It's Always Sunny in Surgery

🎵…Stitch don’t kill my vibe, stitch don’t kill my vibe…I'm trying to keep it alive and not compromise the feeling we love…🎵 Slightly later than normal due to a rough on-call patch, which incidentally was the reason we did this episode. If: the hours are so brutal…⏳ the training so long…😪 the abuse so rife…😖 Why are we still here? This season has taken the scenic route through some of the wors...

We veer WILDLY off topic, but have decided to reformat it for your listening pleasure. Everyone likes a freebie right? Email us: surgicalcareersnw@gmail.com Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical) Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following on from last week's episode about the good old days of training, it sounds like we have lost our way... So how do we find it again? We posed the question to Reddit and asked how can we drain the proverbial swamp, channel our inner MAGA and actually Make Surgery Great Again...? We took those responses, and chat about; Gameshow etiquette and meta-referencing ❌ Re-establishing the hierarch...

Surgical trainees nowadays 'have never had it easier' apparently: back in the good old days our bosses worked 27 hrs a day, 8 days a week, scribing the ward rounds in English, Latin, and Ancient Greek, detecting electrolyte abnormalities by taste alone, whilst being paid in turnips and self-satisfaction for the privilege of being a surgeon... These days...things just seem...like we missed out...th...

Our kid Pronunciation : /ɑː.kɪd/ Noun: One's sibling or close friend (Northern England , especially Manchester) ’You alright our kid? You sure? You look dead miserable; is there summat on your mind?’ This episode we’re just going for it. We’re gonna talk about burnout 🔥🔥🔥 Surgeons have the unique honour of being amongst the most burnt out specialities in medicine. We’re joined by Dr. Sobia Khan...

In the final part of our work-life trilogy, we ramp it up a notch. Today, we're joined by series veteran and Deputy Postgraduate Dean Nadeem Khwaja (Consultant Plastic Surgeon), and our overseer, boss and matriarch, and the reason this podcast exists Sadie Khwaja (Consultant ENT Surgeon) as Greater Manchester's premier surgical dynasty. We all know that surgery can be an all-consuming job and...

Time flies when you're having fun. And in the company of friends, we rattled through the episode pretty quickly, leaving us with an opportunity to chat shit; there's always time for that! We natter about Stepping up to registrar level 📈 Some of the differences between DGHs and MTCs 🏥 Fried chicken spots 🍗 What its really like being a TV doctor 📺 The reality of life in front of the camera 🎥 Em...

If the previous episode wasn't impetus enough for you to go out and start living your life, today will be different! We are joined by two legends right here in the North West - Mobeen Qureshi and Tom Naylor: both committed higher surgical trainees 🪚🛠️🔪; both orthopods who love dem bones 🦴🦴🦴; but both have parked their training to one side to take their passions and hobbies to the next level a...

This is probably the biggest dilemma facing surgeons of all grades, stages and demographics; how do we juggle the knife and our life? Let's call it what it is...we need to have a life-work balance. The job is all-consuming and will devour your very essence if you let it, so how do we straddle both domains successfully? In the first of this three-parter (because, let's be honest, this is a huge top...

As we discussed in the previous episode, sometimes life and the job sticks the boot in, and kicks you when you’re already down. Picking ourselves up is easier said than done. Psychology is a vital aspect of any high-performance industry because we need to believe we can do it; not just for us, but also for the people who rely on us. Sometimes we need extra help to find the right headspace. Today w...

So you’ve got into specialty training? Made it to the promised land? You can turn it on to autopilot and cruise your way to the end right…? Wrong. Buckle up and strap yourself in! This is where shit gets real. Many trainees will be absolutely fine, but what if you’re one of the ones who aren’t? Complaints? SUI? Complications? Failing FRCS? All these things knock your confidence which is essential...

As the unstoppable bullying endemic wreaks havoc, bringing surgical trainees to their knees with widespread anarchy and chaos, one man must face his greatest challenge to battle injustice. However, is the @orthopodreg prepared to walk the fine line between defender and avenger, hero and vigilante? Whilst that is just the synopsis of The Dark Knight (with a few names/details changed), it rings true...

Time for some real talk! Bullying and surgery go together like drink-driving; historically seen as no big deal, not uncommon and frequently resulting in disaster. That is of course until some brave souls step in to permanently alter the landscape. Surgery is typically dominated by strong personalities and we as trainees have to learn directly from, and form close relationships with these individua...

Or she. Or they. We'll champion anybody; these are just words to the song! National Selection is a competitive process and you have to fight tooth and nail to get an NTN. Unfortunately, there are often more applicants than jobs and not everyone will get the job they want. It can be truly soul-destroying to get knocked back with no consolation prize and the prospect of unemployment, but many (inclu...

'Build Me Up Buttercup' is the seminal song from The Foundations and is a tale as old as time. It portrays the story of unrequited love, lovesick fools pining after the object of their desires, constantly being let down and messed around. And just like The Foundations, foundation doctors across the land endure a similar experience trying to claw their way into Core Surgical Training. And worst of...

Once we started ranting; we couldn't stop! The frustration, emotions and pop-culture references came pouring out. We had a lot to talk about and plenty of leftover audio after we actually finished recording. So we've got some bonus audio for your listening pleasure. Or not. Whatever you like! Email us: surgicalcareersnw@gmail.com Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical) Reddit: u/surgic...

To err is human; to remediate divine. No that's not an actual aphorism; we just conceived that now to sound smart. Surgical training is HARD. Whilst there are those who excel, there are also many amongst us who find it a struggle. Today we're rejoined by Nadeem Khwaja (Deputy Postgraduate Dean for Health Education North West, and Consultant Plastic Surgeon) and he's brought along Jon Ghosh (Associ...

Do you remember your first time? The first time you thought 'I fancy a bit of this'? Well today we have a natter with the future of surgery! We have Jacqueline Howard from Surgical Scousers (University of Liverpool undergraduate surgical society), joined by Orlane Foucault and Jacob Tan from Scalpel (University of Manchester undergraduate surgical society) where we talk about the first time they '...

It's exam season! So today we are dedicating a bit of time to biggest challenge to overcome in your early surgical career; the MRCS. How do you squeeze studying in and around your life? Cramming or planning? What resources do we rate? How do you take it on the chin if you don’t pass? We also get a bit philosophical; when can you call yourself a surgeon? Why do we drop the Doctor title…? Get Throug...

"You gotta roll with it, you gotta take your time, you gotta say what you say, don't let anybody get in your way, 'cause it's all too much for me to take." Yet another Oasis line that accurately captures the sentiment of the episode, which comes with a trigger warning as we talk about the entry into surgical training and how its changed over the years. In this episode, we're joined by Steve Tang (...

It was only a matter of time before we snuck in an Oasis reference... In this episode, we get a bit existential as we discuss difficult placements, service provision, and tricky trainers. Not every placement will be plain sailing and we talk about survival tips to stop you capsizing, and help you come out smiling on the other side. Email us: surgicalcareersnw@gmail.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/NW_...

Today we talk about how to capitalise on surgical training, maximise your learning opportunities and how you can even flip service provision into education! Don't worry Daniel-san, we will Mr. Miyagi you.... (NB All the advice provided was checked with Assad's own personal Miyagi, a two-time former TPD for both core and specialty trainees. Thanks JG!) Email us: surgicalcareersnw@gmail.com Twitter:...

"I walk a lonely road, the only one that I've ever known, but its home to me and I walk alone" We've gone national! In this episode, we're joined by Anuradha Venugopal (StR Vascular Surgery Health Education West Midlands) and James Forsyth (formerly StR Health Education Yorks & Humber, now Consultant Vascular Surgeon at the Leeds General Infirmary) to sit down and discuss the hurdles we vault...

"The TPD won’t let me be, nor the SAC so let me see. They try to shut me down on ISCP but it feels so empty without me" In this episode we're on our best behaviour as we talk to Mr. Nadeem Khwaja, the Head of the NW School of Surgery (recently promoted to Associate Dean) about who the deanery are, how they oversee surgical training, what they do for us and finally what those bloody acronyms actual...

In this introduction, we talk about: the origins of the series; our motivation (or initial lack thereof); our goals; our hopes/wants/dreams; our inspiration, the creative process and the 'love letter' to Assad's favourite show. It's definitely just a tribute. Please don't tell on us. Email us: surgicalcareersnw@gmail.com Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical) Reddit: u/surgicalcareers...