Celebrating USANZ Members

Dr James Churchill - Hugh Johnston Travel Grant Recipient

USANZ member, Dr. James Churchill, was awarded the 2023 Hugh Johnston Travel Grant by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). The grant, valued at $10,000, supports RACS Fellows and SET Trainees to take time away from clinical positions so that they can travel to gain specialist knowledge and expertise.

Dr Churchill used the grant to travel to the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, UK, where he undertook twenty months of post-fellowship training in urologic oncology. Whilst there, Dr Churchill developed a penile cancer research program. He also commenced a higher degree in clinical education at the University of Edinburgh, and presented and published his work widely, including at large European and American urology conferences. 

Surgical News recently featured an article about Dr Churchill's experiences. He reflected: "The surgical challenges and skills I learned were eye-opening. I saw many patients with rare cancers—not often seen in Australia—gaining valuable knowledge and surgical skills not available in Australia or the Asia-Pacific." Now that he has returned to Australia, Dr Churchill is looking forward to applying his new knowledge and skills to enhance patient outcomes.

Applications for the 2024 Hugh Johnston Travel Grant open on March 25 and close on 6 May. Dr Churchill encourages other newly qualified surgeons to apply for the grant as the experience broadened his perspective, allowed him to develop new expertise, and will improve his approach moving forwards in Australia.

 

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