Skip to main content
Unit of study_

SURG5031: Surgical Skills

Semester 1, 2022 [Distance education/intensive on campus] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Surgical Skills focuses on providing a foundation in the skills required by doctors who are applying for surgical training positions and introduces many of the core competencies essential to surgeons during their training and career. On completion of this unit you will be familiar with current standards of treatment for surgical patients with regards to hospital care and technical skills. You will gain experience in the practical application of the concepts of ethics, scholarship, professionalism, teaching, management and leadership that is expected of junior doctors who plan to pursue a surgical career.

Unit details and rules

Unit code SURG5031
Academic unit Surgery
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

Final year medical student knowledge of physiology, pathology and anatomy is assumed

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Zainab Naseem, zainab.naseem@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Online task Graded discussions
Written task
12.5% Multiple weeks approx. 300 words each
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Online task Ethics case discussions
Written task
10% Multiple weeks approx. 400 words
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO4
Assignment group assignment Group Presentations
Presentation
25% Multiple weeks 2x 5 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5
Small test Graded Quiz
Online quiz
5% Week 04 approx. 20 questions
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5
Assignment Ethics essay
Essay
30% Week 10 1200 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO2
Creative assessment / demonstration Knot tying
Competency assessment
2.5% Week 13 Workshop and video
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4
Assignment Communications essay
Essay
15% Week 13 750 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO4 LO2
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

  • Graded Quiz: students are required to complete one graded quiz within the time limit. 
  • Graded Discussions: students are required to participate in online discussions. There will be follow-up question/s posted after the due date that students are also required to reply to. Discussion with peers is encouraged.
  • Ethics Discussions: students are required to complete four short written tasks based on the content covered in the ethics module. Students must complete these tasks with reference to the week’s lecture material and readings.
  • Ethics Case Study: students are required to present their analysis of an ethics case study that has arisen in their clinical practice or research experience (or relevant literature or the media).
  • Knot Tying Workshop & Video: students are assessed on their knot-tying which is taught during the workshop. Students are later required to film and upload a video based on the skills learnt during the workshop.
  • Communications Reflective Essay: students are required to write a reflective esssay based on everything you learnt during the communications segment of the workshop run by the Pam McLean Centre. Students are required to address the questions in their written work.
  • Group Presentation: students are required to work with their peers to examine a question based on surgical training. Peer review will be included in this task.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Module 1: care of the surgical patient Online class (10 hr)  
Week 02 Module 1: care of the surgical patient Online class (10 hr)  
Week 03 Module 1: care of the surgical patient Online class (10 hr)  
Week 04 Module 1: care of the surgical patient Online class (10 hr)  
Week 05 Module 2: ethics and surgery Online class (10 hr)  
Week 06 Module 2: ethics and surgery Online class (10 hr)  
Week 07 Module 2: ethics and surgery Online class (10 hr)  
Week 08 Module 2: ethics and surgery Online class (10 hr)  
Week 09 Module 3: scholarship and teaching Online class (10 hr)  
Week 10 Module 3: scholarship and teaching Online class (10 hr)  
Week 11 Module 4: management and leadership Online class (10 hr)  
Week 12 Module 4: management and leadership Online class (10 hr)  
Week 13 Module 4: management and leadership Online class (10 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend the compulsory two-day workshop scheduled in this unit as well as at least one of two webinars held throughout the semester. More information as well as specific dates can be found on Canvas.

 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate how to prepare a patient for surgery, provide intraoperative care and optimise recovery
  • LO2. investigate the principles of ethics and professionalism and how they relate to the practice of surgery
  • LO3. analyse the role of research and teaching in surgery
  • LO4. discuss the role of the surgeon as a leader and manager
  • LO5. demonstrate technical skills and procedural knowledge equivalent to a junior surgical trainee.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

We value your feedback about any aspect of the unit of study and your experience as a student of Sydney Medical School. To help ensure our courses meet your needs and maintain a high standard, we welcome your feedback at any time and we ask you to complete the Mid-Semester Evaluation Survey and the unit of study Evaluation Survey at the end of the semester. You can also rate any component of the unit using our star rating system found at the bottom of many pages as you progress through the unit. Your ratings and comments are anonymous and specifying what you liked and didn’t like about any of the learning materials, assessment items, discussion forums, feedback etc will help us to target our improvement efforts. Please note that your participation in this unit of study permits de-identified information about your learning experience and interaction with learning resources to be used for the purpose of improving the student learning experience.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.