Training in Professional Skills (TIPS)

We have a Training & Services platform, where you can search, register and pay for courses. 

You will be able to register in a few east steps: 

• You will have to sign in to eHub to register (Please refer to the quick reference guide (PDF 568.52KB) for detailed steps, or watch this video on how to navigate your way through the platform)
• Complete the registration form
• Select pass
• Agree to Terms and Conditions
• Make payment via card or PayPal
• Your place is not confirmed until payment has been processed
• Please use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge
• If unable to proceed on the registration page, try a hard refresh (Ctrl F5) 

For more information, please refer to the frequently asked questions (PDF 130.53KB). 

At the end of this program, participants will be able to:

• describe the benefits and challenges associated with effective patient-doctor communication in surgical practice
• describe the benefits and challenges associated with effective teamwork and collegial communication in surgical practice
• identify personal strengths and areas for improvement with respect to skills relevant to the above domains
• identify methods for practising and integrating these skills in the workplace
• reflect on achieving appropriate professional behaviours.

TIPS caters to:

• Junior doctors aspiring to a career in surgery
• SET Trainees of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, training requirement for General Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Paediatric Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Specialist International Medical Graduates (SIMGs)

To register, applicants must be post-graduate year (PGY) 2+ registered medical graduates.

• Australia - AU $4,895.00 (including GST)
• New Zealand - NZ $5,475.00 (including GST) 

Fees for both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand will remain at 2024 fee prices.

Australian SETs who are mandated to complete the TIPS course are exempt from GST on Australian courses.

Courses conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand will be invoiced in NZ dollars, regardless of residential country of applicant. 

The course fee includes:

• access to online modules and resources
• a certificate upon completion
• catering.

In the event that a participant withdraws from a Skills Training course, the following refund criteria are applied:

• Withdrawal more than 10 weeks prior to course: 95% refund of course fee
• Withdrawal less than 10 weeks prior to course: 50% refund of course fee
• Withdrawal less than 6 weeks prior to course: No refund of course fee

This policy will apply to all courses and participants. We encourage registration to local courses.

In the event that RACS is required to cancel a course, participants will receive a full refund of their course fee.

If a participant is not able to attend the course for compassionate reasons (e.g. sickness or bereavement) the refund amount will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Please contact [email protected] as soon as possible if you are not able to attend the course.

Please do not attend a RACS event if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or are awaiting a test result.

As of November 2024.

To withdraw from your allocated course, please login to eHub and follow the steps given below:

• Click your profile name on the upper right-hand corner of the page.
• Click My Registrations. This will display a list of all courses you are enrolled for.
• Click CANCEL button for the course you want to withdraw from.
• You will receive an email notification confirming your withdrawal.
• If you are eligible for a refund, you will be refunded by the payment method used at time of purchase, you will receive an email confirming the credit has been processed.
• For eligible refunds through payment method of PayPal, if payment was made over six months ago, PayPal will decline the refund. Our Finance team will contact you for an alternative refund method.

Unfortunately, transfers to alternative courses are not possible.

Overview

To complement the Training in Professional Skills Course (TIPS), the TIPS committee together with a working group of SMEs have developed a series of Human Factors eLearning modules. The modules were developed to provide emerging surgeons with an awareness of the impact of human factors on surgical practice and risk mitigation, and to improve patient outcomes. 

The comprehensive suite of online resources includes videos, interactive activities, reading, and knowledge checks. 

Topics covered include stress and resilience, conflict management, situation awareness, decision making, team dynamics, and speaking up in response to unacceptable behaviour. 

Audience

The modules are available to all RACS:

• Fellows
• SET Trainees
• SIMGs
• JDocs
• Staff
• Skills Training Faculty
• Applicants registered to attend TIPS and CCrISP courses

How to access

The Human Factors modules are available via the RACS learning management system (LMS) Moodle. There are seven subjects, please find links to the modules below:

• Conflict management
• Decision making
• Patient-centred communication
• Situation awareness
• Speaking up in response to unacceptable behaviour
• Stress and resilience
• Team Dynamics

The modules should take approximately three hours to complete. 

Testimonials

"Enjoyed the modules - good content, well laid out. I will likely revisit them again. The accompanying material was of great quality and value to me. There was some interesting and thought-provoking reading." (August 2019)

"I enjoyed them all because all were very relevant for everyday clinical work." (October 2019)

"Very relevant to practice with good models and applicant during the sessions" (October 2019)

"Good videos. Good test. Like how it's not a strict test." (February 2020)

"The use of videos were really good as they helped to consolidate the theoretical principles taught in each module." (July 2019)

Further information

Human factors come under a number of names including professional skills, behavioural skills and non-technical skills. Non-technical skills is perhaps the most popular and well-recognised term, but it is considered by some as a misnomer as these skills are highly technical. The knowledge, skill and rehearsal required to conduct a difficult conversation with patients and relatives or perform in a team as both an active follower and leader is just as technically demanding as that which is required for a difficult surgical procedure. A lack of skills in human factors can be just as devastating and dangerous as a technical operative failure to patient, your team and your own wellbeing. 

A number of studies indicate that more than 70 per cent of surgical harm is due to failure of the professional skills; of misperception, loss of situation awareness and decision making rather than a failure of technical skills. Many Trainees who do not make it through the training process underachieve in the non-technical areas. Until quite recently, surgical training focused mostly on medical and technical skills. 

There is a tendency to think the key aspects are our technical skills, but in fact the harder aspects to master are the non-technical skills. Evidence shows that when non-technical skills are performed badly, there is a direct link to adverse surgical outcomes (Rosenstein 2011; Catron et al. 2016; Cooper et al. 2017). Throughout these modules, many of the topics link to other College resources should you wish to further explore that particular area. 

Reference list

Rosenstein A. The Quality and Economic Impact of Disruptive Behaviours on Clinical Outcomes of Patient Care. American Journal of Medical Quality. 2011;26(5):372-379.

Catron T, Guillamondegui O, Karrass J, Cooper W, Martin B, Dmochowski R et al. Patient Complaints and Adverse Surgical Outcomes. American Journal of Medical Quality. 2016;31(5):415-422.

Cooper W, Guillamondegui O, Hines O, Hultman C, Kelz R, Shen P et al. Use of Unsolicited Patient Observations to Identify Surgeons With Increased Risk for Postoperative Complications. JAMA Surgery. 2017;152(6):522.