Also recognized at the Opening Ceremony were 3 surgeons for the 2023 APACRS Certified Educators (A.C.E.): Jodhbir Mehta, MD, Mahipal Sachdev, MD, and Mohamad Rosman, MD. MasterClass: What They Don’t Teach You in Residency One of the more highly anticipated sessions (and making its debut at the 35th APACRS Singapore), the What They Don’t Teach You in Residency MasterClass played to a standing-room only crowd. With an emphasis on skill sets not often taught, topics ranged from how to deliver a memorable lecture to how to be a better surgeon to how to conduct meaningful research. Course director Ronald Yeoh, MD, advised attendees to use PowerPoint as a starting point for presentations, and “less is more!” he said. “You don’t need complicated slides to deliver a memorable lecture.” But what makes a lecture memorable in the first place? Having a clear message and conclusion — start by telling your audience what you’re going to teach them, then teach it, then remind them you taught it,” he said. “Also, knowing the other topics in the session will help you plan your talk accordingly,” he said. “Inject humor if you can. Use memorable moments from your real life.” He cited one of his favorite examples of not relying on high tech (“A real doctor doesn’t need a slit lamp”) as he showed an image of a baby chimpanzee evaluating its mother’s eye. But most importantly, he said, is to communicate with your audience and develop a relationship with them. “Speak with them, not to them,” he advised. Prof. Graham Barrett, MD, spoke to creating a work-life balance, something he joked he doesn’t really know much about. An informal audience poll showed only 30% to 40% of attendees are satisfied with their balance, and even fewer thought they had adequate time for health, recreation, and family. “People are short on time,” he said. “My personal view is that there is no such thing as a perfect balance. It may not even be desirable. You need to feel satisfied. ‘Perfect balance’ is not static; it’s a pendulum that swings back and forth.” He’s culled that concept from “a retrospective analysis.” His secret? “Passion. If you have passion in your work and in your life, there will be a feeling of fulfillment. But it takes commitment to be excellent in all you do. You have to have a desire to be perfect,” even when that is unattainable. “And have the same amount of enthusiasm for your hobbies as you do your career,” he advised. This MasterClass was part of a complete set of APACRS MasterClasses held on the first day of the meeting. Becoming a better surgeon, better filmmaker, better researcher Chee Soon Phaik, MD, offered advice on how to be a better surgeon, including watching your own videos rather than asking for your attending’s. “Critique yourself,” she said. “If you control the eye, the surgery will always look simple. Is the eye centered?” Pay attention to “the little things,” like the patient’s head and face position. Evaluate your external video, not just the actual surgery, to ensure you’re saving your neck or not pushing the eye nasally. “Think about your incisions,” Dr. Chee said. “Respect the ocular tissue — don’t just push the incision, lift the incision.” She highly recommends adapting NEXUS CoNNECtiNg EvEryoNE & EvErythiNg
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Njk2NTg0