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 Pendle clinic alt
or Pendle clinic Miss weeks
Gawne
Tuesday
Ward round gynae daycase
Radiology - screening unit
Theatre JM or SG
MDT prep with F1
MDT 1400-1600
Wednesday
OSC Miss McNicholas
Theatre Miss Gawne Pendle clinic alt
or Pendle clinic Miss weeks
McNicholas
Thursday
Theatre Miss Iddon
Theatre Miss Iddon
Friday
Ward round gynae daycase
JM OSC
SG review clinic
During clinic attend
Feedback from taster screening unit to see
Reflect on week
US/mammos
Opportunity to see
wires if any for
theatre
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
Evening on call and
handover to night
shift
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)