Fellowship Examination
in General Surgery
Mock
Mock
exam
exam
Hospitality | Compassion | Respect | Justice | Excellence
about
Providing participants with valuable insights, guidance, and resources to support their pursuit of a successful career in general surgery.
Those who are completing or have completed their Surgical Education and Training (SET) program and are preparing to present to the Fellowship examination in General Surgery are invited to undertake our comprehensive mock exam.
Candidates are offered unique practice at
developing effective techniques and methods
in responding to questions in an examination
setting, and given guidance, support and
meaningful feedback to further study
and readiness in preparing for the Fellowship Exam at
the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).
Carried out over two inconsecutive days and designed
to simulate the format and rigor of the actual exam,
our mock exam comprises of seven segments
in total. Two written/online portions are completed
on the first day, and five viva stations on day two.
Potential future candidates are invited as observers
during the viva component, giving students an advantage in understanding the structure and interpersonal requirements that will be expected of them.
Committee members include general surgeons, including two adjunct associate professors based at St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals (SJOGMPPH). Collaboration typically involves up to an
additional twenty surgical specialists
contributing their expertise to assist in
delivering our highly regarded mock exam.
Inquiries or more information
can be directed to:
Erin Moore
Programme Administrator for General Surgery
St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals
erin.moore@sjog.org.au
0421 973 273
Through our vision and values, our
committee remains dedicated to
delivering consistent high quality general
surgery mock exams that have a lasting and meaningful impact on the education and development of aspiring surgeons.
Committee Members 2023
(L-R) Dr Sharin Pradhan, Katrina Parker, Dr Abdallah Elsabagh,
Dr Ruwan Wijesuriya, Dr Palan Thirunavukkarasu, Dr Joel Stein, Erin Moore
vision
Empowering aspiring surgical specialists through educational excellence
values
Educational Integrity
From question development and content curation to the delivery of a mock exam that reflects the evolving landscape of general surgery, we are committed to upholding the highest standards of accuracy, authenticity, and relevance while being committed to principles of fairness, inclusivity, and equality,
Continuous Improvement
Feedback and insights from all in attendance are paramount to refining and enhancing the quality and effectiveness of our mock exam.
Collaboration
Our mock exam would not exist without the culture of collaboration among committee members, support staff, and the broader surgical community. We value diverse perspectives and expertise to enrich the content and validity of our mock exam.
Professionalism
We conduct ourselves with the highest level of professionalism, treating all attendees with respect, integrity, and a commitment to ethical standards.
Adaptability
We embrace adaptability in the face of changing medical advancements and guidelines, ensuring that the content and literature reflect the most current and relevant practices in the field of general surgery.
Continuing Professional Development
Our mock exam provides surgical specialists an opportunity to continuously develop their medical education and maintain the highest standards of professional competence.
Veracity
Valuing accuracy and honesty in our processes, question development, and evaluation criteria, we ensure candidates have a clear understanding of how their performance is assessed and how the results contribute to their growth.
Impact
We measure our success by the positive outcomes our mock exams have on the general surgery community, equipping future surgeons with the knowledge, guidance, and confidence they need to deliver exceptional patient care and advance in the field of general surgery.
EXAMINERS
Continuing to contribute to training
and education is a vital part of a respected,
prestigious, and rewarding career in general surgery.
Our examiners are given a unique and rewarding teaching experience, with the opportunity to display their vast expertise and knowledge, while influencing high standards of professionalism and competency alongside peers to candidates entering their field of work.
Examiners are issued their station packs leading up to the mock exam, which includes their station criteria and marking instructions to ensure consistent delivery across each station.
CPD points
Further benefits of involvement includes receiving CPD points for examiner activities, while experiencing a high level of collegiality and professional pride amongst peers.
mock exam
For eight years our mock exam has provided a role in assessing knowledge, clinical skills, judgement, decision making and professional competencies of candidates undertaking their final examination in becoming an accredited independent consultant surgeon.
Creating a resource library of invaluable knowledge, our course content is continuously reviewed and developed to stay up to date with expert methods and treatments across a broad range of emergency and planned surgical interventions.
Our framework includes the necessary information, tools and resources to support examiners assessing and educating surgical competence of the highest standards.
Candidates are provided written feedback from each viva station at the conclusion of the viva component. This gives the candidates discernible insight to adjust study accordingly.
Candidates receive provisional information regarding timetables and requirements in the lead up to each exam day.
day one
Written Exams
Candidates will attend the venue to a classroom setting to complete the two online written portions of the mock exam.
The class is led by a senior general surgeon consultant and assistant by two more highly educated general surgeon consultants.
A brief introduction to the day, overview of schedule and outline of the instructions will be announced at commencement.
exam 1
Spots
Prompted by a graphic or photo, this online ‘spot’ quiz comprises of 25 questions requiring three short answers per question.
exam 2
SEQ
8 questions are delivered online, which may comprise of a topic, case, incident or situation.
Answers are expected in greater detail than the previous ‘spots’ quiz and must demonstrate the required knowledge and clinical reasoning.
Dynamic Group Learning
At completion of each written exam, the class will participate in a dynamic group learning
environment that has been
proven to have several benefits during prevocational training.
Sharing knowledge and contributing to group
discussions reinforces knowledge retention,
offers comprehensive understanding of diverse
perspectives, while increasing confidence and
time efficiency.
Discussing quiz criteria and each candidates answers amongst peers simulates collaborative problem solving scenarios, preparing candidates for future professional interactions.
Candidates are to identify if their answer passes or
fails, recognising knowledge gaps or areas of
focus that could benefit from further study.
A social learning environment addresses
doubts, offers clarification, resolves
misconceptions, and reinforces
accurate knowledge.
day TWO
Viva Stations
Anatomy
Operative
long cases
short cases
pathophysiology
Complying to the strict schedule distributed to candidates, examiners and observers, attendees will meet in the morning for a coffee and brief run through of the rules of the day, and securely store all watches, phones, tablets and other electronic devices.
Examiners are set up at their stations, and candidates will commence rotating through each of the five viva stations when the first bell rings.
Competencies
Candidates are to answer each question structured, logical, coherent, and unambiguous, demonstrating the ten surgical competencies throughout the assessment process.
Communication
Collaboration & teamwork
Cultural competence
& cultural safety
Judgement & clinical decision making
Leadership & management
Scholarship & teaching
Medical expertise
Technical expertise
Professionalism
Health advocacy
Candidate Feedback
Candidates will rotate an additional sequence where observable strengths and points to improve are written for the candidate and verbal feedback is given, along with a station pass or fail.
continuous improvement
Feedback is collected after each written exam, and again on completion of viva
Our tailored structured feedback process ensures we are consistently upgrading and adjusting all aspects of our mock exam. From venues, to catering, to exam criteria and examiners, we’ve formed a continuous improvement method that ensures our ongoing commitment to providing a high standard and beneficial mock exam.
We take reviews, feedback and suggestions seriously, and appreciate the time attendees take in providing this valuable information.
Committee members meet to review, compare, and incorporate lessons learnt to assist in preparing for future training courses.
Read more in our Reviews section.
SPONSORSHIP
Educational grants, sponsorship and donations assist with funding venue hire, catering, examination tools, stationery, and other administrative expenses.
Benefits of sponsoring our training course
range from having your business information promoted to
a broader audience through our website, social media and event literature, as well as the opportunity to attend the mock exam and engage with attendees directly.
We accept financial sponsorship from businesses that align with the values and principles of St John of God Midland Public and Private Hospitals, and the Department of General Surgery team. We invite you to consider the sponsorship opportunities on the following page.
Platinum
Catering
Each year we part with a major sponsor to fund morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea for all attendees.
For this part, we offer business representatives and individuals an invitation to join us for lunch on day two: viva, where promotional space is set up with access to liaise with attendees directly.
Prominent logo placement will be on printed & online event documents, and mentioned in marketing and review materials.
gold
Viva Station
Anatomy, operative, long cases, short cases or pathophysiology; sponsor one of the five viva stations.
This package includes logo placement on signage and printed materials for the station being sponsored. There will also be a display area for marketing literature in the central foyer throughout the day.
silver
Venue
Sponsoring the hire of the venue will include benefits such as logo placement on printed and online information materials, as well as marketing literature on display during day two: viva.
reviews
The mock exam was invaluable as a part of my preparation for the exam. I believe the questions are representative of the curriculum. While the questions can be difficult, I feel that this makes for better preparation for the exam - Candidate 2023
The mock exam helped with practicing formal timing and structuring answers for the written exam. It has improved my technique and confidence in completing the exam on time - Candidate 2021
Another well-run, organised, efficient and well catered event Midland team you should be proud! Thanks so much for having me as an examiner! - Examiner 2023
Priceless! An amazing and informative experience! Please keep the mock exam going for years to come - Candidate 2022
97%
felt the mock exam helped in
preparing for their Fellowship Exam
99%
Overall satisfaction with
our Mock Exam
98%
of our candidates have gone
on to pass their FEX first attempt
Hospitality
Compassion
Respect
Justice
Excellence
General
Surgery
Department