DIT Diary

I have aspired to be a surgeon ever since I was a medical student, and I am very proud to be urology surgical trainee in Australia.

Many of my friends perceived surgical training as a very lengthy and tough pathway. While this can be true to some extent, I think a surgical trainee can still maintain a healthy work-life balance and pursue many of the non-surgical life goals. If you plan your day well, everything is possible.

#1: The key to making your life easier is time management

I became a doctor, a husband, and a father all around the same time. I was enrolled for the Generic Surgical Science Exam, which is compulsory for all prospective surgical training applicants, when my first baby was born. It almost seemed impossible for me to study at the same time as looking after my new bub. But I did it. I utilised my paternity leave to concentrate on studying and caring for the new baby. My wife took over childcaring duties during the day and I looked after bub and studied overnight. My wife got her sleep, I did my study, it was a win-win. And I passed my GSSE.

#2: Reflect on your life and always debrief

There is no better way to calm my mind at the end of the day than by talking with my friends, my colleagues, and of course, my wife. The workplace is not always a peaceful environment; and experiences of bullying and harassment, or suboptimal patient encounters, can make it especially disheartening. These can destroy your self-confidence; and make you feel defeated. Nevertheless, always believe in yourself and please debrief with your trusted friends and loved ones. At the end of the day, it is you that matters. If you lose yourself, you lose everything.

#3: Keep good habits

I love swimming and golfing for sports, and I love shopping and singing for leisure. Exercise and extracurricular activities help keep you focused when you’re at work, because your brain functions much better afterwards.

Now I am a SET trainee and I am a happily married man with two children. It is tough and it will continue to be tough. But at the end of the day, if you have a positive attitude, good time management, and maintain a healthy lifestyle, you can get through it. And it’s important to keep sight of the many rewards offered by surgical training: the lives that you now have the ability to save, the knowledge and surgical skills you can embrace, and interesting patient-to-clinician interactions that happen on a daily basis.

I hope I shared a little insight into how positive surgical training can be. You’ll never be satisfied if you don’t do something you’re passionate about; so you should always pursue your dreams.