Dr Richard Wong She
Dr Wong She is Chair of the Surgical Vocational Training Committee in the Auckland region. He has some great advice for you if you are planning a career in Surgery. Read more...
I love working in Plastic Surgery because it is the embodiment
of why I decided to pursue a career in medicine. You get to mix
science with the humanities.
I deal with such a range of people - all age groups, neonates to
elderly, male and female, and all sorts of conditions, from benign
to life threatening. The type of surgery I do involves all tissue
types - skin, muscle, bone, tendons and alloplastic materials such
as silicone, metal, bio-engineered skin replacements. In short, no
two days are ever the same! It is never boring working in Plastic
Surgery because we tailor the treatment to the individual case of
the patient, and because of the nature of the surgery we have to be
able to make change things and even make things up as we go
along.
I particularly like working at Middlemore because of the people.
During my training, every time I returned to Middlemore, I felt
like I was returning home. I don't consider the people I work with
to be colleagues, but rather they are my friends and everyone here
is valued.
In order to train as a Plastic Surgeon you need to be accepted
onto the SET Training programme run by the Royal Australasian
College of Surgeons. It is a lot easier to get accepted into the
programme as a non training Registrar as opposed to being a House
Officer. It is currently a 5 year programme with an exit exam at
the end. Once this is completed, you are finally a Consultant - and
qualified to listen!
New consultants generally go overseas for further sub-speciality
training. This training can take place wherever you want (or have
arranged). The UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Taiwan are amongst
some of the places our consultants have trained in. This means that
doctors working in our Department receive a truly international and
cutting edge education. Our trainees learn the latest techniques
and become very well rounded due to this cosmopolitan and
international influence.
This job has allowed me to see so much of the world. I get to
travel to some very exotic places for conferences, teaching and
lectures. In the space of four months I have already been to Hong
Kong, Hamburg, Boston, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Wellington,
Hamilton and Christchurch. I was also supposed to go to London but
this was cancelled due to the ash cloud in Iceland, which was just
as well otherwise I would have forgotten what Auckland looks
like!
At Middlemore, the team is like a family. We enjoy working together
and plan 'team building' events such as laser strike or movies. We
also interact together outside of work particularly at conferences
where there is a strong understanding of what "goes on tour, stays
on tour"!
Working in Auckland provides our trainees with fantastic
opportunities. Middlemore is one of only four places in the country
that offers Plastic Surgery. It is also the site of the National
Burn Centre, where the sickest, sadest and badest burn injuries
come. My sub-specialty.
The University of Auckland Medical School had a clinical school
at Middlemore Hospital, and so there is a constant flux of students
to teach. There is also many opportunities for research and
teaching.
Working in Plastic Surgery is a fantastic lifestyle but not for
everyone. Be sure of your decision before you enter the Plastic
Surgery training programme. You need to be the type of person that
is comfortable with uncertainty and thinking on your feet. Be
prepared for long hours and remember that this is not a 9am-5pm
speciality. The rewards, however, are huge, not necessarily
financial, but it is a very motivating and rewarding speciality. As
I said in the beginning, it encompasses everything I wanted to get
out of medicine - and it may be for you too.