successful participants will be notified by the end of October.

More info + registration: https://www.rpa-iasoperativeanatomydissectioncourse.org/

For updates, follow the RPA Institute of Academic Surgery on LinkedIn and X.

RPA-IAS Operative Anatomy & Dissection Course 16 - 18 January 2026 About our Course Cost$3,850 AUD (GST included) This fee covers the full 3-day program and pre-reading materials. Spots are limited. Interested in attending? Simply register to express your interest.Expressions of interest close on 17...

07/08/2025

Reminder! 6:30pm this friday - UNFORGETTABLE CASES with Professor Henry Pleass!
https://uni-sydney.zoom.us/j/85987200164

Professor Henry Pleass trained in England, Scotland and Sydney as a general surgeon, specialising in hepatobiliary, pancreatic and abdominal transplant surgery. He is the surgical head of the National Pancreas transplant program at Westmead Hospital where he regularly performs laparoscopic and major open procedures. Professor Pleass has a strong impact in research with over 150 peer reviewed publications as well as a keen interest in education.

05/08/2025

Kicking off our neurosurgery series with none other than Prof. Brindha Shivalingam. For those who weren’t able to make it today, we’ll be organising recordings moving forwards. Feel free to send through a message for additional details on the rest of the lecture series.

02/07/2025

Hi all,
Newest collab with UNSW and WSU to bring you ‘Women in Surgery Symposium’!

It’s happening on Sat 2nd Aug, 9-4pm Theatres, UNSW KENSINGTON.
Limited tickets $22 per person or $100 for groups of 5.

Tickets up for grabs here: https://events.humanitix.com/women-in-surgery-symposium-2025

Event link: https://facebook.com/events/s/women-in-surgery-symposium/1849067168996804/

01/07/2025

Neurosurgery Lecture TODAY – Postponed Due to Severe Weather

Due to the storm warning in effect for Sydney tonight, we’ve decided to align with the University of Sydney School of Medicine and postpone the first lecture in our neurosurgery series.

We sincerely apologise for the short notice and any disruption to your plans. The safety of our attendees and speakers is our top priority, and we appreciate your understanding.

A rescheduled date will be announced soon – stay tuned for updates here and via email.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to kicking off the series with you shortly.

— University of Sydney Surgical Society

24/06/2025

EMPoWER: “Empowering and Motivating Pre-SET Women in surgERy”

ASSA is proud to bring back EMPoWER in 2025 in collaboration with Sydney University Surgical Society (SUSS) and Australian National University Surgical Society (ANUSS)— a program designed to empower and inspire female medical students considering a future in surgery. This year’s theme, “Cutting Through: What We Weren’t Told but Needed to Know,” includes exceptional keynote speakers, an interactive panel discussion and focuses on candid conversations with female leaders in the surgical field, real experiences, and the unspoken truths of navigating a surgical career as a woman.

Whether you are set on a surgical specialty or just exploring careers in surgery, this event will be inspirational, impactful and educational for everyone.

🎉Register your interest now to keep updated, receive the link and be part of the conversation.🎉
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaWFLiPO3B9P9qzw3oiAfirme_ogqdzeMPdunj6mIGtub1bg/viewform

🗓️ Saturday 5th of July
⏰ 10:00 AM AEST
💻 Event on Zoom

Please also complete survey below if attending to have your perspectives addressed!
https://form.jotform.com/251722271120039