A speech given to Victorian Orthopaedic trainees who awarded Dr Kollias with the Tass Paxinos Award for Excellence in Orthopaedic Teaching, as voted by the Orthopaedic Registrars in the State of Victoria.
Being a surgical teacher is tough work, almost as hard as being a trainee on certain days. Even though many years have passed since my training, I harness the memories from the joys and tears of training; I use them as a lens to remember empathy for trainees.
Last week, in absentia, I was awarded the Tass Paxinos Award for Excellence in Orthopaedic Teaching, voted by the Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) Orthopaedic Registrars in the State of Victoria. My colleague kindly read the words I wrote for them in thanks:
“Tass Paxinos was an outstanding teacher. The award acknowledges the support of learning, motivating and inspiring Orthopaedic trainees to learn. I consider myself extremely privileged to have been nominated by even one of you for this award, as it is an acknowledgement that I have in small way had the joy and meaning of impacting your life, whether that was offering an encouraging word, handing you the knife and coaching you through a surgery that you had prepared for, openly praising you for your leadership or decision-making, advocating for fair treatment in your training, or FORCING you to go home after a rough night on call.
For many of you who are nearing the end of your training, and those finishing up - I wish I was there to celebrate with you tonight. But as you look ahead and step into the next season, I encourage you to think about the impact that you would like to make on the people in your sphere. There will be choices to be made every day, and these decisions add up over time. At the end of our lives, our possessions and accolades will have long lost their shine, but what will remain is the impact we have had on those around us. Strive to be the change that you want to see in Orthopaedics and healthcare. Find your allies with shared values, run together, and when you stumble, dust each other off, and keep running towards your purpose.
Best wishes and thank you to the trainees.”
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Kudos to all of us surgeons out there, slogging away every day in difficult systems, while trying our best as teachers, whether we get thanks and recognition or not. ❤️