The John Corboy Medal is among RACS most prestigious awards and is the highest award given to a SET Trainee. Awarded by the RACS Trainees’ Association (RACSTA) this award represents a Trainee who has the embodiment of outstanding leadership, selfless service, tenacity and service to Trainees of the College. 

Multiple nominations and letters of support described these as the qualities of the 2023 recipient Dr Shiv-Karan Chopra. At the time of nomination, Dr Chopra was a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Trainee at Mater Hospital in Brisbane and has since obtained his Fellowship.

The father of two is currently working in the UK, where his training began. Dr Chopra graduated from the Imperial College School of Medicine, London in 2009 before receiving Membership of Royal College of Surgeons at the Royal College of Surgeons, England in 2011. He relocated to Australia in 2013 to further his career as a SET Trainee with RACS in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 

With a passion for teaching, Dr Chopra is an outstanding leader in his field and highly regarded among his peers. He is described as a born leader, selfless, supportive and inclusive. 

As an advocate for both Trainees and junior doctors, Dr Chopra has sat on numerous committees to ensure their voices are heard. He was the National Trainee representative for four years on the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Council. Within RACS he was a member of RACSTA, the Annual Scientific Congress (ASC) Committee and RACS-1CT. He is currently active on the Australia Breast Device Registry Management Committee (ABDR) and is the sitting international Trainee chair of the International Confederation of Plastic Surgery societies.

By successfully organising and delivering webinars to fellow Trainees during the peak of COVID-19, Dr Chopra displayed selfless commitment to surgical training. This was exemplified through the organisation of the Trainee section of the 2022 Brisbane ASC and the delivery of mock exam sessions for junior registrars—while preparing for his own FRACS exam.

Dr Chopra supports a monthly plastics and reconstructive surgery podcast and has built an App for the ABDR and ASPS. He is an excellent mentor for the junior registrars and residents and consistently steps up to cover his colleagues when times are tough.

An outstanding example of what it is to be a surgical registrar, Dr Chopra is a true asset to our surgical community. RACS and RACSTA look forward to presenting Dr Chopra with this prestigious award at the 2024 Christchurch ASC Trainee and Younger Fellows dinner.

Nominations for the 2024 John Corboy Medal are open from 1 June to 31 July 2023. Fellows, Trainees and SIMGs are encouraged to nominate a Trainee they feel is deserving of this award. For more details visit the RACSTA webpage