The Surgical Interest Association (Surgia) is a not-for-profit, student-run society based at Griffith University on the Gold Coast, currently in its 11th year of establishment.
Surgia serves as a nexus, uniting surgically inclined medical students, junior doctors, and senior consultants from the Gold Coast and its surrounding regions. The Gold Coast, renowned as one of the most rapidly growing health regions in the country, houses prominent institutions such as the Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast Private Hospital, and cutting-edge medical teaching facilities at Griffith University. This environment offers a unique learning opportunity that Surgia is keen to leverage for the benefit of its members.
Since its inception in 2012, Surgia has grown exponentially, boasting around 4000 lifelong student members and over 80 professional members and alumni actively engaged in the organisation. Aligned with its commitment to enhancing students’ interest in surgery, teaching surgical skills, and inspiring future surgeons, Surgia has forged strategic partnerships with the Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) and the Australasian Students' Surgical Association (ASSA).
Each year, Surgia holds at least 40 in person or online events for its members. In 2024, Surgia aims to expand its presence in the Sunshine Coast, and develop even more practical workshops for its students at both campuses.
For student or sponsorship enquiries, please email [email protected]
Alternatively, send us a message using Facebook Messenger Chat
Surgia serves as a nexus, uniting surgically inclined medical students, junior doctors, and senior consultants from the Gold Coast and its surrounding regions. The Gold Coast, renowned as one of the most rapidly growing health regions in the country, houses prominent institutions such as the Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast Private Hospital, and cutting-edge medical teaching facilities at Griffith University. This environment offers a unique learning opportunity that Surgia is keen to leverage for the benefit of its members.
Since its inception in 2012, Surgia has grown exponentially, boasting around 4000 lifelong student members and over 80 professional members and alumni actively engaged in the organisation. Aligned with its commitment to enhancing students’ interest in surgery, teaching surgical skills, and inspiring future surgeons, Surgia has forged strategic partnerships with the Royal Australian College of Surgeons (RACS) and the Australasian Students' Surgical Association (ASSA).
Each year, Surgia holds at least 40 in person or online events for its members. In 2024, Surgia aims to expand its presence in the Sunshine Coast, and develop even more practical workshops for its students at both campuses.
For student or sponsorship enquiries, please email [email protected]
Alternatively, send us a message using Facebook Messenger Chat
History
SURGIA was founded by a working party in 2012, who won the Griffith Innovation Challenge for their professional business plan and invigorating pitch. After an extremely successful start to their operation, SURGIA are again excited to expand and develop each year to provide a range of opportunities and services to its members, corporate partners and professional supporters.
SURGIA remains as a fast growing medical/surgical society in Australia, and our stellar reputation has spread to medical schools throughout the country. Our events have featured both nationally and internationally renowned speakers and surgeons and our seminars have hosted up to 400 students from multiple universities. Additionally, our research activities have been presented at conferences and published in journals, and within our first three years, we have been the winner of five awards from the Griffith University Guild for our activities as an outstanding cultural society. The organisation would like to thank all of those who have been so instrumental in its success, and those who continue to offer support to this academic, not-for-profit organisation.
Opportunities
SURGIA offers its students and professional members unique opportunities, whilst also giving back to the wider community. SURGIA provides members with opportunities to:
- Further their anatomy knowledge with a surgical focus
- Develop both surgical skills and extra-surgical skills, such as leadership and professionalism
- Link students with specialists in surgery, anaesthetics, obstetrics & gynaecology, oral maxillofacial surgery, orthopaedics, and neurosurgery
- Access pathways for advocacy and promote an equitable surgical workforce
- Participate in and appreciate a culture of research
- Raise awareness of rural and global issues in surgical practice
- Support surgical and health-related charities in our community
- Assist in finding a surgically-related mentor in a field of your interest
- Meet other students and professionals with similar interests and aspirations
Achievements
Some of our achievements to date:
-
2012
- Winners of the 2012 Griffith Innovation Challenge for our overall business plan and pitch – Prizes to the value of $39,000, of which $15,000 was seeding capital
- Winners of the 2012 Griffith Innovation Challenge People’s Choice Award for our final pitch – $2,500 additional capital
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2013
- Griffith University Guild Awards – New Cultural Club of the Year
- Griffith University Guild Awards – Most Outstanding Achievement by a Cultural Club for our STAIRS Conference (Surgical Training in Acute Illness/Injury Recognition for Students).
-
2014
- Griffith University Guild Awards – Most Outstanding Achievement by a Cultural Club
- Griffith University Guild Awards – Cultural Club Administrator of the Year
-
2015
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) – Overall First Place in the RACS Surgical Skills Competition
- Griffith University Guild Awards – Most Outstanding Club Website
-
2016
- Griffith University Guild Awards – Most Outstanding Club Website
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) – Overall First Place in the RACS Surgical Skills State Finals Competition
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) – Individual First Place in the RACS Surgical Skills State Finals Competition
-
2017
- Runner-up in Australasian Surgical Students’ Conference Research Abstract Competition
- 3rd Place in the Australasian Surgical Students’ Conference Golden Scalpel Games
-
2018
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) – Individual First Place in the RACS Surgical Skills State Finals Competition
-
2019
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) – Overall First Place in the RACS Surgical Skills State Finals Competition
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) – Individual First Place in the RACS Surgical Skills State Finals Competition
- Ran events at the Sunshine Coast Hospital campus for the first time
- Established the Queensland Surgical Interest Conference and ran it successfully, inviting students from all medical schools in QLD
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2020
- Held the second year in running of Queensland Surgical Interest Conference, with brand new workshops including AAA Repair, Microsurgery, Orthopaedics and Technology in Surgery
- Hosted the Queensland Surgical Skills Competition in lieu of the RACS - Overall and Individual First Place
- Established two new roles that align with the Surgia values: Diversity in Surgery and Global Surgery
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2021
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Surgical Skills Competition - Overall First Place with Highest Team Score
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Surgical Skills Competition - Individual First Place with Highest Individual Score
- Invited speaker/medical student representative at the Queensland State Conference 2021 held by Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
- Third year in running of Queensland Surgical Interest Conference, involving specialties that have never been included before, such as cardiothoracics and obstetrics and gynaecology.
- Awarded New Club of the Year by the Student Guild
- Awarded for Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion by the Student Guild
- Created a new podcast Behind the Scalpel
- Held the Trauma Symposium with Prof Martin Wullschleger, a practical skills session designed to teach medical students how to insert an intercostal catheter and perform FAST scans.
- Brand new OSCE video resources to help medical students prepare for exams.
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2022
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Surgical Skills Competition - Overall First Place with Highest Team Score
- Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Surgical Skills Competition - Individual First Place with Highest Individual Score and Individual Second Place
- Hosted the inaugural Medicine & Dentistry Conference with Griffith University Dental Students Association (GUDSA) featuring renowned speakers and novel workshops including Oral Anaesthesia, OPG interpretation, Head & Neck Cancer Screening, Tooth Implantation, Emergency Management and Suturing.
- Improved Sunshine Coast events, including Advanced Suturing workshop and US Cannulation & Lapsim workshop.
- Re-established advisory board to support continued organisational growth and innovation.