Taster in Breast Surgery

Supervisor: Miss Jane McNicholas, Consultant Breast Surgeons

Breast Surgeons: Miss Julie Iddon (JI)

Miss Jane McNicholas (JM)

Miss Suzanne Gawne (SG)

Mr Lyndon Jones (LJ

Example timetable (may vary dependent on leave and surgeon availability)

AM (0800-1230) / PM (1330-1700) / Notes
Monday / Meet with Miss McNicholas
Plan for week - discuss objectives
Tour of theatre/ward/clinics
Meet team / MDT prep with F1/F2
or Pendle clinic Miss Gawne / Pendle clinic alt weeks
Tuesday / Ward round gynae daycase
Radiology - screening unit
Theatre JM or SG
MDT prep with F1 / MDT 1400-1600
Opportunity to present at MDT / Opportunity to attend screening unit to see US/mammos +/- wires if any for theatre
VAB also performed Tues am
Oncology clinic also running in parallel
Wednesday / OSC Miss McNicholas / Theatre Miss Gawne
or Pendle clinic Miss McNicholas / Pendle clinic alt weeks
Thursday / Theatre Miss Iddon / Theatre Miss Iddon / Evening on call and handover to night shift
Friday / Ward round gynae daycase
JM OSC / SG review clinic
Feedback from taster
Reflect on week / During clinic attend screening unit to see US/mammos
Opportunity to see wires if any for theatre

Learning Objectives for Taster week:

To meet the members of the breast care team and understand their individual roles and how each contributes to the care of breast patients (1.4, 7.9)

Gain a greater understanding of the day to day activity of a breast surgeon and breast trainee

Take part in a one stop clinic where all new breast patients are seen and assessed

- Know the criteria for referral of patients on a breast cancer pathway and for routine referral

- Know how to assess a patient with breast symptoms (7.2, 7.3)

Take part in review clinics where results are given to patients and treatment options are discussed along with routine follow up patients (2.1, 10.2)

Appreciate the importance of addressing survivorship in patients following breast cancer treatment (10.1)

Understand the importance of communication skills in difficult situations (2.2)

Observe breaking bad news (2.3)

Observe the importance of patient understanding in decision making when there is more than one option available to patients (2.3)

Observe how management plans for breast cancer are individualised to take in to account the patient’s needs and wishes (2.3)

Appreciates how co-morbidity can affect the options available to patients considering reconstruction (10.5)

Appreciate the holistic approach to breast surgery (2.1)

Be part of the theatre team and scrub in to assist surgical procedures

Observes patients being consented for surgery (2.5)

Appreciate the importance of patient safety checks in theatre (3.2)

Follow an aseptic technique and understand the additional measures taken when using implants and foreign material in breast reconstructions (7.7)

Subcutaneous injections and suturing (+/- any other procedural skills that arise such as female catheterisation) (12)

Contributes to the MDT meeting (1.4)

Take part in ward rounds reviewing the post operative patients (7.4)