What will make me the best candidate?

What else will make me the best candidate for urology?

Surgery is a career of life long learning. An applicant to urology will recognize this, and commence the journey. They will want to both improve their own competence, and enhance their chance of selection. Achievements and contributions outside medicine can tell as much about a person as those within. During selection, all applicants are asked to provide evidence of their efforts and achievements to date, and those within and outside medicine contribute to this assessment. Particular attention is paid to those achievements and experiences aligned to the nine RACS Competencies.

  • Technical Expertise
  • Medical Expertise
  • Judgement Clinical Decision Making
  • Communication
  • Collaboration
  • Management and Leadership
  • Health Advocacy
  • Scholar and Teacher
  • Professionalism and Ethics

More detail of what each of these mean is contained on the College website www.surgeons.org  A good urologist will display all of these qualities. We know that past behaviour predicts future performance, so we predict an individual who has worked hard to date will continue to strive in the future.

You should look at the above list of competencies, and seek out opportunities to improve your own skills in as many of these as you can.  Some of these opportunities are:

  • Research look for opportunities to help with research. This can be as simple as a case study with literature review., or as complex as a PhD
  • Self Improvement  - attend seminars, meetings, conferences, skills labs or workshops that have relevance to your training 
  • Teaching - be prepared to provide education to others in your professional environment (e.g nurses or students)
  • Self assessment ask if you can be active in the quality assurance (audit) activities of each unit you work in
  • Presenting - cases, reviews or papers at a local, regional, or broader forum
  • Community Involvement significant works and deeds to the benefit of the community are recognized in an application
  • Qualifications - gain additional qualifications through a course or workshop in relevant areas if the opportunity arises. Possibilities include Management, Statistics, Leadership, Cultural Awareness, Teamwork, Communication, Education, Ethics, Epidemiology.
  • Personal Development - A range of personal development courses are run by the AMA, the various Medical Defence Organisations, RACS, Universities, and private institutions. They all teach life skills transferable to the role as a surgeon. They also enhance your application by scoring selection points. Show initiative, and attend some to develop your personal competence.