Today is the day we welcome orthopaedics into the ring! And just like John Cena, they're hench, well-dressed and look good behind the camera. Plus, you can't see them (out of hours anyway!)

We're joined by orthopods extraordinaire (and returning guest) Rich Unsworth and Azhar Din (Health Education North West) who started out from the same humble beginnings but fought tooth and nail (pun intended) to get into specialty training, and make it through to the end.

We find out from them about the best and worst things in orthopaedics and if orthopods truly misunderstood? We also discuss the things they wish knew before starting, like the grind, the bottlenecking and the fellowships. Lastly we find out how they fancy their chances against everyone else in a hypothetical brawl...all that limb traction gotta come in handy some time right?!

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Loud, angry, trash-talking, on the warpath. Not to be messed with. That’s how many have described Steve Austin (the namesake of this episode) but it also seemed quite fitting for general surgery.

‘And that’s the bottom line, cuz Stone Cold said so!’

We’re joined by Caitlin Jordan and Adeeb Rehman (Health Education North West- Mersey) as we talk about: the best bits of general surgery; the worst bits; the things they wish they knew before, and crucially for this Smackdown….who they could take in a fight…

———————————————

RCS England - General Surgery https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/careers-in-surgery/trainees/foundation-and-core-trainees/surgical-specialties/general-surgery/

BMJ - The complete guide to becoming a general surgeon

https://www.bmj.com/careers/article/the-complete-guide-to-becoming-a-general-surgeon-

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back, and this season we're bringing the smackdown!

We're drafting our friends, colleagues and listeners to tell us why they love the job they do, and why it's the best bit of surgery.

We're pitting all the different specialties against each other in a sort of Royal Rumble free-for-all to find out who reigns supreme.

Which surgical specialty is the most respected? What specialty do people secretly wish they did? Which specialty could take all the others in a fight?

And... like wrestling, it's scripted, it's theatrical, it's here mostly for entertainment. Also, just like John Cena, you can't see us.

Surgical hunger games: https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorsUK/s/dnjQE7VjwH

Plastics getting stabby: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9158927/Top-plastic-surgeon-56-charged-attempting-murder-ex-colleague-surgeon-65.html

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode brings this season to a close...just like its namesake. Get it?! Ok we'll see ourselves out.

22 episodes, 44 weeks, and over a year worth of recording to get our first season done. What a slog it’s been! But an enjoyable one at that.

Today we explore:

• What it's been like actually getting the podcast off the ground 🏗️
• Started from the bottom now we here…😏 (according to the stats anyway 📈)
• The good and bad, our favourite moments, and how far it's come… 🎢
• Our listenership round the world (thank you / merci / gracias / danke / grazie / شكرا ) 🌍
• Your fortnightly dose of needless, tangential pop culture; from Alan Partridge, to Johnny Depp and the Fast Show and Krusty the Clown
• The road ahead…🛣️
• The holidays! 🎄
• And of course, ARCP season….🫠

Thank you all to all of you who listen, who’ve participated and who’ve helped make Its Always Sunny in Surgery what it is. We hope you’ve enjoyed listening as much as we’ve enjoyed creating.

We love to hear from you, more than reviews, likes and subscribing (but you can do those things if you fancy…)

So please drop us a line on:

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Happy holidays, and see you in 2024!

Jamie & Assad

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny Depp on Paul Whitehouse, and The Fast Show: https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/10/johnny-depp-paul-whitehouse-greatest-actor-12834920/

Alan Partridge being Alan Partridge: https://partridge.cloud/scene/?id=EXxDbCibsfpJ

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎵…Stitch don’t kill my vibe, stitch don’t kill my vibe…I'm trying to keep it alive and not compromise the feeling we love…🎵

Slightly later than normal due to a rough on-call patch, which incidentally was the reason we did this episode. If:

• the hours are so brutal…⏳
• the training so long…😪
• the abuse so rife…😖

Why are we still here? This season has taken the scenic route through some of the worst parts of training so today we are trying to claw it back. There’s gotta be summat good right?

We talk about:

• Surprising yourself with the progress you’ve made 😏
• Good times with colleagues 👯‍♂️
• Faking it till you make it 😅
• Making it, and pulling off something mega 🧐

Maybe the real training is the friends we made along the way…?

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We veer WILDLY off topic, but have decided to reformat it for your listening pleasure. Everyone likes a freebie right?

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following on from last week's episode about the good old days of training, it sounds like we have lost our way... So how do we find it again?

We posed the question to Reddit and asked how can we drain the proverbial swamp, channel our inner MAGA and actually Make Surgery Great Again...?

We took those responses, and chat about;

• Gameshow etiquette and meta-referencing ❌
• Re-establishing the hierarchy and the firm 👨‍👦‍👦
• Segueing from Segways to safari-esque ward rounds 🦁🐘🦓🦛
• The ideal ward round 🪑👀
• Very Victorian Vocational Training 🍺🏠📏
• Restricting surgery to surgeons ⛔️
• Rotational training 🎠

Our Reddit poll providing the basis for this episode: https://www.reddit.com/r/doctorsUK/s/Dx7WFKQARj

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - The Gang Goes on Family Fight (Season 10 Episode 8): https://youtu.be/MJT_aQ5XzKg?si=wZo4EN5w9C_Gakje

Scrubs - Turk’s peak ward round efficiency: https://youtu.be/JOZK1qD9usU?si=yfDbvrRqHH2LTbRA

The Cider House Rules trailer: https://youtu.be/xWpOP9NoaM8?si=SP9MfbtcFT6kJ9Nh

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Surgical trainees nowadays 'have never had it easier' apparently: back in the good old days our bosses worked 27 hrs a day, 8 days a week, scribing the ward rounds in English, Latin, and Ancient Greek, detecting electrolyte abnormalities by taste alone, whilst being paid in turnips and self-satisfaction for the privilege of being a surgeon...

These days...things just seem...like we missed out...though we're not exactly sure what we missed out on...?

Today, to help us fill in the blanks and tell us what it was actually like, we're joined by Mr. Mark Welch: former North West TPD for General & Vascular Surgery; the trainer who helped Assad find his mojo and all-round legend for a generation of surgeons in Manchester.

We sit back and let him spin us a few yarns 🧶 about what it was like 'back int' day', including:

• What training was like and the portfolio-free life... 🥼
• Having your own lists and being happy-go-choppy 🔪
• The firm structure and the sense of belonging 👨‍👧‍👦
• The mess life, fun and mischief 😏🍻
• The changes, both good and bad 🎭
• Is it better now, or have we missed out? 🙃

We loved being regaled by tales from his heyday, but equally it was sobering to hear how far things have changed....and not necessarily in a good way.

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pronunciation: /ɑː.kɪd/

Noun: One's sibling or close friend

(Northern England, especially Manchester)

’You alright our kid? You sure? You look dead miserable; is there summat on your mind?’

This episode we’re just going for it. We’re gonna talk about burnout 🔥🔥🔥

Surgeons have the unique honour of being amongst the most burnt out specialities in medicine. We’re joined by Dr. Sobia Khan (Research Psychologist and Clinical Psychotherapist at the University of Manchester) as we get into it and talk about our own experiences of it. What is burnout? What does it look and feel like? Does it spread like an inferno or could be it be smouldering away in the background for some time?

What are the symptoms? How does it show itself and what is the relationship with depression? Is it dangerous for us and for our patients? And how can you tackle it?

Can we safely open up about it?

Taking charge of it ourselves seems like a really daunting first step, but you can’t always rely on others to protect your welfare.

We’ll give it a go though. Y’alright our kid? But seriously… are you?

————————————————

If this strikes a chord with you, you might be burnt out: https://imgur.com/a/YR1EdrT

How it can feel being training: https://imgur.com/a/IRsFsgy

Kendrick Lamar - Count Me Out: https://youtu.be/5GhhVHpPR_M?si=0333YOqYQGxkpv--

(a powerful track and music video which contains many of the aspects we touch on in the episode)

RCS England Confidential Advice and Support Service: 0800 028 0199 (24hr line)

BMA Confidential Counselling Line: 0330 123 1245 (24hr line)

Burnout in trauma and orthopaedics: a cross-sectional study of surgeons from across the United Kingdom | The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England (rcseng.ac.uk)

Burnout Within UK Surgical Specialties: a systematic review https://publishing.rcseng.ac.uk/doi/full/10.1308/rcsann.2020.7058

Supporting the wellbeing of surgeons and surgical teams during COVID-19 and beyond — Royal College of Surgeons (rcseng.ac.uk)

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the final part of our work-life trilogy, we ramp it up a notch. Today, we're joined by series veteran and Deputy Postgraduate Dean Nadeem Khwaja (Consultant Plastic Surgeon), and our overseer, boss and matriarch, and the reason this podcast exists Sadie Khwaja (Consultant ENT Surgeon) as Greater Manchester's premier surgical dynasty. We all know that surgery can be an all-consuming job and our chosen career frequently gets in the way of our lives.... but what if you're married to another surgeon? How does that even work?!

We talk about that and:

• Meeting on the job 👩‍❤️‍👨 and snatching surgeries away from your future spouse 👀🔪
• Jointly juggling theatre cases, clinics, and careers 🤹‍♀️
• Inter-deanery matrimony and the effect on fledgling marriages 👰‍♀️🤵
• How it takes an MDT to raise a child
• Do surgeon-surgeon couples understand each other better?
• What happens when the job interferes with parenting?
• Does it ever get easier?! 😅

Email us: [email protected]

Twitter: @NW_surgical (www.twitter.com/NW_surgical)

Reddit: u/surgicalcareersNW (www.reddit.com/u/surgicalcareersNW)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.