RCSI Affiliate Member Spotlight: Olivia Hoffman

AFFILIATE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

December 2023

Education Details MD (The University of Melbourne), BSc (The University of Melbourne), Grad Dip Classical Ballet (The Australian Ballet School)

What is your motivation for pursuing a career in surgery?

I believe that surgery can be considered as both an art and science. It combines surgical knowledge, aptitude and dexterity, supplemented by instrumentation and technological advances, but in saying that, all underpinned by a comprehensive knowledge of anatomical sciences.

Following didactic and practical training and peer reviewed examination it opens the doors to autonomous clinical practice, but also in a corporate environment within a surgical department in a tertiary referral and university affiliated teaching hospital.

Do you have any mentors? Who? My father, who is a Consultant Surgeon and Fellow of the RCSI, has been a wonderful mentor for me my entire life. I have been fortunate enough to see first-hand how demanding, but extremely rewarding, a career in surgery can be.

During my medical school years, I have also come across numerous surgical registrars and consultants who are always happy to share their advice and own pathway to specialty surgery, or offer opportunities to be involved in surgical research and get a taste for the requirements to enter specialty training and pursue a career in surgery.

How do you see Affiliate Membership benefiting your career?

Why did you apply for Affiliate Membership of RCSI?

Affiliate Membership defines the first rung on the surgical ladder within a clearly defined organizational structure, and which facilitates progression though intercollegiate membership and thereafter to specialty fellowship and independent surgical practice.

I applied for Affiliate Membership of RCSI as it offered me a comprehensive range of resources and a structured pathway in order to help support my career aspirations.

Being resident in Australia, it allows me to be connected to a global surgical community who share common surgical goals and aspirations.

As I live and study in Australia, Affiliate Membership of RCSI also connects me to a global surgical community; I was recently in Dublin and fortunate enough to visit RCSI in person.

What has been the best piece of advice you have received since you started becoming interested in pursuing a career in surgery?

The best advice I have received is to begin developing my portfolio as early as possible. This is not only to set me up to be ready to apply for specialty training programs, but also to get a sense of what is involved in a career in surgery as early as possible.

This has led me to engage in various research projects, as well as enrol in the Graduate Diploma in Surgical Anatomy at The University of Melbourne to advance my anatomical knowledge, improve my instrumentation and technical skills and prepare for national college entry requirements: the Royal Australasian College of Surgeon’s Generic Surgical Sciences Examination.

What are you personally doing to develop your portfolio?

During the 4 years of my postgraduate medical schooling I have aimed to develop my portfolio through both surgical scientific research, publication and presentation; as well as take on a variety of leadership roles.

I co-authored a peer reviewed journal publication; presented abstracts at scientific surgical conferences and meetings; first authored a systematic review and metaanalysis (awaiting publication); and coauthored a chapter in a general surgical textbook. I was also fortunate enough to be awarded “The Kendall Francis Award for Best Medical Student Research Presentation”.

I have also taken on multiple student representative roles within “The University of Melbourne Medical Students’ Society” during my time at medical school.