One of my personal goals after I had decided on the subspecialty of Otology/ Neurotology was to be proficient in minimally invasive techniques in Otologic surgeries, to complement the microscopic skills that I was more familiar with. I had become interested and intrigued with Endoscopic Ear Surgery after attending a few Endoscopic Ear Surgery courses as an ENT trainee. I am therefore very grateful to be given the opportunity to be a Fellow with the Sydney Endoscopic Ear Surgery Research Group.
One of the many strengths of the SEES Fellowship is to be able to work with 4 senior surgeons – Prof Nirmal Patel, A/Prof Jonathan Kong, A/Prof Alexander Saxby and A/Prof Nicholas Jufas, who are experts in the field of Otology/ Neurotology and Endoscopic Ear Surgery, while at the same time being excellent teachers themselves. They each have their own surgical techniques and management philosophies, so it is an excellent chance to learn the different styles. The large case volume helps with the steep learning curve, and also allows you to see a wide variety of cases of varying severity. The close supervision and critiquing that you would receive also helps you to refine your surgical technique. While the main bulk of the cases were chronic middle ear disease, there were plenty of opportunities to perform middle ear implants, stapes surgery, cochlear implant surgery and bone anchored hearing implants. By the end of the fellowship, I had gained confidence and experience as a surgeon and was a lot more comfortable in handling complex cases, thanks to the mentorship and guidance of Nirmal, Jonathan, Alex and Nicholas! This fellowship also gives you opportunities to interact with trainees in the public hospitals, thereby allowing you to hone your skills as a surgical supervisor.
It did not take long to adapt to Sydney, it is after all a very cosmopolitan city with all its conveniences. Sydney is a family-friendly destination. Weekends were often used for road trips to explore New South Wales and the beautiful landscape it has to offer.
We enjoyed our time thoroughly in Sydney and hope to return many times in the future for vacation.
Lastly, I just want to say – thank you so much Nirmal, Jonathan, Alex and Nicholas for your generosity in sharing your expertise, skills and knowledge with me!!!
At Fitzroy falls. We got to experience the beautiful and majestic landscape in our travels – the photos don’t do them justice!
At the blue mountains, just a short 1.5 hour drive from Sydney.
Kiama was one of our top favourites, just a 2 hour drive from Sydney. The Kiama blowhole is fascinating.
Very adorable animals here in Australia – here you see an Echidna.
At the SEES Fellowship graduation dinner. Thankful for all my mentors!
